The following is a brief summary of some of the thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
In Bereishis 31:3 the Torah recounts that Hashem told Yaakov that it was time to leave Lavan's house. The next morning, Yaakov discusses this with Rachel and Leah and asks whether they should leave. The women respond that they have no inheritance or portion in their father's home so, yes, they should leave.
R' Frand quoted the Tolner Rebbi who asked a serious of questions about this story. Why did Yaakov ask Rachel and Leah whether they should leave? After all, Yaakov hated Lavan as Lavan had lied to him, switched his intended bride and stole from him.
Additionally, since Hashem had appeared to him and told him that it was time to leave, why did Yaakov not just tell Rachel and Leah - Hashem said its time to go, so we are going.
R' Frand interjected that if a person had a dream and he saw an angel who told him that it was time to make aliyah, would he then get up the next morning and ask his spouse - should we listen to the angel?
Before answering the questions, R' Frand made reference to a vort from R' Chaim Shmulevitz on a story in Parshas Vayechi. Before asking Yosef to bury him in Maaras HaMachpeilah, Yaakov tells Yosef in Bereishis 48:7 that when Yaakov was coming back from Lavan to Eretz Yisrael, Rachel died and he buried her in Bethlethem.
Rashi gives a little more color to the story and explains that Yaakov told Yosef - when Rachel died I buried her in Bethlethem, but it was not because it was too rainy or difficult to bring her to Chevron. It was because Hashem told me to bury her there because one day in the future the Jews will be exiled and they will travel past Bethlehem and Rachel will daven to Hashem to bring them back.
R' Chaim asked - why is that Yaakov said all this to Yosef? Why didn't he just say - I know that you are upset that I buried your mother in Bethlehem, but this is where Hashem told me to do it?
R' Chaim answered that a person hears what he wants to hear. Yaakov was concerned that Yosef would think that maybe Yaakov had misunderstood Hashem and had only buried Rachel in Bethlehem for the sake of expediency. It was for this reason that Yaakov needed to spell out to Yosef - I know that you are upset, but I did not bury her there because it was too difficult to bring Rachel to Chevron, I did it because Hashem told me to.
For the very same reason, Yaakov needed to ask Rachel and Leah whether they should leave Lavan. Yaakov had many reasons to want to leave this evil man, but he also wanted to be certain that the decision to leave was not being influenced by his feelings about Lavan. For this reason he asked his family --should we go? And they responded - of course!
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