Yakov, to borrow a term, was a true "Renaissance Man." He seemed to embody all the features of the ideal Jew: Scholar, fighter, lover, businessman, father of a very diverse family. He had a "feminine side" - sensitive and empathetic - as well as a masculine one.
I have always maintained that Yakov was the pre-eminent Patriarch. For one thing, more Torah text is devoted to Yakov than to the other two Avot combined. And we Jewish People take our name and lineage from him - we are called Bnai Yisrael - rather than from any other personality.
We are introduced to our hero with but a few, succinct words: "Jacob was a simple man, dwelling in tents."
There was, to be sure, nothing "simple" about Yakov. Every relationship in his life was complex in the extreme: That with his parents, with his brother Esav, with his 13 children, with Lavan, his father-in-law, with his wives Leah and Rachel. In fact, Yakov's whole life was about becoming tam, pure and complete, with those around him.
Why does the Torah use the word, "tents," in the plural? Two explanations are offered: The Midrash says the two tents refer to the houses of study of Shem and Ever, the classical Torah teachers of the generation. The Sforno says the two tents refer to a shepherd's tent, where Yakov the shepherd lived while in the fields, and the tent of study, where Yakov went to seek knowledge of Hashem.
Both these comments send a deep message about Yakov and his model for leadership.
First, it was not sufficient for Yakov to learn exclusively at either Shem or Ever's "yeshiva." Yakov needed to sample more than just one approach to Torah, so he could appreciate the multi-faceted "face" of G-d, the seventy different nuances of each word and idea in the Torah. A true leader must consider issues from many perspectives, not just one monolithic viewpoint. So Yakov wisely chose to hear the spiritual symphony from not one, but two master conductors.
He also knew that to find G-d, and to contribute to Tikun Olam (the betterment of the world), it is not enough to either work all day or to study all day. It is in the combination of efforts that we achieve a spiritual balance, interacting with our fellow man, putting into practice the lofty principles we learn, serving as a practical model of Torah values in everything we do or say.
Not con-"tent" to be just average, Yakov is a man for all seasons, and for all reasons.
I have always maintained that Yakov was the pre-eminent Patriarch. For one thing, more Torah text is devoted to Yakov than to the other two Avot combined. And we Jewish People take our name and lineage from him - we are called Bnai Yisrael - rather than from any other personality.
We are introduced to our hero with but a few, succinct words: "Jacob was a simple man, dwelling in tents."
There was, to be sure, nothing "simple" about Yakov. Every relationship in his life was complex in the extreme: That with his parents, with his brother Esav, with his 13 children, with Lavan, his father-in-law, with his wives Leah and Rachel. In fact, Yakov's whole life was about becoming tam, pure and complete, with those around him.
Why does the Torah use the word, "tents," in the plural? Two explanations are offered: The Midrash says the two tents refer to the houses of study of Shem and Ever, the classical Torah teachers of the generation. The Sforno says the two tents refer to a shepherd's tent, where Yakov the shepherd lived while in the fields, and the tent of study, where Yakov went to seek knowledge of Hashem.
Both these comments send a deep message about Yakov and his model for leadership.
First, it was not sufficient for Yakov to learn exclusively at either Shem or Ever's "yeshiva." Yakov needed to sample more than just one approach to Torah, so he could appreciate the multi-faceted "face" of G-d, the seventy different nuances of each word and idea in the Torah. A true leader must consider issues from many perspectives, not just one monolithic viewpoint. So Yakov wisely chose to hear the spiritual symphony from not one, but two master conductors.
He also knew that to find G-d, and to contribute to Tikun Olam (the betterment of the world), it is not enough to either work all day or to study all day. It is in the combination of efforts that we achieve a spiritual balance, interacting with our fellow man, putting into practice the lofty principles we learn, serving as a practical model of Torah values in everything we do or say.
Not con-"tent" to be just average, Yakov is a man for all seasons, and for all reasons.