Parashat Vayetzei gives us one of the earliest examples of what we would today call “fake news.” Yaakov Avinu had earned success through honest, steady work with the flocks, yet Lavan’s sons began spreading a baseless, venomous rumour:
וַיִּשְׁמַע אֶת דִּבְרֵי בְנֵי לָבָן לֵאמֹר, לָקַח יַעֲקֹב אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לְאָבִינוּ וּמֵאֲשֶׁר לְאָבִינוּ עָשָׂה אֵת כָּל הַכָּבֹד הַזֶּה. (בראשית ל"א:א')
“And he heard the words of Lavan’s sons, saying: ‘Yaakov has taken all that belonged to our father, and from what belonged to our father he has made all this wealth.’” (Bereishit 31:1)
The Kli Yakar explains that their claim was entirely false. Yaakov Avinu had taken only what was rightfully his, while Lavan held on to the rest. But even a lie that has no basis at all can twist minds, stir jealousy, and poison the air.
Then the Torah tells us what happened next:
וַיַּרְא יַעֲקֹב אֶת פְּנֵי לָבָן, וְהִנֵּה אֵינֶנּוּ עִמּוֹ כִּתְמוֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם. (בראשית ל"א:ב')
“And Yaakov saw Lavan’s face, and behold, he was not as before.” (Bereishit 31:2)
Sforno says that Lavan accepted the slander without thinking twice.
Netziv adds that Yaakov Avinu understood the danger of a lie once it becomes “truth” in the eyes of those who have control. At that point, it is no longer just talk - it becomes a threat.
The Chafetz Chaim writes with great clarity that hateful words can sometimes be ignored, but when rulers begin to act on those lies, one must take steps to protect oneself:
כאשר האומות מדברים סרה על עם ישראל, מעלילים עלינו ודוחקים את רגלינו. בבחינת וישמע את דברי בני לבן. עדיין מבליגים אנו על כל זה. שומעים חרפתינו ואיננו משיבים - אינהו בדידהו ואנן בדידן. אבל מכיוון שאנו רואים את פניהם שאינם כדמות שלשום, בבחינת וירא יעקב את פני לבן, כאשר העומדים בראש הממשלות מראים לנו פנים זועפים - אזי אנו מוכרחים לבקש לנו מקום מקלט. והמקום המקלט היותר בטוח הוא לשוב אל ארץ אבותינו - שוב אל ארץ אבותיך.
“When the nations speak against the Jewish people, slandering us and pushing us out of our place - as in the verse, ‘And he heard the words of Lavan’s sons’ - at first we hold ourselves back. We hear our shame and we do not answer; they remain in their world and we remain in ours.
"But when we see that their faces are no longer as they were before - as in the verse, ‘And Yaakov saw Lavan’s face’ - when those who lead the governments show us angry, harsh faces, then we must look for a place of refuge. And the safest refuge is to return to the land of our fathers - ‘Return to the land of your fathers.’”
(English translation of the Chafetz Chaim )
Yaakov Avinu first heard the rumours. Then he saw Lavan’s face. That was enough.
When false claims begin to shape policy, patience is no longer the right response. The Torah’s message is clear: שוב אל ארץ אבותיך - go back to a place of safety.
Hashem Himself tells Yaakov Avinu:
וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל יַעֲקֹב, שׁוּב אֶל אֶרֶץ אֲבוֹתֶיךָ וּלְמוֹלַדְתֶּךָ וְאֶהְיֶה עִמָּךְ. (בראשית ל"א:ג')
“And the L-rd said to Yaakov: ‘Return to the land of your fathers and your birthplace, and I will be with you.’” (Bereishit 31:3)
Yaakov Avinu did not panic. He did not wait until danger grew worse, and he did not pretend nothing had changed. He saw what was happening, he understood the message, and he acted, with Hashem guiding his steps.
In every generation, we face lies, distortions, and open hatred. Today, the global antisemitic virus has raised its ugly head once more. It spreads quickly, filling the world with confusion and hostility. Rumours become “truth,” and anger becomes policy.
Campuses that once valued honest study have turned into places where Israel is slandered and Jewish students live with fear. Media and public culture twist facts and paint Israel as the aggressor. Young people grow up hearing only one side, and that shapes the leaders they will become.
There comes a moment when we can no longer expect fairness from such an environment. When hatred becomes normal, when lies replace truth, and when the “faces” around us change, the Torah teaches us to recognize it. Sometimes one must step back from a place that no longer allows a Jew to stand with pride and safety.
This is not fear. This is not giving up. This is what Yaakov Avinu did, with strength, with clarity, and with trust in Hashem. When the signs were clear, he did not wait to be forced. He understood on his own when the time had come.
We, too, should not need to be told when it is time to go home.