Laban

Jacob's declaration -- "I sojourned with Laban, but did not learn from his evil ways" -- should not be understood as a boast but rather as a lament. Jacob is bemoaning the fact that he did not learn to do good the way Laban did evil...

Don’t get caught on a single-minded track just because it’s always worked for you. Be Like Jacob, and think outside the box.

We should never underestimate the power of our good behavior on others, even someone with a long history of belligerence like Esau.

Jacob's descent to Charan, where he lived with Laban, is the descent of the soul into the world.

In this world, we cannot attain absolute perfection, absolute truth, or absolute good. What is required of us is an incredibly difficult form of existence. We must live continually with partial truth, which stems from compromise.

Jacob Leaves Laban, Laban Instigates Esau to Make War on His Brother, Jacob’s Strategy, Jacob Wrestles with an Angel, Jacob’s Reconciliation with Esau, Jacob’s Arrival in Canaan, Rachel’s Death