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Ep. 187 · Chayei Sarah · 6 min · 2021-10-28

Life is not black or white

The Or HaChaim notices something odd about how the Torah introduces Lavan: "U'shmo Lavan", his name is Lavan, a phrasing the Torah usually keeps for righteous people. Why would a rasha get it? And if Lavan ran to Rivka because he saw the jewelry, why does the pasuk say he ran first and saw the jewelry after? It is a lesson about how we label people, ourselves included. A short exchange with a famed tzaddik, asked about the Lamed Vav, makes the point in one word.