13 Dec Insights on the Spark of Laban

Inspired by the Teachings of Harav Yitzchak Ginsburgh and Rabbi Moshe Genuth

Laban is known in Midrashic literature as Laban HaRamai, “Laban the Deceiver”. Yet unlike many may believe,, he is not evil.

The loftiest sefirot is Keser(Crown), According to Kabbalistic tradition, each sefirah is associatd with a colour. Keter associated with the color white (translucent white),associated with purity and the ‘Unknowable head’. The ‘unknowable head’  implies that this level of keter is neither conscious of its own inner being nor is known to any consciousness outside of itself.

The name Laban means “white”. According to the Kabbalah, Laban represents loben ha-elyon, the “supernal whiteness” that transcends all “color” and classification. Thus “Laban” embodies the power of transformation — because it is beyond classification, it bridges opposites and can transform a thing into its very extreme.  (Chabad,org; Laban)

To those of us functioning in this world (of the 4 kabbalistic worlds), the realm of asiya (action, malchut), things in the lofty realm of Keter (Crown) of atzilut and the of ‘unknowable head’ are as we understand, unknowable. It is a lofty realm that cannot be understood without probing into the deeper kabbalistic meanings that may reveal the great spiritual power that Laban contributes to the Jewish Nation.

Laban being associated with Keter posses a power that defies our ‘concrete’ logic. A power we may refer to as ‘fluid’. We see this as he seemingly to our logical rational thought deceive Jacob as Jacob understood he would marry Rachel but Laban, Leah and Rachel conspire to have Jacob  marry Leah first.

Laban does not give Rachel to Jacob as a wife as Jacob understood Laban would, however Laban does agree to give Rachel to Jacob after the fact. This may be seen as deceitful but not evil. This is where we come to understand that the world of Keter is fluid. What Laban did doesn’t make sense to us here in the realm of asya (action, malchut), but it does make sense from the lofty realm of Keter where all is fluid and undefined. And here is why every Jew has and needs the spark of Laban. Jacob learns valuable lessons for the future of Klol Yisroel.

The ‘fluid’ realm of Keter where the boundaries of logic and concrete thought are lacking, is the realm of ‘unbounded possibilities’. Torah however is learnt using concrete principles, developed by the sefirot of wisdom and understanding. Prayer though needs to tap into the crown in order believe that there is a point to beseeching HaShem that He make reality fluid and thereby heal the sick, set the impoverished on their feet, and in general, to shape shift reality into the best possible version of itself. (R. Genuth)

Leib Getzel (Lawrence) Lax
Addictions and Counseling
lawrencejlax@gmail.com