BRESLEV.CO.IL AND DAFYOMI.CO.IL PRESENT Parshat Vayetzei The Ancient Con Artist By: Rabbi Mordechai Kornfeld

And Lavan said to Yakov, "Just because you are my relative, you should work for me for free? Specify what your wages will be!" Lavan had two daughters; the older was named Leah and the younger was named Rachel... and Yakov loved Rachel, so he said, "I will work for you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter." (Bereishit 29:15,16,18) "For Rachel, your younger daughter" -- Why was it necessary for Yakov to mention all of these identifying details? Yakov knew that Lavan was a cheat. He therefore said to him, "I will work for you for Rachel. In case you say `I will bring another girl named Rachel from the street,' I add `your daughter.' And in case you say, `I will take Leah and change her name to Rachel, I add `younger.' "But, in spite of all this, Lavan tricked him. (Rashi 29:18, quoting from Bereishit Rabba) Yakov was well aware of Lavan's dishonest character. When he met Rachel for the first time, he told her that he was "the brother of her father." Rashi, noting that he was not Lavan's brother but his nephew, quotes the Midrashic interpretation: Yakov meant to say, "If Lavan tries to deal treacherously with me, I am capable of being his brother in deceit!" Although he was the ultimate Ish Tam [innocent, guileless man], Yakov apparently had the ability to meet a scoundrel head on and beat him at his own game. That is why he was so cautious when he was about to enter into his first business deal with his unscrupulous uncle.