The Midrash tells us. that for the first 15 years of Jacob’s life he studied Torah together with his grandfather Abraham and father Isaac. During that time there was also a Yeshiva, knowns as the Yeshiva of Shem and Ever.

(Good questions but not the focus of this article is; what does it mean that there was the study of Torah prior to the giving of the Torah and what is a Yeshiva in a pre-Sinai world?)

In last week’s Torah portion Jacob takes the blessings from Isaac, Esau wants to kill him, and his father and mother send him away to safety to Charan the home of Rivkah’s brother. There he would begin to build a family.

The Midrash tells us that along the way Yaakov spends 14 years in the aforementioned Yeshiva. It begs the question. Jacob was already in his sixties at this point. Why did he delay his building of his family and the instructions of his parents for these years? Additionally, what was lacking in the Torah study with Abraham and Isaac over a these years, that he needed more Torah and specifically at this time and from Shem and Ever in particular?

The Talmud says there is none like those that have experience. Shem was a survivor of the Flood and Ever of the Generation of the Dispersion. Both of them had been exposed to terribly corrupt, violent and immoral people, and had come out stronger and more righteous.

Jacob was headed to Charan. Charan is a bad place. Even its name reflects its badness – Charan means wrath. As in the people there’s behavior awakens G-d’s wrath.

In addition, the brother of Rivka, Lavan, was no Tzadik. This is a dishonest and bad man as he demonstrates over and over with Yaakov.  “You switched my wages 10 times!”

It is the experience of Shem and Ever, and the teaching of the Torah as seen through the lenses of their challenging experiences that empowers Yaakov to descend into Charan and to survive and thrive (he becomes a father to 12 children and prospers materially as well).

The Mishna states, “turn it {the Torah} over and turn it over because it is all there.” All of the anchoring of life is found in the Torah. 

The reality is that we are more experienced today then we were yesterday. Hopefully, our experiences are all positive. Regardless, the eyes through which we study Torah today are different than they were yesterday.

This is the deeper meaning of the saying of the Alter Rebbe, that a Jew mush live with the times – the Torah portion. 

The Mitzvah of Torah study is a daily, ongoing, journey. Each year, reading the same Torah Portions exposes the teachings of the Torah anew for today’s times.  Never give up studying as you never know what yesterday’s experience will uncover in today’s Torah Study.

Have a good Shabbos!