“Im Lavan garti, v’taryag mitzvos shamarti.” These are the words of the famous ma’amar Chazal quoted in Rashi in last week’s parsha (Breishis 32,5). The simple pshat is that the letters of garti spell out the letters of Taryag, and this is a remez that Yaakov kept all of Taryag mitzvos when he was in the house of Lavan.

Rav Schachter shli”ta however quotes[i] the Rav zt”l as saying a deeper approach in this ma’amar Chazal. It is not just the letters spell out Taryag, it is also the verb which Yaakov chose in describing his life with Lavan. Garti, as opposed to yashavti - sojourned, as opposed to settled. A ger is a stranger, an outsider. He does not feel settled in his new home. Yaakov was explaining to Eisav that although he spent so many years in Lavan's house, he always felt like a ger, like an outsider. He did not allow himself to feel settled in Lavan's house. And that is what allowed Yaakov to avoid being influenced by Lavan and to be able to keep all of the Taryag mitzvos. Yaakov recognized that in Lavan’s home, he had to feel like a stranger. If a person is living in the home of a rasha, if a person is living in a community of resha’im, he has to force himself to remain a stranger. If not, he will definitely be influenced by his surroundings and pick up the habits and the evil ways of those people. Yaakov felt and acted like a ger when he was in the house of Lavan.

Rav Schachter refers to another comment of Rav Soloveichik (Divrei Hashkafa pg. 49-50). We know that B’nei Yisrael in Mitzrayim succeeded in maintaining their national identity. Even though Chazal say that they sunk to a very low level, but “Lo shinu es sh’mam, es malbusham, v’es l’shonom.” They still maintained their national identity and avoided complete assimilation. What was the root of their success? The Rav said the root can be found in the opening Pasuk in Chumash Shemos. “These are the names of the children of Israel, haba’im mitzraymah.” “Haba’aim” is written in the present tense. It seems the Torah should have written the past tense, “asher ba’u Mitzraymah,” as the Pasuk itself concludes. “Ish u’veiso ba’u” -- past tense. Why is the beginning of the Pasuk written in present tense? Chazal notice this and explain, “k’ilu oso yom nichnisu l’mitzrayim”. It was as if they had arrived in Mitzrayim that day. (Shemos Rabah 1,4).

The Rav explained the deeper message behind this ma’amar Chazal. The Torah is teaching us that B’nei Yisrael never felt completely settled in Mitzrayim. They also felt, and this is the Rav’s language, like geirim, foreigners, strangers, who had just arrived in Mitzrayim. And this is what allowed them to maintain their national identity and avoid total assimilation. Rav Schachter points out that the theme that the Rav explains, in our Pasuk “Im Lavan garti,” is similar to the theme the Rav explains on the Pasuk “Asher ba’im Mitzrayimah”.

Yaakov never felt settled in the house of Lavan. However, in this week’s Parsha, the Parsha begins, “Vayeshev Yaakov, and Yaakov settled in Eretz Yisrael.” In Eretz Yisrael, where he has his ruchniyus base, and he is able to control his environment, there Yaakov feels settled[ii].

This is a very important lesson. Many of us spend a lot of time living in, or studying in, or working in immoral environments. A person has to always remember he is a ger in those environments. It might be you spend a lot of time there. A person might spend a majority of his waking hours at the office. Well, Yaakov spent 20 years in the house of Lavan, and he still felt like a ger. That is our challenge. A person should feel settled when he is in a ruchniyus environment. A person should feel like a stranger when he is in a negative, immoral environment. And then he will have a chance of being able to echo the words of Yaakov. Im lavan garti, v’taryag mitzvos shamarti.

For example, people that are friendly and comfortable with each other, sometimes drink together. (I don’t mean drink water and soda.) This can be very dangerous when one is in an immoral environment. If one works in an office where the norm is that after work is over everyone goes down to the local bar, and have a few drinks before going home, then a ben Torah has to say NO, I can not do that. Rav Willig shli”ta always says “Don’t drink; but if you do drink, never drink around goyim.” This is very, very good advice[iii].

This is one l’ma’aseh application of the Rav’s dvar Torah.

[i] Divrei Harav, p. 260-262.
[ii] It is striking that the Torah refers to Eretz Yisrael as “Eretz megurei aviv” - the land of his father’s sojourning. Chazal and the Midrashim discuss why the Torah uses the word megurei, even though it should have been the root of yishuv.
[iii] I have mentioned this before. I have many students who have told me that this quote from Rav Willig has helped them avoid the temptations of going into the bar with their coworkers. If you feel like you are a stranger and you are an outsider, then you will be more likely to have the strength to avoid joining in the drinking.