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accords’ and there are ‘disengagements.’ The first type seeks to foster
friendly relations and forge a bond. The second is an agreement that
divides the two parties and builds some wall between them. A marriage
is called a brit, and the ketubah binds the two parties together, whereas a
get makes them part ways. At first Lavan wanted to befriend his
grandchildren and influence them. But when he realized that they were
not interested, he looked to separate himself from them.

Lavan was determined to call his testimonial pile of stones by its Aramaic
title, Yagar Sehadutah, in order to retain Aramaic as his language. The
kelippah of Lavan determinately tried to prevent Yaakov from using the
Aramaic language for spiritual means. He hoped that Yaakov’s
descendants would lack the ability to spread Torah while in galut in Bavel.

Hashem wrote Yagar Sehadutah in the Torah, investing the Aramaic
language with the quality it needed to sustain its holiness. Yaakov
expressed Hashem’s guarantee to protect us from Lavan by calling that
place ‘Galed.’ It was in this merit that we have Talmud Bavli and Targum
Onkelos.

We finish the parashat hashevuah in conjunction with its reading in the
Beit Hakeneset, which includes reading the Targum. Onkelos ascended
from the clutches of the kelippah and entered into the realm of kedushah.
Through his dedication to Torah, he was able to transmit the authentic
explanation of the Written Torah, and merited having his Targum become
‘required reading.’

Even nowadays, we find the kelippah at work, trying to prevent the spread
of Torah and its growth. The story of the displacement of Yaakov’s hip
alludes to the power that the kelippah often wields over the support of
Torah. By making it difficult to collect funds, or hindering our going to
learn Torah, he tries to prevent its dissemination. Yaakov prohibited the
gid hanasheh, which symbolizes the influence of the Yetzer Hara.

The Israeli Government has many sources of revenue which are in