Translator's Summary: There are so many questions in this brief passage raised by the commentators. Why are we speaking about Laban, Jacob’s father-in-law? And how can we possibly say that Laban was worse than Pharaoh who enslaved all the Israelites? Chida connects this paragraph with the previous one: “In every generation they rose against us to destroy us…” Israel could be destroyed by hate but it can also be destroyed through love. Laban sought to wipe out the sacred sparks so that Abraham and his offspring would have no influence in the world. As bad as Pharaoh was, his goal was to harness the sacred sparks for evil rather than to destroy them. Come learn what Laban the Aramean sought to do to our father Jacob! Pharaoh only made a decree against the male children while Laban sought to uproot all of them, as it is written: “An Aramean sought to destroy my father; he went down to Egypt and dwelled there few in number and there he became a great, strong and populous nation.” (Deut. 26:5) "Come learn: In Halachot Ketanot, s. 2, Siman 19, Rabbi Yaakov Chagiz, asked,⁶² why Laban hated his own offspring and wanted to destroy them? He explains that Laban continued to cling to his idolatry and he wanted to up-root any influence of Abraham, who served God, might have with his family. As they say: Since holiness can go down to a place to which sparks do not attach themselves, Laban wished to gather what came from the offspring of Abraham and overturn them. He wished to gather sparks that remained from his family and then uproot them so he could continue serving his gods. The commentators said that Pharaoh only made a decree against the male children. It might have been his intention that the Egyptian males could marry the Israelite women since there would be no male Israelites left. In this way they could embibe on the sparks of holiness from the Israelite women and take the sparks for themselves. If there was a presence of holiness in his family, Laban wanted to up-root it so that there would be no holiness in him or in his household at all. The statement that follows - צא ולמד “Go out and learn,” means, “Open your eyes and see the how wicked Laban was.” Pharaoh only made a decree against the males and that was enough for him if the Egyptians males took their holy position while Laban sought to uproot everything so that Abraham’s influence would cease. Come and see how far his wickedness extended. Laban and Pharaoh did not imagine that God was with Israel, as the statement in the Haggadah states, “In every generation they rose up against us to destroy us with foul plans each according to his impurity, but God saved us from their hands."

footnotes: ⁶² R. Yaakov Hagiz (1620-1674)

It makes sense to interpret the statements together: “In every generation they rose up to destroy us,” and “Go and learn…” Israel suffered in the darkness of exile, from adversity and troubles, they did so with all types of people. Even if the nations loved Israel, they wished to assimilate them.⁶³ This is even more difficult than those who hunted us and made us odious. Assimilation is truly the exile of the soul. Either way, our neighbors rose up against us to destroy us. If they continued to bring troubles upon us, causing us to suffer, at least we did not neglect Torah and commandments. But when they showed great love to the multitude of Israel, causing them to abandon the yoke of the commandments and assimilate...So the Maggid stated a generalization, “They rose against us to destroy us.” And on this statement, the Haggadah brings a proof, “Go and see what Laban the Aramean sought to do.” God said to Laban, “Beware of speaking either good or evil with Jacob.” (Gen. 31:29) The sages say, the wicked’s good is really evil for the righteous. From this we learn that they rise up to destroy as we have written.

footnotes: ⁶³ See Psalms 107:19