Parshat Vayeitzei: To Deceive Or Not To Deceive? That Is The Question

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Jacob - the final of the three forefathers, has some of the most complicated and unbelievably beautiful narratives in Biblical literature. Strangely, when we delve into the stories of Jacob, the theme that emerges seems to be...deception? As the text seems to point out, Jacob deceives his family members, and is in turn deceived by them. In Parshat Vayeitzei (Genesis 28:10-32:3) we try and tackle the infamous question - what is the Bible trying to teach us with this focus on Jacob and the theme of deception?

Bereishit Rabbah 67:

[כשמע עשו [את דברי אביו ויצעק צעקה גדולה ומרה]] וגו' אמר ר' חנינה כל מי שאומר הקב"ה וותרן הוא יתוותרון מעוי, אלא מוריך רוחיה וגבי דידיה, זעקה אחת הזעיק יעקב לעשו ואיכן נפרע לו בשושן הבירה שנ' ויזעק זעקה גדולה ומרה וגו' (אסתר ד א).

Anyone who says that the Holy One, blessed be He, is lenient – he will lose his life; rather, God is patient, but eventually collects His debts. Yaakov caused Esav to emit just one single cry – as it is written, “And he cried a great and bitter cry” – and where was this repaid to him? In Shushan, the capital, as it is written, “And [Mordekhai] cried a great and bitter cry."