Let Thy Pillar Bear Witness

May 2, 2001

 

In Chapter 31, Laban and Jacob are willing to work out their differences in an amiable manner. Jacob has taken the flocks of Laban, particularly the speckled and spotted ones, in lieu of monetary wages. Laban is also resentful that Jacob has taken away his daughters.

 

At the end of the chapter, they make a covenant with each other. In verse 44, Laban says to Jacob: “And now come, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.” Here, we see the words that inspired none other than Martin Buber (“I and thou”). Beyond this lies a profound idea about “a covenant that bears witness”. A covenant is a contract where both parties assume certain responsibilities and obligations. In many contracts, witnesses are necessary to validate them; yet here, the ‘contract’ itself is the witness! The ‘witness’ is the contract between Laban and Jacob. In effect, it will be the watcher over these 2 men to insure that their relations remain amiable and cordial.

 

Continuing on, in verses 45-46, we get an entirely different spin: “And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar. And Jacob said unto his brethren: ‘Gather stone’; and they took stones, and made a heap.” Then, in verse 48, Laban says: “This heap is witness between me and thee this day.”

 

This pile of stones is an actual witness! We could interpret this literally and claim that it’s an ‘obsessed statue’, a living being that bears witness to the instantiation of their covenant. Alternatively, one could argue that it represents a form of idol worship. More substantial is its symbolic message: that man creates an object of existence that while serving some functional purpose ultimately reflects something back unto him. The pillar is a projection of his will to control the situation, a proxy that serves as a ‘witness’ to their transaction. Like many events in Biblical times, a witness is needed to grant legitimacy. And in another respect, the pillar is a monument erected to commemorate the peace made between the two quasi-adversaries.

 

In Chapter 32, the angels of God meet Jacob and he in turn exclaims that they are in “God’s Camp”. He named the place Mahanaim. This was the first kibbutz I worked at over 20 years ago.