Why God Stayed Silent While Jacob Lived With Laban

"And God said to Jacob: Return to the land of your fathers and to your birthplace, and I will be with you" (Genesis 31:3). Let our master teach us: A courtyard of Israelites in which gentile star-worshippers dwell — what is the law as to whether its eruv is a valid eruv? Thus our Rabbis taught: A courtyard of Israelites in which gentile star-worshippers dwell — it is forbidden for an Israelite to make use within it until he obtains permission from the gentile star-worshipper. Why? Because it is written, "In every place where I cause My name to be mentioned" (Exodus 20:24), and the Holy One, blessed be He, does not single out His name among those who serve idols; rather, "and I shall be sanctified among the children of Israel" (Leviticus 22:32), that you should not join yourself among the wicked, for the Holy One, blessed be He, does not single out His name among them. Know for yourself that this is so. Rabbi Eleazar ben Padat said in the name of Rabbi Yose ben Zimra: All the while that Lot was attached to Abraham, you do not find that the divine speech was singled out upon Abraham. Once Lot separated from him, the divine speech was singled out upon him, as it is said, "And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him" (Genesis 13:14). And so too you find: at the time that Jacob went out to Aram Naharaim to go to Laban, he spent twenty years with him, and all the days that Jacob was in the house of Laban the Holy One, blessed be He, did not speak with him. And Jacob was brooding and saying: Has the Holy One, blessed be He, thus abandoned me? Did not the Holy One, blessed be He, say to me, "And behold, I am with you" (Genesis 28:15)? The Holy One, blessed be He, knew what he was brooding in his heart. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: You seek that I be with you? Separate yourself from Laban the wicked, and I will be with you. From where? From what they read concerning the matter: "And God said to Jacob" (Genesis 31:3).