Parashat Vayetzei.

And he lighted upon the place. Scripture does not mention which place, but by writing בַּמָקוֹם the place it refers to the place mentioned already in another passage, viz., Mount Moriah of which it is stated (Genesis 22:4) “And he saw the place (המקום) afar off”.

And he lighted. similar are (Joshua 16:7) “and it reached (ופגע) unto Jericho”, and (Joshua 19:11) “and reached (ופגע) to Dabesheth”. Our Rabbis explained it in the sense of “praying”, just as (Jeremiah 7:16) “Neither make intercession (תפגע) to me”. Thus we may learn that Jacob originated the custom of Evening Prayer. Scripture purposely changed the usual word for “praying”, not writing יתפלל, “And he prayed” (which would have been the more appropriate word, but ויפגע which means to hit upon a place unexpectedly), to teach you also that the ground shrunk before him (the journey was miraculously shortened) as it is explained in the Chapter גיד הנשה (Chullin 91b).

Because the sun was set. It should have written, “The sun set and he tarried there all night”, but the words “he tarried there all night because the sun set”, imply that the sun set unexpectedly, not at its proper time, just in order that he should tarry there over night).

And put them for a resting place for his head. He arranged them in the form of a drain-pipe around his head for he was afraid of wild beasts (Genesis Rabbah 68:11). They (the stones) began quarrelling with one another. One said, “Upon me let this righteous man rest his head”, and another said “Upon me let him rest it”. Whereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, straightway made them into one stone! This explains what is written (Genesis 28:18), “And he took the stone that he had put under his head” (Chullin 91b).

And [he] lay down in that place. The word ההוא, that, has a limitative force: in that place he lay down to sleep, but during the previous fourteen years when he sat under his teachers in the School of Eber he never slept at night for he was incessantly engaged in the study of the Torah (Genesis Rabbah 68:11).

Ascending and descending. It states first ascending and afterwards descending! Those angels who accompanied him in the land of Israel were not permitted to leave the Land: they ascended to Heaven and angels which were to minister outside the Land descended to accompany him (Genesis Rabbah 68:12).

Stood above him. to guard him (Genesis Rabbah 69:3).

And the G-d of Isaac. Although we do not find in the Scriptures that G-d associates his Name with that of the righteous whilst they are yet alive by writing, “The G-d of so-and-so”, because it is said (Job 15:15) “Behold He putteth no trust even in His holy ones”, here, however, He associated his Name with that of Isaac because his eyes had become dim and he was confined to the house, so that he might be regarded as dead and as though the evil inclination had already passed away from him and he was unlikely to sin any more (Midrash Tanchuma, Toldot 7).

The land whereon thou liest. The Holy One, blessed be He, rolled together the entire Land of Israel under him, thus intimating to him that it would be as easily conquered by his descendants (Chullin 91b) as a piece of land four cubits in length, which is the space covered by a person lying down (see Rashi, Chullin 91b, and the note of the ב"ח thereon).

. means AND THOU SHALT BECOME STRONG, like (Exodus 1:12) “the more they became strong".

I am with thee. G-d promised him this because he was in terror of Esau and Laban.

Until i have done. The word אם is here used in the sense of כי (cf. Gittin 90a).

. means I have spoken in thy interest and concerning thee: whatever I promised to Abraham regarding his seed it was in reference to you that I promised it and not in reference to Esau, for I did not say to him “Isaac shall be called thy seed” (which would have signified that all Isaac’s descendants would be regarded, also, as Abraham’s) but I said (21:12) ביצחק “In Isaac” and not all the issue of Isaac”. In the same way wherever לי or לך or לו or להם are used after a verbal form of דבר, they are used in the sense of “concerning”. This verse proves that this is so, since it cannot mean “I have spoken to thee” as He had never spoken to Jacob before this occasion.

And i knew it not. for had I known it I would not have slept in such a holy place as this.

This is none other than the house of G-d. R. Eleazar said in the name of R. José the son of Zimra: “This ladder stood in Beersheba and [the middle of]) its slope reached opposite the Temple” (Genesis Rabbah 69:7). For Beersheba is situated in the South of Judah, Jerusalem in the North of it on the boundary between Judah and Benjamin and Bethel in the North of Benjamin’s territory, on the border between the land of Benjamin and that of the children of Joseph. It follows, therefore, that a ladder whose foot is in Beersheba and whose top is in Bethel has the middle of its slope reaching opposite Jerusalem. Now as regards what our Rabbis stated (Chullin 91b) that the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “This righteous man has came to the place where I dwell (i.e., the Temple at Jerusalem, whilst from here it is evident that he had come to Luz) and shall he depart without staying here over night?”, and with regard to what they also said, (Pesachim 88a) “Jacob gave the name Bethel to Jerusalem”, whereas this place which he called Bethel was Luz and not Jerusalem, whence did they learn to make this statement (which implies that Luz is identical with Jerusalem)? I say that Mount Moriah was forcibly removed from its locality and came hither (to Luz), and that this is what is meant by the “shrinking” of the ground that is mentioned in the Treatise (Chullin 91b), that the site of the Temple came towards him (Jacob) as far as Bethel and this too is what is meant by ויפגע במקום, “he lighted upon the place” (i.e., he “met” the place, as two people meet who are moving towards each other; cf. Rashi on Genesis 5:11). Now, since Jacob’s route must have been from Beersheba to Jerusalem and thence to Luz and Haran and consequently when he reached Luz he had passed Jerusalem, if you should ask, “When Jacob passed the Temple why did He not make him stop there?”, If it never entered his mind to pray at the spot where his fathers had prayed should Heaven force him to stop there to do so? Really he had reached as far as Haran as we say in the Chapter גיד הנשה (Chullin 91b), and Scripture itself proves this since it states, “And he went to Haran”. When he arrived at Haran he said, “Is it possible that I have passed the place where my fathers prayed without myself praying there?” He decided to return and got as far as Bethel where the ground "shrank” for him. This Bethel is not the Bethel that is near Ai (cf. Genesis 12:8) but that which is near Jerusalem, and because he said of it, “It shall be the House of G-d”, he called it Bethel. This, too, is Mount Moriah, where Abraham prayed, and it is also the field in which Isaac offered prayer as it is written, “[Isaac went out] to meditate (i. e., to pray; cf. Genesis 24:63) in the field”. Thus, too, do we read in the Treatise (Pesachim 88a) in a comment on the verse Micah 4:2: “[O come ye and let us go up] to the mountain of the Lord (i.e. the mountain upon which the Temple is built) and to the house of the G-d of Jacob”. What particular reason is there for mentioning Jacob? But the text calls the Temple not as Abraham did who called it a mount, and not as Isaac did, who called it a field, but as Jacob did who called it Beth[el], the House of G-d. (To here from “This Bethel” is to be found in a certain correct Rashi-text)

How fearful. In the Targum it is translated by “How דחילו is this place!” דחילו is a noun, like סוכלתנו which is the Targum of תבונה “understanding” (Deuteronomy 32:28), and [וכסו [למלבש which is the Targum of ובגד ללבש “and raiment to put on”) (Genesis 28:20)

And this is the gate of heaven. a place of prayer where their prayers would ascend to heaven (Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 35). The Midrash states (Genesis Rabbah 69:7) that the Heavenly Temple is situated immediately opposite the Earthly Temple (so that the Temple at Jerusalem-Bethel may be styled “the gate” to the Heavenly Temple)

If G-d will be with me. if He will keep for me these promises which He has made me that He would be with me, even as He said to me (v. 15), “Behold, I am with thee” (Genesis Rabbah 70:4)

And if he will keep me. even as He said to me (v. 15) “And I will keep thee whithersoever thou goest”, (Genesis Rabbah 70:4)

And if he will give me bread to eat. even as He said (v. 15) “For I will not forsake thee” (Genesis Rabbah 70:4), for one who has to beg his bread is called “forsaken”, as it is said (Psalms 37:25) “I have not seen the righteous forsaken and his seed begging bread”.

So that i return. even as He said (v. 15) “I will restore thee again into this land” (Genesis Rabbah 70:4)

In peace. perfectly free (שלם) from sin, not having learnt evil from Laban’s ways

And if the Lord will be my G-d. in that His Name shall rest upon me from the beginning to the end: that no unworthy person shall be found in my descendants (Sifré, ואתחנן 31), just as it is said (v. 15), “I will do that which I spake concerning thee”; and this promise He made to Abraham, as it is said (17:7) “To be a G-d unto thee and unto thy seed after thee”

Then this stone. This is how you should explain the ו of והאבן: if He will do these things mentioned in Genesis 28:15 as He promised, then I, also, will do this:

Then this stone which i have set up for a pillar. etc., Explain it as the Targum translates it: “I shall serve the Lord upon it” This, indeed, he did on his return from Padan-aram, when G-d said to him, (Genesis 35:1) “Arise, go up to Bethel”. What is stated there? “And Jacob set up a pillar … and he poured out a drink-offering thereon” (Genesis 35:14).

Then Jacob lifted up his feet. As soon as he received the good tidings that he was assured of G-d’s protection his heart lifted up his feet and he walked swiftly. Thus is it explained in (Genesis Rabbah 70:8).

They gave the droves drink. the shepherds used to water the flocks: this verse uses an elliptical phrase (omitting the subject “the shepherds”).

[and thither were all the droves] gathered. they regularly gathered there because the stone was a heavy one

And they rolled the stone. it means and they used to roll. In the Targum it is therefore translated by ומגנדרין (a participle). The idea of frequentative action is expressed indifferently by the imperfect (future) or the perfect (past) because every action that occurs continually, has already happened and will again happen

And restored [the stone]. In the Targum it is translated by ומתיבין(a participle), and they were always putting back.

Is coming with the flock. The accent in the word באה is on the א, and the Targum is אתיא (a participle), “she is coming”; but in (v. 9) “And Rachel came (באה)”, the accent is on the first syllable, on the ב, and the Targum is אתת, “she came”. The former expresses the meaning “she is doing something” (a participle), the latter expresses the meaning “she has done something’ (a past tense).

Lo, it is yet high day. Because he saw them lying down he thought that they wished to take the cattle home, and that they should not graze any longer. He, therefore, said to them, “Lo, it is yet high day”, meaning, if you are hired men you have not yet finished your day’s task, and if these are your own cattle, nevertheless, 'לא עת האסף המקנה וגו IT IS NOT YET TIME FOR THE CATTLET TO BE GATHERED TOGETHER TO TAKE THEM HOME (Genesis Rabbah 70:11).

We cannot. give them water because the stone is a heavy one.

And they roll away. This word is rendered in the Targum by ויגנדרון “and they will roll away” (whilst in Genesis 5:3 it is rendered by an Aramaic participle) because the verb has here a future meaning.

Jacob stepped near and rolled. [THE STONE]- as easily as one draws the stopper from the mouth of a bottle, thus showing you how strong he was. (Bereishit Rabbah 70:12)

And he. WEPT- because he foresaw by the Holy Spirit that she would not be buried with him in the cave of Machpelah (Genesis Rabbah 70:12). Another explanation is: he wept because he came with empty hands. He thought: Eliezer, my grandfather’s servant, had with him rings, bracelets and all good things, whilst I have nothing with me (Genesis Rabbah 70:12). This was because Eliphaz Esau’s son pursued Jacob by his father’s order to kill him, and overtook him. But because Eliphaz had been brought up on Isaac’s lap, (cp. Deuteronomy Rabbah 2:13) he withheld his hand. He said to him (Jacob), “But what shall I do as regards my father’s order?” Jacob replied, “Take all I have and you can say that I am dead for a poor man may be accounted as dead" (Nedarim 64b).

He was her father’s brother. near kin to her father, as (Genesis 13:8) “for we are men, brothers (אחים)” (i. e. near kin). A Midrashic explanation is that he meant: if he (Laban) intends to practice deceit upon me then I am his brother (a match for him) in deception; if, however, he is an honest man then I, too, am the son of his sister, the pious Rebekah (Genesis Rabbah 70:13).

And she told her father. because her mother was dead and she had no one to tell except him (Bereishit Rabbah 70:13).

He ran towards him. thinking that he was laden with money, for the servant of that household (Eliezer) had come there with ten camels fully laden (Bereishit Rabbah 70:13).

And embraced him. When he saw that he had nothing with him, he thought, “Perhaps he has brought gold coins and they are hidden away in his bosom!”

He kissed him. he thought, “Perhaps he has brought pearls (or precious stones, in general) and they are in his mouth!” (Genesis Rabbah 70:13)

He told laban. that he had come only because he was forced to do so by his brother, and that all his money had been taken from him.

Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. Really, I have no reason to take you into my house, since you have brought nothing with you; but because of our relationship I will put up with you for “the space of a month”. Thus, indeed, he did, but even this was not for nothing, for he tended Laban’s sheep.

. This is a question:, IS IT BECAUSE THOU ART MY BROTHER THAT THOU SHOULDST SERVE ME FOR NOUGHT?

. is the same in sense as ותעבדני THAT THOU SHOULDST SERVE ME. So, too, in the case of every verb in the past tense, if one adds as prefix a ו it may change the verb to the future.

Tender. She thought she would have to fall to the lot of Esau and she therefore wept continually, because everyone said, “Rebekah has two sons, Laban has two daughters, the elder daughter for the elder son, the younger daughter for the younger son” (Genesis Rabbah 70:16).

Form. this denotes the shape (outline) of the face, just as the verb formed from the same root in (Isaiah 44:13) “he marks it out (יתארחו) with a pencil” old French compas.

Of beautiful appearance. this denotes the beauty of her features (a good complexion).

I will serve thee seven years. These are the “few days” of which his mother had spoken to him (27:44)): “And thou shalt tarry with him a few days”. You can see that this is so, for it is written (v. 20) “And they (the seven years) were in his eyes (i.e. according to his view) the few days” of which his mother had spoken (Genesis Rabbah 70:17).

. (literally, for Rachel, thy daughter, the younger one), What reason was there for mentioning all these detailed descriptions of Rachel? Because he (Jacob) knew that he (Laban) was a deceiver. He said to him, “I will serve thee for Rachel”: and should you say that I mean any other Rachel out of the street, therefore I say “your daughter”. Should you say, “I will change Leah’s name and call her Rachel”, I say “your younger one”. In spite of this, however, all these precautions did not avail, for he did actually deceive him (Genesis Rabbah 70:17).

My days are fulfilled. which my mother told me to remain with you. And another explanation is: MY DAYS ARE FULFILLED for I am now eighty-four years old and when shall I beget twelve tribes? That is what he meant by adding “that I may go in unto her”; for surely even the commonest of people would not use such an expression. But he said this because his mind was intent upon having issue (to fulfil his mission of rearing children who would carry on the religious traditions of his fathers) (Genesis Rabbah 70:18).

And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah. But at night it was not Leah (i. e. he failed to recognise that it was Leah) because Jacob had given Rachel certain secret signs by which they could at all times recognise one another, and when Rachel saw that they were about to bring Leah to him for the marriage ceremony, she thought, “My sister may now be put to shame”, and she therefore readily transmitted these signs to her (Megillah 13b).

Fulfil the week of this one. The word is in the construct state for it is punctuated with Sheva, so that the meaning is “the seven days of this woman”, referring to the seven days of the marriage feast. Such is the statement in the Talmud Yerushalmi Moed Katan 1:7. It is impossible to say that it means an actual week, (i. e. a calendar week), so that it would mean “finish this week” in the sense “wait until this week be ended”), for, if so, the ש should be punctuated with Patach (Rashi terms our Kametz a Patach) for the noun must be in the absolute state. Then, again, the word שָׁבֻעַ is masculine, as it is written (Deuteronomy 16:9) “Seven (שבעה) weeks shalt thou number unto thyself” (and here we should have had שָׁבֻעַ זֶה). Consequently the word שבוע can only mean “a period of seven days” old French septaine (cf. Rashi on Exodus 10:22).

And we will give thee. The verb is plural 1st pers. like (נרדה) (Genesis 11:7) “let us go down”, ונבלה “and let us confuse and (Genesis 11:3) ונשרפה “and let us burn": so, also here, it is a form of וְנִתֵּן “and we will give”.

This one also. we shall give to you immediately after the seven days of the marriage-feast and you may serve for her after marriage with her.

Yet seven other years. Scripture adds the apparently redundant word אחרות another seven years, for the purpose of comparing them to the preceding seven years., Even as he had worked faithfully during the earlier period (not anticipating any deception on Laban’s part), so he worked faithfully during the latter period, although he (Laban) had practised this deception on him (Genesis Rabbah 70:20).

And she called his name reuben. Our Rabbis explained it thus: she said, “See (ראו) the difference between (בין) my son and my father-in-law’s son who himself sold the birthright to Jacob and yet wished to kill him afterwards. This (my son) did not sell it (his birthright) to Joseph (it must be remembered that Joseph being the founder of two tribes was regarded as the first-born of Jacob’s sons since the eldest son took a double portion in the father’s property), yet he did not raise any protest to him being regarded as the first-born and not only did he not raise a protest but he even wished to take him out of the pit and so rescue him from death (Berakhot 7b).

This time will my husband become attached to me. Because the Matriarchs were prophetesses and knew that twelve tribes would issue from Jacob and that he would have four wives, she said, “From now he will have no fault to find with me, for I have assumed my full share in giving him children” (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayetzei 9).

Therefore. Wherever in the case of the names given to Jacob’s sons the word “therefore” is used, that tribe had a numerous population (Genesis Rabbah 71:4), Levi forming an exception, because the Ark decimated them.

. [THEREFORE] WAS HIS NAME CALLED LEVI (literally, he called his name), Of all of them (the sons) it is written “And she called”, but of this one Scripture writes “he called!” There is a Midrashic statement in Deuteronomy Rabbah that the Holy One, blessed be He, sent Gabriel who brought him (Levi) into His presence. He called him by this name and gave him the twenty-four perquisites with which the priesthood was favoured, and because He gave him these perquisites as an accompaniment (לוהו) He called him Levi (accompanied).

Now will i praise [the Lord]. because I have assumed more than my share, from now on I should praise G-d (Genesis Rabbah 71:4).

Rachel envied her sister. She was envious of her because of her good deeds, thinking, “Unless she were more righteous than I am she would not have been privileged to bear children (Genesis Rabbah 71:6).”

Give me [children ]. Did, then, your father act so towards your mother? Did he not pray on her behalf (Genesis Rabbah 71:6).

I am a dead woman. One may infer from this that he who is childless may be regarded as dead (Genesis Rabbah 71:6).

. means AM I IN HIS STEAD?

Who hath withheld from thee. You say that I should do as my father did; but I am not circumstanced as my father was. My father had no children at all, I, however, have children. From you He has withheld children and not from me (Genesis Rabbah 71:7).

Upon my knees. as the Targum takes it: she will bear children and I will rear them.

And i also may have children. What force has “also”? She said to him, “Your grandfather, Abraham, had children from Hagar and yet he girded up his loins (actively interceded) for Sarah and she afterwards was blessed with a child”. He replied, “But my grandmother brought an associate wife unto her house”. She retorted, “If that is what prevents me being blessed with children, הנה אמתי BEHOLD MY HANDMAID” etc.

And i also may have children. through her as Sarah was built up through her handmaid (Genesis Rabbah 71:7).

G-d hath pronounced judgment upon me. He judged me and found me guilty; he judged me again and found me guiltless (Genesis Rabbah 71:7).

Wrestlings of G-d. Menachem ben Seruk explains in his Machbereth (Dictionary) that the word נפתולי is of the same root as פתיל in (Numbers 19:15) “a covering (פתיל) closely bound upon it”, so that the words here mean: By bonds from G-d have I been joined to my sister (made equal to her) to merit the privilege of having children. I, however, explain it in the same sense as (Deuteronomy 32:5) “perverse and crooked (עקש ופתלתול)”. I have been persistent and have made many importunities and wrestlings with G-d that I may become like my sister.

And i have prevailed. He has yielded to my importunities. Onkelos translated it in the sense of prayer (תפלה), in this way: נפתולי אלהים נפתלתי means prayers that were pleasing to G-d I offered and I was accepted and was answered like my sister.

. means my prayer was accepted. There are many Midrashic explanations in the manner of Notaricon (i.e. making the letters of the word the initial letters of phrases having reference to the matter in question) (Genesis Rabbah 71:8).

And zilpah bare. In the case of all Jacob’s wives there is mention of their having been with child (i. e. Scripture states ותהר) except in the case of Zilpah. This was because she was the youngest of all and quite a child in age so that her being with child was not noticeable (Genesis Rabbah 71:9) Laban had given her to Leah in order to deceive Jacob, that he might not perceive that they were bringing Leah to him in marriage, for thus was the custom: to give the elder handmaid to the elder daughter, and the younger handmaid to the younger daughter.

For my happiness!. Good luck has come, as (Shabbat 67b) “Be lucky, my luck (גד גדי) and tire not”. Similar, also, is (Isaiah 65:11) “That prepare a table for fortune (גד)”. The Midrashic explanation is that he was born with the sign of the covenant upon him. It would then be like (Daniel 4:11) “cut down (גדו) the tree”. I do not know why it (בגד) is written as one word. Another comment on בגד is: why is it read as one word? It may be connected with the root בגד which denotes faithless as though Leah said to Jacob, “You proved faithless to me when you married my handmaid”, like a man who is faithless (בגד) to the wife of his youth).

In the days of wheat harvest. This is stated in praise of the tribes (שבטים a common term for Jacob’s twelve sons, the ancestors of the Tribes of Israel): it was harvest-time, yet he (Reuben) did not put forth his hand upon private property (literally, that which is stolen) by bringing home wheat or barley, but he brought home only ownerless things (such as were free for all to take) about which no one is particular (Genesis Rabbah 72:2).

. are violets: it is a plant. In Arabic it is called Jasmin.

. Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband and that thou wouldst do this in addition, TO TAKE MY SON’S MANDRAKES ALSO? It should therefore be translated in the Targum by ולמיטב, the infinitive like the Hebrew infinitive ולקחת “and to take.”

Therefore shall he be with thee tonight. He should have stayed this night with me but I cede it to you in return for your son’s mandrakes. Because she thought lightly of companionship with so righteous a man she was not privileged to be buried together with him (Genesis Rabbah 72:3).

For surely i have hired thee. I have given Rachel the hire she demanded.

That night. With G-d’s help Isaachar was born (Niddah 31a, and cf. Genesis Rabbah 99).

And G-d hearkened unto Leah. for she eagerly desired and sought means to increase the number of the tribes (Genesis Rabbah 72:5).

A good dowry. explain it as the Targum renders it: a good portion.

Will reside with me. It has the same meaning as (1 Kings 8:13) “a house for dwelling (זבול)”. In old French herbergerie, a dwelling house. Leah meant: From now on his real home will be with me since I have as many children as all his other wives together.

Dinah. (Judgment), Our Rabbis explained, that Leah set herself up as judge (דנה) against herself saying: “If this be a son, my sister Rachel cannot be even the equal of any of the handmaids”. She, therefore, offered prayer regarding it, and its sex was changed (Berakhot 60a).

And G-d remembered Rachel. He remembered it to her as a merit that she had transmitted the secret signs to her sister and that she was greatly troubled lest she should fall to Esau’s lot if Jacob were to divorce her because she was childless. Indeed, this had entered Esau’s mind when he heard that she was childless (Genesis Rabbah 73:4). The poet refers to this in his Composition (for the First Day of the New Year) “When the Ruddy One (Esau) perceived that she did not travail with child, he hoped to take her for himself and she became terrified”.

[G-d] hath taken away [my disgrace]. He has laid it up somewhere where it cannot be seen. Similar examples are (Isaiah 4:1) “Take thou away (אסוף) our reproach”; (Exodus 9:19) “and shall not have been taken away (יאסף) into the house “; (Joel 4:13) “withdraw (אספו) their shining”; (Isaiah 60:20) “neither shall thy moon withdraw itself (יאסף), meaning shall not hide itself.

Disgrace. because I had become an object of reproach as I was barren for people said about me that I would fall to the lot of Esau, the wicked. A Midrashic explanation is (Genesis Rabbah 73:5): So long as a woman has no child she has no-one to blame for her faults; when, however, she has a child, she puts it on him. “Who broke this vessel?” “Your son!” “Who ate those figs?” “Your son!”

The eternal will add to me another son. She knew prophetically that Jacob would rear only twelve tribes. She therefore prayed: “May it be G-d’s will that the tribe which he is yet destined to rear may issue from me”. For this reason she prayed only for one other son (Genesis Rabbah 72:6).

When Rachel had born Joseph. after the birth of him who was to become Esau’s adversary (Genesis Rabbah 73:7), as it is said (Obadiah 1:18) “And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame and the house of Esau for stubble“. Fire (Jacob) that has no flame (Joseph) has no effect at a distance. Therefore, when Joseph was born Jacob put his trust in the Holy One, blessed be He, and wished to return home (Obadiah 1:18).

Give me my wives. etc., I have no wish to go away except with your permission.

I have divined. He was a diviner. “I have discovered by my art of divination that through you a blessing has come to me. When you first came here I had no sons”, for it is said (29:6) “And, behold, Rachel his daughter is coming with the flock”: is it possible if he had sons that he would have let his daughter go among the shepherds ?, now, however, he had sons, as it is said (31:1) “And he heard the words of Laban’s sons”.

נקבה. Explain it as the Targum renders it: state plainly thy wage.

And what thy cattle hath become with me. You know the number of your few cattle that were entrusted to me at first, how small their number was.

Since my coming. The word is the same as עם רגלי “with my coming” (lit, with my foot), on account of my coming has the blessing come to you (Genesis Rabbah 73:8). Similar is (Exodus 11:8) “And all the people that come with thee (ברגלך)”, and (Judges 8:5) “and the people that are ברגלי”, ie. that are coming with me.

When shall i provide for mine own house also?. לביתי means for the needs of my household. At present my sons alone provide for my needs, but I, also, ought to work together with them, to assist them. This is the force of the word גם also.

Speckled. marked with small specks like dots old French pointure; English points.

And spotted. The word has the same meaning as טלאים “patches”, wide spots.

Brown. dark, somewhat reddish, old French rouge. In the language of the Mishna (Bava Batra 5:6): “If he sells it as reddish-dark coloured (שחמתית) and it is found to be white”, a statement made in reference to grain.

And they shall be my hire. those which from now on will be born speckled and spotted among the goats and the brownish ones amongst the sheep shall belong to me. Those that are at present such set them apart and place them in charge of your sons, so that you may not be able to say to me about those that will be born in the future spotted and speckled and brownish. “These were there originally”. And a further reason why these should be set apart is, in order that you may not be able to say to me, “Because of the male animals that are speckled and spotted the females will give birth from now onwards to offspring of their own kind” (i.e., speckled etc.).

And my righteousness shall answer for me. etc., Should you suspect me of taking any animals that are yours my righteousness will answer for me, for my righteousness will come and bear witness before thee as to my hire that you will find in my herd only speckled and spotted ones. Whatever, however, you find amongst them (amongst the animals) that is not speckled or spotted or brownish it will be certain that I have stolen it from your flocks and that it is in my possession by way of theft.

Well!. an expression denoting agreement with a statement.

I would it might be according to thy word. Would that you will remain satisfied with this!

And he removed. i.e., Laban removed ביום ההוא ON THAT DAY

. i.e. THE HE-GOATS.

Every one that had white in it. all that had a white spot.

And he. i.e. Laban, GAVE THEM ביד בניו INTO THE HAND OF HIS SONS.

[the flock of laban] that was left. The defective animals amongst them, the sickly and the barren, which were nothing but the leavings, these he (Laban) handed over to him (Genesis Rabbah 73:9).

Sticks of לבנה. a tree that is called לבנה, just as you say (Hosea 4:13) “Under oaks and poplars (ולבנה)” I think it is what is called in old French tremble; English trembling-poplar, which is white.

Fresh. He took it when it was moist.

Almond. He also took rods of לוז, a tree upon which small nuts growold French coudre; English hazel.

. is old French chastenier, English chestnut.

Streaks. many peelings so that he gave it the appearence of being striped.

Making bare the white. there was thus an uncovering of the white part of the rod: when he peeled it the white in it became uncovered and visible in the places where it was peeled.

And he set. In the Targum it is rendered by ודעיץ which signifies in the Aramaic language sticking in and inserting. It occurs many times in the Talmud: (Shabbat 50b) “if he stuck it in (דצה) and pulled it out”; (Chullin 93b) “he stuck (דץ) something into it”, where דצה is the same as דעצה, being really a contracted form of it.

In the gutters. in the currents (מרוצות) of water running in the trenches made in the ground to water the sheep there (רהט is the Aramaic of רוץ).

Where the flocks come to drink. etc., In the currents whither the sheep come to drink, there did he set the rods in front of the sheep.

וַיֵּחַמְנָה [בְּבֹאָן לִשְׁתּוֹת]. הַבְּהֵמָה רוֹאָה אֶת הַמַּקְלוֹת וְהִיא נִרְתַּעַת לַאֲחוֹרֶיהָ, וְהַזָּכָר רוֹבְעָהּ, וְיוֹלֶדֶת כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ. רַבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָא אוֹמֵר: הַמַּיִם נַעֲשִׂין זֶרַע בִּמְעֵיהֶן וְלֹא הָיוּ צְרִיכוֹת לְזָכָר (ב"ר עג,י), וְזֶהוּ "וַיֵּחַמְנָה" וְגוֹמֵר.

. means at the sight of the rods.

Ring-straked. the word is connected with the root עקד “to bind”, differently coloured at that place where they are bound, viz., the ankles of the forelegs and hindlegs.

And Jacob parted the lambs. Those sheep that were thus born spotted on the ankles and speckled he separated and set apart by themselves, thus forming them into a separate flock. He led that spotted flock in front of ordinary sheep so that the faces of the sheep that followed behind them were gazing at them. This is what Scripture means in saying, “He set the faces of the flocks towards the spotted”, that the faces of the sheep were directed towards the spotted animals and towards all that were brownish which he found amongst Laban’s sheep (i. e., amongst the sickly sheep which Laban had left him; cf. Genesis 5:36).

. means he formed them into a separate flock as I have already explained.

The stronger. Explain it as the Targum renders it: הבכירות the early-bearing sheep; but I have no evidence in the Scripture (i.e. I have no other example of the use of this word) to prove that this is its meaning. Menachem classifies it under the same root as (2 Samuel 15:31) “Ahitophel is among the conspirators (בקשרים)”, and as (2 Samuel 15:12) “And the conspiracy (הקשר) was strong”, so that the meaning would be those sheep that banded themselves together (mated) in order to accelerate their pregnancy (i.e. in order that they might become בכירות, early-bearing sheep).

When the flocks were feeble. the word has the meaning of “being late”, as the Targum renders it בלקישות the late-bearing ones (cf. מלקוש the “latter” rain). Menachem classifies it under the same root as (Isaiah 3:22) “the aprons and the mantelets (המעטפות)”, so that it has the meaning of wrapping oneself in a garment, and the word denotes those animals that are well wrapped up in their skin and fur so that they do not desire to be warmed by the males.

Many sheep. sheep that multiplied and were fruitful more than other sheep (Genesis Rabbah 73:11).

And handmaids, and men-servants. he used to sell his sheep at a high price and he bought for himself all these (Tanchuma Yashan 1:7:24).

He hath made. i.e. gathered, as (1 Samuel 14:48) “And he gathered (ויעש) troops and smote the Amalekites”.

Return unto the land of thy fathers. and there I will be with thee; but as long as you are associated with the unclean Laban it is impossible to make my Divine Presence (Shechina) rest upon you (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayetzei 10).

And he called Rachel and Leah. First Rachel and afterwards Leah for she was the chief wife of the house for whose sake Jacob had entered into relations with Laban. Even the descendants of Leah admitted this (that Rachel was the principal wife), for Boaz and his Law-Court who were of the Tribe of Judah (Leah’s son) said (Ruth 4:11) “like Rachel and like Leah which two did build etc.”, mentioning Rachel before Leah (Genesis Rabbah 71:2).

Ten times. The word מנים never means less than ten (Ruth 4:11).

. signifies sum, the total of enumeration, these are tens: we may infer, therefore, that he changed the conditions of his hire one hundred times (Genesis Rabbah 74:3).

Behold the rams. Although Laban had separated all these so that the sheep should not give birth to young marked similar to them, angels brought them from the flock which had been placed in charge of Laban’s sons to the flock in Jacob’s charge (Genesis Rabbah 73:10).

Grisled. Explain it as the Targum renders it: פציחין open; old French faissie, checquered. There was a white stripe going right round the body, the spots of which it was composed being open and running from one end to the other. But I can bring no evidence from Scripture that this is the meaning.

. is the same as אל בית אל the ה of האל being redundant. It is customary for Scripture to speak thus, e. g. (Numbers 34:2) “When ye come into the land of Canaan הארץ כנען (instead of ארץ כנען).

Where thou anointedst [a pillar]. This denotes distinction and eminence just as when one is anointed king one is raised to eminence: thus, too (Genesis 28:18) “and he poured oil upon the top of it (the stone)” that it might be anointed to be an altar (thus being distinguished among other stones).

Where thou vowedst a vow unto me. and you are bound to fulfill it, for you said (Genesis 28:22) “it shall be G-d’s house”, signifying that you would offer sacrifice there.

Is there yet any for us?. Why should we prevent you from returning? Can we at all hope to inherit anything belonging to our father together with his sons?

Are we not thought aliens by him?. Even at a time when it is customary for people to give a dowry to their daughters, at the time of their marriage, he treated us as strangers for he sold us to you in return for your labour during fourteen years

[has eaten] our money. for he kept for himself the money for the wages of your labour during the next six years.

For all the riches. The word כי here means but; as much as to say: of our father’s property we have nothing at all; but what The Holy One, blessed be He, has taken away from our father, that is ours.

. means separated (or taken away). Similarly all forms from the Hiphil of this root occuring in Scripture (usually translated by “to deliver”, “to rescue“) mean taking away, for one who rescues a person takes him away from the misfortune or from the enemy.

His sons and his wives. He took the males before the females whereas Esau took the females before the males, as it is said (Genesis 36:6) “And Esau took his wives and his sons etc.” (Genesis Rabbah 74:5)

. means, what he had purchased by means of קנינו his own property i.e. his sheep, viz., menservants, maidservants, camels and asses (Genesis Rabbah 74:5; cf. Rashi on Genesis 30:43).

To shear his flock. which he had given into the charge of his sons at a distance of three days’ journey between himself and Jacob.

And Rachel stole the teraphim. her intention was to wean her father from idol-worship (Genesis Rabbah 74:5).

On the third day. for there was a journey of three days between them.

His brethren. i.e. his kinsmen.

Seven day’s journey. During all the three days during which the messenger had gone to tell Laban Jacob had proceeded on his journey. Consequently Jacob was then six days distance from Laban. On the seventh day i.e. on the day when Jacob covered that stretch of ground which made him seven days distant from Laban’s starting point Laban overtook him. We may infer, therefore, that all the distance that Jacob would have taken seven days to cover Laban covered in one day. And thus it states: “and he pursued after him seven day’s journey” and it does not say “and he pursued after him for seven days” (Genesis Rabbah 74:6).

Either good or evil. why should he not speak good? Because all the good that the wicked do to the righteous is evil in the opinion of the righteous (Yevamot 103b).

As captives taken by the sword. an army going to war is termed “sword”.

. means thou didst steal away my mind (as in Genesis 5:26).

. means MY HAND HAS THE STRENGTH AND THE POWER, to do you hurt (אל therefore means strength and יש לאל ידי is equivalent to יש אל לידי). Wherever אל is used as a Divine Name it is because it signifies strength and abundance of power.

. means THOU DIDST LONG, It occurs many times in Scripture: (Psalms 89:3) “My soul yearneth (נכספה) yea, pineth”; (Job 14:15) “Thou wouldst have a desire (תכסוף) to the work of hands”.

Because i feared. He answered his first question first, for he had asked him (Genesis 31:26) “[what hast thou done…] that thou hast carried away my daughters etc.” (this being the first of all Laban’s questions).

Let him not live. In consequence of this curse Rachel died on the journey (Genesis Rabbah 74:9).

What is with me. that belongs to you.

Into Jacob’s tent. This was Rachel’s tent also, for Jacob was constantly with her. For the same reason Scripture says (46:19) “the sons of Rachel Jacob’s wife”, whilst in the case of the other wives it does not state “Jacob’s wife” (Genesis Rabbah 74:9).

And he came into Rachel’s tent. When he left Leah’s tent he returned again to Rachel’s tent before he searched the tent of the two maid-servants. Why did he feel compelled to do all this? Because he knew full well that she was meddlesome (Genesis Rabbah 74:9).

In the camel’s saddle-pillow. כר has the same meaning as in the Talmudic phrase "pillows (כרים) and bolsters”. Explain it as the Targum renders it: “in the עביטא of the camel”. This is a packsaddle made like a pillow. In Erubin (Eruvin 16a) we find, "they enclosed it with עביטין” by which is meant the saddles of camels. old French bast, bat; English packsaddle.

. means THOU HAST PURSUED, as in (Lamentations 4:19) “They chased us (דלקנו) upon the mountains”, and (1 Samuel 17:53) “from chasing (מדלק) after the Philistines”.

. means that they may decide who is right. old French eprouver; English prove.

. means HAVE NOT MISCARRIED, Similar are: (Hosea 9:14) “a miscarrying (משכיל) womb”; (Job 21:10) “his cow calveth and casteth (תשכל) not her calf”.

And the rams of thy flock. From this phrase they (the Rabbis) inferred (Bava Kamma 65b) that a male sheep even when one day old is called a ram; for if this be not so, how was this creditable to him? Did he mean that he had not eaten rams (i. e. the larger animals), but that he had eaten the smaller sheep? If so, he was a thief! (39).

That which was torn. by a lion or a wolf.

I bare the loss of it. It has the same meaning as the verb in (Judges 20:16) “sling stones at a hair-breadth and not miss (יחטא)”, and (1 Kings 1:21) “that I and my son Solomon shall suffer the loss of it (חטאים)” i.e. shall be lacking in authority. The sense therefore is: “I” was short of it; if it was missing, it was missing to me because you required it of my hand.

. In the Targum it is translated by דהות שגיא ממנינא which means that which was missing and deficient from the number of the animals. The words (Numbers 31:49) “There is missing (נפקד) not one man of us”, is rendered in the Targum by ולא שגיא

Whether stolen by day or stolen by night. everything I paid back.

. As regards the suffix י it is similar to the י in (Lamentations 1:1) “great (רבתי) among the nations, princess (שרתי) among the provinces”; (Isaiah 1:21) “that was full of (מלאתי) justice”; (Hosea 10:11) “that loveth (אהבתי) to thresh”.

The drought consumed me. the same metaphor as (Deuteronomy 4:24) אש אכלה “a consuming fire”.

The frost. as (Psalms 147:17) “He casteth forth his ice (קרחו)”. In the Targum it is rendered by גלידא “hoar-frost”.

. means MY SLEEP.

And thou hast changed my hire. You have altered the agreement regarding my hire between us from speckled to spotted and from streaked to grisled.

And the dread of Isaac. He did not like to say “G-d of Isaac” because G-d does not associate His name with the righteous whilst they are alive. And although He (G-d) said, when he (Jacob) was departing from Beer-Sheba, (Genesis 28:13) “I am the Lord, the G-d of Abraham thy father and the G-d of Isaac”, this was because his (Isaac’s) eyes were dim and he might therefore be regarded as dead (Midrash Tanchuma, Toldot 7), Jacob, however, feared to say “G-d of Isaac” and said “the Dread”.

. The word here has the meaning of reproof (“and he reproved thee”; cf. Genesis 5:24) and not of deciding (as in Genesis 5:37).

What can i do unto them. How could it enter my mind injure them, my daughters!

. means and LET G-D BE FOR A WITNESS.

Unto his brethren. really his sons, who were like brothers to him since they were standing by him in trouble and in battle (Genesis Rabbah 74:13).

. This is the Aramaic of גלעד.

And mizpah. (literally, the Mizpah); BECAUSE HE SAID etc ., The word והמצפה and the Mizpah must refer to some well-known place bearing this name (for there are several places named Mizpah) it refers to the Mizpah which is in Mount Gilead, as it is written (Judges 11:29) “and he passed over Mizpah of Gilead”. Why was it also called Mizpah? Because each of them said to the other, “The Lord watch (יצף) between me and thee that thou shouldst not violate this covenant”.

When we are absent. and shall not see (be able to watch) one another.

. The word is written twice, referring once to Leah and Rachel and the second time to the handmaids, because Bilhah and Zilpah were also his daughters from a concubine (Genesis Rabbah 74:13).

If thou shalt afflict my daughters. by refusing them thy companionship (Yoma 77b).

I have set up. (by casting stones down); the word has the same meaning as (Exodus 15:4) “He cast (ירה) into the sea”. Laban speaks like a person who casts (יורה) one arrow (Midrash Rabbah has “one spear”) and boasts of his prowess.

That i will not. Here the word אם is used in the sense of אשר “that”, as (Genesis 24:33) “until that (אם) I have spoken my words”.

For evil. For evil you may not pass, but for trading purposes (as e. g., with a caravan) you may pass (Genesis Rabbah 74:16).

G-d of Abraham. Here the word אלהים is holy (i.e. it is the Divine Name). (Genesis Rabbah 74:17)

The G-d of nahor. Here the name is non-holy (i.e. it is a designation for an idol) (Genesis Rabbah 74:17).

The G-d of their father. Here the name is non-holy (Genesis Rabbah 74:17).

And Jacob offered a sacrifice. he slaughtered cattle for the feast

His brethren. those of his friends who were with Laban (cf Targum Jonathan)

To eat bread. Any article of food is termed לחם bread, as (Daniel 5:1) “made a great feast (לחם רב)”, and (Jeremiah 11:19) “Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof (בלחמו)".

And the angels of G-d met him. The angels who minister in the Land of Israel came to meet him in order to escort him into the Holy Land (see Genesis Rabbah 74:17).

. means two camps, the one consisting of the angels ministering outside the Holy Land who had come with him thus far, the other, of those ministering in the Land of Israel who had come to meet him (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayishlach 3).