| 43Laban responded and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the children are my grandchildren, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine! As to my daughters, how could I do anything injurious to them today, or to the children they have borne? |
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מגוַיַּ֨עַן לָבָ֜ן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶל־יַֽעֲקֹ֗ב הַבָּנ֨וֹת בְּנֹתַ֜י וְהַבָּנִ֤ים בָּנַי֙ וְהַצֹּ֣אן צֹאנִ֔י וְכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה רֹאֶ֖ה לִי־ה֑וּא וְלִבְנֹתַ֞י מָה־אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֤ה לָאֵ֨לֶּה֙ הַיּ֔וֹם א֥וֹ לִבְנֵיהֶ֖ן אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָלָֽדוּ: |
| מָה־אֶֽעֱשֶׂה לָאֵלֶּה - (lit.) What can I do to these - means “how could it ever enter my mind to harm them?” |
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מָה־אֶֽעֱשֶׂה לָאֵלֶּה.
אֵיךְ תַּעֲלֶה עַל לִבִּי לְהָרַע לָהֶן:
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| 44So come now, let us make a covenant, I and you, and may God be a witness between me and you.” |
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מדוְעַתָּ֗ה לְכָ֛ה נִכְרְתָ֥ה בְרִ֖ית אֲנִ֣י וָאָ֑תָּה וְהָיָ֥ה לְעֵ֖ד בֵּינִ֥י וּבֵינֶֽךָ: |
| וְהָיָה לְעֵד - And may He be a witness - i.e., the Holy One, blessed be He. |
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וְהָיָה לְעֵד.
הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא:
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| 45Jacob then took a stone and erected it as a monument. |
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מהוַיִּקַּ֥ח יַֽעֲקֹ֖ב אָ֑בֶן וַיְרִימֶ֖הָ מַצֵּבָֽה: |
| 46Jacob said to his kinsmen, “Gather stones,” so they took stones and formed a mound, and they ate there on the mound. |
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מווַיֹּ֨אמֶר יַֽעֲקֹ֤ב לְאֶחָיו֙ לִקְט֣וּ אֲבָנִ֔ים וַיִּקְח֥וּ אֲבָנִ֖ים וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־גָ֑ל וַיֹּ֥אכְלוּ שָׁ֖ם עַל־הַגָּֽל: |
| לְאֶחָיו - To his kinsmen (lit., “brothers”). They were his sons, who were like brothers to him, coming to his aid in times of trouble and war. |
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לְאֶחָיו.
הֵם בָּנָיו שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ אַחִים, נִגָּשִׁים אֵלָיו לְצָרָה וּלְמִלְחָמָה (בראשית רבה):
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| 47Laban named it Yegar Sahaduta [Aramaic for “Mound of Testimony”], and Jacob named it Gal-Ed [Hebrew for the same]. |
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מזוַיִּקְרָא־ל֣וֹ לָבָ֔ן יְגַ֖ר שָֽׂהֲדוּתָ֑א וְיַ֣עֲקֹ֔ב קָ֥רָא ל֖וֹ גַּלְעֵֽד: |
| יְגַר שָֽׂהֲדוּתָא - Yegar Sahaduta. This is the Aramaic translation of גַּלְעֵד. |
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יְגַר שָֽׂהֲדוּתָא.
תַּרְגּוּמוֹ שֶׁל גַּלְעֵד:
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| 48Laban said, “This mound will be a witness between you and me today.” It was therefore named Gal-Ed, |
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מחוַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָבָ֔ן הַגַּ֨ל הַזֶּ֥ה עֵ֛ד בֵּינִ֥י וּבֵֽינְךָ֖ הַיּ֑וֹם עַל־כֵּ֥ן קָֽרָא־שְׁמ֖וֹ גַּלְעֵֽד: |
| גַּלְעֵֽד - Gal-Ed - is a combination of the words גַּל עֵד “Mound of Testimony.” |
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גַּלְעֵֽד. גלעד: |
| 49and also The Mitzpah [“the Lookout”], for Laban had said, “May God keep watch between me and you when we are out of each other’s sight and cannot observe each other, that we not violate our covenant. |
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מטוְהַמִּצְפָּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֔ר יִ֥צֶף יְהֹוָ֖ה בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֑ךָ כִּ֥י נִסָּתֵ֖ר אִ֥ישׁ מֵֽרֵעֵֽהוּ: |
| וְהַמִּצְפָּה אֲשֶׁר אָמַר וגו' - “The Mitzpah” refers to the well-known one, which is on Mount Gilead, as it is written: “he passed through Mitzpeh of Gilead.” And why was it called מִצְפָּה (“Lookout”)? Because each one said to the other, “May God keep watch (יִצֶף) between me and you that you not transgress the covenant.” |
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וְהַמִּצְפָּה אֲשֶׁר אָמַר וגו'.
וְהַמִּצְפָּה אֲשֶׁר בְּהַר הַגִּלְעָד, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב וַיַּעֲבֹר אֶת מִצְפֵּה גִלְעָד (שופטים י"א), וְלָמָּה נִקְרֵאת שְׁמָהּ מִצְפָּה? לְפִי שֶׁאָמַר אֶחָד מֵהֶם לַחֲבֵרוֹ, יִצֶף ה' בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶךָ אִם תַּעֲבֹר אֶת הַבְּרִית:
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| כִּי נִסָּתֵר - (lit.) When we are concealed - and we will not see one another. |
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כִּי נִסָּתֵר.
וְלֹא נִרְאֶה אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ:
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| 50If you ill-treat my daughters, or marry other women in addition to my daughters—though there may be no one else present observing us, be aware that God is a witness between me and you.” |
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נאִם־תְּעַנֶּ֣ה אֶת־בְּנֹתַ֗י וְאִם־תִּקַּ֤ח נָשִׁים֙ עַל־בְּנֹתַ֔י אֵ֥ין אִ֖ישׁ עִמָּ֑נוּ רְאֵ֕ה אֱלֹהִ֥ים עֵ֖ד בֵּינִ֥י וּבֵינֶֽךָ: |
| בְּנֹתַי בְּנֹתַי - My daughters…my daughters. He said “my daughters” twice, referring to two separate categories of daughters, for Bilhah and Zilpah were also his daughters, but by a concubine. |
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בְּנֹתַי בְּנֹתַי.
שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים, אַף בִּלְהָה וְזִלְפָּה בְּנוֹתָיו הָיוּ מִפִּילֶגֶשׁ:
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| אִם־תְּעַנֶּה אֶת־בְּנֹתַי - If you ill-treat my daughters - by refusing them their conjugal rights. |
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אִם־תְּעַנֶּה אֶת־בְּנֹתַי.
לִמְנֹע מֵהֶן עוֹנַת תַּשְׁמִישׁ (יומא ע"ז):
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| 51Laban said to Jacob, “Here is this mound, and here is the monument that I have erected between me and you. |
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נאוַיֹּ֥אמֶר לָבָ֖ן לְיַֽעֲקֹ֑ב הִנֵּ֣ה | הַגַּ֣ל הַזֶּ֗ה וְהִנֵּה֙ הַמַּצֵּבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָרִ֖יתִי בֵּינִ֥י וּבֵינֶֽךָ: |
| יָרִיתִי - I have erected - by casting down stones. It is of similar meaning to: “He hurled (יָרָה) into the sea”; i.e., he set up the monument like one who shoots (יוֹרֶה) an arrow. |
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יָרִיתִי.
כְּמוֹ יָרָה בַיָּם, כְּזֶה שֶׁהוּא יוֹרֶה הַחֵץ:
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| 52This mound will be a witness, and the monument will be a witness, that I will not cross over to you beyond this mound, and that you will not cross over to me beyond this mound and this pillar, with hostile intent. |
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נבעֵ֚ד הַגַּ֣ל הַזֶּ֔ה וְעֵדָ֖ה הַמַּצֵּבָ֑ה אִם־אָ֗נִי לֹא־אֶֽעֱבֹ֤ר אֵלֶ֨יךָ֙ אֶת־הַגַּ֣ל הַזֶּ֔ה וְאִם־אַ֠תָּ֠ה לֹא־תַֽעֲבֹ֨ר אֵלַ֜י אֶת־הַגַּ֥ל הַזֶּ֛ה וְאֶת־הַמַּצֵּבָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את לְרָעָֽה: |
| אִם־אָנִי - Here אִם is used in the sense of אֲשֶׁר “that,” as in: “until that (עַד אִם) I have spoken my piece.” |
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אִם־אָנִי.
הֲרֵי אִם מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן אֲשֶׁר, כְּמוֹ עַד אִם דִּבַּרְתִּי דְּבָרָי:
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| לְרָעָֽה - With hostile intent - i.e., with evil intentions you may not cross, but you may cross for business purposes. |
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לְרָעָֽה.
לְרָעָה אִי אַתָּה עוֹבֵר, אַבָל אַתָּה עוֹבֵר לִפְרַקְמַטְיָה:
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| 53May the God of Abraham, the gods of Nachor, and the gods of their father Terach, judge between us.” Jacob swore solely by God, the object of his father Isaac’s dread. |
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נגאֱלֹהֵ֨י אַבְרָהָ֜ם וֵֽאלֹהֵ֤י נָחוֹר֙ יִשְׁפְּט֣וּ בֵינֵ֔ינוּ אֱלֹהֵ֖י אֲבִיהֶ֑ם וַיִּשָּׁבַ֣ע יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב בְּפַ֖חַד אָבִ֥יו יִצְחָֽק: |
| אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם - The God of Abraham. אֱלֹהֵי here is a Holy Name. |
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אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם.
קֹדֶשׁ (בראשית רבה):
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| וֵֽאלֹהֵי נָחוֹר - The gods of Nachor. אלֹהֵי here is not holy. |
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וֵֽאלֹהֵי נָחוֹר.
חֹל:
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| אֱלֹהֵי אֲבִיהֶם - The gods of their father [Terach]. אֱלֹהֵי here is not holy. |
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אֱלֹהֵי אֲבִיהֶם.
חֹל:
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| 54Jacob then slaughtered animals on the mountain for a celebratory feast and invited Laban and his entourage, who were now his allies, to eat a meal together. They had a meal and spent the night on the mountain. |
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נדוַיִּזְבַּ֨ח יַֽעֲקֹ֥ב זֶ֨בַח֙ בָּהָ֔ר וַיִּקְרָ֥א לְאֶחָ֖יו לֶֽאֱכָל־לָ֑חֶם וַיֹּ֣אכְלוּ לֶ֔חֶם וַיָּלִ֖ינוּ בָּהָֽר: |
| וַיִּזְבַּח יַֽעֲקֹב זֶבַח - means that Jacob slaughtered animals for a feast, unlike in most instances of the word זֶבַח, where it denotes a sacrifice. |
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וַיִּזְבַּח יַֽעֲקֹב זֶבַח.
שָׁחַט בְּהֵמוֹת לְמִשְׁתֶּה:
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| לְאֶחָיו - (lit.) His brethren - refers here to his friends who were with Laban. |
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לְאֶחָיו.
לְאוֹהֲבָיו שֶׁעִם לָבָן:
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| לֶֽאֱכָל־לָחֶם - (lit.) To eat bread. Any item of food is called לֶחֶם, as in: “made a great feast (לְחֶם רַב)”; and: “Let us put a harmful plant in his food (בְּלַחְמוֹ).” |
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לֶֽאֱכָל־לָחֶם.
כָּל דְּבַר מַאֲכָל קָרוּי לֶחֶם, כְּמוֹ עֲבַד לְחֶם רַב (דניאל ה'), נַשְׁחִיתָה עֵץ בְּלַחְמוֹ (ירמיהו י"א):
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