ב"ה

Torah Reading for Vayeitzei

Parshat Vayeitzei
Shabbat, 9 Kislev, 5786
29 November, 2025
Select a portion:
Complete: (Genesis 28:10 - 32:3; Hosea 11:7 - 12:14)
Show content in:

First Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 28

10Jacob left Beersheba and went to Charan.   יוַיֵּצֵ֥א יַֽעֲקֹ֖ב מִבְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ חָרָֽנָה:
וַיֵּצֵא יַֽעֲקֹב - Jacob left. Since the Torah wished to tell us that because the Canaanite girls were evil in Isaac’s eyes Esau went to Ishmael, it interrupted the narrative about Jacob and wrote: “Esau saw that Isaac had blessed…”; 1 once it finished relating this, it returned to the previous subject.   וַיֵּצֵא יַֽעֲקֹב.  עַל יְדֵי שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁרָעוֹת בְּנוֹת כְּנַעַן בְּעֵינֵי יִצְחָק אָבִיו הָלַךְ עֵשָׂו אֶל יִשְׁמָעֵאל, הִפְסִיק הָעִנְיָן בְּפָרָשָׁתוֹ שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב, וּכְתִיב וַיַּרְא עֵשָׂו כִּי בֵרַךְ וְגוֹ', וּמִשֶּׁגָּמַר חָזַר לָעִנְיָן הָרִאשׁוֹן:
וַיֵּצֵא - [Jacob] left. It need only have written: “Jacob went to Charan.” Why, then, does it mention his leaving? In order to tell us that the departure of a righteous person from a place makes an impression – for while the righteous person is in a town, he is its majesty, he is its brilliance, and he is its honor, but once he has left there, its majesty has gone, its brilliance has gone, and its honor has gone. Similarly, the phrase “She left the place” 2 that is mentioned in connection with Naomi and Ruth has the same significance.   וַיֵּצֵא.  לֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ לִכְתֹּב אֶלָּא וַיֵּלֶךְ יַעֲקֹב חָרָנָה, וְלָמָּה הִזְכִּיר יְצִיאָתוֹ? אֶלָּא מַגִּיד שֶׁיְּצִיאַת צַדִּיק מִן הַמָּקוֹם עוֹשָׂה רֹשֶׁם, שֶׁבִּזְמַן שֶׁהַצַּדִּיק בָּעִיר, הוּא הוֹדָהּ הוּא זִיוָהּ הוּא הֲדָרָהּ; יָצָא מִשָּׁם, פָּנָה הוֹדָהּ פָּנָה זִיוָהּ פָּנָה הֲדָרָהּ. וְכֵן וַתֵּצֵא מִן הַמָּקוֹם הָאָמוּר בְּנָעֳמִי וְרוּת (רות א'):
וַיֵּלֶךְ חָרָֽנָה - He went to Charan - means here: “he set out for Charan.”   וַיֵּלֶךְ חָרָֽנָה.  יָצָא לָלֶכֶת לְחָרָן:
11He came upon the place. He spent the night there because the sun had set. He took some stones of that place and placed them around his body and head and then lay down in that place to sleep.   יאוַיִּפְגַּ֨ע בַּמָּק֜וֹם וַיָּ֤לֶן שָׁם֙ כִּי־בָ֣א הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ וַיִּקַּח֙ מֵֽאַבְנֵ֣י הַמָּק֔וֹם וַיָּ֖שֶׂם מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֑יו וַיִּשְׁכַּ֖ב בַּמָּק֥וֹם הַהֽוּא:
וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם - He came upon the place. Scripture does not mention which place, but the intent is to the place already specified elsewhere. This is Mount Moriah, about which it says: “and he saw the place from afar.” 3   וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם.  לֹא הִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב בְּאֵיזֶה מָקוֹם אֶלָּא בַּמָּקוֹם – הַנִּזְכָּר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר, הוּא הַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ וַיַּרְא אֶת הַמָּקוֹם מֵרָחֹק:
וַיִּפְגַּע - He came upon - as in “and it reached (וּפָגַע) Jericho,” 4 and “and it reached (וּפָגַע) Dabeshet.” 5 But our rabbis explained it as an expression of prayer, as in “and do not beseech (תִּפְגַּע) Me.” 6 This teaches us that he instituted the evening prayer. However, the verse changed from the usual word for “praying” and did not write וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל, to also teach you that the ground shrunk for him and he thus reached the place very quickly, as is explained in Chapter Gid HaNasheh. 7   וַיִּפְגַּע.  כְּמוֹ וּפָגַע בִּירִיחוֹ וּפָגַע בְּדַבָּשֶׁת (יהושע ט"ז וי"ט) וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ פֵּרְשׁוּ לְשׁוֹן תְּפִלָּה (ברכות כ"ו), כְּמוֹ וְאַל תִּפְגַּע בִּי (ירמיהו ז'), וְלָמַדְנוּ שֶׁתִּקֵּן תְּפִלַּת עַרְבִית. וְשִׁנָּה הַכָּתוּב וְלֹא כָּתַב וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל, לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁקָּפְצָה לוֹ הָאָרֶץ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּפֹרָשׁ בְּפֶרֶק גִּיד הַנָּשֶׁה (חולין צ"א):
כִּי־בָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ - Because the sun had set. It should have written: “the sun set and he spent the night there”; “because the sun had set” indicates that the sun set suddenly, before its time, in order that he spend the night there.   כִּי־בָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ.  הָיָה לוֹ לִכְתֹּב וַיָּבֹא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וַיָּלֶן שָׁם, כִּי בָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ מַשְׁמַע שֶׁשָּׁקְעָה לוֹ חַמָּה פִּתְאוֹם, שֶׁלֹּא בְּעוֹנָתָהּ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיָּלִין שָׁם:
וַיָּשֶׂם מראשותיו - And placed them around his head. He arranged them in the form of a drainpipe around his head because he was afraid of wild animals. The stones then started quarreling among themselves. One said, “Let the righteous man rest his head on me,” and another said, “Let him rest his head on me.” Immediately, the Holy One, blessed be He, transformed them into one stone, and thus it says: “he took the stone that he had placed under his head.” 8   וַיָּשֶׂם מראשותיו.  עֲשָׂאָן כְּמִין מַרְזֵב סָבִיב לְרֹאשׁוֹ, שֶׁיָּרֵא מִפְּנֵי חַיּוֹת רָעוֹת; הִתְחִילוּ מְרִיבוֹת זוֹ אֶת זוֹ, זֹאת אוֹמֶרֶת עָלַי יָנִיחַ צַדִּיק אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ וְזֹאת אוֹמֶרֶת עָלַי יָנִיחַ; מִיָּד עֲשָׂאָן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶבֶן אַחַת, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיִּקַּח אֶת הָאֶבֶן אֲשֶׁר שָׂם מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו:
וַיִּשְׁכַּב בַּמָּקוֹם הַהֽוּא - And lay down in that place. הַהוּא is a limiting clause: in that place he lay down to sleep, but for the 14 years that he was in attendance of his teachers in the study-house of Ever he did not lie down at night, for he was continuously engaged in Torah study.   וַיִּשְׁכַּב בַּמָּקוֹם הַהֽוּא.  לְשׁוֹן מִעוּט; בְּאוֹתוֹ מָקוֹם שָׁכַב אֲבָל י"ד שָׁנִים שֶׁשִּׁמֵּשׁ בְּבֵית עֵבֶר לֹא שָׁכַב בַּלַּיְלָה, שֶׁהָיָה עוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה:
12He had a dream: he beheld a ladder standing firmly on the ground and sloping upward, its top reaching up toward heaven. Angels of God were ascending it and descending it.   יבוַיַּֽחֲלֹ֗ם וְהִנֵּ֤ה סֻלָּם֙ מֻצָּ֣ב אַ֔רְצָה וְרֹאשׁ֖וֹ מַגִּ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמָ֑יְמָה וְהִנֵּה֙ מַלְאֲכֵ֣י אֱלֹהִ֔ים עֹלִ֥ים וְיֹֽרְדִ֖ים בּֽוֹ:
עולים וְיֹֽרְדִים - Ascending and descending. Why does it say about angels, whose permanent home is in heaven, that they were first ascending and then descending? The answer is that the angels who accompanied him in the Land of Israel were not permitted to leave the land, and so they ascended to heaven, whereupon the angels who serve outside the land descended to accompany him.   עולים וְיֹֽרְדִים.  עוֹלִים תְּחִלָּה וְאַחַר כָּךְ יוֹרְדִים? מַלְאָכִים שֶׁלִּוּוּהוּ בָּאָרֶץ אֵין יוֹצְאִים חוּצָה לָאָרֶץ, וְעָלוּ לָרָקִיעַ וְיָרְדוּ מַלְאֲכֵי חוּצָה לָאָרֶץ לְלַוּוֹתוֹ:
13And behold, God was standing over him. He said, “I am God, God of Abraham your forebear, and God of Isaac. I will give the land upon which you are lying to you and your descendants.   יגוְהִנֵּ֨ה יְהֹוָ֜ה נִצָּ֣ב עָלָיו֘ וַיֹּאמַר֒ אֲנִ֣י יְהֹוָ֗ה אֱלֹהֵי֙ אַבְרָהָ֣ם אָבִ֔יךָ וֵֽאלֹהֵ֖י יִצְחָ֑ק הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אַתָּה֙ שֹׁכֵ֣ב עָלֶ֔יהָ לְךָ֥ אֶתְּנֶ֖נָּה וּלְזַרְעֶֽךָ:
נִצָּב עָלָיו - Standing over him - to guard him.   נִצָּב עָלָיו.  לְשָׁמְרוֹ:
וֵֽאלֹהֵי יִצְחָק - And God of Isaac. Although we do not find in Scripture that the Holy One, blessed be He, associates His Name with righteous people during their lifetime by writing “God of so-and-so,” because it says: “Even in His holy ones He does not trust” 9 – here He associated His Name with Isaac, because Isaac’s eyes had become dim and he was confined to his house, and he was thus considered as if he were dead and the evil inclination had left him. Tanchuma. 10   וֵֽאלֹהֵי יִצְחָק.  אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא מָצִינוּ בַּמִּקְרָא שֶׁיִּחֵד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שְׁמוֹ עַל הַצַּדִּיקִים בְּחַיֵּיהֶם לִכְתֹּב אֱלֹהֵי פְּלוֹנִי, מִשּׁוּם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר הֵן בִּקְדֹשָׁו לֹא יַאֲמִין (איוב ט"ו), כָּאן יִחֵד שְׁמוֹ עַל יִצְחָק, לְפִי שֶׁכָּהוּ עֵינָיו וְכָלוּא בַבַּיִת, וַהֲרֵי הוּא כְמֵת וְיֵצֶר הָרָע פָּסַק מִמֶּנּוּ, תַּנְחוּמָא:
שֹׁכֵב עָלֶיהָ - Upon which [you] are lying. The Holy One, blessed be He, contracted the entire Land of Israel under him. He thereby hinted to him that it would be as effortless for his descendants to conquer as it was to control the area of four cubits occupied by his own body.   שֹׁכֵב עָלֶיהָ.  קִפֵּל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כָּל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל תַּחְתָּיו, רָמַז לוֹ שֶׁתְּהֵא נוֹחָה לִכָּבֵשׁ לְבָנָיו כְּד' אַמּוֹת שֶׁזֶּה מְקוֹמוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם (חולין שם):
14Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth, and you will spread out powerfully to the west, to the east, to the north, and to the south, and all the families on earth will be blessed through you and through your descendants.   ידוְהָיָ֤ה זַרְעֲךָ֙ כַּֽעֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֔רֶץ וּפָֽרַצְתָּ֛ יָ֥מָּה וָקֵ֖דְמָה וְצָפֹ֣נָה וָנֶ֑גְבָּה וְנִבְרְכ֥וּ בְךָ֛ כָּל־מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הָֽאֲדָמָ֖ה וּבְזַרְעֶֽךָ:
וּפָֽרַצְתָּ - means here “And you will grow strong” - as in “the more they would spread (יִפְרֹץ),” 11 which also denotes strength.   וּפָֽרַצְתָּ.  וְחָזַקְתָּ, כְּמוֹ וְכֵן יִפְרֹץ:
15Behold, I am with you, I will protect you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land, for I will not neglect you until I have fulfilled what I have promised Abraham concerning you.”   טווְהִנֵּ֨ה אָֽנֹכִ֜י עִמָּ֗ךְ וּשְׁמַרְתִּ֨יךָ֙ בְּכֹ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־תֵּלֵ֔ךְ וַֽהֲשִׁ֣בֹתִ֔יךָ אֶל־הָֽאֲדָמָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את כִּ֚י לֹ֣א אֶֽעֱזָבְךָ֔ עַ֚ד אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִם־עָשִׂ֔יתִי אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי לָֽךְ:
אָֽנֹכִי עִמָּךְ - I am with you. God reassured Jacob because he was afraid of Esau and Laban.   אָֽנֹכִי עִמָּךְ.  לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה יָרֵא מֵעֵשָׂו וּמִלָּבָן:
עַד אֲשֶׁר־אִם־עָשִׂיתִי - Until I have fulfilled. Here the word אִם is used with the meaning כִּי “that.”   עַד אֲשֶׁר־אִם־עָשִׂיתִי.  אִם מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן כִּי (גיטין צ'):
דִּבַּרְתִּי לָֽךְ - I have promised concerning you. לָךְ here means “for your benefit” and “concerning you.” That which I promised Abraham concerning his descendants, I promised regarding you and not Esau, for I did not say to Abraham: “for those born to Isaac will be considered your descendants,” but “for of those born to Isaac,” 12 and not all those born to Isaac. Similarly, every לִי, לְךָ, לוֹ, or לָהֶם that follows the verb דִבֵּר “to speak” has the meaning “to speak about me, you, him, or them,” and this verse serves as a proof of this, for God had not spoken with Jacob previously.   דִּבַּרְתִּי לָֽךְ.  לְצָרְכְּךָ וְעָלֶיךָ; מַה שֶּׁהִבְטַחְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָם עַל זַרְעוֹ, לְךָ הִבְטַחְתִּיו וְלֹא לְעֵשָׂו, שֶׁלֹּא אָמַרְתִּי לוֹ כִּי יִצְחָק יִקָּרֵא לְךָ זָרַע אֶלָּא כִּי בְיִצְחָק, וְלֹא כָּל יִצְחָק, וְכֵן כָּל לִי וּלְךָ וְלוֹ וְלָהֶם הַסְּמוּכִים אֵצֶל דִּבּוּר מְשַׁמְּשִׁים לְשוֹן עַל, וְזֶה יוֹכִיחַ, שֶׁהֲרֵי עִם יַעֲקֹב לֹא דִבֵּר קֹדֶם לָכֵן:
16Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “God is truly present in this place, yet I was not aware of it.”   טזוַיִּיקַ֣ץ יַֽעֲקֹב֘ מִשְּׁנָתוֹ֒ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אָכֵן֙ יֵ֣שׁ יְהֹוָ֔ה בַּמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וְאָֽנֹכִ֖י לֹ֥א יָדָֽעְתִּי:
וְאָֽנֹכִי לֹא יָדָֽעְתִּי - Yet I was not aware - for if I would have known, I would not have slept in such a holy place.   וְאָֽנֹכִי לֹא יָדָֽעְתִּי.  שֶׁאִם יָדַעְתִּי, לֹא יָשַׁנְתִּי בְּמָקוֹם קָדוֹשׁ כָּזֶה:
17He became afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than Mount Moriah, the future site of the House of God. And thus, this is the gateway through which prayer ascends to heaven.”   יזוַיִּירָא֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר מַה־נּוֹרָ֖א הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה אֵ֣ין זֶ֗ה כִּ֚י אִם־בֵּ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְזֶ֖ה שַׁ֥עַר הַשָּׁמָֽיִם:
כִּי אִם־בֵּית אֱלֹהִים - None other than the House of God. 

Rabbi Eleazar said in the name of Rabbi Yosei ben Zimra: This ladder was standing on the ground at Beersheba, and the middle of its slope was positioned opposite the site of the holy Temple. For Beersheba is situated in the south of the portion of Judah, Jerusalem is to its north, on the border between the portions of Judah and Benjamin, and Bethel was in the north of Benjamin’s portion, on the border between Benjamin and Ephraim and Manasseh, the two tribes that descended from the sons of Joseph. Thus, it follows that a ladder whose base is in Beersheba and whose top is above Bethel has the middle of its slope positioned opposite Jerusalem.

And regarding that which our rabbis said that the Holy One, blessed be He, said: “This righteous person has come to My Dwelling-house (i.e., the site of the holy Temple in Jerusalem) and he will leave without staying the night?!” and that which our rabbis said: “Jacob named Jerusalem Bethel,” which both imply that Bethel is synonymous with Jerusalem – yet this place, Bethel, was Luz and not Jerusalem, so from where did they derive such statements? I answer that Mount Moriah was uprooted and came here to Bethel, and this is the shrinking of the ground referred to in Shechitat Chulin, 13 that the holy Temple came towards him as far as Bethel; and that is what is meant by “He came upon the place.” 14

Should you then ask: When Jacob passed the site of the holy Temple, why did God not detain him there? – I answer that if to Jacob it did not occur to pray in the place where his fathers had prayed, should they have detained him there from heaven?! Rather, what happened was that he went as far as Charan, as we have learned in Chapter Gid HaNasheh, 15 and as is borne out in the verse: “he went to Charan.” 16 When he reached Charan he said to himself, “Is it possible that I passed the place where my fathers prayed and I did not pray there?” He decided to return and went back as far as Bethel, at which point the land shrank for him.

This Bethel is not the one close to Ai, but to Jerusalem, and because it was to be the city of God, Jacob called it Bethel (“House of God”). It is also known as Mount Moriah, where Abraham prayed, 17 and the field where Isaac prayed, 18 for so we have learned in Pesachim: 19 Scripture says: “Come, let us go up to the Mountain of God and to the House of the God of Jacob.” 20 Why is Jacob mentioned in particular? It is to point out the following: Unlike Abraham, who called the Temple site a mountain, and unlike Isaac, who called it a field, this verse refers to it in the way Jacob did, who called it “the House of God.”

  כִּי אִם־בֵּית אֱלֹהִים.  אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן זִמְרָא, הַסֻּלָּם הַזֶּה עוֹמֵד בִּבְאֵר שֶׁבַע וְאֶמְצַע שִׁפּוּעוֹ מַגִּיעַ כְּנֶגֶד בֵּית הַמִּקְדָשׁ, שֶׁבְּאֵר שֶׁבַע עוֹמֵד בִּדְרוֹמָהּ שֶׁל יְהוּדָה, וִירוּשָׁלַיִם בִּצְפוֹנָהּ, בַּגְּבוּל שֶׁבֵּין יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִין, וּבֵית אֵל הָיָה בַּצָּפוֹן שֶׁל נַחֲלַת בִּנְיָמִין, בַּגְּבוּל שֶׁבֵּין בִּנְיָמִין וּבֵין בְּנֵי יוֹסֵף; נִמְצָא סֻלָּם שֶׁרַגְלָיו בִּבְאֵר שֶׁבַע וְרֹאשׁוֹ בְּבֵית אֵל מַגִּיעַ אֶמְצַע שִׁפּוּעוֹ נֶגֶד יְרוּשָׁלַיִם; וּכְלַפֵּי שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא צַדִּיק זֶה בָּא לְבֵית מְלוֹנִי וְיִפָּטֵר בְּלֹא לִינָה, וְאָמְרוּ יַעֲקֹב קְרָאָהּ לִירוּשָׁלַיִם בֵּית אֵל וְזוֹ לוּז הִיא וְלֹא יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, וּמֵהֵיכָן לָמְדוּ לוֹמַר כֵּן? אֲנִי אוֹמֵר שֶׁנֶּעֱקַר הַר הַמּוֹרִיָה וּבָא לְכָאן, וְזוֹ הִיא קְפִיצַת הָאָרֶץ הָאֲמוּרָה בִּשְׁחִיטַת חֻלִּין, שֶׁבָּא בֵּית הַמִּקְדָשׁ לִקְרָאתוֹ עַד בֵּית אֵל, וְזֶהוּ וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם. וְאִם תֹּאמַר כְּשֶׁעָבַר יַעֲקֹב עַל בֵּית הַמִּקְדָשׁ, מַדּוּעַ לֹא עִכְּבוֹ שָׁם? אִיהוּ לָא יְהַב לִבֵּיהּ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בַּמָּקוֹם שֶׁהִתְפַּלְּלוּ אֲבוֹתָיו, וּמִן הַשָּׁמַיִם יְעַכְּבוּהוּ? אִיהוּ עַד חָרָן אֲזַל, כִּדְאָמְרִינַן בְּפֶרֶק גִּיד הַנָּשֶׁה; וּקְרָא מוֹכִיחַ וַיֵּלֶךְ חָרָנָה; כִּי מְטָא לְחָרָן אָמַר, אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁעָבַרְתִּי עַל מָקוֹם שֶׁהִתְפַּלְּלוּ אֲבוֹתַי וְלֹא הִתְפַּלַּלְתִּי בּוֹ? יְהַב דַּעְתֵּיהּ לְמֶהֱדַר וְחָזַר עַד בֵּית אֵל וְקָפְצָה לוֹ הָאָרֶץ. הַאי בֵּית אֵל לֹא הַסָּמוּךְ לָעַי אֶלָּא לִירוּשָׁלַיִם, וְעַל שֵׁם יִהְיֶה בֵּית אֱלֹהִים קְרָאוֹ בֵּית אֵל, וְהוּא הַר הַמּוֹרִיָה שֶׁהִתְפַּלֵּל בּוֹ אַבְרָהָם, וְהוּא שָׂדֶה שֶׁהִתְפַּלֵּל בּוֹ יִצְחָק, כְּדִכְתִיב לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה; דְּהָכִי אָמְרִינַן בִּפְסָחִים "אֶל הַר ד' וְאֶל בֵּית אֱלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב" – מַאי שְׁנָא יַעֲקֹב? אֶלָּא לֹא כְּאַבְרָהָם שֶׁקְּרָאוֹ הַר, דִּכְתִיב בְּהַר ד' יֵרָאֶה, וְלֹא כְּיִצְחָק שֶׁקְּרָאוֹ שָׂדֶה, דִּכְתִיב לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה, אֶלָּא כְּיַעֲקֹב שֶׁקְּרָאוֹ בַּיִת (עַד כָּאן פֵּרַשִׁ"י מְדֻיָּק):
מַה־נּוֹרָא - How awesome. Onkelos translates this as: “How great is the awe (דְחִילוּ) of this place.” דְחִילוּ is a noun of a similar form to סוּכְלְתָנוּ (“insight”), and וּכְסוּ לְמִלְבָּשׁ (“and clothing to wear”). 21   מַה־נּוֹרָא.  תַּרְגּוּם מַה דְּחִילוּ אַתְרָא הָדֵין, דְּחִילוּ שֵׁם דָּבָר הוּא, כְּמוֹ סוּכְלְתָנוּ וּכְסוּ לְמִלְבָּשׁ:
וְזֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָֽיִם - And this is the gateway to heaven - i.e., it is a place of prayer for their prayer to ascend to Heaven. Its Midrashic explanation is: The holy Temple above is situated directly corresponding to the holy Temple below in this world.   וְזֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָֽיִם.  מְקוֹם תְּפִלָּה לַעֲלוֹת תְּפִלָּתָם הַשָּׁמַיְמָה. וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ, שֶׁבֵּית הַמִּקְדָשׁ שֶׁל מַעְלָה מְכֻוָּן כְּנֶגֶד בֵּית הַמִּקְדָשׁ שֶׁל מַטָּה:
18Jacob rose early in the morning, took the stone that he had placed under his head, and set it up as a monument. He then poured oil on the top of it, consecrating it as an altar.   יחוַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם יַֽעֲקֹ֜ב בַּבֹּ֗קֶר וַיִּקַּ֤ח אֶת־הָאֶ֨בֶן֙ אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֣ם מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֔יו וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֹתָ֖הּ מַצֵּבָ֑ה וַיִּצֹ֥ק שֶׁ֖מֶן עַל־רֹאשָֽׁהּ:
19He named that place Bethel [“House of God”], although the original name of the town was Luz.   יטוַיִּקְרָ֛א אֶת־שֵֽׁם־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא בֵּֽית־אֵ֑ל וְאוּלָ֛ם ל֥וּז שֵֽׁם־הָעִ֖יר לָרִֽאשֹׁנָֽה:
20Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me; and will protect me physically on this journey that I am undertaking; and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear;   כוַיִּדַּ֥ר יַֽעֲקֹ֖ב נֶ֣דֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר אִם־יִֽהְיֶ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֜ים עִמָּדִ֗י וּשְׁמָרַ֨נִי֙ בַּדֶּ֤רֶךְ הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָֽנֹכִ֣י הוֹלֵ֔ךְ וְנָֽתַן־לִ֥י לֶ֛חֶם לֶֽאֱכֹ֖ל וּבֶ֥גֶד לִלְבֹּֽשׁ:
אִם־יִֽהְיֶה אֱלֹהִים עִמָּדִי - If God will be with me - i.e., if He keeps these promises – for He promised me to be with me, as He told me: “Behold, I am with you.” 22   אִם־יִֽהְיֶה אֱלֹהִים עִמָּדִי.  אִם יִשְׁמֹר לִי הַבְטָחוֹת הַלָּלוּ שֶׁהִבְטִיחַנִי לִהְיוֹת עִמָּדִי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר לִי וְהִנֵּה אָנֹכִי עִמָּךְ:
וּשְׁמָרַנִי - And will protect me - as He told me: “I will protect you wherever you go.”   וּשְׁמָרַנִי.  כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר לִי וּשְׁמַרְתִּיךָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ:
וְנָֽתַן־לִי לֶחֶם לֶֽאֱכֹל - And will give me bread to eat - as He said: “for I will not neglect you (לֹא אֶעֱזָבְךָ),” and one who lacks food is called נֶעֱזָב “forsaken,” as it says: “and I have not seen a righteous person forsaken (נֶעֱזָב), nor his children begging for bread.” 23   וְנָֽתַן־לִי לֶחֶם לֶֽאֱכֹל.  כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר כִּי לֹא אֶעֱזָבְךָ, וְהַמְבַקֵּשׁ לֶחֶם הוּא קָרוּי נֶעֱזָב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְלֹא רָאִיתִי צַדִּיק נֶעֱזָב וְזַרְעוֹ מְבַקֶּשׁ לָחֶם (תהילים ל"ז):
21and will protect me spiritually so that I will be able to return to my father’s house untainted by sin; and if God will be my God—   כאוְשַׁבְתִּ֥י בְשָׁל֖וֹם אֶל־בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑י וְהָיָ֧ה יְהֹוָ֛ה לִ֖י לֵֽאלֹהִֽים:
וְשַׁבְתִּי - And I will return - as He told me: “and I will bring you back to this land.”   וְשַׁבְתִּי.  כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר לִי וַהֲשִׁבֹתִיךָ אֶל הָאֲדָמָה:
בְשָׁלוֹם - (lit.) In peace - i.e., perfectly free (שָׁלֵם) of sin, that I not learn from Laban’s ways.   בְשָׁלוֹם.  שָׁלֵם מִן הַחֵטְא, שֶׁלֹּא אֶלְמַד מִדַּרְכֵי לָבָן:
וְהָיָה ה' לִי לֵֽאלֹהִֽים - And if God will be my God - i.e., His Name will rest upon me from beginning to end, that no unworthy person be found among my offspring; as it says: “until I have fulfilled what I have promised concerning you” – and this promise God had made to Abraham, as it says: “to be God to you and to your descendants after you,” 24 “Your descendants” implying pure lineage without blemish.   וְהָיָה ה' לִי לֵֽאלֹהִֽים.  שֶׁיָּחוּל שְׁמוֹ עָלַי מִתְּחִלָּה וְעַד סוֹף, שֶׁלֹּא יִמָּצֵא פְּסוּל בְּזַרְעִי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי לָךְ; וְהַבְטָחָה זוֹ הִבְטִיחַ לְאַבְרָהָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לִהְיוֹת לְךָ לֵאלֹהִים וּלְזַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ (בראשית י״ז:ז׳):
22then this stone that I have set up as a monument will become a house of God.” Addressing God directly, he said, “I will set aside for You a tenth of everything that You give me.”   כבוְהָאֶ֣בֶן הַזֹּ֗את אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֨מְתִּי֙ מַצֵּבָ֔ה יִֽהְיֶ֖ה בֵּ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֑ים וְכֹל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּתֶּן־לִ֔י עַשֵּׂ֖ר אֲעַשְּׂרֶ֥נּוּ לָֽךְ:
וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת - (lit.) And this stone. This is how you should explain the ו of וְהָאֶבֶן: If You will do all these aforementioned things for me, then I, too, will do this:   וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת.  כָּךְ תְּפָרֵשׁ וָי"ו זוֹ שֶׁל וְהָאֶבֶן: אִם תַּעֲשֶׂה לִי אֶת אֵלֶּה, אֲנִי אֶעֱשֶׂה זֹאת:
וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר־שַׂמְתִּי מַצֵּבָה וגו' - Then this stone that I have set up as a monument… The meaning of “will become a house of God” is as Onkelos translates it: “upon it (the stone) I will serve God.” And so he did when he returned from Padan Aram, when God said to him, “Arise, go up to Bethel.” 25 What does it say there? “Jacob erected a monument…. He poured a wine-libation upon it.” 26   וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר־שַׂמְתִּי מַצֵּבָה וגו'.  כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ אֱהִי פָלַח עֲלָהּ קֳדָם ה', וְכֵן עָשָׂה בְשׁוּבוֹ מִפַּדַּן אֲרָם; כְּשֶׁאָמַר לוֹ קוּם עֲלֵה בֵית אֵל (שם ל"ה י"ד) מַה נֶּאֱמַר שָׁם? וַיַּצֵּב יַעֲקֹב מַצֵּבָה וַיַּסֵּךְ עָלֶיהָ נֶסֶךְ:

Second Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 29

1Light of foot, Jacob set out for the land of the people of the east.   אוַיִּשָּׂ֥א יַֽעֲקֹ֖ב רַגְלָ֑יו וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ אַ֥רְצָה בְנֵי־קֶֽדֶם:
וַיִּשָּׂא יַֽעֲקֹב רַגְלָיו - (lit.) Jacob raised his feet. When he received the good news that he was promised God’s protection, his heart lifted his feet and it became easy for him to walk. So it is explained in Bereshit Rabbah. 1   וַיִּשָּׂא יַֽעֲקֹב רַגְלָיו.  מִשֶּׁנִּתְבַּשֵּׂר בְּשׂוֹרָה טוֹבָה שֶׁהֻבְטַח בִּשְׁמִירָה נָשָׂא לִבּוֹ אֶת רַגְלָיו וְנַעֲשָׂה קַל לָלֶכֶת, כָּךְ מְפֹרָשׁ בּבְּרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה:
2When he reached Aram Naharayim, he looked, and there before his eyes was a well in a field, and three flocks were lying there beside it, for the local shepherds watered the flocks from that well. The boulder covering the opening of the well was huge.   בוַיַּ֞רְא וְהִנֵּ֧ה בְאֵ֣ר בַּשָּׂדֶ֗ה וְהִנֵּה־שָׁ֞ם שְׁלשָׁ֤ה עֶדְרֵי־צֹאן֙ רֹֽבְצִ֣ים עָלֶ֔יהָ כִּ֚י מִן־הַבְּאֵ֣ר הַהִ֔וא יַשְׁק֖וּ הָֽעֲדָרִ֑ים וְהָאֶ֥בֶן גְּדֹלָ֖ה עַל־פִּ֥י הַבְּאֵֽר:
יַשְׁקוּ הָֽעֲדָרִים - They watered the flocks - i.e., the shepherds would water the flocks, but the verse speaks in an abbreviated way without mentioning the subject.   יַשְׁקוּ הָֽעֲדָרִים.  מַשְׁקִים הָרוֹעִים אֶת הָעֲדָרִים, וְהַמִּקְרָא דִבֵּר בְּלָשׁוֹן קְצָרָה:
3Every day, when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would together roll the boulder off the opening of the well and water the flocks, and then replace the boulder over the opening of the well.   גוְנֶֽאֶסְפוּ־שָׁ֣מָּה כָל־הָֽעֲדָרִ֗ים וְגָֽלֲל֤וּ אֶת־הָאֶ֨בֶן֙ מֵעַל֙ פִּ֣י הַבְּאֵ֔ר וְהִשְׁק֖וּ אֶת־הַצֹּ֑אן וְהֵשִׁ֧יבוּ אֶת־הָאֶ֛בֶן עַל־פִּ֥י הַבְּאֵ֖ר לִמְקֹמָֽהּ:
וְנֶֽאֶסְפוּ־ - They were gathered - means “they would usually be gathered,” because the stone was huge and required several shepherds to remove it.   וְנֶֽאֶסְפוּ־.  רְגִילִים הָיוּ לְהֵאָסֵף, לְפִי שֶׁהָיְתָה הָאֶבֶן גְּדוֹלָה:
וְגָֽלֲלוּ - means “they would roll,” and therefore Onkelos translates it as וּמְגַנְדְּרִין “they would roll off” (a continuous present tense). Any continuous present tense may be expressed interchangeably by a future form or a past form as here, since anything that occurs continuously already happened and will happen again in the future.   וְגָֽלֲלוּ.  וְגוֹלְלִים, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ וּמְגַנְדְּרִין, כָּל לְשׁוֹן הוֹוֶה מִשְׁתַּנֶּה לְדַבֵּר בִּלְשׁוֹן עָתִיד וּבִלְשׁוֹן עָבָר, לְפִי שֶׁכָּל דָּבָר הַהוֹוֶה תָּמִיד כְּבָר הָיָה וְעָתִיד לִהְיוֹת:
וְהֵשִׁיבוּ - Onkelos translates it as וּמְתִיבִין – “And they would replace.”   וְהֵשִׁיבוּ.  תַּרְגּוּמוֹ וּמְתִיבִין:
4Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” and they replied, “We are from Charan.”   דוַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב אַחַ֖י מֵאַ֣יִן אַתֶּ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ מֵֽחָרָ֖ן אֲנָֽחְנוּ:
5He asked them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson of Nachor?” and they replied, “We know him.”   הוַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֔ם הַיְדַעְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־לָבָ֣ן בֶּן־נָח֑וֹר וַיֹּֽאמְר֖וּ יָדָֽעְנוּ:
6He asked them, “Is he well?” and they replied, “He is well—and here is his daughter Rachel, approaching with the flocks.”   ווַיֹּ֥אמֶר לָהֶ֖ם הֲשָׁל֣וֹם ל֑וֹ וַיֹּֽאמְר֣וּ שָׁל֔וֹם וְהִנֵּה֙ רָחֵ֣ל בִּתּ֔וֹ בָּאָ֖ה עִם־הַצֹּֽאן:
בָּאָה עִם־הַצֹּֽאן - Approaching with the flocks. The accent on בָּאָה is on the א, and therefore its translation is אָתְיָא “she is coming.” However, וְרָחֵל בָּאָה 2 has the accent of the first syllable, on the ב, and therefore its translation is אָתַת “she came.” The former means “she is doing” (present tense), and the latter means “she did” (past tense).   בָּאָה עִם־הַצֹּֽאן.  הַטַּעַם בָּאָלֶ"ף וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ אָתְיָא; וְרָחֵל בָּאָה – הַטַּעַם לְמַעְלָה בַּבֵּי"ת וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ אֲתָת; הָרִאשׁוֹן לְשׁוֹן עוֹשָׂה וְהַשֵּׁנִי לְשׁוֹן עָשְׂתָה:
7He said to them, “It is still broad daylight. It is still not yet time to round up the livestock and take them home. If they need to drink, water the flocks and go off and pasture them.”   זוַיֹּ֗אמֶר הֵ֥ן עוֹד֙ הַיּ֣וֹם גָּד֔וֹל לֹא־עֵ֖ת הֵֽאָסֵ֣ף הַמִּקְנֶ֑ה הַשְׁק֥וּ הַצֹּ֖אן וּלְכ֥וּ רְעֽוּ:
הֵן עוֹד הַיּוֹם גָּדוֹל - It is still broad daylight! Since he saw the flocks crouching, he thought that they wished to gather in the livestock and that they would no longer pasture that day. He therefore said to them, “The day is yet young!” as if to say: If you are day-laborers, you have not completed the day’s work; and if the animals are yours, nonetheless, “It is not yet time to round up the livestock….” Bereshit Rabbah.   הֵן עוֹד הַיּוֹם גָּדוֹל.  לְפִי שֶׁרָאָה אוֹתָם רוֹבְצִים, כַּסָּבוּר שֶׁרוֹצִים לֶאֱסֹף הַמִּקְנֶה הַבַּיְתָה וְלֹא יִרְעוּ עוֹד, אָמַר לָהֶן הֵן עוֹד הַיּוֹם גָּדוֹל, כְּלוֹמַר אִם שְׂכִירִים אַתֶּם לֹא שִׁלַּמְתֶּם פְּעֻלַּת הַיּוֹם, וְאִם הַבְּהֵמוֹת שֶׁלָּכֶם אַף עַל פִּי כֵן לֹא עֵת הֵאָסֵף הַמִּקְנֶה וְגו' (בראשית רבה):
8They replied, “We cannot water the flocks until all the flocks are rounded up and all the shepherds can roll the boulder off the opening of the well together. Only then can we water the animals.”   חוַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֘ לֹ֣א נוּכַל֒ עַ֣ד אֲשֶׁ֤ר יֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ כָּל־הָ֣עֲדָרִ֔ים וְגָֽלֲלוּ֙ אֶת־הָאֶ֔בֶן מֵעַ֖ל פִּ֣י הַבְּאֵ֑ר וְהִשְׁקִ֖ינוּ הַצֹּֽאן:
לֹא נוּכַל - We cannot - water them, because the stone is too big.   לֹא נוּכַל.  לְהַשְׁקוֹת, לְפִי שֶׁהָאֶבֶן גְּדוֹלָה:
וְגָֽלֲלוּ - This is translated by Onkelos as וִיגַנְדְּרוּן – “And they will roll” because here it is in the future tense.   וְגָֽלֲלוּ.  זֶה מְתֻרְגָּם וִיגַנְדְּרוּן, לְפִי שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן עָתִיד:
9He was still speaking with them when Rachel arrived with her father’s flock, for she was a shepherdess.   טעוֹדֶ֖נּוּ מְדַבֵּ֣ר עִמָּ֑ם וְרָחֵ֣ל | בָּ֗אָה עִם־הַצֹּאן֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְאָבִ֔יהָ כִּ֥י רֹעָ֖ה הִֽוא:
10When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and the flocks of Laban, his mother’s brother, Jacob stepped forward and rolled the boulder off the opening of the well and watered the flocks of Laban, his mother’s brother.   יוַיְהִ֡י כַּֽאֲשֶׁר֩ רָאָ֨ה יַֽעֲקֹ֜ב אֶת־רָחֵ֗ל בַּת־לָבָן֙ אֲחִ֣י אִמּ֔וֹ וְאֶת־צֹ֥אן לָבָ֖ן אֲחִ֣י אִמּ֑וֹ וַיִּגַּ֣שׁ יַֽעֲקֹ֗ב וַיָּ֤גֶל אֶת־הָאֶ֨בֶן֙ מֵעַל֙ פִּ֣י הַבְּאֵ֔ר וַיַּ֕שְׁקְ אֶת־צֹ֥אן לָבָ֖ן אֲחִ֥י אִמּֽוֹ:
וַיִּגַּשׁ יַֽעֲקֹב וַיָּגֶל - Jacob stepped forward and rolled - as effortlessly as removing the stopper from a container. This is stated to let you know that his strength was great.   וַיִּגַּשׁ יַֽעֲקֹב וַיָּגֶל.  כְּמִי שֶׁמַּעֲבִיר אֶת הַפְּקָק מֵעַל פִּי צְלוֹחִית; לְהוֹדִיעֲךָ שֶׁכֹּחוֹ גָּדוֹל (בראשית רבה):
11Then Jacob kissed Rachel. He burst out crying.   יאוַיִּשַּׁ֥ק יַֽעֲקֹ֖ב לְרָחֵ֑ל וַיִּשָּׂ֥א אֶת־קֹל֖וֹ וַיֵּֽבְךְּ:
וַיֵּֽבְךְּ - He burst out crying - because he foresaw through Divine Inspiration that she would not be buried with him. Another explanation: He cried because he came empty-handed. He said, “Eliezer, my grandfather’s servant, had with him nose-rings, bracelets, and delicacies, but I have nothing with me.” The reason for this was because Eliphaz son of Esau had pursued him and caught up with him, instructed by his father to kill him. However since Eliphaz had grown up in Isaac’s care, he refrained, not being able to kill him. Instead he asked Jacob, “What shall I do about my father’s command?” Jacob answered him, “Take whatever I have, for a poor person is considered dead.”   וַיֵּֽבְךְּ.  לְפִי שֶׁצָּפָה בְרוּח הַקֹּדֶש שֶאֵינָהּ נִכְנֶסֶת עִמּוֹ לִקְבוּרָה. דָּבָר אַחֵר לְפִי שֶׁבָּא בְּיָדַיִם רֵקָנִיּוֹת; אָמַר, אֱלִיעֶזֶר עֶבֶד אֲבִי אַבָּא הָיוּ בְיָדָיו נְזָמִים וּצְמִידִים וּמִגְדָּנוֹת וַאֲנִי אֵין בְּיָדִי כְלוּם; לְפִי שֶׁרָדַף אֶלִיפַז בֶּן עֵשָׂו בְּמִצְוַת אָבִיו אַחֲרָיו לְהָרְגוֹ וְהִשִּׂיגוֹ, וּלְפִי שֶׁגָּדַל אֶלִיפַז בְּחֵיקוֹ שֶׁל יִצְחָק, מָשַׁךְ יָדָיו. אָמַר לוֹ מָה אֱעֱשֶׂה לַצִּוּוּי שֶׁל אַבָּא? אָמַר לוֹ יַעֲקֹב טֹל מַה שֶּׁבְּיָדִי, וְהֶעָנִי חָשׁוּב כַּמֵּת:
12Jacob told Rachel that he was both her father’s relative as well as Rebecca’s son. She ran and told her father of Jacob’s arrival.   יבוַיַּגֵּ֨ד יַֽעֲקֹ֜ב לְרָחֵ֗ל כִּ֣י אֲחִ֤י אָבִ֨יהָ֙ ה֔וּא וְכִ֥י בֶן־רִבְקָ֖ה ה֑וּא וַתָּ֖רָץ וַתַּגֵּ֥ד לְאָבִֽיהָ:
כִּי אֲחִי אָבִיהָ הוּא - That he was her father’s (lit.) brother - i.e., her father’s relative, as in: “for we are relatives (אַחִים).” 3 But the Midrashic explanation of this phrase is: If he intends to deceive me – I am also his “brother” (his equal) in deception; but if he is an upright person – I am also the son of his righteous sister, Rebecca.   כִּי אֲחִי אָבִיהָ הוּא.  קָרוֹב לְאָבִיהָ, כְּמוֹ אֲנָשִׁים אַחִים אֲנָחְנוּ. וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ, אִם לְרַמָּאוּת הוּא בָא, גַם אֲנִי אָחִיו בְּרַמָּאוּת, וְאִם אָדָם כָּשֵׁר הוּא, גַּם אֲנִי בֶן רִבְקָה אֲחוֹתוֹ הַכְּשֵׁרָה:
וַתַּגֵּד לְאָבִֽיהָ - And told her father - Because her mother had died, and she had no one to tell besides him.   וַתַּגֵּד לְאָבִֽיהָ.  לְפִי שֶׁאִמָּהּ מֵתָה, וְלֹא הָיָה לָהּ לְהַגִּיד אֶלָּא לוֹ (בראשית רבה):
13When Laban heard the news of the arrival of Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to greet him. He embraced him, kissed him, and brought him home. Jacob told Laban of all these events.   יגוַיְהִי֩ כִשְׁמֹ֨עַ לָבָ֜ן אֶת־שֵׁ֣מַע | יַֽעֲקֹ֣ב בֶּן־אֲחֹת֗וֹ וַיָּ֤רָץ לִקְרָאתוֹ֙ וַיְחַבֶּק־לוֹ֙ וַיְנַשֶּׁק־ל֔וֹ וַיְבִיאֵ֖הוּ אֶל־בֵּית֑וֹ וַיְסַפֵּ֣ר לְלָבָ֔ן אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵֽלֶּה:
וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתוֹ - He ran to greet him - He thought: “Jacob is laden with money, for even the servant of that house – Eliezer – arrived here with 10 laden camels.”   וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתוֹ.  כַּסָּבוּר מָמוֹן הוּא טָעוּן, שֶׁהֲרֵי עֶבֶד הַבַּית בָּא לְכָאן בַּעֲשָׂרָה גְמַלִּים טְעוּנִים:
וַיְחַבֶּק־ - He embraced. When he saw nothing with him, he said, “Maybe he has brought gold coins, and they are hidden in his bosom.”   וַיְחַבֶּק־.  כְּשֶׁלֹּא רָאָה עִמּוֹ כְלוּם, אָמַר שֶׁמָּא זְהוּבִים הֵבִיא וְהִנָּם בְּחֵיקוֹ:
וַיְנַשֶּׁק־לוֹ - Kissed him. He said, “Maybe he has brought pearls, and they are hidden in his mouth.”   וַיְנַשֶּׁק־לוֹ.  אָמַר שֶׁמָּא מַרְגָּלִיוֹת הֵבִיא וְהֵם בְּפִיו, בּרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה:
וַיְסַפֵּר לְלָבָן - [Jacob] told Laban - that he only came because he was forced to on account of his brother Esau, and that his money had been taken from him.   וַיְסַפֵּר לְלָבָן.  שֶׁלֹּא בָא אֶלָּא מִתּוֹך אֹנֶס אָחִיו, וְשֶׁנָּטְלוּ מָמוֹנוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ:
14Laban said to him, “You are truly my own flesh and blood.” Jacob stayed with him for a month and tended his flocks.   ידוַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ לָבָ֔ן אַ֛ךְ עַצְמִ֥י וּבְשָׂרִ֖י אָ֑תָּה וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב עִמּ֖וֹ חֹ֥דֶשׁ יָמִֽים:
אַךְ עַצְמִי וּבְשָׂרִי - [You are] truly my own flesh and blood. Laban said, “Really, I have no reason to take you into my home since you have nothing with you. However, since we are relatives I will take care of you for a month.” So he did, but even this was not for free, for Jacob tended his flocks.   אַךְ עַצְמִי וּבְשָׂרִי.  מֵעַתָּה אֵין לִי לְאָסְפְּךָ הַבַּיְתָה, הוֹאִיל וְאֵין בְּיָדְךָ כְלוּם, אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי קוּרְבָה אֲטַפֵּל בְּךָ חֹדֶש יָמִים, וְכֵן עָשָׂה, וְאַף זוֹ לֹא לְחִנָּם, שֶׁהָיָה רוֹעֶה צֹאנוֹ:
15Laban then said to Jacob, “Just because you are my close relative, does it mean that you must work for me for free?! Tell me what your wages should be.”   טווַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָבָן֙ לְיַֽעֲקֹ֔ב הֲכִֽי־אָחִ֣י אַ֔תָּה וַֽעֲבַדְתַּ֖נִי חִנָּ֑ם הַגִּ֥ידָה לִּ֖י מַה־מַּשְׂכֻּרְתֶּֽךָ:
הֲכִֽי־אָחִי אַתָּה - This is the introduction to a question: “Just because you are my relative - should you work for me for nothing?”   הֲכִֽי־אָחִי אַתָּה.  לְשׁוֹן תֵּמַהּ, וְכִי בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁאָחִי אַתָּה תַּעַבְדֵנִי חִנָּם:
וַֽעֲבַדְתַּנִי - is the equivalent of וְתַעַבְדֵנִי – “Should you work for me.” Similarly with any word in the past tense, when a ו is added at the beginning it changes the word to the future tense.   וַֽעֲבַדְתַּנִי.  כְּמוֹ וְתַעַבְדֵנִי; וְכֵן כָּל תֵּבָה שֶׁהִיא לְשׁוֹן עָבָר הוֹסִיף וָי"ו בְּרֹאשָׁהּ, וְהִיא הוֹפֶכֶת הַתֵּבָה לְהַבָּא:
16Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older one was Leah, and the name of the younger one was Rachel.   טזוּלְלָבָ֖ן שְׁתֵּ֣י בָנ֑וֹת שֵׁ֤ם הַגְּדֹלָה֙ לֵאָ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַקְּטַנָּ֖ה רָחֵֽל:
17Leah’s eyes were tender, while Rachel was a woman of beautiful facial features and complexion.   יזוְעֵינֵ֥י לֵאָ֖ה רַכּ֑וֹת וְרָחֵל֨ הָֽיְתָ֔ה יְפַת־תֹּ֖אַר וִיפַ֥ת מַרְאֶֽה:
רַכּוֹת - Tender - for she thought that she would fall to the lot of Esau, and she was therefore constantly weeping; for everyone was saying, “Rebecca has two sons and Laban has two daughters – the elder daughter is for the elder son, and the younger daughter for the younger son.”   רַכּוֹת.  שֶׁהָיְתָה סְבוּרָה לַעֲלוֹת בְּגוֹרָלוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו וּבוֹכָה, שֶׁהָיוּ הַכֹּל אוֹמְרִים שְׁנֵי בָנִים לְרִבְקָה וּשְׁתֵּי בָנוֹת לְלָבָן, הַגְּדוֹלָה לַגָּדוֹל וְהַקְּטַנָּה לַקָּטָן (בבא בתרא קכ"ג):
תֹּאַר - (lit.) Form. This refers to the form of the face, having the same root as: “he shapes it (יְתָאֲרֵהוּ) with a saw”; 4 “conpas” in Old French.   תֹּאַר.  הוּא צוּרַת הַפַּרְצוּף, לְשׁוֹן יְתָאֲרֵהוּ בַשֶּׂרֶד: (ישעיהו מ"ד, י"ג), קונ"פאש בלע"ז:
מַרְאֶֽה - (lit.) Appearance. This refers to the complexion of her features.   מַרְאֶֽה.  הוּא זִיו קְלַסְתֵּר:
Footnotes
1.

Bereshit Rabbah 70:8.

Third Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 29

18Jacob loved Rachel, and he said to Laban, “I will work for you for seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter.”   יחוַיֶּֽאֱהַ֥ב יַֽעֲקֹ֖ב אֶת־רָחֵ֑ל וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אֶֽעֱבָדְךָ֙ שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֔ים בְּרָחֵ֥ל בִּתְּךָ֖ הַקְּטַנָּֽה:
אֶֽעֱבָדְךָ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים - I will work for you for seven years. This is the “short while” (יָמִים אֲחָדִים) that his mother had mentioned to him: “Remain with him a while (יָמִים אֲחָדִים).” 1 You can see that this was so, for it is written: “in his eyes they seemed a mere few days (כְּיָמִים אֲחָדִים).” 2   אֶֽעֱבָדְךָ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים.  הֵם יָמִים אֲחָדִים שֶׁאָמְרָה לוֹ אִמּוֹ וְיָשַׁבְתָּ עִמּוֹ יָמִים אֲחָדִים (בראשית רבה); וְתֵדַע שֶׁכֵּן הוּא, שֶׁהֲרֵי כְתִיב וַיִּהְיוּ בְעֵינָיו כְּיָמִים אֲחָדִים (בראשית כ"ט):
בְּרָחֵל בִּתְּךָ הַקְּטַנָּֽה - For Rachel, your younger daughter. Why did he need to mention all these details? Because he knew about Laban that he was a swindler. He said to him: “I will work for you for Rachel. And should you say that this means another Rachel from the street,” Scripture quotes Jacob as saying: “your daughter. And should you say, ‘I will change Leah’s name and call her Rachel,’” Scripture quotes Jacob as saying: “the younger one.” But despite all this it did not help, for Laban deceived him anyway.   בְּרָחֵל בִּתְּךָ הַקְּטַנָּֽה.  כָּל הַסִּימָנִים הַלָּלוּ לָמָּה? לְפִי שֶׁהוּא יוֹדֵעַ בּוֹ שֶׁהוּא רַמַּאי, אָמַר לוֹ, אֶעֱבָדְךָ בְרָחֵל, וְשֶׁמָּא תֹּאמַר רָחֵל אֲחֶרֶת מִן הַשּׁוּק, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר בִּתְּךָ, וְשֶׁמָּא תֹּאמַר אַחֲלִיף לְלֵאָה שְׁמָהּ וְאֶקְרָא שְׁמָהּ רָחֵל, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר הַקְּטַנָּה; וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן לֹא הוֹעִיל, שֶׁהֲרֵי רִמָּהוּ:
19Laban replied, “Better that I give her to you than give her to another man. Stay with me.”   יטוַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָבָ֗ן ט֚וֹב תִּתִּ֣י אֹתָ֣הּ לָ֔ךְ מִתִּתִּ֥י אֹתָ֖הּ לְאִ֣ישׁ אַחֵ֑ר שְׁבָ֖ה עִמָּדִֽי:
20So Jacob worked seven years for Laban in order to marry Rachel, but in his eyes they seemed a mere few days because of his love for her.   כוַיַּֽעֲבֹ֧ד יַֽעֲקֹ֛ב בְּרָחֵ֖ל שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים וַיִּֽהְי֤וּ בְעֵינָיו֙ כְּיָמִ֣ים אֲחָדִ֔ים בְּאַֽהֲבָת֖וֹ אֹתָֽהּ:
21At the end of seven years, Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife—for the time my mother allowed me to remain here is up—so that I can engage in marital relations with her.”   כאוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יַֽעֲקֹ֤ב אֶל־לָבָן֙ הָבָ֣ה אֶת־אִשְׁתִּ֔י כִּ֥י מָֽלְא֖וּ יָמָ֑י וְאָב֖וֹאָה אֵלֶֽיהָ:
מָֽלְאוּ יָמָי - My time is up - i.e., the time which my mother told me to stay here. Furthermore, “my time is up” for I am already 84 years old, and when then shall I produce twelve tribes? That is the reason it says: “so that I can engage in marital relations with her.” Surely even the most common of people do not speak in such a manner! However, Jacob spoke this way because his intention was solely to father children.   מָֽלְאוּ יָמָי.  שֶׁאָמְרָה לִי אִמִּי, וְעוֹד מָלְאוּ יָמַי, שֶׁהֲרֵי אֲנִי בֶן פ"ד שָׁנָה וְאֵימָתַי אַעֲמִיד י"ב שְׁבָטִים? וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר וְאָבוֹאָה אֵלֶיהָ, וְהֲלֹא קַל שֶׁבַּקַּלִּים אֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר כֵּן? אֶלָּא לְהוֹלִיד תּוֹלָדוֹת אָמַר כֵּן:
22So Laban gathered together all the local people and made a wedding-feast.   כבוַיֶּֽאֱסֹ֥ף לָבָ֛ן אֶת־כָּל־אַנְשֵׁ֥י הַמָּק֖וֹם וַיַּ֥עַשׂ מִשְׁתֶּֽה:
23At nightfall, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob. He engaged in marital relations with her.   כגוַיְהִ֣י בָעֶ֔רֶב וַיִּקַּח֙ אֶת־לֵאָ֣ה בִתּ֔וֹ וַיָּבֵ֥א אֹתָ֖הּ אֵלָ֑יו וַיָּבֹ֖א אֵלֶֽיהָ:
24Laban gave his bondwoman Zilpah to his daughter Leah, to be her bondwoman.   כדוַיִּתֵּ֤ן לָבָן֙ לָ֔הּ אֶת־זִלְפָּ֖ה שִׁפְחָת֑וֹ לְלֵאָ֥ה בִתּ֖וֹ שִׁפְחָֽה:
25When morning came, behold, Jacob discerned that it was Leah he had married, so he said to Laban, “What have you done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I worked for you? Why did you deceive me?”   כהוַיְהִ֣י בַבֹּ֔קֶר וְהִנֵּה־הִ֖וא לֵאָ֑ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶל־לָבָ֗ן מַה־זֹּאת֙ עָשִׂ֣יתָ לִּ֔י הֲלֹ֤א בְרָחֵל֨ עָבַ֣דְתִּי עִמָּ֔ךְ וְלָ֖מָּה רִמִּיתָֽנִי:
וַיְהִי בַבֹּקֶר וְהִנֵּה־היא לֵאָה - When morning came, behold, it was Leah - but at night it was apparently not Leah. This was because Jacob had given certain secret signs to Rachel whereby he could identify her. However, when Rachel saw that they were bringing him Leah instead of her, she said, “Now my sister will be put to shame,” and so she went and disclosed those signs to her.   וַיְהִי בַבֹּקֶר וְהִנֵּה־היא לֵאָה.  אֲבָל בַּלַּיְלָה לֹא הָיְתָה לֵאָה, לְפִי שֶׁמָּסַר יַעֲקֹב סִימָנִים לְרָחֵל, וּכְשֶׁרָאֲתָה רָחֵל שֶׁמַּכְנִיסִין לוֹ לֵאָה אָמְרָה: עַכְשָׁו תִּכָּלֵם אֲחוֹתִי, עָמְדָה וּמָסְרָה לָהּ אוֹתָן סִימָנִים (מגילה י"ג):
26Laban replied, “In our region, giving a younger daughter in marriage before the older is simply not done.   כווַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָבָ֔ן לֹא־יֵֽעָשֶׂ֥ה כֵ֖ן בִּמְקוֹמֵ֑נוּ לָתֵ֥ת הַצְּעִירָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י הַבְּכִירָֽה:
27Complete the bridal-celebration week of this one, Leah, and then we will give you that one, Rachel, too—in return for the work that you will do for me for another seven years.”   כזמַלֵּ֖א שְׁבֻ֣עַ זֹ֑את וְנִתְּנָ֨ה לְךָ֜ גַּם־אֶת־זֹ֗את בַּֽעֲבֹדָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תַּֽעֲבֹ֣ד עִמָּדִ֔י ע֖וֹד שֶֽׁבַע־שָׁנִ֥ים אֲחֵרֽוֹת:
מַלֵּא שְׁבֻעַ זֹאת - Complete the week of this one. The word שְׁבֻעַ is in the construct form, for it is vocalized with a chataf (shevaשְׁ). שְׁבֻעַ זֹאת thus means “the seven days of this one,” and these were the seven days of wedding festivities. So is stated in Talmud Yerushalmi, Mo’ed Katan. 3 One cannot say that it means literally “a week,” for then the שׁ should have been vocalized with a patach (kamatz שָׁ), as it would then not be in the construct form. Furthermore, the word שָׁבֻעַ is a masculine noun, as it is written: “count for yourself seven (שִׁבְעָהa masculine adjective) weeks (שָׁבֻעֹת).” 4 Therefore the word שְׁבֻעַ here means nothing other than a period of seven days; “septaine” in Old French.   מַלֵּא שְׁבֻעַ זֹאת.  דָּבוּק הוּא, שֶׁהֲרֵי נָקוּד בַּחֲטָף, שָׁבוּעַ שֶׁל זֹאת, וְהֵן שִׁבְעַת יְמֵי הַמִּשְׁתֶּה, בְּתַלְמוּד יְרוּשׁ' בְּמוֹעֵד קָטָן (וְאִי אֶפְשַָׁר לוֹמַר שָׁבוּעַ מַמָּשׁ, שֶׁאִם כֵּן הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְהִנָּקֵד בְּפַתָּח הַשִּׁי"ן; וְעוֹד שֶׁשָּׁבוּעַ לְשׁוֹן זָכָר, כְּדִכְתִיב שִׁבְעָה שָׁבֻעֹת תִּסְפָּר לָךְ, לְפִיכָךְ אֵין מַשְׁמַע שָׁבוּעַ אֶלָּא שִׁבְעָה, שטיי"נא בְּלַעַז):
וְנִתְּנָה לְךָ - And then we will give you. נִתְּנָה is a first person plural form, as in: “let us descend (נֵרְדָה) and let us confuse (נָבְלָה)”; 5 and: “let us fire bricks (נִשְׂרְפָה)”; 6 so this, too, is a form of וְנִתֵּן “and we will give.”   וְנִתְּנָה לְךָ.  לְשׁוֹן רַבִּים, כְּמוֹ נֵרְדָה וְנָבְלָה וְנִשְׂרְפָה (בראשית י"א), אַף זֶה לְשׁוֹן וְנִתֵּן:
גַּם־אֶת־זֹאת - That one too - immediately after the seven days of festivities, and you will work for her after marrying her.   גַּם־אֶת־זֹאת.  מִיָּד לְאַחַר שִׁבְעַת יְמֵי הַמִּשְׁתֶּה, וְתַעֲבֹד לְאַחַר נִשּׂוּאֶיהָ:
28Jacob acquiesced to Laban’s proposal and completed the bridal-celebration week of “this one”—Leah—and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.   כחוַיַּ֤עַשׂ יַֽעֲקֹב֙ כֵּ֔ן וַיְמַלֵּ֖א שְׁבֻ֣עַ זֹ֑את וַיִּתֶּן־ל֛וֹ אֶת־רָחֵ֥ל בִּתּ֖וֹ ל֥וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה:
29Laban gave his bondwoman Bilhah to his daughter Rachel, to be her bondwoman.   כטוַיִּתֵּ֤ן לָבָן֙ לְרָחֵ֣ל בִּתּ֔וֹ אֶת־בִּלְהָ֖ה שִׁפְחָת֑וֹ לָ֖הּ לְשִׁפְחָֽה:
30Jacob thus also married Rachel, and he loved Rachel even more than he loved Leah. He then worked for Laban for another seven years.   לוַיָּבֹא֙ גַּ֣ם אֶל־רָחֵ֔ל וַיֶּֽאֱהַ֥ב גַּם־אֶת־רָחֵ֖ל מִלֵּאָ֑ה וַיַּֽעֲבֹ֣ד עִמּ֔וֹ ע֖וֹד שֶֽׁבַע־שָׁנִ֥ים אֲחֵרֽוֹת:
עוֹד שֶֽׁבַע־שָׁנִים אֲחֵרֽוֹת - For another seven years. By referring to them as other (אֲחֵרוֹת) years, Scripture compares them to the first years: just as in the first years he worked faithfully, so, too, in the later years he worked faithfully, even though Laban had dealt with him deceitfully.   עוֹד שֶֽׁבַע־שָׁנִים אֲחֵרֽוֹת.  אֲחֵרוֹת הִקִּישָׁן לָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת, מָה רִאשׁוֹנוֹת בֶּאֱמוּנָה אַף הָאַחֲרוֹנוֹת בֶּאֱמוּנָה, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבְּרַמָּאוּת בָּא עָלָיו (בראשית רבה):
31God saw that Leah felt hated by her husband. God therefore opened her womb, while Rachel remained barren.   לאוַיַּ֤רְא יְהֹוָה֙ כִּֽי־שְׂנוּאָ֣ה לֵאָ֔ה וַיִּפְתַּ֖ח אֶת־רַחְמָ֑הּ וְרָחֵ֖ל עֲקָרָֽה:
32Leah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, “for,” she said, “God has seen [ra’ah] my humiliation, for now my husband will love me.”   לבוַתַּ֤הַר לֵאָה֙ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ רְאוּבֵ֑ן כִּ֣י אָֽמְרָ֗ה כִּֽי־רָאָ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ בְּעָנְיִ֔י כִּ֥י עַתָּ֖ה יֶֽאֱהָבַ֥נִי אִישִֽׁי:
וַתִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ רְאוּבֵן - She named him Reuben. Our rabbis explained: She said, “See (רְאוּ) the difference between my son (בְּנִי) and my father-in-law’s son Esau – for Esau sold his birthright to Jacob, showing disdain for it, whereas this son did not sell his birthright to Joseph, for he valued it, unlike Esau; furthermore, when it was taken from him, he did not complain about it, and not only did he not complain about it, he was the one who tried to take Joseph out of the pit.”   וַתִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ רְאוּבֵן.  רַבּוֹתֵינוּ פֵּרְשׁוּ, אָמְרָה רְאוּ מַה בֵּין בְּנִי לְבֶן חָמִי שֶׁמָּכַר הַבְּכוֹרָה לְיַעֲקֹב, וְזֶה לֹא מְכָרָהּ לְיוֹסֵף וְלֹא עִרְעֵר עָלָיו, וְלֹא עוֹד שֶׁלֹּא עִרְעֵר עָלָיו אֶלָּא שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ לְהוֹצִיאוֹ מִן הַבּוֹר) (ברכות ז'):
33She conceived again and gave birth to a son. She said, “Because God heard [shama] that I felt hated, He gave me this one as well,” and she named him Simeon [Shimon].   לגוַתַּ֣הַר עוֹד֘ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּן֒ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֤ע יְהֹוָה֙ כִּֽי־שְׂנוּאָ֣ה אָנֹ֔כִי וַיִּתֶּן־לִ֖י גַּם־אֶת־זֶ֑ה וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ שִׁמְעֽוֹן:
34She conceived again and gave birth to a son, and she said, “This time my husband will become attached [yilaveh] to me, for I have borne him three sons.” God therefore named him Levi.   לדוַתַּ֣הַר עוֹד֘ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּן֒ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר עַתָּ֤ה הַפַּ֨עַם֙ יִלָּוֶ֤ה אִישִׁי֙ אֵלַ֔י כִּֽי־יָלַ֥דְתִּי ל֖וֹ שְׁלשָׁ֣ה בָנִ֑ים עַל־כֵּ֥ן קָֽרָא־שְׁמ֖וֹ לֵוִֽי:
הַפַּעַם יִלָּוֶה אִישִׁי - This time my husband will become attached. Since the matriarchs were prophetesses and knew that 12 tribes would be produced from Jacob and that he would marry four wives, Leah said, “From now on, he has no reason to complain against me, for I have assumed my full share of bearing him sons.”   הַפַּעַם יִלָּוֶה אִישִׁי.  לְפִי שֶׁהָאִמָּהוֹת נְבִיאוֹת הָיוּ, וְיוֹדְעוֹת שֶׁי"ב שְׁבָטִים יוֹצְאִים מִיַּעֲקֹב וְד' נָשִׁים יִשָּׂא, אָמְרָה, מֵעַתָּה אֵין לוֹ פִתְחוֹן פֶּה עָלַי, שֶׁהֲרֵי נָטַלְתִּי כָּל חֶלְקִי בַּבָּנִים (ברבות ס'):
עַל־כֵּן - Therefore. Regarding every son about whom it says: עַל כֵּן “therefore,” his tribe had a large population, except for Levi, because the holy Ark would decimate them.   עַל־כֵּן.  כָּל מִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ עַל כֵּן מְרֻבֶּה בְּאֻכְלוֹסִין, חוּץ מִלֵּוִי שֶׁהָאָרוֹן הָיָה מְכַלֶּה בָּהֶם:
קָֽרָא־שְׁמוֹ לֵוִֽי - He named him Levi. Concerning all the others it is written: “she named,” whereas with this one the verse writes: “he named.” There is an aggadic explanation in Eleh Devarim Rabbah that the Holy One, blessed be He, sent the angel Gabriel and he brought Levi before Him. God then gave him this name and gave him the right to receive the 24 priestly entitlements – and because He “accompanied him (לִוָּהוּ)” with these gifts, He called him Levi (לֵוִי).   קָֽרָא־שְׁמוֹ לֵוִֽי.  בְּכֻלָּם כְּתִיב וַתִּקְרָא, וְזֶה כָתַב בּוֹ קָרָא, וְיֵשׁ מִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה בְּאֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים רַבָּה שֶׁשָּׁלַח הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא גַּבְרִיאֵל וֶהֱבִיאוֹ לְפָנָיו וְקָרָא לוֹ שֵׁם זֶה, וְנָתַן לוֹ כ"ד מַתְּנוֹת כְּהֻנָּה, וְעַל שֵׁם שֶׁלִּוָּהוּ בְמַתָּנוֹת קְרָאוֹ לֵוִי:
35She conceived again and gave birth to a son. She said, “This time I will thank [odeh] God,” and she therefore named him Judah [Yehudah]. She then ceased bearing children.   להוַתַּ֨הַר ע֜וֹד וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֗ן וַתֹּ֨אמֶר֙ הַפַּ֨עַם֙ אוֹדֶ֣ה אֶת־יְהֹוָ֔ה עַל־כֵּ֛ן קָֽרְאָ֥ה שְׁמ֖וֹ יְהוּדָ֑ה וַתַּֽעֲמֹ֖ד מִלֶּֽדֶת:
הַפַּעַם אוֹדֶה - This time I will thank - for I have taken more than my natural share. Therefore, from now on I must give thanks.   הַפַּעַם אוֹדֶה.  שֶׁנָּטַלְתִּי יוֹתֵר מֵחֶלְקִי, מֵעַתָּה יֵשׁ לִי לְהוֹדוֹת:

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 30

1Rachel saw that she had not borne any children to Jacob; Rachel was therefore jealous of her sisters good deeds. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, for if not, it will be as if I am dead.”   אוַתֵּ֣רֶא רָחֵ֗ל כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָֽלְדָה֙ לְיַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וַתְּקַנֵּ֥א רָחֵ֖ל בַּֽאֲחֹתָ֑הּ וַתֹּ֤אמֶר אֶל־יַֽעֲקֹב֙ הָֽבָה־לִּ֣י בָנִ֔ים וְאִם־אַ֖יִן מֵתָ֥ה אָנֹֽכִי:
וַתְּקַנֵּא רָחֵל באחותה - Rachel was jealous of her sister - i.e., she was jealous of her good deeds. She said, “If she were not more righteous than I, she would not have merited to bear children.”   וַתְּקַנֵּא רָחֵל באחותה.  קִנְּאָה בְמַעֲשֶׂיהָ הַטּוֹבִים, אָמְרָה אִלּוּלֵי שֶׁצָּדְקָה מִמֶּנִּי לֹא זָכְתָה לְבָנִים (בראשית רבה):
הָֽבָה־לִּי - Give me [children]. “. Is this how your father acted towards your mother when she was barren? Did he not pray for her to conceive?”   הָֽבָה־לִּי.  וְכִי כָּךְ עָשָׂה אָבִיךָ לְאִמְּךָ? וְהֲלֹא הִתְפַּלֵּל עָלֶיהָ:
מֵתָה אָנֹֽכִי - [It will be as if] I am dead. From here we infer that someone who has no children is considered dead.   מֵתָה אָנֹֽכִי.  מִכָּאן לְמִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ בָנִים שֶׁחָשׁוּב כַּמֵּת (בראשית רבה):
2Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Can I take the place of God, who has denied you the fruit of your womb?”   בוַיִּֽחַר־אַ֥ף יַֽעֲקֹ֖ב בְּרָחֵ֑ל וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הֲתַ֤חַת אֱלֹהִים֙ אָנֹ֔כִי אֲשֶׁר־מָנַ֥ע מִמֵּ֖ךְ פְּרִי־בָֽטֶן:
הֲתַחַת - means “Am I instead of Him?”   הֲתַחַת.  וְכִי בִמְקוֹמוֹ אֲנִי?
אֲשֶׁר־מָנַע מִמֵּךְ - Who has denied you. “. You say that I should act like my father, but I am not in the same situation as my father; my father had no children, but I have children. He has denied you children, but not me.”   אֲשֶׁר־מָנַע מִמֵּךְ.  אַתְּ אוֹמֶרֶת שֶׁאֶעֱשֶׂה כְאַבָּא, אֲנִי אֵינִי כְּאַבָּא, אַבָּא לֹא הָיוּ לוֹ בָנִים, אֲנִי יֵשׁ לִי בָּנִים; מִמֵּךְ מָנַע וְלֹא מִמֶּנִּי:
3So she said, “Here is my bondwoman Bilhah. Engage in marital relations with her and let her bear you a child; I will raise her children on my own lap, i.e., as if they were my own, and thus, through her, I, too, will bear children of my own and thereby be built up into a matriarch.”   גוַתֹּ֕אמֶר הִנֵּ֛ה אֲמָתִ֥י בִלְהָ֖ה בֹּ֣א אֵלֶ֑יהָ וְתֵלֵד֙ עַל־בִּרְכַּ֔י וְאִבָּנֶ֥ה גַם־אָֽנֹכִ֖י מִמֶּֽנָּה:
עַל־בִּרְכַּי - On my own lap. Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: וַאֲנָא אֱרַבֵּי – “And I will raise them.”   עַל־בִּרְכַּי.  כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ וַאֲנָא אֱרַבֵּי:
וְאִבָּנֶה גַם־אָֽנֹכִי - And thus I, too, will bear children. To what does the word “too” refer? She said to him: “Your grandfather Abraham did have children through Hagar, yet he girded his loins and exerted himself in prayer on behalf of Sarah.” He answered her: “My grandmother brought a rival wife into her home!” She said, “If that is what prevents me from having children, ‘here is my bondwoman….’”   וְאִבָּנֶה גַם־אָֽנֹכִי.  מַהוּ גַּם? אָמְרָה לוֹ זְקֶנְךָ אַבְרָהָם הָיוּ לוֹ בָנִים מֵהָגָר וְחָגַר מָתְנָיו כְּנֶגֶד שָׂרָה, אָמַר לָהּ זְקֵנָתִי הִכְנִיסָה צָרָתָהּ לְבֵיתָהּ, אָמְרָה לוֹ אִם הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה מְעַכֵּב, הִנֵּה אֲמָתִי:
וְאִבָּנֶה גַם־אָֽנֹכִי - And thus through her I, too, will bear children - just as occurred with Sarah.   וְאִבָּנֶה גַם־אָֽנֹכִי.  כְּשָׂרָה:
4She gave him her bondwoman Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob engaged in marital relations with her.   דוַתִּתֶּן־ל֛וֹ אֶת־בִּלְהָ֥ה שִׁפְחָתָ֖הּ לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וַיָּבֹ֥א אֵלֶ֖יהָ יַֽעֲקֹֽב:
5Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son.   הוַתַּ֣הַר בִּלְהָ֔ה וַתֵּ֥לֶד לְיַֽעֲקֹ֖ב בֵּֽן:
6Rachel then said, “God has judged me [danani] and has also heard my prayer, and He has given me a son.” She therefore named him Dan.   ווַתֹּ֤אמֶר רָחֵל֨ דָּנַ֣נִּי אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְגַם֙ שָׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹלִ֔י וַיִּתֶּן־לִ֖י בֵּ֑ן עַל־כֵּ֛ן קָֽרְאָ֥ה שְׁמ֖וֹ דָּֽן:
דָּנַנִּי אֱלֹהִים - God has judged me. He judged me once and found me unworthy, but now He judged me again and found me meritorious.   דָּנַנִּי אֱלֹהִים.  דָּנַנִּי וְחִיְּבַנִי וְזִכַּנִי (בראשית רבה):
7Rachel’s bondwoman Bilhah once again conceived and bore Jacob a second son.   זוַתַּ֣הַר ע֔וֹד וַתֵּ֕לֶד בִּלְהָ֖ה שִׁפְחַ֣ת רָחֵ֑ל בֵּ֥ן שֵׁנִ֖י לְיַֽעֲקֹֽב:
8Rachel said, “I have persistently pleaded [niftalti] with God to be on par with my sister, and I have prevailed,” so she named him Naphtali.   חוַתֹּ֣אמֶר רָחֵ֗ל נַפְתּוּלֵ֨י אֱלֹהִ֧ים | נִפְתַּ֛לְתִּי עִם־אֲחֹתִ֖י גַּם־יָכֹ֑לְתִּי וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ נַפְתָּלִֽי:
נַפְתּוּלֵי אֱלֹהִים - Menachem ben Saruk explained this expression in his Machberet (Dictionary) under the same entry as צָמִיד פָּתִיל “a fastened seal”: 7 “I have become attached to my sister with bonds from the Omnipresent by meriting to have children.” But I explain it as a similar expression to: “crooked and perverse (עִקֵּשׁ וּפְתַלְתֹּל)” 8i.e., “I contorted myself (נִתְעַקַּשְׁתִּי) by making many pleas and connivances (נַפְתּוּלִים) with the Omnipresent in order to be equal to my sister.”   נַפְתּוּלֵי אֱלֹהִים.  מְנַחֵם בֶּן סָרוּק פֵּרְשׁוֹ בְּמַחְבֶּרֶת צָמִיד פָּתִיל, חִבּוּרִים מֵאֵת הַמָּקוֹם נִתְחַבַּרְתִּי עִם אֲחוֹתִי לִזְכּוֹת לְבָנִים. וַאֲנִי מְפָרְשׁוֹ לְשׁוֹן עִקֵּשׁ וּפְתַלְתֹּל (דברים ל"ב) – נִתְעַקַּשְׁתִּי וְהִפְצַרְתִּי פְצִירוֹת וְנַפְתּוּלִים הַרְבֵּה לַמָּקוֹם, לִהְיוֹת שָׁוָה לַאֲחוֹתִי:
גַּם־יָכֹלְתִּי - And I have prevailed. He agreed to accept my pleas. Onkelos, however, translates נַפְתּוּלֵי as an expression of prayer, as if it were written: נַפְתּוּלֵי אֱלֹהִים נִתְפַּלַּלְתִּיthrough many requests that are pleasing to Him, I was accepted and answered like my sister.   גַּם־יָכֹלְתִּי.  הִסְכִּים עַל יָדִי; וְאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם לְשׁוֹן תְּפִלָּה, כְּמוֹ נַפְתּוּלֵי אֱלֹהִים נִתְפַּלְתִּי בַּקָּשׁוֹת הַחֲבִיבוֹת לְפָנָיו; נִתְקַבַּלְתִּי, וְנֶעֱתַרְתִּי כַאֲחוֹתִי:
נִפְתַּלְתִּי - Thus, according to Onkelos, means “my prayers were accepted.” There are also many aggadic explanations that expound this word as a notarikon (acronym).   נִפְתַּלְתִּי.  נִתְקַבְּלָה תְפִלָּתִי, וּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה יֵשׁ רַבִּים בִּלְשׁוֹן נוֹטָרִיקוֹן:
9When Leah realized that she had ceased bearing children, she took her bondwoman Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife.   טוַתֵּ֣רֶא לֵאָ֔ה כִּ֥י עָֽמְדָ֖ה מִלֶּ֑דֶת וַתִּקַּח֙ אֶת־זִלְפָּ֣ה שִׁפְחָתָ֔הּ וַתִּתֵּ֥ן אֹתָ֛הּ לְיַֽעֲקֹ֖ב לְאִשָּֽׁה:
10Zilpah, Leah’s bondwoman, bore Jacob a son.   יוַתֵּ֗לֶד זִלְפָּ֛ה שִׁפְחַ֥ת לֵאָ֖ה לְיַֽעֲקֹ֥ב בֵּֽן:
וַתֵּלֶד זִלְפָּה - Zilpah bore. With all the other wives, it says that they conceived (וַתַּהַר), except for Zilpah, because she was younger than all of them and a child in age, so her pregnancy was not noticeable. Laban had given her to Leah in order to deceive Jacob, so that he not realize that they were bringing Leah, the older daughter, to him in marriage, for it is usual to give the older bondwoman to the older daughter and the younger one to the younger daughter.   וַתֵּלֶד זִלְפָּה.  בְּכֻלָּן נֶאֱמַר הֵרָיוֹן חוּץ מִזִּלְפָּה, לְפִי שֶׁהָיְתָה בַחוּרָה מִכֻּלָּן וְתִינֹקֶת בְּשָׁנִים וְאֵין הֵרָיוֹן נִכָּר בָּה; וּכְדֵי לְרַמּוֹת לְיַעֲקֹב, נְתָנָהּ לָבָן לְלֵאָה, שֶׁלֹּא יָבִין שֶׁמַּכְנִיסִין לוֹ אֶת לֵאָה, שֶׁכָּךְ מִנְהָג לִתֵּן שִׁפְחָה הַגְּדוֹלָה לַגְּדוֹלָה וּקְטַנָּה לַקְּטַנָּה:
11Leah said, “Good fortune [gad] has come,” so she named the newborn Gad.   יאוַתֹּ֥אמֶר לֵאָ֖ה בָּ֣א גָ֑ד (כתיב בגד) וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ גָּֽד:
בא גָּֽד - means “Good fortune has come” – as in: “May my good luck prevail (גַּד גַּדִּי) and not wear out.” 9 A similar expression to it is: “They who set a table for ‘fortune’ (גַּד).” 10 The aggadic explanation is that he was born circumcised, as in: “cut down (גֹּדּוּ) the tree.” 11 But according to these explanations I do not know why it is written as one word (בָּגָד). Another explanation: Why is it presented as one word בָּגָד, meaning “disloyal”? It is as if Leah had said to Jacob, “You have been disloyal to me by being intimate with my bondwoman, like a man betraying the wife of his youth.”   בא גָּֽד.  בָּא מַזָּל טוֹב, כְּמוֹ גַּד גַּדִּי וְסָנוּק לָא (שבת ס"ז), וְדוֹמֶה לוֹ הַעֹרְכִים לַגַּד שֻׁלְחָן (ישעיהו ס"ה), וּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה שֶׁנּוֹלַד מָהוּל, כְּמוֹ גֹּדּוּ אִילָנָא (דניאל ד'), וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי עַל מָה נִכְתְּבָה תֵּבָה אַחַת; דָּבָר אַחֵר לָמָּה נִקְרֵאת תֵּבָה אַחַת בָּגָד, כְּמוֹ בָּגַדְתָּ בִּי, כְּשֶׁבָּאתָ אֶל שִׁפְחָתִי, כְּאִישׁ שֶׁבָּגַד בְּאֵשֶׁת נְעוּרִים:
12Leah’s bondwoman Zilpah bore a second son to Jacob.   יבוַתֵּ֗לֶד זִלְפָּה֙ שִׁפְחַ֣ת לֵאָ֔ה בֵּ֥ן שֵׁנִ֖י לְיַֽעֲקֹֽב:
13Leah said, “I will be praised, for young women will praise [ishru] me on this account,” so she named him Asher.   יגוַתֹּ֣אמֶר לֵאָ֔ה בְּאָשְׁרִ֕י כִּ֥י אִשְּׁר֖וּנִי בָּנ֑וֹת וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ אָשֵֽׁר:

Fourth Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 30

14Reuben was taking a walk during the season of the wheat harvest and found some jasmine in the field. He brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel, having witnessed this, said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s jasmine.”   ידוַיֵּ֨לֶךְ רְאוּבֵ֜ן בִּימֵ֣י קְצִֽיר־חִטִּ֗ים וַיִּמְצָ֤א דֽוּדָאִים֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה וַיָּבֵ֣א אֹתָ֔ם אֶל־לֵאָ֖ה אִמּ֑וֹ וַתֹּ֤אמֶר רָחֵל֨ אֶל־לֵאָ֔ה תְּנִי־נָ֣א לִ֔י מִדּֽוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנֵֽךְ:
בִּימֵי קְצִֽיר־חִטִּים - During the season of the wheat harvest. This is mentioned in order to recount the praise of the tribes: It was harvest-time, yet Reuben did not venture to steal by taking wheat or barley, but took only ownerless things about which no one cares.   בִּימֵי קְצִֽיר־חִטִּים.  לְהַגִּיד שִׁבְחָן שֶׁל שְׁבָטִים; שְׁעַת הַקָּצִיר הָיָה וְלֹא פָשַׁט יָדוֹ בַגֶּזֶל לְהָבִיא חִטִּים וּשְׂעוֹרִים, אֶלָּא דְּבַר הַהֶפְקֵר, שֶׁאֵין אָדָם מַקְפִּיד בּוֹ:
דֽוּדָאִים - are siglei (violets). It is a plant, and in Arabic it is called “yasmin.”   דֽוּדָאִים.  סִיגְלִי, עֵשֶׂב הוּא (סנהדרין צ"ט), וּבִלְשׁוֹן יִשְׁמָעֵאל יַסְמִי"ן:
15She answered her, “Is it not bad enough that you have taken away my husband? Do you have to also take away my son’s jasmine?” Rachel replied, “Therefore, I propose that Jacob sleep with you tonight, in exchange for your son’s jasmine.”   טווַתֹּ֣אמֶר לָ֗הּ הַֽמְעַט֙ קַחְתֵּ֣ךְ אֶת־אִישִׁ֔י וְלָקַ֕חַת גַּ֥ם אֶת־דּֽוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנִ֑י וַתֹּ֣אמֶר רָחֵ֗ל לָכֵן֙ יִשְׁכַּ֤ב עִמָּךְ֙ הַלַּ֔יְלָה תַּ֖חַת דּֽוּדָאֵ֥י בְנֵֽךְ:
וְלָקַחַת גַּם אֶת־דּֽוּדָאֵי בְּנִי - This is a question: “And this, too, you wish to do to me, to take away my son’s jasmine as well?” The Aramaic translation is וּלְמִסַּב (the equivalent infinitive).   וְלָקַחַת גַּם אֶת־דּֽוּדָאֵי בְּנִי.  בִּתְמִיהָ, וְלַעֲשׂוֹת עוֹד זֹאת לִקַּח גַם אֶת דּוּדָאֵי בְּנִי; וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ וּלְמֵיסַב:
לָכֵן יִשְׁכַּב עִמָּךְ הַלַּיְלָה - Therefore he will sleep with you tonight. I had the right to lie with Jacob tonight, but I am giving it to you in exchange for your son’s jasmine. And because she treated the privilege of lying with this righteous man lightly, she did not merit to be buried with him.   לָכֵן יִשְׁכַּב עִמָּךְ הַלַּיְלָה.  שֶׁלִּי הָיְתָה שְׁכִיבַת לַיְלָה זוֹ, וַאֲנִי נוֹתְנָה לָךְ תַּחַת דּוּדָאֵי בְנֵךְ, וּלְפִי שֶׁזִּלְזְלָה בְּמִשְׁכַּב הַצַּדִּיק לֹא זָכְתָה לְהִקָּבֵר עִמּוֹ (נדה ל"א):
16When Jacob returned from the field at nightfall, Leah went out to greet him and said, “You are to come to me tonight, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” He engaged in marital relations with her that night.   טזוַיָּבֹ֨א יַֽעֲקֹ֥ב מִן־הַשָּׂדֶה֘ בָּעֶ֒רֶב֒ וַתֵּצֵ֨א לֵאָ֜ה לִקְרָאת֗וֹ וַתֹּ֨אמֶר֙ אֵלַ֣י תָּב֔וֹא כִּ֚י שָׂכֹ֣ר שְׂכַרְתִּ֔יךָ בְּדֽוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנִ֑י וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב עִמָּ֖הּ בַּלַּ֥יְלָה הֽוּא:
שָׂכֹר שְׂכַרְתִּיךָ - I have hired you - i.e., I have given Rachel the payment she demanded.   שָׂכֹר שְׂכַרְתִּיךָ.  נָתַתִּי לְרָחֵל שְׂכָרָהּ:
בַּלַּיְלָה הֽוּא - That night. The word הוּא, which can also mean “He,” indicates that the Holy One, blessed be He, helped Issachar be born from this union.   בַּלַּיְלָה הֽוּא.  הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא סִיְּעוֹ, שֶׁיָּצָא מִשָּׁם יִשָּׂשכָר (בראשית רבה):
17God listened to Leah. She conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son.   יזוַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־לֵאָ֑ה וַתַּ֛הַר וַתֵּ֥לֶד לְיַֽעֲקֹ֖ב בֵּ֥ן חֲמִישִֽׁי:
וַיִּשְׁמַע אֱלֹהִים אֶל־לֵאָה - God listened to Leah - i.e., He took note that she desired and was exerting effort to increase her number of tribes.   וַיִּשְׁמַע אֱלֹהִים אֶל־לֵאָה.  שֶׁהָיְתָה מִתְאַוָּה וּמְחַזֶּרֶת לְהַרְבּוֹת שְׁבָטִים:
18Leah said, “God has granted me my reward [sachar] for having given my bondwoman to my husband,” so she named him Issachar.   יחוַתֹּ֣אמֶר לֵאָ֗ה נָתַ֤ן אֱלֹהִים֙ שְׂכָרִ֔י אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥תִּי שִׁפְחָתִ֖י לְאִישִׁ֑י וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ יִשָּׂשכָֽר:
19Leah once again conceived and bore Jacob a sixth son.   יטוַתַּ֥הַר ע֖וֹד לֵאָ֑ה וַתֵּ֥לֶד בֵּֽן־שִׁשִּׁ֖י לְיַֽעֲקֹֽב:
20Leah said, “God has indeed given me a superlative portion in my husband’s household: I myself have borne him six sons. Now my husband will surely make his chief abode [zevul] with me,” and so she named him Zebulun.   כוַתֹּ֣אמֶר לֵאָ֗ה זְבָדַ֨נִי אֱלֹהִ֥ים | אֹתִי֘ זֶ֣בֶד טוֹב֒ הַפַּ֨עַם֙ יִזְבְּלֵ֣נִי אִישִׁ֔י כִּֽי־יָלַ֥דְתִּי ל֖וֹ שִׁשָּׁ֣ה בָנִ֑ים וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ זְבֻלֽוּן:
זֶבֶד טוֹב - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: חֳלָק טַב – “A good portion.   זֶבֶד טוֹב.  כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ:
יִזְבְּלֵנִי - He will make his abode with me. This word is of the same root as: “a dwelling house (בֵּית זְבֻל)”; 1 “herberjerie” in Old French – a permanent home. From now on, his main dwelling-place will be only with me, for I have as many sons as all his other wives together.   יִזְבְּלֵנִי.  לְ' בֵּית זְבֻל (מלכים א ח' י"ג), הירבריי"א בְּלַעַז, בֵּית מָדוֹר, מֵעַתָּה לֹא תְהֵא עִקַּר דִּירָתוֹ אֶלָּא עִמִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לִי בָנִים כְּנֶגֶד כָּל נָשָׁיו:
21After that, she gave birth to a daughter, and she named her Dinah.   כאוְאַחַ֖ר יָ֣לְדָה בַּ֑ת וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמָ֖הּ דִּינָֽה:
דִּינָֽה - Dinah. Our rabbis explained that she was so called because Leah passed judgment (דָּנָה) on herself saying: “If this one is a male, my sister Rachel will not be even like one of the bondwomen.” So she prayed for the embryo and it changed into a female.   דִּינָֽה.  פֵּרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁדָּנָה לֵאָה דִּין בְּעַצְמָהּ, אִם זֶה זָכָר לֹא תְהֵא רָחֵל אֲחוֹתִי כְּאַחַת הַשְּׁפָחוֹת, וְהִתְפַּלְּלָה עָלָיו וְנֶהְפַּךְ לִנְקֵבָה (ברכות ס'):
22Then God remembered Rachel. God hearkened to her prayers and opened her womb (i.e., made her fertile).   כבוַיִּזְכֹּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־רָחֵ֑ל וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע אֵלֶ֨יהָ֙ אֱלֹהִ֔ים וַיִּפְתַּ֖ח אֶת־רַחְמָֽהּ:
ויזכור אֱלֹהִים אֶת־רָחֵל - God remembered Rachel. He took account of her merit, namely, that she had disclosed her secret signs to her sister, and that she was distressed that she might fall to Esau’s lot, because Jacob might divorce her since she had not borne him any children. And indeed, this had entered the wicked Esau’s mind when he heard that she had no children. This is expressed by the poet Elazar HaKalir: “When the ruddy one (Esau) saw that Rachel had not given birth, he wished to take her as his wife, and she was terrified.”   ויזכור אֱלֹהִים אֶת־רָחֵל.  זָכַר לָהּ שֶׁמָּסְרָה סִימָנֶיהָ לַאֲחוֹתָהּ וְשֶׁהָיְתָה מְצֵרָה שֶׁמָּא תַּעֲלֶה בְּגוֹרָלוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו, שֶׁמָּא יְגָרְשֶׁנָּה יַעֲקֹב לְפִי שֶׁאֵין לָהּ בָּנִים, וְאַף עֵשָׂו הָרָשָׁע כָּךְ עָלָה בְּלִבּוֹ כְּשֶׁשָּׁמַע שֶׁאֵין לָהּ בָּנִים; הוּא שֶׁיִּסֵּד הַפַּיָּט הָאַדְמוֹן כְּבָט שֶׁלֹּא חָלָה, צָבָה לְקַחְתָּהּ לוֹ וְנִתְבֶּהָלָה:
23She conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “God has taken away [asaf] my disgrace.”   כגוַתַּ֖הַר וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֑ן וַתֹּ֕אמֶר אָסַ֥ף אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־חֶרְפָּתִֽי:
אָסַף - (lit.) Gathered - means here: He has gathered my disgrace into a place where it cannot be seen. Similarly we find: “hide away (אֱסֹף) our disgrace”; 2 “and will not be brought (יֵאָסֵף) indoors”; 3 “have withdrawn (אָסְפוּ) their glow”; 4 “and your moon will not be gathered in (יֵאָסֵף),” 5 which means “it will not be concealed.”   אָסַף.  הִכְנִיסָהּ בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁלֹּא תֵרָאֶה, וְכֵן אֱסֹף חֶרְפָּתֵנוּ (ישעיהו ד'), וְלֹא יֵאָסֵף הַבַּיתָה (שמות ט'), אָסְפוּ נָגְהָם (יואל ד'), וִירֵחֵךְ לֹא יֵאָסֵף (ישעיהו ס') – לֹא יִטָּמֵן:
חֶרְפָּתִֽי - My disgrace - for I was in disgrace because I was barren, and therefore people were saying about me that I would fall to the lot of the wicked Esau. And the aggadic explanation is: As long as a woman has no child, she has no one to blame for her mishaps, but once she has a child, she blames him. When her husband asks: “Who broke this object?” she can answer: “Your son!”; “Who ate these figs?” “Your son!”   חֶרְפָּתִֽי.  שֶׁהָיִיתִי לְחֶרְפָּה שֶׁאֲנִי עֲקָרָה וְהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים עָלַי שֶׁאֱעֶלֶה לְחֶלְקוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו הָרָשָׁע. וְאַגָּדָה: כָּל זְמַן שֶׁאֵין לָאִשָּׁה בֵּן, אֵין לָהּ בְּמִי לִתְלוֹת סִרְחוֹנָהּ, מִשֶּׁיֵשׁ לָהּ בֵּן תּוֹלָה בוֹ: מִי שִׁבֵּר כְּלִי זֶה? בִּנְךָ. מִי אָכַל תְּאֵנִים אֵלּוּ? בִּנְךָ:
24She named him Joseph [“May He add”], saying, “May God add [yosef] another son for me.”   כדוַתִּקְרָ֧א אֶת־שְׁמ֛וֹ יוֹסֵ֖ף לֵאמֹ֑ר יֹסֵ֧ף יְהֹוָ֛ה לִ֖י בֵּ֥ן אַחֵֽר:
יֹסֵף ה' לִי בֵּן אַחֵֽר - May God add another son for me. She knew prophetically that Jacob would produce only 12 tribes. She therefore said: “May it be God’s will that the one whom he is destined still to produce come from me.” Therefore, she prayed only for one other son.   יֹסֵף ה' לִי בֵּן אַחֵֽר.  יוֹדַעַת הָיְתָה בִנְבוּאָה שֶׁאֵין יַעֲקֹב עָתִיד לְהַעֲמִיד אֶלָּא שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר שְׁבָטִים, אָמְרָה יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁאוֹתוֹ שֶׁהוּא עָתִיד לְהַעֲמִיד יְהֵא מִמֶּנִּי, לְכָךְ לֹא נִתְפַּלְּלָה אֶלָּא עַל בֵּן אַחֵר:
25When Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Please send me on my way, and I will go to my home and to my land.   כהוַיְהִ֕י כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֛ר יָֽלְדָ֥ה רָחֵ֖ל אֶת־יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יַֽעֲקֹב֙ אֶל־לָבָ֔ן שַׁלְּחֵ֨נִי֙ וְאֵ֣לְכָ֔ה אֶל־מְקוֹמִ֖י וּלְאַרְצִֽי:
כַּֽאֲשֶׁר יָֽלְדָה רָחֵל אֶת־יוֹסֵף - When Rachel gave birth to Joseph - i.e., when the adversary of Esau had been born, as it says: “The House of Jacob will be a fire, the House of Joseph a flame, and the House of Esau will be stubble.” 6 Fire without a flame does not have effect over a long distance, but once Joseph was born, Jacob put his trust in the Holy One, blessed be He, to protect him from Esau in Joseph’s merit, and therefore wished to return home.   כַּֽאֲשֶׁר יָֽלְדָה רָחֵל אֶת־יוֹסֵף.  מִשֶּׁנּוֹלַד שְׂטָנוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְהָיָה בֵית יַעֲקֹב אֵשׁ וּבֵית יוֹסֵף לֶהָבָה וּבֵית עֵשָׂו לְקַשׁ (עובדיה א'), אֵשׁ בְּלֹא לֶהָבָה אֵינוֹ שׁוֹלֵט לְמֵרָחוֹק, מִשֶּׁנּוֹלַד יוֹסֵף בָּטַח יַעֲקֹב בְּהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְרָצָה לָשׁוּב:
26Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and I will go, for you know that during the time I worked for you I completely fulfilled the terms of my contract.”   כותְּנָ֞ה אֶת־נָשַׁ֣י וְאֶת־יְלָדַ֗י אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָבַ֧דְתִּי אֹֽתְךָ֛ בָּהֵ֖ן וְאֵלֵ֑כָה כִּ֚י אַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֔עְתָּ אֶת־עֲבֹֽדָתִ֖י אֲשֶׁ֥ר עֲבַדְתִּֽיךָ:
תְּנָה אֶת־נָשַׁי וגו' - Give me my wives…. for I do not wish to leave except with your permission.   תְּנָה אֶת־נָשַׁי וגו'.  אֵינִי רוֹצֶה לָצֵאת כִּי אִם בִּרְשׁוּת:
27Laban said to him, “If only I would find favor in your eyes and you would stay! I have learned by divination that it is on your account that God blessed me.”   כזוַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ לָבָ֔ן אִם־נָ֛א מָצָ֥אתִי חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ נִחַ֕שְׁתִּי וַיְבָֽרֲכֵ֥נִי יְהֹוָ֖ה בִּגְלָלֶֽךָ:
נִחַשְׁתִּי - I have learned by divination. He was a diviner. He said: “I have investigated with my divination and discovered that blessing came to me through you; when you arrived here I had no sons.” For it says: “and here is his daughter Rachel, approaching with the flocks” 7 – is it possible that, if he had sons, he would send his daughter to be among the shepherds? But now he had sons, as it says: “He then heard what was being said by Laban’s sons.” 8   נִחַשְׁתִּי.  מְנַחֵשׁ הָיָה, נִסִּיתִי בְּנִחוּשׁ שֶׁלִּי שֶׁעַל יָדְךָ בָּאָה לִי בְרָכָה; כְּשֶׁבָּאתָ לְכָאן לֹא הָיוּ לִי בָנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְהִנֵּה רָחֵל בִּתּוֹ בָּאָה עִם הַצֹּאן (בראשית כ״ט:ו׳), אֶפְשַׁר יֵשׁ לוֹ בָנִים וְהוּא שׁוֹלֵחַ בִתּוֹ אֵצֶל הָרוֹעִים? עַכְשָׁיו הָיוּ לוֹ בָנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיִּשְׁמַע אֶת דִּבְרֵי בְנֵי לָבָן (שם ל"א):

Fifth Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 30

28Laban said, “Specify your payment due from me, and I will pay you accordingly.”   כחוַיֹּאמַ֑ר נָקְבָ֧ה שְׂכָֽרְךָ֛ עָלַ֖י וְאֶתֵּֽנָה:
נָקְבָה - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: פָּרֵשׁ אַגְרָךְ – “Specify your wage.”   נָקְבָה.  כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ פָּרֵשׁ אַגְרָךְ:
29Jacob said to him, “You know how faithfully I have toiled for you, and just how few were your livestock that you placed with me when I first began working for you.   כטוַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו אַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֔עְתָּ אֵ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲבַדְתִּ֑יךָ וְאֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־הָיָ֥ה מִקְנְךָ֖ אִתִּֽי:
וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר הָיָה מִקְנְךָ אִתִּֽי - (lit.) And what your livestock was with me - i.e., how small was the sum of your livestock that was originally entrusted to me.   וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר הָיָה מִקְנְךָ אִתִּֽי.  אֶת חֶשְׁבּוֹן מִעוּט מִקְנְךָ שֶׁבָּא לְיָדִי מִתְּחִלָּה, כַּמָּה הָיוּ:
30For the little you had before my arrival has increased substantially, and God has blessed you on my account. But now, when will I have a chance to provide for my own household, as well?”   לכִּ֡י מְעַט֩ אֲשֶׁר־הָיָ֨ה לְךָ֤ לְפָנַי֙ וַיִּפְרֹ֣ץ לָרֹ֔ב וַיְבָ֧רֶךְ יְהֹוָ֛ה אֹֽתְךָ֖ לְרַגְלִ֑י וְעַתָּ֗ה מָתַ֛י אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֥ה גַם־אָֽנֹכִ֖י לְבֵיתִֽי:
לְרַגְלִי - (lit.) For my foot - means with my foot, i.e., on account of my coming, the Divine blessing has come to you. The word רֶגֶל is used similarly in “the people who follow you (בְּרַגְלֶיךָ)”; 1 “to the people אֲשֶׁר בְּרַגְלָי2 meaning: “who are coming with me.”   לְרַגְלִי.  עִם רַגְלִי, בִּשְׁבִיל בִּיאַת רַגְלִי בָּאת אֶצְלְךָ הַבְּרָכָה, כְּמוֹ הָעָם אֲשֶׁר בְּרַגְלֶיךָ (שמות י"א), לָעָם אֲשֶׁר בְּרַגְלָי (שופטים ח') – הַבָּאִים עִמִּי:
גַם־אָֽנֹכִי לְבֵיתִֽי - (lit.) [When will] I too [be able to do] for my household - i.e., “for the needs of my household.” At present, only my sons are providing for my needs and I, too, must work with them to assist them. That is the meaning here of “too.”   גַם־אָֽנֹכִי לְבֵיתִֽי.  לְצֹרֶךְ בֵּיתִי; עַכְשָׁו אֵין עוֹשִׂין לְצָרְכִּי אֶלָּא בָּנַי וְצָרִיךְ אֲנִי לִהְיוֹת עוֹשֶׂה גַּם אֲנִי עִמָּהֶם לְסָמְכָן, וְזֶהוּ גַּם:
31Laban asked, “So what should I give you?” Jacob said, “Do not give me anything. If you will do this one thing for me, I will continue to pasture your flocks and to tend them:   לאוַיֹּ֖אמֶר מָ֣ה אֶתֶּן־לָ֑ךְ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יַֽעֲקֹב֙ לֹֽא־תִתֶּן־לִ֣י מְא֔וּמָה אִם־תַּֽעֲשֶׂה־לִּי֙ הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה אָשׁ֛וּבָה אֶרְעֶ֥ה צֹֽאנְךָ֖ אֶשְׁמֹֽר:
32Let me pass with you through all your flocks today. Remove from there every white-speckled or white-blotched he-goat, as well as every solid-auburn lamb, and every white-blotched or white-speckled she-goat. The sheep and goats that they bear from now on with the markings and colorings of those you segregated will be my payment.   לבאֶֽעֱבֹ֨ר בְּכָל־צֹֽאנְךָ֜ הַיּ֗וֹם הָסֵ֨ר מִשָּׁ֜ם כָּל־שֶׂ֣ה | נָקֹ֣ד וְטָל֗וּא וְכָל־שֶׂה־חוּם֙ בַּכְּשָׂבִ֔ים וְטָל֥וּא וְנָקֹ֖ד בָּֽעִזִּ֑ים וְהָיָ֖ה שְׂכָרִֽי:
נָקֹד - means speckled with fine spots like dots; “pointure” in Old French.   נָקֹד.  מְנֻמָּר בַּחֲבַרְבּוּרוֹת דַּקּוֹת כּמוֹ נְקֻדּוֹת, פיונטור"א בְּלַעַז:
וְטָלוּא - is of a similar meaning to: טְלָאִים “patches” – i.e., wide spots.   וְטָלוּא.  לְשׁוֹן טְלָאִים – חֲבַרְבּוּרוֹת רְחָבוֹת:
חוּם - means a brownish color, close to red; “ros” in Old French. Mishnaic language uses a similar word: “If it is sold as dark red (שְׁחַמְתִּית) and it is found to be white,” 3 in connection with produce.   חוּם.  שָׁחוּם, דּוֹמֶה לְאָדֹם, רו"ש בְּלַעַז; לְשׁוֹן מִשְׁנָה שַׁחֲמָתִית וְנִמְצֵאת לְבָנָה, לְעִנְיַן הַתְּבוּאָה:
וְהָיָה שְׂכָרִֽי - And it will be my payment - i.e., from now on, those that are born speckled and blotched among the goats and auburn among the sheep will be mine. And as for those that are there now – separate them and put them in the charge of your sons, so that you not tell me about any such animals born from now on that they belong to the original flock and not part of my payment, and so you cannot claim that because of the males that are speckled and blotched, the females will from now on bear offspring of a similar kind.   וְהָיָה שְׂכָרִֽי.  אוֹתָן שֶׁיִּוָּלְדוּ מִכָּאן וּלְהַבָּא נְקֻדִּים וּטְלוּאִים בָּעִזִּים וּשְׁחוּמִים בַּכְּשָׂבִים, יִהְיוּ שֶׁלִּי, וְאוֹתָן שֶׁיֶּשְׁנָן עַכְשָׁו, הַפְרֵשׁ מֵהֶם וְהַפְקִידֵם בְּיַד בָּנֶיךָ, שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר לִי עַל הַנּוֹלָדִים מֵעַתָּה אֵלּוּ הָיוּ שָׁם מִתְּחִלָּה, וְעוֹד, שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר לִי, עַל יְדֵי הַזְּכָרִים שֶׁהֵן נְקֻדִּים וּטְלוּאִים תֵּלַדְנָה הַנְּקֵבוֹת דֻּגְמָתָן מִכָּאן וָאֵילָךְ:
33At some time in the future, if you ever suspect me of having appropriated any of your flock, my integrity will testify on my behalf regarding my payment: any animal that is neither white-speckled nor white-blotched among the goats, or solid auburn among the sheep, is in my possession by theft.”   לגוְעָֽנְתָה־בִּ֤י צִדְקָתִי֙ בְּי֣וֹם מָחָ֔ר כִּֽי־תָב֥וֹא עַל־שְׂכָרִ֖י לְפָנֶ֑יךָ כֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־אֵינֶ֩נּוּ֩ נָקֹ֨ד וְטָל֜וּא בָּֽעִזִּ֗ים וְחוּם֙ בַּכְּשָׂבִ֔ים גָּנ֥וּב ה֖וּא אִתִּֽי:
וְעָֽנְתָה־בִּי וגו' - [My integrity] will testify on my behalf…. If you suspect me of taking anything of yours, my righteousness will testify for me – for my integrity will come and testify before you about my wages, that you will find only speckled and blotched goats in my herd; and as for anything that you find among them that is not speckled or blotched, or auburn among my sheep, you may be certain that I have stolen it from you and it is in my possession by theft.   וְעָֽנְתָה־בִּי וגו'.  אִם תַּחְשְׁדֵנִי שֶׁאֲנִי נוֹטֵל מִשֶּׁלְּךָ כְּלוּם, תַּעֲנֶה בִי צִדְקָתִי כִּי תָבֹא צִדְקָתִי וְתָעִיד עַל שְׂכָרִי לְפָנֶיךָ, שֶׁלֹּא תִמְצָא בְעֶדְרִי כִּי אִם נְקֻדִּים וּטְלוּאִים, וְכָל שֶׁתִּמְצָא בָהֶן שֶׁאֵינוֹ נָקֹד אוֹ טָלוּא אוֹ חוּם, בְּיָדוּעַ שֶׁגְּנַבְתִּיו לְךָ וּבִגְנֵבָה הוּא שָׁרוּי אֶצְלִי:
34Laban replied, “Very well, let it be as you say.”   לדוַיֹּ֥אמֶר לָבָ֖ן הֵ֑ן ל֖וּ יְהִ֥י כִדְבָרֶֽךָ:
הֵן - An expression of agreement with another’s words.   הֵן.  לְ' קַבָּלַת דְּבָרִים:
לוּ יְהִי כִדְבָרֶֽךָ - (lit.) If only it will be as you say - i.e., I wish that you would really want only this and keep to these terms.   לוּ יְהִי כִדְבָרֶֽךָ.  הַלְוַאי שֶׁתַּחְפֹּץ בְּכָךְ:
35On that day, Laban also removed the he-goats that were white-ankle-ringedin addition to all the white-speckled and white-blotched he-goats and all the white-speckled and white-blotched she-goats. Laban removed all the auburn sheep with white markings in addition to all the solid-auburn sheep. He left all the animals that he took in the charge of his sons.   להוַיָּ֣סַר בַּיּוֹם֩ הַה֨וּא אֶת־הַתְּיָשִׁ֜ים הָֽעֲקֻדִּ֣ים וְהַטְּלֻאִ֗ים וְאֵ֤ת כָּל־הָֽעִזִּים֙ הַנְּקֻדּ֣וֹת וְהַטְּלֻאֹ֔ת כֹּ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־לָבָן֙ בּ֔וֹ וְכָל־ח֖וּם בַּכְּשָׂבִ֑ים וַיִּתֵּ֖ן בְּיַד־בָּנָֽיו:
וַיָּסַר - He removed - i.e., Laban – “on that day…”   וַיָּסַר.  לָבָן ביום ההוא:
אֶת־הַתְּיָשִׁים - i.e., he-goats.   אֶת־הַתְּיָשִׁים.  עִזִּים זְכָרִים:
כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לָבָן בּוֹ - (lit.) Anything that had white in it - i.e., anything that had even any white markings in it.   כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לָבָן בּוֹ.  כָּל אֲשֶׁר הָיְתָה בוֹ חֲבַרְבּוּרִית לְבָנָה:
וַיִּתֵּן - (lit.) And he gave [them] - i.e., Laban put them “into the charge of his sons.”   וַיִּתֵּן.  לָבָן ביד בניו:
36He then separated himself and his flocks from Jacob by a distance of a three-day journey. Jacob continued pasturing the rest of Laban’s flocks.   לווַיָּ֗שֶׂם דֶּ֚רֶךְ שְׁל֣שֶׁת יָמִ֔ים בֵּינ֖וֹ וּבֵ֣ין יַֽעֲקֹ֑ב וְיַֽעֲקֹ֗ב רֹעֶ֛ה אֶת־צֹ֥אן לָבָ֖ן הַנּֽוֹתָרֹֽת:
הַנּֽוֹתָרֹֽת - The rest - i.e., the inferior ones among them, the sick and sterile ones which were only “remnants” – those animals Laban gave over to him.   הַנּֽוֹתָרֹֽת.  הָרְעוּעוֹת שֶׁבָּהֶן, הַחוֹלוֹת וְהָעֲקָרוֹת שֶׁאֵינָן אֶלָּא שִׁירַיִם, אוֹתָן מָסַר לוֹ:
37Jacob took himself fresh aspen sticks, hazel sticks, and chestnut sticks, and peeled white stripes in them by exposing the underlying white layer of the sticks.   לזוַיִּקַּח־ל֣וֹ יַֽעֲקֹ֗ב מַקַּ֥ל לִבְנֶ֛ה לַ֖ח וְל֣וּז וְעַרְמ֑וֹן וַיְפַצֵּ֤ל בָּהֵן֙ פְּצָל֣וֹת לְבָנ֔וֹת מַחְשׂף֙ הַלָּבָ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־הַמַּקְלֽוֹת:
מַקַּל לִבְנֶה - Aspen sticks. It is of a kind of a tree whose name is לִבְנֶה, as you find: “under oaks and לִבְנֶה.” 4 I say it is the tree that is called in Old French “trenble” (“aspen”), which is whitish.   מַקַּל לִבְנֶה.  עֵץ הוּא, וּשְׁמוֹ לִבְנֶה, כְּמָא דְתֵימָא תַּחַת אַלּוֹן וְלִבְנֶה (הושע ד'), וְאוֹמֵר אֲנִי הוּא שֶׁקּוֹרִין טרינבל"א בְּלַעַ"ז, שֶׁהוּא לָבָן:
לַח - Fresh - i.e., he took it when it was moist.   לַח.  כְּשֶׁהוּא רָטֹב:
לוּז - Hazel. He also took a stick of hazel, a tree on which small nuts grow; “coldre” in Old French.   לוּז.  וְעוֹד לָקַח מַקַּל לוּז, עֵץ שֶׁגְּדֵלִין בּוֹ אֱגוֹזִים דַּקִּים, קולדו"י בְּלַעַז:
וְעַרְמוֹן - And chestnut - “chastenier” in Old French.   וְעַרְמוֹן.  קשטני"יר בְּלַעַז:
פְּצָלוֹת - Stripes. He made several peelings, which made the wood streaked.   פְּצָלוֹת.  קִלּוּפִים קִלּוּפִים, שֶׁהָיָה עוֹשֵׂהוּ מְנֻמָּר:
מחשוף הַלָּבָן - means “revealing the white of the sticks” - i.e., when he peeled each one, its white layer became visible and exposed in the places where it was peeled.   מחשוף הַלָּבָן.  גִּלּוּי לֹבֶן שֶׁל מַקֵּל, כְּשֶׁהָיָה קוֹלְפוֹ הָיָה נִרְאֶה וְנִגְלֶה לֹבֶן שֶׁלּוֹ בַּמָּקוֹם הַקָּלוּף:
38He displayed the sticks that he had peeled, placing them in the water running through the troughs where the flocks came to drink, facing the animals. Thus they mated with the he-goats when they came to drink.   לחוַיַּצֵּ֗ג אֶת־הַמַּקְלוֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר פִּצֵּ֔ל בָּֽרְהָטִ֖ים בְּשִֽׁקֲת֣וֹת הַמָּ֑יִם אֲשֶׁר֩ תָּבֹ֨אןָ הַצֹּ֤אן לִשְׁתּוֹת֙ לְנֹ֣כַח הַצֹּ֔אן וַיֵּחַ֖מְנָה בְּבֹאָ֥ן לִשְׁתּֽוֹת:
וַיַּצֵּג - He displayed. Onkelos translates it as וּדְעִיץ, an expression in Aramaic of “inserting and sticking in.” There are many such expressions in the Talmud: “he stuck it in (דָּצָהּ) and removed it”; 5if he stuck (דָּץ) something into it.” 6 דָּצָהּ is the same as דְּעָצָהּ, only in a shortened form.   וַיַּצֵּג.  תַּרְגּוּמוֹ וְדָעִיץ, לְשׁוֹן תְּחִיבָה וּנְעִיצָה הוּא בִלְשׁוֹן אֲרַמִּי, וְהַרְבֵּה יֵשׁ בַּתַּלְמוּד דָּצָהּ וּשְׁלָפָהּ, דָּץ בֵּיהּ מִידֵי, דָּצָהּ כְּמוֹ דְעָצָהּ, אֶלָּא שֶׁמְּקַצֵּר אֶת לְשׁוֹנוֹ:
בָּֽרְהָטִים - means: Into the running streams of water, the pools made in the ground for the flocks to drink there.   בָּֽרְהָטִים.  בִּמְרוּצוֹת הַמַּיִם, בַּבְּרֵכוֹת הָעֲשׂוּיוֹת בָּאָרֶץ לְהַשְׁקוֹת שָׁם הַצֹּאן:
אֲשֶׁר תָּבֹאןָ וגו' - Where [the flocks] came…. i.e., into the streams where the flocks would come to drink, there he inserted the sticks facing the animals.   אֲשֶׁר תָּבֹאןָ וגו'.  בָּרְהָטִים אֲשֶׁר תָּבֹאנָה הַצֹּאן לִשְׁתּוֹת שָׁם הִצִּיג הַמַּקְלוֹת לְנֹכַח הַצֹּאן:
וַיֵּחַמְנָה - (lit.) So that they would be stimulated. The female animal would see the sticks and be startled by them and recoil, whereupon the male would mate with her and she would give birth to young of similar appearance to the rod. R. Hoshaya says differently: The water became semen in their innards and they did not need a male in order to conceive, and that is what is meant by: וַיֵּחַמְנָה וגו׳ “they would be in heat…,the word containing characteristics of both male (the י prefix) and female (the נָה suffix), and associating the heat with the act of drinking.   וַיֵּחַמְנָה.  הַבְּהֵמָה רוֹאָה אֶת הַמַּקְלוֹת וְהִיא נִרְתַּעַת לַאֲחוֹרֶיהָ וְהַזָּכָר רוֹבְעָהּ וְיוֹלֶדֶת כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ. רַבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָה אוֹמֵר, הַמַּיִם נַעֲשִׂין זֶרַע בִּמְעֵיהֶן וְלֹא הָיוּ צְרִיכוֹת לְזָכָר, וְזֶהוּ וַיֵּחַמְנָה וְגוֹ' (בראשית רבה):
39Since the animals mated at the sight of the sticks, the young that the animals produced were all white-ankle-ringed, white-speckled, and white-blotched.   לטוַיֶּֽחֱמ֥וּ הַצֹּ֖אן אֶל־הַמַּקְל֑וֹת וַתֵּלַ֣דְןָ הַצֹּ֔אן עֲקֻדִּ֥ים נְקֻדִּ֖ים וּטְלֻאִֽים:
אֶל־הַמַּקְלוֹת - (lit.) To the sticks - means “at the sight of the sticks.”   אֶל־הַמַּקְלוֹת.  אֶל מַרְאוֹת הַמַּקְלוֹת:
עֲקֻדִּים - means that they were marked at the place where they are bound (עֲקֵדָתָן), i.e., the ankles of their forelegs and hind legs.   עֲקֻדִּים.  מְשֻׁנִּים בִּמְקוֹם עֲקִידָתָם, הֵם קַרְסֻלֵּי יְדֵיהֶם וְרַגְלֵיהֶם:
40Jacob segregated the white-marked sheep. He had the rest of the goat-flock face the white-ankle-ringed and otherwise white-marked sheep and goats. He had his sheep face all the auburn sheep among Laban’s flock that he produced. He made himself separate herds for this purpose and did not let them intermingle with the rest of Laban’s flocks.   מוְהַכְּשָׂבִים֘ הִפְרִ֣יד יַֽעֲקֹב֒ וַ֠יִּתֵּ֠ן פְּנֵ֨י הַצֹּ֧אן אֶל־עָקֹ֛ד וְכָל־ח֖וּם בְּצֹ֣אן לָבָ֑ן וַיָּ֨שֶׁת ל֤וֹ עֲדָרִים֙ לְבַדּ֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א שָׁתָ֖ם עַל־צֹ֥אן לָבָֽן:
וְהַכְּשָׂבִים הִפְרִיד יַֽעֲקֹב - Jacob segregated the sheep - i.e., those born ankle-ringed and speckled he separated and set apart by themselves, and made each type into an individual herd. He then led the ankle-ringed herd in front of the ordinary flocks, so the faces of the ordinary flocks that followed them would gaze at them. That is what is meant when it says: “he had the flock face the ankle-ringed sheep and goats,” that the faces of the flocks were directed towards the ankle-ringed ones and all the auburn ones that he found among Laban’s flocks.   וְהַכְּשָׂבִים הִפְרִיד יַֽעֲקֹב.  הַנּוֹלָדִים עֲקוּדִים נְקֻדִּים הִבְדִיל וְהִפְרִישׁ לְעַצְמָן וְעָשָׂה אוֹתָן עֵדֶר עֵדֶר לְבַדּוֹ, וְהוֹלִיךְ אוֹתוֹ הָעֵדֶר הָעָקוּד לִפְנֵי הַצֹּאן, וּפְנֵי הַצֹּאן הַהוֹלְכִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם צוֹפוֹת אֲלֵיהֶם; וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר וַיִּתֵּן פְּנֵי הַצֹּאן אֶל עָקֹד, שֶׁהָיוּ פְנֵי הַצֹּאן אֶל הָעֲקוּדִים, וְאֶל כָּל חוּם שֶׁמָּצָא בְּצֹאן לָבָן:
וַיָּשֶׁת לוֹ עֲדָרִים - He made himself herds. The meaning of this phrase is as I explained above.   וַיָּשֶׁת לוֹ עֲדָרִים.  כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי:
41Moreover, whenever the stronger, early-bearing female animals were in heat, Jacob would place the sticks in the currents of water in full view of the animals, so that they would be stimulated by means of the sticks.   מאוְהָיָ֗ה בְּכָל־יַחֵם֘ הַצֹּ֣אן הַֽמְקֻשָּׁרוֹת֒ וְשָׂ֨ם יַֽעֲקֹ֧ב אֶת־הַמַּקְל֛וֹת לְעֵינֵ֥י הַצֹּ֖אן בָּֽרְהָטִ֑ים לְיַחֲמֵ֖נָּה בַּמַּקְלֽוֹת:
הַֽמְקֻשָּׁרוֹת - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: מְבַכְּרָתָא “the early-bearing” but I have no evidence from Scripture to prove this. Menachem ben Saruk, however, classifies this word with “Achitofel is among the conspirators (בַּקֹּשְׁרִים)” 7 and “and the conspiracy (הַקֶּשֶׁר) was strong”; 8 i.e., those sheep that band together to hurry their pregnancy.   הַֽמְקֻשָּׁרוֹת.  כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ הַבַּכִּירוֹת, וְאֵין לִי עֵד בַּמִּקְרָא; וּמְנַחֵם חִבְּרוֹ עִם אֲחִיתֹפֶל בַּקֹּשְׁרִים (שמואל ב ט"ו), וַיְהִי הַקֶּשֶׁר אַמִּץ (שם), אוֹתָן הַמִּתְקַשְּׁרוֹת יַחַד לְמַהֵר עִבּוּרָן:
42But he did not place them in the water when the weaker, later-bearing animals were in heat. Thus, the weaker, late-born offspring became Laban’s, and the healthier, early-born offspring became Jacob’s.   מבוּבְהַֽעֲטִ֥יף הַצֹּ֖אן לֹ֣א יָשִׂ֑ים וְהָיָ֤ה הָֽעֲטֻפִים֙ לְלָבָ֔ן וְהַקְּשֻׁרִ֖ים לְיַֽעֲקֹֽב:
וּבְהַֽעֲטִיף - An expression of coming late, as Onkelos translates it: וּבְלַקִּישׁוּת – “But with the tarrying.” But Menachem ben Saruk classifies this word with “The fine robes and the cloaks (הַמַּעֲטָפוֹת),” 9 having the meaning of wrapping oneself in a garment; in other words, these sheep wrapped themselves in their skin and fur, and had no desire to be warmed by the males.   וּבְהַֽעֲטִיף.  לְשׁוֹן אִחוּר, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ וּבְלַקִּישׁוּת. וּמְנַחֵם חִבְּרוֹ עִם הַמַּחֲלָצוֹת וְהַמַּעֲטָפוֹת (ישעיהו ג'), לְשׁוֹן עֲטִיפַת כְּסוּת, כְּלוֹמַר מִתְעַטְּפוֹת בְּעוֹרָן וְצַמְרָן וְאֵינָן מִתְאַוּוֹת לְהִתְיַחֵם עַל יְדֵי הַזְּכָרִים:
43The man thus became exceedingly prosperous. He owned prolific flocks, bondwomen, bondmen, camels, and donkeys.   מגוַיִּפְרֹ֥ץ הָאִ֖ישׁ מְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֑ד וַֽיְהִי־לוֹ֙ צֹ֣אן רַבּ֔וֹת וּשְׁפָחוֹת֙ וַֽעֲבָדִ֔ים וּגְמַלִּ֖ים וַֽחֲמֹרִֽים:
צֹאן רַבּוֹת - unlike the usual meaning of רַבּוֹת, “many,” here this word means: flocks that were more fruitful and prolific (רָבוֹת) than other flocks.   צֹאן רַבּוֹת.  פָּרוֹת וְרָבוֹת מִשְּׁאָר צֹאן:
וּשְׁפָחוֹת וַֽעֲבָדִים - Bondwomen and bondmen. He would sell his flocks for a high price and buy all these for himself.   וּשְׁפָחוֹת וַֽעֲבָדִים.  מוֹכֵר צֹאנוֹ בְדָמִים יְקָרִים וְלוֹקֵחַ לוֹ כָּל אֵלֶּה:

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 31

1Jacob then heard what was being said by Laban’s sons: “Jacob expropriated everything belonging to our father, and from our father’s property he amassed all this wealth.”   אוַיִּשְׁמַ֗ע אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֤י בְנֵֽי־לָבָן֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לָקַ֣ח יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב אֵ֖ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְאָבִ֑ינוּ וּמֵֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר לְאָבִ֔ינוּ עָשָׂ֕ה אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַכָּבֹ֖ד הַזֶּֽה:
עָשָׂה - (lit.) He made - here means “He amassed” as in: “He gathered (וַיַּעַשׂ) troops and smote Amalek.” 10   עָשָׂה.  כָּנַס, כְּמוֹ וַיַּעַשׂ חַיִל וַיַּךְ אֶת עֲמָלֵק (שמואל א י"ד):
2Jacob observed from the look on Laban’s face that his attitude towards him was not the same as it was previously.   בוַיַּ֥רְא יַֽעֲקֹ֖ב אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י לָבָ֑ן וְהִנֵּ֥ה אֵינֶ֛נּוּ עִמּ֖וֹ כִּתְמ֥וֹל שִׁלְשֽׁוֹם:
3God then said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your birthplace. I will be with you.”   גוַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב שׁ֛וּב אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ אֲבוֹתֶ֖יךָ וּלְמֽוֹלַדְתֶּ֑ךָ וְאֶֽהְיֶ֖ה עִמָּֽךְ:
שׁוּב אֶל־אֶרֶץ אֲבוֹתֶיךָ - Return to the land of your fathers - and there “I will be with you,” but as long as you are associated with the impure Laban it is impossible for My Divine Presence to rest upon you.   שׁוּב אֶל־אֶרֶץ אֲבוֹתֶיךָ.  וְשָׁם אהיה עמך, אֲבָל בְּעוֹדְךָ מְחֻבָּר לַטָּמֵא אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהַשְׁרוֹת שְׁכִינָתִי עָלֶיךָ (בראשית רבה):
4So Jacob summoned Rachel and Leah to the field where his flock was,   דוַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וַיִּקְרָ֖א לְרָחֵ֣ל וּלְלֵאָ֑ה הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה אֶל־צֹאנֽוֹ:
וַיִּקְרָא לְרָחֵל וּלְלֵאָה - [Jacob] summoned Rachel and Leah. First Rachel and afterward Leah, for Rachel was the principal wife, for whose sake Jacob met up with Laban. Even Leah’s descendants acknowledge this, for Bo’az and his judicial court, of the tribe of Judah, Leah’s son, said: “like Rachel and like Leah, who both built the House of Israel,” 11 mentioning Rachel before Leah.   וַיִּקְרָא לְרָחֵל וּלְלֵאָה.  לְרָחֵל תְּחִלָּה וְאַחַר כָּךְ לְלֵאָה, שֶׁהִיא הָיְתָה עֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת שֶׁבִּשְׁבִילָהּ נִזְדַּוֵּג יַעֲקֹב עִם לָבָן, וְאַף בָּנֶיהָ שֶׁל לֵאָה מוֹדִים בַּדָּבָר, שֶׁהֲרֵי בֹּעַז וּבֵית דִּינוֹ מִשֵּׁבֶט יְהוּדָה אוֹמְרִים כְּרָחֵל וּכְלֵאָה אֲשֶׁר בָּנוּ שְׁתֵּיהֶם וְגוֹ' – הִקְדִּימוּ רָחֵל לְלֵאָה:
5and said to them, “I can see from the look on your father’s face that his attitude towards me is not as it was previously. But the reality is that the God of my father has been with me, aiding me during all these years.   הוַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֗ן רֹאֶ֤ה אָֽנֹכִי֙ אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י אֲבִיכֶ֔ן כִּֽי־אֵינֶ֥נּוּ אֵלַ֖י כִּתְמֹ֣ל שִׁלְשֹׁ֑ם וֵֽאלֹהֵ֣י אָבִ֔י הָיָ֖ה עִמָּדִֽי:
6You know well that I served your father with all my power,   ווְאַתֵּ֖נָה יְדַעְתֶּ֑ן כִּ֚י בְּכָל־כֹּחִ֔י עָבַ֖דְתִּי אֶת־אֲבִיכֶֽן:
7yet your father deceived me and changed the conditions of my payment a hundred times, but God did not let him harm me.   זוַֽאֲבִיכֶן֙ הֵ֣תֶל בִּ֔י וְהֶֽחֱלִ֥ף אֶת־מַשְׂכֻּרְתִּ֖י עֲשֶׂ֣רֶת מֹנִ֑ים וְלֹֽא־נְתָנ֣וֹ אֱלֹהִ֔ים לְהָרַ֖ע עִמָּדִֽי:
עֲשֶׂרֶת מֹנִים - (lit.) Ten amounts. The word מֹנִים never refers to a group of less than 10.   עֲשֶׂרֶת מֹנִים.  אֵין מוֹנִים פָּחוֹת מֵעֲשָׂרָה:
מֹנִים - is a term denoting total sums of an amount, which are groups of 10. We thus derive that Laban changed his conditions 100 times.   מֹנִים.  לְשׁוֹן סְכוּם, כְּלַל הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן וְהֵן עֲשִׂירִיּוֹת; לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁהֶחֱלִיף תְּנָאוֹ ק' פְּעָמִים:
8If he would say, ‘Your payment will be the speckled ones,’ then all the animals would produce speckled offspring, and if he would say, ‘Your payment will be the ankle-ringed ones,’ then all the animals would produce ankle-ringed offspring.   חאִם־כֹּ֣ה יֹאמַ֗ר נְקֻדִּים֙ יִֽהְיֶ֣ה שְׂכָרֶ֔ךָ וְיָֽלְד֥וּ כָל־הַצֹּ֖אן נְקֻדִּ֑ים וְאִם־כֹּ֣ה יֹאמַ֗ר עֲקֻדִּים֙ יִֽהְיֶ֣ה שְׂכָרֶ֔ךָ וְיָֽלְד֥וּ כָל־הַצֹּ֖אן עֲקֻדִּֽים:
9In this way God redeemed your father’s livestock from him and gave them to me.   טוַיַּצֵּ֧ל אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־מִקְנֵ֥ה אֲבִיכֶ֖ם וַיִּתֶּן־לִֽי:
10It happened that I looked up during the mating season of the flocks and beheld in a dream that the bucks mounting the she-goats were in fact ankle-ringed, white-speckled, and white-belted.   יוַיְהִ֗י בְּעֵת֙ יַחֵ֣ם הַצֹּ֔אן וָֽאֶשָּׂ֥א עֵינַ֛י וָאֵ֖רֶא בַּֽחֲל֑וֹם וְהִנֵּ֤ה הָֽעֲתֻּדִים֙ הָֽעֹלִ֣ים עַל־הַצֹּ֔אן עֲקֻדִּ֥ים נְקֻדִּ֖ים וּבְרֻדִּֽים:
וְהִנֵּה הָֽעֲתֻּדִים - That the bucks. Although Laban had separated all of them so that the flocks not conceive young similar to them, the angels were bringing them from the herd that had been placed in the charge of Laban’s sons to the herd in Jacob’s charge.   וְהִנֵּה הָֽעֲתֻּדִים.  אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהִבְדִּילָם לָבָן כֻּלָּם שֶׁלֹּא יִתְעַבְּרוּ הַצֹּאן דֻּגְמָתָן, הָיוּ הַמַּלְאָכִים מְבִיאִין אוֹתָן מֵעֵדֶר הַמָּסוּר בְּיַד בְּנֵי לָבָן לָעֵדֶר שֶׁבְּיַד יַעֲקֹב (בראשית רבה):
וּבְרֻדִּֽים - And white-belted. Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: וּפַצִּיחִין “open”; “fayssed” in Old French (“streaked”). A white stripe surrounds its body with its spots open and connected from end to end; but I cannot provide evidence to this explanation from Scripture.   וּבְרֻדִּֽים.  כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ וּפַצִּיחִין, פייש"יר בְּלַעַ"ז, חוּט שֶׁל לָבָן מַקִּיף אֶת גּוּפוֹ סָבִיב, חֲבַרְבּוּרוֹת שֶׁלּוֹ פְתוּחָה וּמְפֻלֶּשֶׁת מִזּוֹ אֶל זוֹ; וְאֵין לְהָבִיא עֵד מִן הַמִּקְרָא:
11In the same dream, an angel of God called to me and said, ‘Jacob,’ and I replied, ‘Here I am.’   יאוַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלַ֜י מַלְאַ֧ךְ הָֽאֱלֹהִ֛ים בַּֽחֲל֖וֹם יַֽעֲקֹ֑ב וָֽאֹמַ֖ר הִנֵּֽנִי:
12He said, ‘Raise your eyes, and you will see that all the bucks mounting the she-goats are ankle-ringed, white-speckled, and white-belted, for I have seen everything that Laban is doing to you and I was sent to return the bucks to the herd you are tending.’   יבוַיֹּ֗אמֶר שָׂא־נָ֨א עֵינֶ֤יךָ וּרְאֵה֙ כָּל־הָֽעֲתֻּדִים֙ הָֽעֹלִ֣ים עַל־הַצֹּ֔אן עֲקֻדִּ֥ים נְקֻדִּ֖ים וּבְרֻדִּ֑ים כִּ֣י רָאִ֔יתִי אֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר לָבָ֖ן עֹ֥שֶׂה לָּֽךְ:
13The angel then spoke to me in God’s name, saying, ‘I am the God of Bethel, the place where you consecrated a monument as an altar, and made a vow to Me to offer up sacrifices on it. Now arise and leave this land, and return to the land in which you were born.’”   יגאָֽנֹכִ֤י הָאֵל֙ בֵּֽית־אֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר מָשַׁ֤חְתָּ שָּׁם֙ מַצֵּבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר נָדַ֥רְתָּ לִּ֛י שָׁ֖ם נֶ֑דֶר עַתָּ֗ה ק֥וּם צֵא֙ מִן־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את וְשׁ֖וּב אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ מֽוֹלַדְתֶּֽךָ:
הָאֵל בֵּֽית־אֵל - The God of Bethel. This is the same as אֵל בֵּית אֵל, the ה prefix of הָאֵל being redundant, but it is usual for Scripture to speak this way, as in “When you arrive in the land of Canaan (הָאָרֶץ כְּנָעַן).” 12   הָאֵל בֵּֽית־אֵל.  כְּמוֹ אֵל בֵּית אֵל, הַהֵ"א יְתֵרָה, וְדֶרֶךְ מִקְרָאוֹת לְדַבֵּר כֵּן, כְּמוֹ כִּי אַתֶּם בָּאִים אֶל הָאָרֶץ כְּנָעַן (במדבר ל"ד):
מָשַׁחְתָּ שָּׁם - (lit.) Where you anointed. The word מָשַׁחְתָּ here is an expression of raising to eminence, as when a person is anointed king; similarly, when “he poured oil on the top of the monument13 so that it be consecrated as an altar.   מָשַׁחְתָּ שָּׁם.  לְ' רִבּוּי וּגְדֻלָּה כְּשֶׁנִּמְשָׁח לַמַּלְכוּת, כָּךְ וַיִּצֹק שֶׁמֶן עַל רֹאשָׁהּ – לִהְיוֹת מְשׁוּחָה לְמִזְבֵּחַ:
אֲשֶׁר נָדַרְתָּ לִּי - And made a vow to Me - and you must fulfill it, for you said: “this stone… will become a house of God,” 14 signifying that you would offer sacrifices there.   אֲשֶׁר נָדַרְתָּ לִּי.  וְצָרִיךְ אַתָּה לְשַׁלְּמוֹ, שֶׁאָמַרְתָּ יִהְיֶה בֵּית אֱלֹהִים, שֶׁתַּקְרִיב שָׁם קָרְבָּנוֹת:
14Rachel and Leah responded, saying to him, “Do we still have a share and inheritance in our father’s household?!   ידוַתַּ֤עַן רָחֵל֨ וְלֵאָ֔ה וַתֹּאמַ֖רְנָה ל֑וֹ הַע֥וֹד לָ֛נוּ חֵ֥לֶק וְנַֽחֲלָ֖ה בְּבֵ֥ית אָבִֽינוּ:
הַעוֹד לָנוּ - Do we still have. “Why should we oppose your return? Are we hoping at all to inherit anything of our father’s possessions along with his sons?”   הַעוֹד לָנוּ.  לָמָּה נְעַכֵּב עַל יָדְךָ מִלָּשׁוּב? כְּלוּם אָנוּ מְיַחֲלוֹת לִירַשׁ מִנִּכְסֵי אָבִינוּ כְּלוּם בֵּין הַזְּכָרִים:
15Why, we were considered by him as strangers, for he sold us to you in exchange for 14 years of labor! And he spent our wage-money on himself!   טוהֲל֧וֹא נָכְרִיּ֛וֹת נֶחְשַׁ֥בְנוּ ל֖וֹ כִּ֣י מְכָרָ֑נוּ וַיֹּ֥אכַל גַּם־אָכ֖וֹל אֶת־כַּסְפֵּֽנוּ:
הלא נָכְרִיּוֹת נֶחְשַׁבְנוּ לוֹ - Why, we were considered by him as strangers. Even at a time when people usually give a dowry to their daughters, at the time of their marriage, he acted with us as with strangers, “for he sold us” to you, as you worked for him for 14 years to marry us, and he simply gave us to you as payment for your work.   הלא נָכְרִיּוֹת נֶחְשַׁבְנוּ לוֹ.  אֲפִלּוּ בְשָׁעָה שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ בְּנֵי אָדָם לָתֵת נְדוּנְיָה לִבְנוֹתָיו – בִּשְׁעַת נִשּׂוּאִין – נָהַג עִמָּנוּ כְּנָכְרִיּוֹת, כִּי מְכָרָנוּ לְךָ בִּשְׂכַר הַפְּעֻלָּה:
אֶת־כַּסְפֵּֽנוּ - Our money - for he withheld the full payment of your additional six years of work.   אֶת־כַּסְפֵּֽנוּ.  שֶׁעִכֵּב דְּמֵי שְׂכַר פְּעֻלָּתְךָ:
16The only thing that belongs to us and to our children is all the wealth that God took away from our father. So now, do whatever God has instructed you.”   טזכִּ֣י כָל־הָעֹ֗שֶׁר אֲשֶׁ֨ר הִצִּ֤יל אֱלֹהִים֙ מֵֽאָבִ֔ינוּ לָ֥נוּ ה֖וּא וּלְבָנֵ֑ינוּ וְעַתָּ֗ה כֹּל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמַ֧ר אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֵלֶ֖יךָ עֲשֵֽׂה:
כִּי כָל־הָעֹשֶׁר - Only all the wealth. This כִּי is used with the meaning “but”; in other words: of our father’s property we have nothing, but only that which the Holy One, blessed be He, has taken away from our father belongs to us.   כִּי כָל־הָעֹשֶׁר.  כִּי זֶה מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן אֶלָּא; כְּלוֹמַר, מִשֶּׁל אָבִינוּ אֵין לָנוּ כְּלוּם, אֶלָּא מַה שֶּׁהִצִּיל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מֵאָבִינוּ שֶׁלָּנוּ הוּא:
הִצִּיל - means “He removed”; and similarly every expression of הַצָּלָה (rescue) used in Scripture has the connotation of separation in that the rescuer removes the rescued from evil or from the enemy.   הִצִּיל.  לְשׁוֹן הִפְרִישׁ, וְכֵן כָּל לְשׁוֹן הַצָּלָה שֶׁבַּמִּקְרָא לְשׁוֹן הַפְרָשָׁה, שֶׁמַּפְרִישׁוֹ מִן הָרָעָה וּמִן הָאוֹיֵב:

Sixth Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 31

17So Jacob set out. He put his children and wives on the camels.   יזוַיָּ֖קָם יַֽעֲקֹ֑ב וַיִּשָּׂ֛א אֶת־בָּנָ֥יו וְאֶת־נָשָׁ֖יו עַל־הַגְּמַלִּֽים:
אֶת־בָּנָיו וְאֶת־נָשָׁיו - His children and wives. He placed the males before the females, whereas Esau placed the females before the males, as it says: “Esau took his wives, his sons….” 1   אֶת־בָּנָיו וְאֶת־נָשָׁיו.  הִקְדִּים זְכָרִים לִנְקֵבוֹת, וְעֵשָׂו הִקְדִּים נְקֵבוֹת לִזְכָרִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיִּקַּח עֵשָׂו אֶת נָשָׁיו וְאֶת בָּנָיו וְגוֹמֵר:
18He led away all his livestock, together with all the possessions that he had amassed—the purchases he had made with the profit from the sale of his animal propertythat he had acquired in Padan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in Canaan.   יחוַיִּנְהַ֣ג אֶת־כָּל־מִקְנֵ֗הוּ וְאֶת־כָּל־רְכֻשׁוֹ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר רָכָ֔שׁ מִקְנֵה֙ קִנְיָנ֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָכַ֖שׁ בְּפַדַּ֣ן אֲרָ֑ם לָב֛וֹא אֶל־יִצְחָ֥ק אָבִ֖יו אַ֥רְצָה כְּנָֽעַן:
מִקְנֵה קִנְיָנוֹ - means that which he acquired (מַה שֶּׁקָּנָה) through the sale of his flocks (קִנְיָנוֹhis property) – bondmen and bondwomen, camels and donkeys.   מִקְנֵה קִנְיָנוֹ.  מַה שֶּׁקָּנָה מִצֹּאנוֹ, עֲבָדִים וּשְׁפָחוֹת וּגְמַלִּים וַחֲמוֹרִים:
19Meanwhile, Laban had gone off to shear his flock. When Jacob and his family set out, Rachel stole the idols that belonged to her father.   יטוְלָבָ֣ן הָלַ֔ךְ לִגְזֹ֖ז אֶת־צֹאנ֑וֹ וַתִּגְנֹ֣ב רָחֵ֔ל אֶת־הַתְּרָפִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְאָבִֽיהָ:
לגזוז אֶת־צֹאנוֹ - To shear his flock - which he had put in the charge of his sons, at a distance of a three-day journey between himself and Jacob.   לגזוז אֶת־צֹאנוֹ.  שֶׁנָּתַן בְּיַד בָּנָיו דֶּרֶךְ שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים בֵּינוֹ וּבֵין יַעֲקֹב:
וַתִּגְנֹב רָחֵל אֶת־הַתְּרָפִים - Rachel stole the idols. Her intention was to wean her father away from idolatry.   וַתִּגְנֹב רָחֵל אֶת־הַתְּרָפִים.  לְהַפְרִישׁ אֶת אָבִיהָ מֵעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה נִתְכַּוְּנָה (בראשית רבה):
20Jacob duped Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing,   כוַיִּגְנֹ֣ב יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב אֶת־לֵ֥ב לָבָ֖ן הָֽאֲרַמִּ֑י עַל־בְּלִי֙ הִגִּ֣יד ל֔וֹ כִּ֥י בֹרֵ֖חַ הֽוּא:
21and he fled with all he owned. He set out and crossed the Euphrates River and headed for Mount Gilead.   כאוַיִּבְרַ֥ח הוּא֙ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֔וֹ וַיָּ֖קָם וַיַּֽעֲבֹ֣ר אֶת־הַנָּהָ֑ר וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֶת־פָּנָ֖יו הַ֥ר הַגִּלְעָֽד:
22On the third day after Jacob left, Laban was informed that Jacob had fled.   כבוַיֻּגַּ֥ד לְלָבָ֖ן בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֑י כִּ֥י בָרַ֖ח יַֽעֲקֹֽב:
בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי - On the third day - for there was a distance of three days between them.   בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי.  שֶׁהֲרֵי דֶּרֶךְ שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים הָיָה בֵינֵיהֶם:
23So he took along his kinsmen and pursued him for the distance of a seven-day journey, catching up with him at nightfall at Mount Gilead.   כגוַיִּקַּ֤ח אֶת־אֶחָיו֙ עִמּ֔וֹ וַיִּרְדֹּ֣ף אַֽחֲרָ֔יו דֶּ֖רֶךְ שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים וַיַּדְבֵּ֥ק אֹת֖וֹ בְּהַ֥ר הַגִּלְעָֽד:
אֶת־אֶחָיו - (lit.) His brothers - means “His kinsmen.”   אֶת־אֶחָיו.  קְרוֹבָיו:
דֶּרֶךְ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים - For the distance of a seven-day journey. All those three days that the messenger traveled to tell Laban, Jacob continued on his way. Thus, Jacob was six days away from Laban, yet on the seventh day Laban caught up with him. From this we learn that all that Jacob traveled in seven days Laban traveled in one day. Thus it says: “he pursued him for the distance of a seven-day journey” and it does not say “he pursued him for seven days.”   דֶּרֶךְ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים.  כָּל אוֹתָן ג' יָמִים שֶׁהָלַךְ הַמַּגִּיד לְהַגִּיד לְלָבָן הָלַךְ יַעֲקֹב לְדַרְכּוֹ, נִמְצָא, יַעֲקֹב רָחוֹק מִלָּבָן שִׁשָּׁה יָמִים, וּבַשְּׁבִיעִי הִשִּׂיגוֹ לָבָן. לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁכָּל מַה שֶּׁהָלַךְ יַעֲקֹב בְּשִׁבְעָה יָמִים הָלַךְ לָבָן בְּיוֹם אֶחָד (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיִּרְדֹּף אַחֲרָיו דֶּרֶךְ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים, וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר וַיִרְדֹּף אַחֲרָיו שִׁבְעַת יָמִים):
24God appeared to Laban the Aramean in a dream that night, and said to him, “Beware of speaking with Jacob, either with good or bad intent.”   כדוַיָּבֹ֧א אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶל־לָבָ֥ן הָֽאֲרַמִּ֖י בַּֽחֲלֹ֣ם הַלָּ֑יְלָה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ הִשָּׁ֧מֶר לְךָ֛ פֶּן־תְּדַבֵּ֥ר עִם־יַֽעֲקֹ֖ב מִטּ֥וֹב עַד־רָֽע:
מִטּוֹב עַד־רָֽע - Either with good or bad intent - for even all the good that wicked people do is considered evil for righteous people.   מִטּוֹב עַד־רָֽע.  כָּל טוֹבָתָן שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים רָעָה הִיא אֵצֶל הַצַּדִּיקִים (יבמות ק"ג):
25The next morning, Laban overtook Jacob’s entourage. Jacob had already pitched his tent on the mountain, and Laban along with his kinsmen also set up his camp on Mount Gilead.   כהוַיַּשֵּׂ֥ג לָבָ֖ן אֶת־יַֽעֲקֹ֑ב וְיַֽעֲקֹ֗ב תָּקַ֤ע אֶת־אָֽהֳלוֹ֙ בָּהָ֔ר וְלָבָ֛ן תָּקַ֥ע אֶת־אֶחָ֖יו בְּהַ֥ר הַגִּלְעָֽד:
26Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You duped me and led my daughters away like prisoners of war!   כווַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָבָן֙ לְיַֽעֲקֹ֔ב מֶ֣ה עָשִׂ֔יתָ וַתִּגְנֹ֖ב אֶת־לְבָבִ֑י וַתְּנַהֵג֙ אֶת־בְּנֹתַ֔י כִּשְׁבֻי֖וֹת חָֽרֶב:
כִּשְׁבֻיוֹת חָֽרֶב - (lit.) Like captives of the sword. Any army that goes out to war is called חֶרֶב.   כִּשְׁבֻיוֹת חָֽרֶב.  כָּל חַיִל הַבָּא לַמִּלְחָמָה קָרוּי חֶרֶב:
27Why did you flee surreptitiously, deceiving me and telling me nothing? I would have sent you off with rejoicing and songs, with drum and with lyre!   כזלָ֤מָּה נַחְבֵּ֨אתָ֙ לִבְרֹ֔חַ וַתִּגְנֹ֖ב אֹתִ֑י וְלֹֽא־הִגַּ֣דְתָּ לִּ֔י וָֽאֲשַׁלֵּֽחֲךָ֛ בְּשִׂמְחָ֥ה וּבְשִׁרִ֖ים בְּתֹ֥ף וּבְכִנּֽוֹר:
וַתִּגְנֹב אֹתִי - (lit.) You stole me - means “You deceived me.”   וַתִּגְנֹב אֹתִי.  גָּנַבְתָּ אֶת דַּעְתִּי:
28You did not even let me kiss my grandsons and daughters. You have now acted foolishly.   כחוְלֹ֣א נְטַשְׁתַּ֔נִי לְנַשֵּׁ֥ק לְבָנַ֖י וְלִבְנֹתָ֑י עַתָּ֖ה הִסְכַּ֥לְתָּ עֲשֽׂוֹ:
29It is within my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night and said, ‘Beware of speaking with Jacob, either with good or bad intent.’   כטיֶשׁ־לְאֵ֣ל יָדִ֔י לַֽעֲשׂ֥וֹת עִמָּכֶ֖ם רָ֑ע וֵֽאלֹהֵ֨י אֲבִיכֶ֜ם אֶ֣מֶשׁ | אָמַ֧ר אֵלַ֣י לֵאמֹ֗ר הִשָּׁ֧מֶר לְךָ֛ מִדַּבֵּ֥ר עִם־יַֽעֲקֹ֖ב מִטּ֥וֹב עַד־רָֽע:
יֶשׁ־לְאֵל יָדִי - means: I possess the strength and the power “to do you harm.” Similarly, every אֵל that is a Divine Name has the sense of “mighty and with abundant power.”   יֶשׁ־לְאֵל יָדִי.  יֵשׁ כֹּחַ וְחַיִל בְּיָדִי לַעֲשׂוֹת עִמָּכֶם רַע, וְכָל אֵל שֶׁהוּא לְ' קֹדֶש עַל שֵׁם עִזּוּז וְרֹב אוֹנִים הוּא:
30Why is it that you departed this way now? I cannot fathom this, because although you longed continuously over the last six years for your father’s home, you never attempted to flee. And why did you steal my gods?”   לוְעַתָּה֙ הָלֹ֣ךְ הָלַ֔כְתָּ כִּֽי־נִכְסֹ֥ף נִכְסַ֖פְתָּה לְבֵ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ לָ֥מָּה גָנַ֖בְתָּ אֶת־אֱלֹהָֽי:
נִכְסַפְתָּה - means “you longed.” There are many similar forms of this word in Scripture, e.g.: “My soul longs (נִכְסְפָה) and even pines,” 2 “Long (תִּכְסוֹף) for the work of Your hands.” 3   נִכְסַפְתָּה.  חָמַדְתָּ, וְהַרְבֵּה יֵשׁ בַּמִּקְרָא, נִכְסְפָה וְגַם כָּלְתָה נַפְשִׁי (תהילים פ"ד), לְמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיךָ תִכְסֹף (איוב י"ד):
31Jacob responded. He said to Laban, “I fled because I was afraid, for I thought that you might take your daughters away from me by force.   לאוַיַּ֥עַן יַֽעֲקֹ֖ב וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְלָבָ֑ן כִּ֣י יָרֵ֔אתִי כִּ֣י אָמַ֔רְתִּי פֶּן־תִּגְזֹ֥ל אֶת־בְּנוֹתֶ֖יךָ מֵֽעִמִּֽי:
כִּי יָרֵאתִי וגו' - I was afraid… He answered his first question first, that which he had said to him: “you led my daughters away….” 4   כִּי יָרֵאתִי וגו'.  הֱשִׁיבוֹ עַל רִאשׁוֹן רִאשׁוֹן, שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ, וַתְּנַהֵג אֶת בְּנֹתַי וְגוֹ':
32As for your idols, anyone among my household members with whom you find your gods will not live! In the presence of our kinsmen, identify for yourself whatever of yours is in my possession and take it back.” Jacob did not realize that Rachel had stolen them.   לבעִ֠ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּמְצָ֣א אֶת־אֱלֹהֶ֘יךָ֘ לֹ֣א יִֽחְיֶה֒ נֶ֣גֶד אַחֵ֧ינוּ הַכֶּר־לְךָ֛ מָ֥ה עִמָּדִ֖י וְקַח־לָ֑ךְ וְלֹֽא־יָדַ֣ע יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב כִּ֥י רָחֵ֖ל גְּנָבָֽתַם:
לֹא יִֽחְיֶה - Will not live - and as a result of that curse, Rachel died on the road.   לֹא יִֽחְיֶה.  וּמֵאוֹתָהּ קְלָלָה מֵתָה רָחֵל בַּדֶּרֶךְ (בראשית רבה)
מָה עִמָּדִי - What is in my possession - i.e., of yours.   מָה עִמָּדִי.  מִשֶּׁלְּךָ:
33So Laban entered Jacob’s tent, Leah’s tent, and the tents of the two bondwomen, but he found nothing. He left Leah’s tent and went into Rachel’s tent.   לגוַיָּבֹ֨א לָבָ֜ן בְּאֹֽהֶל־יַֽעֲקֹ֣ב | וּבְאֹ֣הֶל לֵאָ֗ה וּבְאֹ֛הֶל שְׁתֵּ֥י הָֽאֲמָהֹ֖ת וְלֹ֣א מָצָ֑א וַיֵּצֵא֙ מֵאֹ֣הֶל לֵאָ֔ה וַיָּבֹ֖א בְּאֹ֥הֶל רָחֵֽל:
בְּאֹֽהֶל־יַֽעֲקֹב - Jacob’s tent. This refers to Rachel’s tent, for Jacob was regularly with her, and so it says: “the sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel,” 5 but regarding the other wives it does not say: “Jacob’s wife.”   בְּאֹֽהֶל־יַֽעֲקֹב.  הוּא אֹהֶל רָחֵל, שֶׁהָיָה יַעֲקֹב תָּדִיר אֶצְלָהּ; וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר בְּנֵי רָחֵל אֵשֶׁת יַעֲקֹב וּבְכֻּלָּן לֹא נֶאֱמַר אֵשֶׁת יַעֲקֹב:
וַיָּבֹא בְּאֹֽהֶל־רָחֵֽל - He went into Rachel’s tent. When he left Leah’s tent, he returned to Rachel’s tent before he searched the tent of the bondwomen. And why did he persist in searching Rachel’s tent to this extent? Because he knew her to be a rummager.   וַיָּבֹא בְּאֹֽהֶל־רָחֵֽל.  כְּשֶׁיָּצָא מֵאֹהֶל לֵאָה חָזַר לוֹ לְאֹהֶל רָחֵל קֹדֶם שֶׁיְּחַפֵּשׂ בְּאֹהֶל הָאֲמָהוֹת, וְכָל כָּךְ לָמָּה? שֶׁהָיָה מַכִּיר בָּהּ שֶׁהִיא מַשְׁמְשָׁנִית:
34Now Rachel had taken the idols and placed them inside the camel’s saddle, and sat on them, so when Laban rummaged through the entire tent, he found nothing.   לדוְרָחֵ֞ל לָֽקְחָ֣ה אֶת־הַתְּרָפִ֗ים וַתְּשִׂמֵ֛ם בְּכַ֥ר הַגָּמָ֖ל וַתֵּ֣שֶׁב עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וַיְמַשֵּׁ֥שׁ לָבָ֛ן אֶת־כָּל־הָאֹ֖הֶל וְלֹ֥א מָצָֽא:
בְּכַר הַגָּמָל - Inside the camel’s saddle. כַּר has the same meaning as “cushions (כָּרִים) and pillows,” i.e., as Onkelos translates it: בַּעֲבִיטָא דְגַמְלָא, which is a saddle-cloth made like a cushion. Similarly, we have learned in Eruvin: 6 “they surrounded it with עֲבִיטִין,” which means the saddle-cushions of camels; “bastel” in Old French.   בְּכַר הַגָּמָל.  לְשׁוֹן כָּרִים וּכְסָתוֹת, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ בַּעֲבִיטָא דְגַמְלָא, וְהִיא מַרְדַּעַת הָעֲשׂוּיָה כְּמִין כַּר; וּבְעֵרוּבִין (דף ט"ז) שָׁנִינוּ הִקִּיפוּהָ בַּעֲבִיטִין, וְהֵן עֲבִיטֵי גְמַלִּים, בשט"ו בְּלַעַז:
35She said to her father, “Let my lord not be upset that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me.” He searched, but did not find the idols.   להוַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֶל־אָבִ֗יהָ אַל־יִ֨חַר֙ בְּעֵינֵ֣י אֲדֹנִ֔י כִּ֣י ל֤וֹא אוּכַל֙ לָק֣וּם מִפָּנֶ֔יךָ כִּי־דֶ֥רֶךְ נָשִׁ֖ים לִ֑י וַיְחַפֵּ֕שׂ וְלֹ֥א מָצָ֖א אֶת־הַתְּרָפִֽים:
36Jacob was angered, and he took up his grievance with Laban. Jacob spoke up and said to Laban, “What is my crime and what is my guilt, that you have hotly pursued me?   לווַיִּ֥חַר לְיַֽעֲקֹ֖ב וַיָּ֣רֶב בְּלָבָ֑ן וַיַּ֤עַן יַֽעֲקֹב֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְלָבָ֔ן מַה־פִּשְׁעִי֙ מַ֣ה חַטָּאתִ֔י כִּ֥י דָלַ֖קְתָּ אַֽחֲרָֽי:
דָלַקְתָּ - means “you hotly pursued,” as in “on the mountains they hotly pursued us (דְּלָקֻנוּ),” 7 and as in “from hotly pursuing (מִדְּלֹק) the Philistines.” 8   דָלַקְתָּ.  רָדַפְתָּ, כְּמוֹ עַל הֶהָרִים דְּלָקֻנוּ (איכה ד'), וּכְמוֹ מִדְּלֹק אַחֲרֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים (שמואל א י"ז):
37Look, you rummaged through all my belongings—what did you find of all your household objects? Place it here, in front of my kinsmen and yours, and let them adjudicate the dispute between the two of us!   לזכִּֽי־מִשַּׁ֣שְׁתָּ אֶת־כָּל־כֵּלַ֗י מַה־מָּצָ֨אתָ֙ מִכֹּ֣ל כְּלֵֽי־בֵיתֶ֔ךָ שִׂ֣ים כֹּ֔ה נֶ֥גֶד אַחַ֖י וְאַחֶ֑יךָ וְיוֹכִ֖יחוּ בֵּ֥ין שְׁנֵֽינוּ:
וְיוֹכִיחוּ - means “and let them determine” who is in the right; “aprover” in Old French.   וְיוֹכִיחוּ.  וִיבָרְרוּ עִם מִי הַדִּין, אפרובי"ר בְּלַעַז:
38During these 20 years that I have been with you, your ewes and she-goats never miscarried, nor did I ever eat a ram or anything else from your flocks.   לחזֶה֩ עֶשְׂרִ֨ים שָׁנָ֤ה אָֽנֹכִי֙ עִמָּ֔ךְ רְחֵלֶ֥יךָ וְעִזֶּ֖יךָ לֹ֣א שִׁכֵּ֑לוּ וְאֵילֵ֥י צֹֽאנְךָ֖ לֹ֥א אָכָֽלְתִּי:
לֹא שִׁכֵּלוּ - means “they did not miscarry” - as in “a womb that miscarries (מַשְׁכִּיל),” 9 and “his cow releases its young and does not miscarry (תְשַׁכֵּל).” 10   לֹא שִׁכֵּלוּ.  לֹא הִפִּילוּ עִבּוּרָם, כְּמוֹ רֶחֶם מַשְׁכִּיל (הושע ט'), תְּפַלֵּט פָּרָתוֹ וְלֹא תְשַׁכֵּל (איוב כ"א):
וְאֵילֵי צֹֽאנְךָ - (lit.) The rams of your flock. From here our rabbis inferred that “a newborn ram is also called a ram (אַיִל),” 11 for otherwise what praise does this give him? If he did not eat rams but did eat younger sheep, he is a thief!   וְאֵילֵי צֹֽאנְךָ.  מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ אַיִל בֶּן יוֹמוֹ קָרוּי אַיִל, שֶׁאִם לֹא כֵן, מַה שִּׁבְחוֹ? אֵלִים לֹא אָכַל, אֲבָל כְּבָשִׂים אָכַל, אִם כֵּן גַּזְלָן הוּא (בבא קמא ס"ה):
39I never brought you an animal maimed by a wild beast; even though I was not required to absorb its loss, I would bear its loss because you would unfairly exact its value from my hand. Furthermore, I absorbed the loss of every stolen animal, whether it was stolen by day or by night.   לטטְרֵפָה֙ לֹֽא־הֵבֵ֣אתִי אֵלֶ֔יךָ אָֽנֹכִ֣י אֲחַטֶּ֔נָּה מִיָּדִ֖י תְּבַקְשֶׁ֑נָּה גְּנֻֽבְתִ֣י י֔וֹם וּגְנֻֽבְתִ֖י לָֽיְלָה:
טְרֵפָה - A maimed animal - i.e., by a lion or a wolf.   טְרֵפָה.  עַל יְדֵי אֲרִי וּזְאֵב:
אָֽנֹכִי אֲחַטֶּנָּה - This is of a similar meaning to: “who hit a hair with a stone without missing (יַחֲטִא),”12 and “I and my son Solomon will be חַטָּאִים,”13 i.e., deprived. Thus, here it means, “I would bear its loss”if something was missing the loss would be mine, because “you would exact it from my hand.”   אָֽנֹכִי אֲחַטֶּנָּה.  לְשׁוֹן קֹלֵעַ בָּאֶבֶן אֶל הַשַּׂעֲרָה וְלֹא יַחֲטִא (שופטים כ'), אֲנִי וּבְנִי שְׁלֹמֹה חַטָּאִים (מלכים א א') – חֲסֵרִים, אָנֹכִי אַחְסְרֶנָּה, אִם חָסְרָה חָסְרָה לִי, שֶׁמִּיָּדִי תְּבַקְשֶׁנָּה:
אָֽנֹכִי אֲחַטֶּנָּה - Onkelos translates this as דַּהֲוַת שָׁגְיָא מִמִּנְיָנָא, meaning “that which was missing and deficient from the number of animals,” as in: “and not one man is missing (וְלֹא נִפְקַד) from us,” 14 which Onkelos translates as וְלָא שְׁגָא.   אָֽנֹכִי אֲחַטֶּנָּה.  תַּרְגּוּמוֹ דַּהַוַת שָׁגְיָא מִמִּנְיָנָא, שֶׁהָיתָה נִפְקֶדֶת וּמְחֻסֶּרֶת, כְּמוֹ וְלֹא נִפְקַד מִמֶּנּוּ אִישׁ (במדבר ל"א), תַּרְגּוּמוֹ לָא שְׁגָא):
גְּנֻֽבְתִי יוֹם וּגְנֻֽבְתִי לָֽיְלָה - means “stolen by day or stolen by night”; I paid for everything.   גְּנֻֽבְתִי יוֹם וּגְנֻֽבְתִי לָֽיְלָה.  גְנוּבַת יוֹם אוֹ גְנוּבַת לַיְלָה, הַכֹּל שִׁלַּמְתִּי:
גְּנֻֽבְתִי - similar to “great (רַבָּתִי) among the nations, a princess (שָׂרָתִי) among the provinces,” 15 “full (מְלֵאֲתִי) of justice,” 16 and “who loves (אוֹהַבְתִּי) to thresh.” 17   גְּנֻֽבְתִי.  כְּמוֹ רַבָּתִי בַגּוֹיִם שָׂרָתִי בַּמְּדִינוֹת (איכה א'), מְלֵאֲתִי מִשְׁפָּט (ישעיהו א') אֹהַבְתִּי לָדוּשׁ (הושע י'):
40This is how I existed: I was consumed by day by scorching heat and at night by frost, and sleep deserted my eyes.   מהָיִ֧יתִי בַיּ֛וֹם אֲכָלַ֥נִי חֹ֖רֶב וְקֶ֣רַח בַּלָּ֑יְלָה וַתִּדַּ֥ד שְׁנָתִ֖י מֵֽעֵינָֽי:
אֲכָלַנִי חֹרֶב - Scorching heat (lit.) ate me. אֲכָלַנִי here has a similar meaning to “a consuming (אֹכְלָה) fire.” 18   אֲכָלַנִי חֹרֶב.  לְשׁוֹן אֵשׁ אֹכְלָה:
וְקֶרַח - is similar in meaning to “He casts down His ice (קַרְחוֹ),” 19 and Onkelos translates it as גְּלִידָא – “frost.”   וְקֶרַח.  כְּמוֹ מַשְׁלִיךְ קַרְחוֹ (תהילים קמ"ז), תַּרְגּוּמוֹ גְּלִידָא:
שְׁנָתִי - means “my sleep.”   שְׁנָתִי.  לְשׁוֹן שֵׁנָה:
41It is now 20 years that I have been in your household—I worked for you 14 years for your two daughters, and six years for your flocks—and you changed the conditions of my payment, that is, the type of animals I was to receive, 100 times.   מאזֶה־לִּ֞י עֶשְׂרִ֣ים שָׁנָה֘ בְּבֵיתֶ֒ךָ֒ עֲבַדְתִּ֜יךָ אַרְבַּע־עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה שָׁנָה֙ בִּשְׁתֵּ֣י בְנֹתֶ֔יךָ וְשֵׁ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים בְּצֹאנֶ֑ךָ וַתַּֽחֲלֵ֥ף אֶת־מַשְׂכֻּרְתִּ֖י עֲשֶׂ֥רֶת מֹנִֽים:
וַתַּֽחֲלֵף אֶת־מַשְׂכֻּרְתִּי - You changed my payment - i.e., you would alter the terms of our agreement from speckled to blotched, and from ankle-ringed to belted.   וַתַּֽחֲלֵף אֶת־מַשְׂכֻּרְתִּי.  הָיִיתָ מְשַׁנֶּה תְּנַאי שֶׁבֵּינֵינוּ, מִנָּקֹד לְטָלוּא, וּמֵעֲקוּדִים לִבְרֻדִּים:
42If the God of my father—who is the God of Abraham and the object of Isaac’s dread—had not been with me, you would now have sent me off empty-handed! But God saw my plight and the toil of my hands, and He rebuked you last night.”   מבלוּלֵ֡י אֱלֹהֵ֣י אָבִי֩ אֱלֹהֵ֨י אַבְרָהָ֜ם וּפַ֤חַד יִצְחָק֙ הָ֣יָה לִ֔י כִּ֥י עַתָּ֖ה רֵיקָ֣ם שִׁלַּחְתָּ֑נִי אֶת־עָנְיִ֞י וְאֶת־יְגִ֧יעַ כַּפַּ֛י רָאָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים וַיּ֥וֹכַח אָֽמֶשׁ:
וּפַחַד יִצְחָק - Isaac’s dread. He did not wish to say: “the God of Isaac,” for the Holy One, blessed be He, does not associate His Name with the righteous during their lifetime; and although God had said to him when he left Beersheba: “I am God, God of Abraham your forebear, and God of Isaac,” 20 that was because Isaac’s eyes had dimmed and he was thus considered as if he were dead. Jacob, however, was afraid to say “God of Isaac,” so he said “and the dread.”   וּפַחַד יִצְחָק.  לֹא רָצָה לוֹמַר אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק, שֶׁאֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְיַחֵד שְׁמוֹ עַל הַצַּדִּיקִים בְּחַיֵּיהֶם, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ בְּצֵאתוֹ מִבְּאֵר שֶׁבַע אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אָבִיךָ וֵאלֹהֵי יִצְחָק, בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁכָּהוּ עֵינָיו, וַהֲרֵי הוּא כַּמֵּת; יַעֲקֹב נִתְיָרֵא לוֹמַר אֱלֹהֵי, וְאָמַר וּפַחַד:
וַיּוֹכַח - Here it is an expression of rebuke, and not an expression of proof as in v. 37.   וַיּוֹכַח.  לְשׁוֹן תּוֹכָחָה הוּא וְלֹא לְשׁוֹן הוֹכָחָה:

Seventh Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 31

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?   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?”   מָה־אֶֽעֱשֶׂה לָאֵלֶּה.  אֵיךְ תַּעֲלֶה עַל לִבִּי לְהָרַע לָהֶן:
44So come now, let us make a covenant, I and you, and may God be a witness between me and you.”   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.   וְהָיָה לְעֵד.  הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא:
45Jacob then took a stone and erected it as a monument.   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.   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.   לְאֶחָיו.  הֵם בָּנָיו שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ אַחִים, נִגָּשִׁים אֵלָיו לְצָרָה וּלְמִלְחָמָה (בראשית רבה):
47Laban named it Yegar Sahaduta [Aramaic for “Mound of Testimony”], and Jacob named it Gal-Ed [Hebrew for the same].   מזוַיִּקְרָא־ל֣וֹ לָבָ֔ן יְגַ֖ר שָֽׂהֲדוּתָ֑א וְיַ֣עֲקֹ֔ב קָ֥רָא ל֖וֹ גַּלְעֵֽד:
יְגַר שָֽׂהֲדוּתָא - Yegar Sahaduta. This is the Aramaic translation of גַּלְעֵד.   יְגַר שָֽׂהֲדוּתָא.  תַּרְגּוּמוֹ שֶׁל גַּלְעֵד:
48Laban said, “This mound will be a witness between you and me today.” It was therefore named Gal-Ed,   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.”   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.   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.” 1 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.”   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:
כִּי נִסָּתֵר - (lit.) When we are concealed - and we will not see one another.   כִּי נִסָּתֵר.  וְלֹא נִרְאֶה אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ:
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.”   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.   בְּנֹתַי בְּנֹתַי.  שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים, אַף בִּלְהָה וְזִלְפָּה בְּנוֹתָיו הָיוּ מִפִּילֶגֶשׁ:
אִם־תְּעַנֶּה אֶת־בְּנֹתַי - If you ill-treat my daughters - by refusing them their conjugal rights.   אִם־תְּעַנֶּה אֶת־בְּנֹתַי.  לִמְנֹע מֵהֶן עוֹנַת תַּשְׁמִישׁ (יומא ע"ז):
51Laban said to Jacob, “Here is this mound, and here is the monument that I have erected between me and you.   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”; 2 i.e., he set up the monument like one who shoots (יוֹרֶה) an arrow.   יָרִיתִי.  כְּמוֹ יָרָה בַיָּם, כְּזֶה שֶׁהוּא יוֹרֶה הַחֵץ:
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.   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.” 3   אִם־אָנִי.  הֲרֵי אִם מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן אֲשֶׁר, כְּמוֹ עַד אִם דִּבַּרְתִּי דְּבָרָי:
לְרָעָֽה - With hostile intent - i.e., with evil intentions you may not cross, but you may cross for business purposes.   לְרָעָֽה.  לְרָעָה אִי אַתָּה עוֹבֵר, אַבָל אַתָּה עוֹבֵר לִפְרַקְמַטְיָה:
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.   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.   אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם.  קֹדֶשׁ (בראשית רבה):
וֵֽאלֹהֵי נָחוֹר - The gods of Nachor. אלֹהֵי here is not holy.   וֵֽאלֹהֵי נָחוֹר.  חֹל:
אֱלֹהֵי אֲבִיהֶם - The gods of their father [Terach]. אֱלֹהֵי here is not holy.   אֱלֹהֵי אֲבִיהֶם.  חֹל:
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.   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.   וַיִּזְבַּח יַֽעֲקֹב זֶבַח.  שָׁחַט בְּהֵמוֹת לְמִשְׁתֶּה:
לְאֶחָיו - (lit.) His brethren - refers here to his friends who were with Laban.   לְאֶחָיו.  לְאוֹהֲבָיו שֶׁעִם לָבָן:
לֶֽאֱכָל־לָחֶם - (lit.) To eat bread. Any item of food is called לֶחֶם, as in: “made a great feast (לְחֶם רַב)”; 4 and: “Let us put a harmful plant in his food (בְּלַחְמוֹ).” 5   לֶֽאֱכָל־לָחֶם.  כָּל דְּבַר מַאֲכָל קָרוּי לֶחֶם, כְּמוֹ עֲבַד לְחֶם רַב (דניאל ה'), נַשְׁחִיתָה עֵץ בְּלַחְמוֹ (ירמיהו י"א):

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 32

1Laban arose early in the morning, kissed his grandsons and his daughters, and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned to his home.   אוַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם לָבָ֜ן בַּבֹּ֗קֶר וַיְנַשֵּׁ֧ק לְבָנָ֛יו וְלִבְנוֹתָ֖יו וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֶתְהֶ֑ם וַיֵּ֛לֶךְ וַיָּ֥שָׁב לָבָ֖ן לִמְקֹמֽוֹ:
2Jacob continued on his way, and angels of God went out to greet him.   בוְיַֽעֲקֹ֖ב הָלַ֣ךְ לְדַרְכּ֑וֹ וַיִּפְגְּעוּ־ב֖וֹ מַלְאֲכֵ֥י אֱלֹהִֽים:
וַיִּפְגְּעוּ־בוֹ מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִֽים - (lit.) And angels of God met him - i.e., angels of the Land of Israel came to greet him for the purpose of escorting him into the Holy Land.   וַיִּפְגְּעוּ־בוֹ מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִֽים.  מַלְאָכִים שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאוּ לִקְרָאתוֹ לְלַוּוֹתוֹ לָאָרֶץ:
3When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s encampment,” and he named that place Machanayim [“Twin Camps”].   גוַיֹּ֤אמֶר יַֽעֲקֹב֙ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר רָאָ֔ם מַֽחֲנֵ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים זֶ֑ה וַיִּקְרָ֛א שֵֽׁם־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא מַֽחֲנָֽיִם:
מַֽחֲנָֽיִם - Machanayim - means two camps: one of angels of outside the Holy Land who had accompanied him up to this point, and the other of angels of the Land of Israel who had come to greet him.   מַֽחֲנָֽיִם.  שְׁתֵּי מַחֲנוֹת, שֶׁל חוּצָה לָאָרֶץ שֶׁבָּאוּ עִמּוֹ עַד כָּאן וְשֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁבָּאוּ לִקְרָאתוֹ (ע' תנחומא פ' וישלח):

Maftir Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 32

1Laban arose early in the morning, kissed his grandsons and his daughters, and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned to his home.   אוַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם לָבָ֜ן בַּבֹּ֗קֶר וַיְנַשֵּׁ֧ק לְבָנָ֛יו וְלִבְנוֹתָ֖יו וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֶתְהֶ֑ם וַיֵּ֛לֶךְ וַיָּ֥שָׁב לָבָ֖ן לִמְקֹמֽוֹ:
2Jacob continued on his way, and angels of God went out to greet him.   בוְיַֽעֲקֹ֖ב הָלַ֣ךְ לְדַרְכּ֑וֹ וַיִּפְגְּעוּ־ב֖וֹ מַלְאֲכֵ֥י אֱלֹהִֽים:
וַיִּפְגְּעוּ־בוֹ מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִֽים - (lit.) And angels of God met him - i.e., angels of the Land of Israel came to greet him for the purpose of escorting him into the Holy Land.   וַיִּפְגְּעוּ־בוֹ מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִֽים.  מַלְאָכִים שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאוּ לִקְרָאתוֹ לְלַוּוֹתוֹ לָאָרֶץ:
3When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s encampment,” and he named that place Machanayim [“Twin Camps”].   גוַיֹּ֤אמֶר יַֽעֲקֹב֙ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר רָאָ֔ם מַֽחֲנֵ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים זֶ֑ה וַיִּקְרָ֛א שֵֽׁם־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא מַֽחֲנָֽיִם:
מַֽחֲנָֽיִם - Machanayim - means two camps: one of angels of outside the Holy Land who had accompanied him up to this point, and the other of angels of the Land of Israel who had come to greet him.   מַֽחֲנָֽיִם.  שְׁתֵּי מַחֲנוֹת, שֶׁל חוּצָה לָאָרֶץ שֶׁבָּאוּ עִמּוֹ עַד כָּאן וְשֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁבָּאוּ לִקְרָאתוֹ (ע' תנחומא פ' וישלח):

Haftarah

Hoshea (Hosea) Chapter 11

7And My people waver whether to return to Me, and to the matter concerning which they call them, together they do not uphold [it].   זוְעַמִּ֥י תְלוּאִ֖ים לִמְשֽׁוּבָתִ֑י וְאֶל־עַל֙ יִקְרָאֻ֔הוּ יַ֖חַד לֹ֥א יְרוֹמֵֽם:
And My people waver whether to return to Me. When the prophets teach them to return to Me, they are in doubt whether to return or not to return; it is with difficulty that they return to Me.   ועמי תלואים למשובתי.  כשהנביאים מלמדים אותם לשוב אלי תלואים הם אם לשוב אם לא לשוב בקושי ישובון אלי:
and to the matter concerning which they call them, together they do not uphold it. And to the matter concerning which the prophets call them, together My people will not uphold it and will not agree to do it. Some explain וְאֶל-עַל יִקְרָאֻהוּ to mean: Harsh happenings shall befall them. The word וְאֶל means the same as (Gen. 31:29) “My hand has power (לְאֵל),” [and the word עַל means the same as עֲלִילוֹת, deeds (Kara). But this is not so since אֶל is vowelized with a “pattah.” [I.e. with a “segol,” called “pattah katan” by the early grammarians.] Were אֶל a noun, it would be vowelized with a “tseireh,” [i.e., אֵל]. Jonathan, however, renders: A harsh happening will befall them. He interprets וְאֶל as an expression of harshness, but it appears to me that I have interpreted it properly.   ואל על יקראוהו יחד לא ירומם.  ואל הדבר אשר עליו יקראוהו הנביאים יחד לא ירוממוהו עמי ולא יאות לעשותו ויש מפרש ואל על יקראוהו פגעים קשים יפגעום ואל כמו יש לאל ידי (ראשית לא) ואין זאת שהרי נקוד בפתח ואם היה ואל שם דבר היה נקוד בצירי ויונתן תרגם במרעא קשיא יתערעון עשה אל (סא"א על) לשון קשה ולי נראה שפרשתי כהוגן:
together they do not uphold [it]. [Jonathan renders:] Together they shall not walk erect.   יחד לא ירומם.  כחדא לא יהכון בקומא זקופא:
8How shall I give you, Ephraim? [How] deliver you, O Israel? How shall I make you as Admah, make you as Zeboyim? My heart is turned within Me, together My remorse has been kindled.   חאֵ֞יךְ אֶתֶּנְךָ֣ אֶפְרַ֗יִם אֲמַגֶּנְךָ֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֵ֚יךְ אֶתֶּנְךָ֣ כְאַדְמָ֔ה אֲשִֽׂימְךָ֖ כִּצְבֹאיִ֑ם נֶהְפַּ֚ךְ עָלַי֙ לִבִּ֔י יַ֖חַד נִכְמְר֥וּ נִֽחוּמָֽי:
deliver you. Heb. אֲמַגֶּנְךָ. Comp. (Gen. 14:20) “Who delivered (מִגֵן) your adversaries.”   אמגנך.  אמסרך ביד אויביך כמו אשר מגן צריך (שם יד):
My remorse has been kindled. Heb. נִכְרְמוּ, are heated. This is an Aramaic expression. Comp. (Lam. 5:10) “Our skin is heated (נִכְמָרוּ) like an oven.”   נכמרו.  נתחממו לשון ארמי וכן עורנו כתנור נכמרו (איכה ה׳:י׳):
9I will not execute the kindling of My anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim, for I am God and not a man. In your midst is the Holy One, and I will not enter a city.   טלֹ֤א אֶֽעֱשֶׂה֙ חֲר֣וֹן אַפִּ֔י לֹ֥א אָשׁ֖וּב לְשַׁחֵ֣ת אֶפְרָ֑יִם כִּ֣י אֵ֤ל אָֽנֹכִי֙ וְלֹֽא־אִ֔ישׁ בְּקִרְבְּךָ֣ קָד֔וֹשׁ וְלֹ֥א אָב֖וֹא בְּעִֽיר:
I will not return. from My good word, which I said. (Lev. 26:44) “I have not rejected them nor have I abhorred them,” to destroy Ephraim.   לא אשוב.  מדברי הטוב אשר אמרתי (ויקרא כו) לא מאסתים ולא געלתים להיות משחית את אפרים:
for I am God. Who keeps His favorable word, and I do not retract the good.   כי אל אנכי.  המקיים דבר טובתי ואין מדתי להנחם על הטוב:
I will not enter a city. I.e., another city. I have already promised to cause My Shechinah to rest in your midst in Jerusalem, and I will never again cause it to rest on another city. Others explain it as an expression of hatred. Comp. (I Sam. 28: 16) “And has become your adversary (וַיְהִי עָרֶךְ).”   בקרבך קדוש ולא אבוא בעיר.  אחרת כבר הבטחתי להשרות שכינתי בקרבך בירושלים ולא אשרה אותה עוד על עיר אחרת ויש מפרש בעיר ל' שנאה כמו (שמואל א כה) ויהי ערך:
10They shall follow the Lord, He shall roar like a lion; for He shall roar, and the children shall hasten from the west.   יאַֽחֲרֵ֧י יְהֹוָ֛ה יֵֽלְכ֖וּ כְּאַרְיֵ֣ה יִשְׁאָ֑ג כִּי־ה֣וּא יִשְׁאַ֔ג וְיֶֽחֶרְד֥וּ בָנִ֖ים מִיָּֽם:
He shall roar like a lion. He will yet roar to them like a lion that they leave the exile and follow Him.   כאריה ישאג.  עוד ישאג להם כאריה שיצאו מן הגליות וילכו אחריו:
and the children shall hasten from the west. And the exiles shall be gathered from the west. [from Jonathan]   ויחרדו בנים מים.  ויתכנשון גלוותא ממערב':
11They shall hasten like a bird from Egypt and like a dove from the land of Assyria; and I will place them in their houses, says the Lord.   יאיֶֽחֶרְד֚וּ כְצִפּוֹר֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם וּכְיוֹנָ֖ה מֵאֶ֣רֶץ אַשּׁ֑וּר וְהֽוֹשַׁבְתִּ֥ים עַל־בָּֽתֵּיהֶ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה:

Hoshea (Hosea) Chapter 12

1Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit, but Judah still rules with God, and with the Holy One he is faithful.   אסְבָבֻ֚נִי בְכַ֙חַשׁ֙ אֶפְרַ֔יִם וּבְמִרְמָ֖ה בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וִֽיהוּדָ֗ה עֹ֥ד רָד֙ עִם־אֵ֔ל וְעִם־קְדוֹשִׁ֖ים נֶֽאֱמָֽן:
has surrounded Me. Ephraim and the house of Israel have already surrounded Me with lies and deceit, i.e., the kings of the Ten Tribes and all the people, but Judah still…   סבבוני.  כבר בכחש ובמרמה אפרים ובית ישראל מלכי עשרת השבטים וכל העם אבל יהודה עודנו:
rules with God. Still rules with fear of God.   רד עם אל.  מושל עוד ביראת אלהים:
rules. Heb. רָד. Comp. (Num. 24:19) “And there shall rule (וְיֵרְדְּ) out of Jacob.” Their kings are still with the Holy One, blessed be He.   רד.  כמו (במדבר כ״ד:י״ט) וירד מיעקב עוד מלכיהם עם הקב"ה:
2Ephraim joins the wind and chases the east wind; all day he increases deceit and plunder, and they make a treaty with Assyria, and oil is brought to Egypt.   באֶפְרַ֜יִם רֹעֶ֥ה ר֙וּחַ֙ וְרֹדֵ֣ף קָדִ֔ים כָּל־הַיּ֕וֹם כָּזָ֥ב וָשֹׁ֖ד יַרְבֶּ֑ה וּבְרִית֙ עִם־אַשּׁ֣וּר יִכְרֹ֔תוּ וְשֶׁ֖מֶן לְמִצְרַ֥יִם יוּבָֽל:
joins the wind. Heb. רֹעֵה. An expression of רֵעַ, a friend. He joins words of the wind, viz. idolatry.   רועה רוח.  לשון ריע מתחבר לדברי רוח להעכו"ם:
and oil. Their oil they carry to Egypt to give a bribe to Egypt to aid them.   ושמן.  שלהם למצרים מובילים לתת שוחד למצרים לעזור אות':
3Now the Lord has a contention with Judah, and to visit upon Jacob according to his ways; according to his deeds He shall recompense him.   גוְרִ֥יב לַֽיהֹוָ֖ה עִם־יְהוּדָ֑ה וְלִפְקֹ֚ד עַל־יַֽעֲקֹב֙ כִּדְרָכָ֔יו כְּמַֽעֲלָלָ֖יו יָשִׁ֥יב לֽוֹ:
Now the Lord has a contention with Judah. He relates to them the matters of His contention which their brethren, the house of Israel, have done to Him, so that they should not wonder when He visits retribution on Jacob according to his ways.   וריב לה' עם יהודה.  אליהם הוא מגיד את דברי ריבו אשר עשו לו אחיהם בית ישראל ולא יתמהו בפקדו על יעקב כדרכיו:
4In the womb, he seized his brother's heel, and with his strength he strove with an angel.   דבַּבֶּ֖טֶן עָקַ֣ב אֶת־אָחִ֑יו וּבְאוֹנ֖וֹ שָׂרָ֥ה אֶת־אֱלֹהִֽים:
In the womb, he seized his brother’s heel. All this I did for him, he held him by the heel, as a sign that he would be a master over him.   בבטן עקב את אחיו.  כל זה עשיתי לו אחזו בעקבו סי' שהוא יהיה לו גביר:
5He strove with an angel and prevailed; he wept and beseeched him; In Bethel he shall find Him, and there He shall speak with us.   הוַיָּ֚שַׂר אֶל־מַלְאָךְ֙ וַיֻּכָ֔ל בָּכָ֖ה וַיִּתְחַנֶּן־ל֑וֹ בֵּֽית־אֵל֙ יִמְצָאֶ֔נּוּ וְשָׁ֖ם יְדַבֵּ֥ר עִמָּֽנוּ:
he wept. i.e., the angel wept. [from Chullin 92a]   בכה.  המלאך:
and beseeched him. When he said to him, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Gen. 32:26), and the angel was begging him, “Let me go now. Eventually, the Holy One, blessed be He, will reveal Himself to you in Bethel, and there you will find Him, and there He will speak with us, and He and I will agree with you concerning the blessings that Isaac blessed you.” Now that angel was Esau’s genius, and he was contesting the blessings.   ויתחנן לו.  כשאמר לו לא אשלחך כי אם ברכתני (בראשית ל״ב:כ״ז) המלאך היה מבקש ממנו הנח לי עכשיו סופו של הקב"ה ליגלות עליך בבית אל ושם ימצאנו ושם ידב' עמנו והוא ואני נסכים לך על הברכות שבירכך יצחק ואותו מלאך שרו של עשו היה והיה מערער על הברכות:
6And the Lord is the God of the hosts; the Lord is His Name.   ווַֽיהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַצְּבָא֑וֹת יְהֹוָ֖ה זִכְרֽוֹ:
And the Lord is the God of the hosts. Just as I was then, so am I now, and had you walked with Me wholeheartedly, like Jacob your father, I would have acted toward you as I acted toward him.   וה' אלהי הצבאות ה' זכרו.  כאשר הייתי מאז כן אני עתה ואם הייתם הולכים עמי בתמימות כיעקב אביכם הייתי נוהג עמכם כאשר נהגתי עמו:
7And you shall return by your God: keep loving-kindness and justice, and hope to your God always.   זוְאַתָּ֖ה בֵּֽאלֹהֶ֣יךָ תָשׁ֑וּב חֶ֚סֶד וּמִשְׁפָּט֙ שְׁמֹ֔ר וְקַוֵּ֥ה אֶל־אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ תָּמִֽיד:
And you shall return by your God. On His promise and His support, which He promises you, you can rely, and return to Him. Only…   ואתה באלהיך תשוב.  בהבטחתו ובמשענתו שהוא מבטיחך אתה יכול לסמוך ותשוב אליו רק:
keep loving-kindness and justice. and you may be assured to hope for His salvation always.   חסד ומשפט שמור.  ומובטח אתה לקוות לישעו תמיד:
8A trafficker who has deceitful scales in his hand; he loves to oppress.   חכְּנַ֗עַן בְּיָד֛וֹ מֹֽאזְנֵ֥י מִרְמָ֖ה לַֽעֲשֹׁ֥ק אָהֵֽב:
A trafficker who has deceitful scales in his hand. You rely on your gain, for you are traffickers and deceivers, and concerning your wealth you say…   כנען בידו מאזני מרמה.  אתם סמוכים על בצעכם שאתם סוחרים ורמאים ועל עשריכם אתם אומרים אך עשרתי ולא אעבוד את הקב"ה:
9And Ephraim said: Surely I have become rich; I have found power for myself; all my toils shall not suffice for my iniquity which is sin.   טוַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶפְרַ֔יִם אַ֣ךְ עָשַׁ֔רְתִּי מָצָ֥אתִי א֖וֹן לִ֑י כָּל־יְגִיעַ֕י לֹ֥א יִמְצְאוּ־לִ֖י עָו‍ֹ֥ן אֲשֶׁר־חֵֽטְא:
Surely I have become rich. Now why should I worship the Holy One, blessed be He?   אך עשרתי. ולמה אעבוד את הקדוש ברוך הוא:
I have found power for myself. Heb. אוֹן, meaning strength. Rabbi Simon, however, explained it homiletically as follows: I found אוֹן for myself: I found a deed of indebtedness for myself, that I possess kingship over Israel. (Gen. 50:18) “And his brothers too wept and fell etc. ‘Behold we are slaves to you etc.’” אוֹן means the laws of a deed. Comp. (Gittin 43b) “They may write his deed (אוֹנוֹ) for it.” Comp. (Gittin 43b) “They may write his deed אוֹנוֹ for it.” Comp. also (Gen. Rabbah 2:2) With one deed (אוֹנוֹ) and with one price. "And this is its explanation:   מצאתי און לי.  און כח ומדרש אגדה היה דורש רבי שמעון זצ"ל מצאתי און לי מצאתי לי שטר חוב שיש לי מלכות על ישראל וילכו גם אחיו ויפלו וגו' הננו לך לעבדים (שם נ) און לי דיני שטר כמו כותבין עליו אונו וכמו באוני אחד ובטימי אחת בב"ר וזה פירושו:
“And Ephraim said: Surely I have become rich; I have found a deed for myself.”. Jeroboam son of Nebat, who was of the tribe of Ephraim, boasts and declares: Surely I have become rich, I have found a deed for myself, one deed, that all Israel are my slaves, for my father acquired them, as it is written: And his brothers too went and fell before him, and said: Behold we are your slaves. And whatever a slave acquires belongs to his master. Hence, all their property is mine. Therefore, I have no sin if I take all that is theirs, for they are my slaves. What is written after this? And I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt. The greatness that came to your father in Egypt was from Me. Said the Holy One, blessed be He. ‘Behold we are your slaves,’ you have not forgotten, but ‘I am the Lord your God,’ which was stated in the Decalogue, you have forgotten, for you have erected two calves, one in Bethel and one in Dan. And according to the simple meaning of the verse, you say, “I have found power for myself through oppression and deceitful scales.” And I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt. There I distinguished between a droplet [of seed] of a firstborn and a droplet which was not of a firstborn. I also know and exact retribution from deceitful scales made without understanding and from one who hides his weights in salt in order to deceive.   ויאמר אפרים אך עשרתי מצאתי און לי .  ירבעם בן נבט שהיה משבט אפרים מתפאר בעצמו ואומר אך עשרתי מצאתי און לי שטר אחד שכל ישראל עבדים לי שאבי קנה אותם דכתיב וילכו גם אחיו ויפלו לפניו ויאמרו הננו לך לעבדים ומה שקנה עבד קנה רבו וכל ממונם שלי לפיכך אין בי חטא אם אטול כל אשר להם כי הם עבדי מה כתיב אחריו ואנכי ה' אלהיך מארץ מצרים (שמות כ׳:ב׳) גדולה הבאה לאביך במצרים מאתי היתה אמר הקב"ה הננו לך לעבדים לא שכחת אבל אנכי ה' אלהיך שנא' בעשרת הדברות שכחת שהעמדת שני עגלים א' בבית אל וא' בדן ולענין פשוטו של מקר' אתה אומ' מצאתי און לי ע"י עושק ומאזני מרמה ואנכי ה' אלהיך מארץ מצרי' שם הבחנתי בין טיפה של בכור לטיפה שאינ' של בכור אף אני היודע ונפרע ממאזני מרמה העשויין מבלי הבין ומהטומן משקלותיו במלח כדי לרמות:
all my toils shall not suffice for my etc.. It would have been better for you had you said to yourself: All my money shall not suffice to atone for my iniquity which I have sinned. In this manner Jonathan renders it: The prophet said to them: All your wealth will not remain with you on the day of the retribution of your sins.   כל יגיעי לא ימצאו לי.  טוב לך אם אמרת בלבך כל ממוני לא יהא בו ספוק לכפר על עוני אשר חטאתי כן תרגם יונתן נביא אמר להון כל עותריכון לא יתקיים לכון ביום תושלמת חוביכון:
shall not suffice. Heb. לֹא יִמְצְאוּ, usually translated ‘shall not find.’ They shall not suffice. Comp. (Num. 11: 22) “and suffice (וּמָצָא) for them.” But it cannot be explained: יְגִיעַי כֹּל-, all those who toil to seek my iniquity shall not find any iniquity with me, for, were that the case, it should be spelled יְגֵעַי without a “yud,” and it should be vowelized with a “tseireh,” but now it is not an expression of one who toils but an expression of toil.   לא ימצאו.  לא יספיקו כמו (במדבר י״א:כ״ב) ומצא להם ולא יתכן לפרש כל יגיעי כל היגיעים לבקש עוני ולא ימצא לי עון שאם כן היה ראוי לכתוב כל יגיע בלא יו"ד ולנקוד בציר"י אבל עתה אינו ל' יגע אלא לשון יגיע:
10And I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; I will yet make you dwell in tents as in the days of the [early] times.   יוְאָֽנֹכִ֛י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם עֹ֛ד אוֹשִֽׁיבְךָ֥ בָֽאֳהָלִ֖ים כִּימֵ֥י מוֹעֵֽד:
I will yet make you dwell in tents. I will cut off from your midst deceitful traffickers, and I will cause you to dwell in tents. I will set up from among you students engaging in the Torah.   עוד אושיבך באהלים.  אכרית מתוכך סוחרי מרמה ואושיבך באהלים אעמיד מתוכך תלמידים עוסקי' בתורה:
as in the days of the [early] times. As in the days of the early times, when Jacob, the unpretentious man, was sitting in tents.   כימי מועד.  כימי מועד הראשון שהיה יעקב איש תם יושב אוהלים:
11And I spoke to the prophets, and I increased their visions; and to the prophets I assumed likenesses.   יאוְדִבַּ֙רְתִּי֙ עַל־הַנְּבִיאִ֔ים וְאָֽנֹכִ֖י חָז֣וֹן הִרְבֵּ֑יתִי וּבְיַ֥ד הַנְּבִיאִ֖ים אֲדַמֶּֽה:
And I spoke to the prophets. to admonish you and to bring you back to do good.   ודברתי על הנביאים.  להוכיח אתכם ולהחזיר אתכם למוטב:
and to the prophets I assumed likenesses. I appeared to them in many likenesses. Another explanation. I gave My words likenesses to them through allegories in order to make them comprehensible to their listeners.   וביד הנביאים אדמה.  נראיתי להם בכמה דומיות, ד"א אדמה להם דברי ע"י משלים כדי לישבם על שומעיהם:
12If there is violence in Gilead, it is because they were but vanity; in Gilgal they sacrificed oxen; also their altars were like heaps on the furrows of the field.   יבאִם־גִּלְעָ֥ד אָ֙וֶן֙ אַךְ־שָׁ֣וְא הָי֔וּ בַּגִּלְגָּ֖ל שְׁוָרִ֣ים זִבֵּ֑חוּ גַּ֚ם מִזְבְּחוֹתָם֙ כְּגַלִּ֔ים עַ֖ל תַּלְמֵ֥י שָׂדָֽי:
If there is violence in Gilead. If they suffered from destruction and violence, they caused it to themselves, for they were but vanity in Gilgal, and they sacrificed oxen to pagan deities.   אם גלעד און.  אם בא להם שבר ואונס הם גרמו לעצמם כי אך שוא היו ובגלגל שורים זבחו לעכו"ם:
also their altars. were as numerous as heaps which are on the furrows of the field.   גם מזבחותם.  רבים כגלים שעל תלמי שדי:
the furrows of the field. The furrow made by the plowshare is called תֶלֶם.   תלמי שדי.  היא מענית המחרישה קרויה תלם:
13And Jacob fled to the field of Aram; and Israel worked for a wife, and for a wife he guarded.   יגוַיִּבְרַ֥ח יַֽעֲקֹ֖ב שְׂדֵ֣ה אֲרָ֑ם וַיַּֽעֲבֹ֚ד יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בְּאִשָּׁ֔ה וּבְאִשָּׁ֖ה שָׁמָֽר:
And Jacob fled to the field of Aram etc.. Like a person who says, “Let us return to the previous topic,” for we spoke above (verse 5): And he strove with an angel, and moreover, I did this for him; when he was forced to flee to the field of Aram, you know how I guarded him.   ויברח יעקב שדה ארם וגו'.  כאדם שאומר נחזור על הראשונות שדברנו למעלה וישר אל המלאך ועוד זאת עשיתי לו הוצרך לברוח שדה ארם ידעתם איך שמרתיו:
and for a wife he guarded. the flocks.   ובאשה שמר.  את הצאן:
14And, through a prophet, the Lord brought up Israel from Egypt, and through a prophet they were guarded.   ידוּבְנָבִ֕יא הֶֽעֱלָ֧ה יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם וּבְנָבִ֖יא נִשְׁמָֽר:
And, through a prophet, the Lord brought up etc.. And, insofar as you disgrace the prophets and mock their words, is it not so that through a prophet God brought us etc.?   ובנביא העלה ה' וגו'.  ועל שאתם מבזין את הנביאים ומלעיגין בדבריהם הלא בנביא העלה וגו':
Select a portion:
Translation of Chumash and Rashi courtesy Chabad House Publications’ forthcoming English Chumash with an annotated translation of Rashi based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, published by Kehot Publications Society. Translated and adapted by Rabbi Moshe Wisnefsky, Editor-in-Chief. Rabbi Chaim N. Cunin, Director and General Editor.

Copyright © 2024 by Chabad House Publications. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof, in any form, without permission, in writing, from Chabad House Publications.

Chabad House Publications is pleased to feature this text in the newly released “Daily Studies in Chitas — The Schottenstein Edition,” published by Chayenu and Kehot Publications Society.
Translation of Haftarah © Judaica Press, all rights reserved.
The text on this page contains sacred literature. Please do not deface or discard.