Commentary for Genesis 31:22

ביום השלישי ON THE THIRD DAY—for there was a journey of three days between them.

ON THE THIRD DAY. For there was a journey of three days between them. Seven days’ journey—²⁰⁹Verse 23 here. throughout these three days during which the messenger had travelled to tell Laban that Jacob had proceeded on his journey, Jacob was consequently a six days’ journey distance from Laban. On the seventh day, [that is, on the day during which Jacob covered the stretch of ground which made him seven days’ journey distance from Laban’s starting point, Laban] overtook him. We may thus infer that the entire distance which Jacob covered in six²¹⁰“Six.” In our Rashi we have “seven,” which seems to fit the calculation better. days, Laban covered in one day. These are the words of Rashi quoting Bereshith Rabbah.²¹¹74:4. It is correct that Laban should proceed as a strong man to run his course,²¹²Psalms 19:6. for such is the way of pursuers. However, Laban had set a three days’ journey²¹³Above, 30:36. between his flock and the flock which was in Jacob’s care, not between the city and his flock. Thus if Laban tended his flocks to the east of the city, Jacob did so to the west, and between them there was a three days’ journey.²¹³Above, 30:36. Now Jacob began his journey from the city, in which were his wives, sons and daughters, and all his belongings with the exception of the flocks. The fact of his flight was told to Laban on the third day since they were not aware of it on the first day, and then Laban returned to his nearby city and took his brethren²⁰⁹Verse 23 here. from there, and starting from his city he pursued him for seven days. [Hence, it should have been said that what Jacob covered in ten days Laban covered in seven days!] We must say then, according to the opinion of Bereshith Rabbah, that it was from the field where the flocks were that Jacob left for the journey, and that Laban took his brethren with him from the shearers of his flocks. [Since there was a three days’ journey between them at the outset and Jacob had already travelled for three days, they were thus six travel days apart. On that day Laban was informed, and the following day he pursued him and overtook him. Jacob meanwhile had covered an additional day’s distance, with the result that the distance Jacob travelled in seven days, Laban covered in one day].
In Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer²¹⁴Chapter 36. it appears that Laban returned to his city, and from there he took all mighty men and all valiant ones, and he pursued Jacob from there.

ויגד...ביום השלישי, we explained this construction vayugad in 27,42.

ויגד ללבן ביום השלישי, “Lavan was informed on the third day, etc.” Rashi explains the time lag by the fact that Lavan’s flocks grazed a distance of three days travel from those which Yaakov tended. It does not refer to a distance between the town and the area where Lavan’s flocks were grazing. Nachmanides questions Rashi’s commentary that there is no proof for his contention as Yaakov hardly set out from the middle of the field, but went back to town to gather up his and his family’s belongings. It is possible that Lavan’s flocks grazed close to the town, these flocks being on the east side of town, whereas Yaakov grazed his flocks on the west side of the town. Yaakov returned home, gathered up his belongings. Seeing that he had not given Lavan reason to suspect that he was about to leave him, he gained an initial advantage and Lavan only found out that he was gone when he had occasion to return to the town. By the time Lavan had organized his sons and sheepshearers, arranged for a pursuit, plus the time spent riding in pursuit, seven days had elapsed until he caught up with Yaakov.

ויוגד ללבן ביום השלישי, “Lavan was told on the third day.” There was a distance of three days’ journey between the area where Yaakov and Lavan grazed their flocks respectively. When the person who told Lavan that Yaakov had left told him about it on the third day, Lavan took his brothers with him and returned to Padan Aram, so that six days had elapsed until he could begin the pursuit. On the seventh day Lavan caught up with Yaakov. This is the meaning of the words וירדף אחריו שבעת ימים, “he pursued him for (a distance of) seven days.” This shows that during the six days Yaakov had managed to cover only a single day’s distance. It is possible that Yaakov left Padan Aram on a Sunday and that Lavan caught up with him on the Sabbath, seeing Yaakov would not travel on that day.