Génesis 29:16 Midrash: Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Seder Olam Rabbah, Sefer HaYashar (midrash) & Midrash Tanchuma Buber

(Fol. 10, b) And it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus. R. Levi, and according to others, R. Jochanan, said: "There is a tradition among us from our ancestors [who reicev it from] the men of the Great Assembly, that wherever Vayehi (it came to pass) occurs, it refers to some disaster. (Ruth 1) And it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, there was Haman; (Jud. 1) And it came to pass in the days of the Judges, there was hunger; (Gen. 6, 1) And it came to pass when men began to multiply, and soon after this it is written, And the children of man, etc. — [which caused the flood]; (Ib. 11, 2) And it came to pass as they journeyed toward the east, then there came the dispersion; (Ib. 14, 1) And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel … there was a war. (Josh. 5, 13) It came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho, etc. and he saw a man with a drawn sword in his hand; (Ib. 6, 27) And the Lord was (Va'yehi) with Joshua, and soon after this. And the children of Israel committed a trespass; (I Samuel) There was (Va'yehi) a certain man of Romathaim, and afterward, Hannah he loved, but the Lord had shut her womb; (Ib. 8, 1) It came to pass when Samuel became old … and his sons walked not in his way; (Ib. 18, 14) And David was successful all his ways, and soon follows, Saul was in dread of him; (II Sam. 7, 1) And it came to pass when the king dwelt in his house. But thou canst not build the Temple. But is it not written (Lev. 9, 1) And it came to pass on the eighth day, and we have been taught in a Baraitha: "That particular day caused as great rejoicing before the Holy One, praised be He! as did the day of creation, for it is written here. And it came to pass (Va'yehi) on the eighth day, and it is written (Gen. 1, 5) And it was (Vayehi) evening and it was morning the first day. [Hence we find Vayehi when a misfortune does not follow.] There also the tragedy of Nadab and Abihu happened (Lev. 10, 1-7). But is it not written (I Kings 6, 1) And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the going forth of the children of Israel out of Egypt, and it is also Written (Gen, 29, 16) While Jacob saw Rachel, and in Genesis (1, 5) And it was evening, and it was morning, the first day — and so on the second and third days although no disaster occurred? We must therefore say that wherever it is said, (Vayehi) It came to pass, there may or may not be a calamity; but whenever it is said, (Vayehi Bimai), And it came to pass in the days of, there a misfortune surely took place. There are five expressions, It came to pass in the days of, viz., in the days of Ahasuerus, the Judges, Amraphel, Ahaz (Is. 7) and Yehoyakim (Jer. 1) [and in every instance there was trouble] .

Our forefather Jacob was 63 when he was blessed. Ishmael died at that time as is written, "Esau saw that Isaac had blessed...Jacob listened to his father...Esau saw [the Canaanite women] were bad [in the eyes of Isaac]...Esau went to Ishmael..."(Genesis 28:9). There seems no need for the verse to state "sister of Nebaioth." What do we learn from the fact that it says "sister of Nebaioth"? We learn that Ishmael died and Nebaioth [Ishmael's firstborn therefore] married off his sister to Esau. Jacob our forefather hid [from Esau] 14 years in the land of Israel and served Eber. Eber died two years after Jacob went to Aram-Naharaim. [Jacob] left and went to Aram-Naharaim and he was found by the well when he was 77 years old and he was in Laban's house for 20 years: 7 before he married any matriarchs, 7 from when he married in the Matriarchs and 6 years after the 11 tribes and Dinah were born. It comes out that all the tribes were born in seven years besides Benjamin. Each and every one each 7 months. He left Aram-Naharaim and came to Succoth and stayed there 18 months as is written "And Jacob went to Succoth" (Genesis 33:17). He left Succoth and went to Bet El and made 6 new encampments close to the place.

And in the seventh year when Jacob’s servitude, in which he was bound to Laban, was ‎completed, Jacob said unto Laban: Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled. And Laban was ‎willing to do so; and Laban and Jacob gathered together all the people of the place, and they ‎prepared a feast. And in the evening Laban came to the house, and later came Jacob with all ‎the people of the feast, when Laban put out all the lights that were in the house. And Jacob ‎said unto Laban: What causeth thee to do these things unto us? And Laban replied: Such is the ‎custom in our land. And after wards Laban took Leah, his daughter, and brought her unto ‎Jacob. And Jacob came unto her, and he did not know that it was Leah. And Laban gave his ‎maid servant Zilpah to his daughter, Leah, for a hand-maid. And all the people of the feast ‎knew what Laban was doing unto Jacob, but they told not one word of it to Jacob. And all the ‎neighbors came that night to Jacob's house, and they ate and drank, and made merry before ‎Leah with music and dancing, and they cheered Jacob, exclaiming: Hilleah, hilleah (it is Leah). ‎And Jacob hearing their words, understood them not, for he thought such was the custom ‎among them. And the neighbors spoke these words before Jacob in the night, when all the ‎lights in the house were put out by Laban. And in the morning when it dawned, Jacob turned ‎unto his wife, and behold it was Leah that lay resting on his bosom. And Jacob said: Now I ‎understand what caused our neighbors to call unto me last night, Hilleah. Yes they told it unto ‎me, but I knew it not. And Jacob said unto Laban: What is this thou hast done unto me? did I ‎not serve with thee for Rachel, wherefore then hast thou beguiled me and given me Leah? ‎And Laban answered unto Jacob, saying: It must not be so done in our country to give the ‎younger into marriage before the first born; but if thou desirest to have her sister also, take ‎her for the service which thou wilt serve with me yet seven years. And Jacob did so, and he ‎took Rachel also to wife, and he served seven more years for Rachel. And Jacob came to ‎Rachel likewise, and he loved Rachel more than Leah; and Laban gave her his maid-servant ‎Bilhah, for a hand-maid. And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, the Lord visited her, and ‎she bear unto Jacob four sons in those days, and these were their names: Reuben, Simeon, ‎Levi and Judah, and she ceased bearing afterwards.‎