זֶה֩ עֶשְׂרִ֨ים שָׁנָ֤ה אָנֹכִי֙ עִמָּ֔ךְ רְחֵלֶ֥יךָ וְעִזֶּ֖יךָ לֹ֣א שִׁכֵּ֑לוּ וְאֵילֵ֥י צֹאנְךָ֖ לֹ֥א אָכָֽלְתִּי׃
Estos veinte años he estado contigo: tus ovejas y tus cabras nunca abortaron, ni yo comí carnero de tus ovejas.
Midrash Tehillim
Another interpretation: Who will ascend? This refers to our father Jacob, as it is said (Genesis 35:1), "Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there." Who will stand? This refers to Jacob, as it is said (Genesis 28:11), "And he encountered the place." Clean of hands. This refers to Jacob, as it is said (Genesis 31:38), "I worked for you for fourteen years." And with a pure heart. This refers to Jacob, as it is said (Genesis 37:3), "For he was the son of his old age." "Who did not lift up my soul in vain." This refers to Laban. And he did not swear to deceive, as it is said (Genesis 31:53), "And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac." He will receive a blessing from the Lord, as it is said (Genesis 35:9-10), "And God appeared to Jacob and blessed him."
Bereshit Rabbah
“These twenty years, I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and the rams of your flock I have not eaten” (Genesis 31:38).
“I did not bring a mauled animal to you, I bore its loss; from me you could demand it, whether stolen from me by day, or stolen from me by night” (Genesis 31:39).
“These twenty years…I did not bring a mauled animal to you” – that was killed. “I bore its loss [aḥatena]; from me you could demand it” – I would betray [hoteh] the lion, as so the Holy One blessed be He decreed for the lion, that it would maul and consume from Laban’s flock each day. If you say that were another shepherd there he would have saved them, the verse states: “Just as the lion or the young lion will roar over its prey, although a multitude of shepherds will be called against it, it will not be disheartened from their voice and it will not respond to their commotion” (Isaiah 31:4).
“Whether stolen from me by day or stolen from me by night” – they call me a thief during the day and a thief at night.22Because there were no sheep missing from your flock, everyone assumed that I stole from the flocks of others to replace those that were missing.
What would he recite?23What did Jacob recite all those nights that he did not sleep? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: He would recite the fifteen Songs of Ascent that are in the book of Psalms.24Psalms 120–134. That is what is written: “Had it not been for the Lord, who was with us, let Israel now say” (Psalms 124:1) – Israel the elder. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: He would recite the entire book of Psalms: “You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel” (Psalms 22:4) – Israel the elder.
“These twenty years, I” – Rabbi Ḥiyya Rabba said: Each and every matter that Laban would stipulate with Jacob, he would renege upon it ten times retroactively, as it is stated: “Hen lu.”25See subsection 3 above. The Rabbis say: One hundred times, as it is stated: “And changed my wages ten times [monim]” (Genesis 31:7), as a quorum [minyan] is no fewer than ten.26See subsection 3 above.
“I did not bring a mauled animal to you, I bore its loss; from me you could demand it, whether stolen from me by day, or stolen from me by night” (Genesis 31:39).
“These twenty years…I did not bring a mauled animal to you” – that was killed. “I bore its loss [aḥatena]; from me you could demand it” – I would betray [hoteh] the lion, as so the Holy One blessed be He decreed for the lion, that it would maul and consume from Laban’s flock each day. If you say that were another shepherd there he would have saved them, the verse states: “Just as the lion or the young lion will roar over its prey, although a multitude of shepherds will be called against it, it will not be disheartened from their voice and it will not respond to their commotion” (Isaiah 31:4).
“Whether stolen from me by day or stolen from me by night” – they call me a thief during the day and a thief at night.22Because there were no sheep missing from your flock, everyone assumed that I stole from the flocks of others to replace those that were missing.
What would he recite?23What did Jacob recite all those nights that he did not sleep? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: He would recite the fifteen Songs of Ascent that are in the book of Psalms.24Psalms 120–134. That is what is written: “Had it not been for the Lord, who was with us, let Israel now say” (Psalms 124:1) – Israel the elder. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: He would recite the entire book of Psalms: “You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel” (Psalms 22:4) – Israel the elder.
“These twenty years, I” – Rabbi Ḥiyya Rabba said: Each and every matter that Laban would stipulate with Jacob, he would renege upon it ten times retroactively, as it is stated: “Hen lu.”25See subsection 3 above. The Rabbis say: One hundred times, as it is stated: “And changed my wages ten times [monim]” (Genesis 31:7), as a quorum [minyan] is no fewer than ten.26See subsection 3 above.
Bereshit Rabbah
“Had the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, not been with me, then now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my hardship and the toil of my hands, and proved it last night” (Genesis 31:42).
“Had the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac not been [lulei]” – Zavdi ben Levi and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, Zavdi ben Levi said: Everywhere that lulei is stated, it came by the merit of the patriarchs. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said to him: But is it not written: “For, had we not [lulei] tarried”? (Genesis 43:10).27Judah said it to Jacob while trying to convince him to send Benjamin with them to Egypt. He said to him: Their very ascent was by the merit of the patriarchs, as had it not been for the merit of the patriarchs, they would not have ascended from there28From Egypt. in peace.
Rabbi Tanḥuma said: There are those who express the statement of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi to Zavdi ben Levi: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Everywhere that lulei is stated, it came by the merit of the patriarchs, except for this one.29The one from Genesis 43:10 which was just mentioned. He said to him: This one, too, was by the merit of the patriarchs. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Due to the sanctity of the Name.30God saved them so they could sanctify His name. Rabbi Levi said: By the merit of faith and by the merit of Torah. By the merit of faith – “had I not [lulei] believed” (Psalms 27:13); by the merit of Torah – “had Your Torah not been my delight” (Psalms 119:92).
“God saw my hardship and the toil of my hands” – Rabbi Yirmeya said: Labor is more beloved than the merit of the patriarchs, as the merit of the patriarchs salvaged money, while labor saved lives. The merit of the patriarchs salvaged money, as it is stated: “Had the God of my father…not been…[then now you would have sent me away empty-handed].” Labor saved lives – “God saw my hardship and the toil of my hands, and proved it last night.”31When God warned Laban not to harm Jacob.
“Had the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac not been [lulei]” – Zavdi ben Levi and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, Zavdi ben Levi said: Everywhere that lulei is stated, it came by the merit of the patriarchs. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said to him: But is it not written: “For, had we not [lulei] tarried”? (Genesis 43:10).27Judah said it to Jacob while trying to convince him to send Benjamin with them to Egypt. He said to him: Their very ascent was by the merit of the patriarchs, as had it not been for the merit of the patriarchs, they would not have ascended from there28From Egypt. in peace.
Rabbi Tanḥuma said: There are those who express the statement of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi to Zavdi ben Levi: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Everywhere that lulei is stated, it came by the merit of the patriarchs, except for this one.29The one from Genesis 43:10 which was just mentioned. He said to him: This one, too, was by the merit of the patriarchs. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Due to the sanctity of the Name.30God saved them so they could sanctify His name. Rabbi Levi said: By the merit of faith and by the merit of Torah. By the merit of faith – “had I not [lulei] believed” (Psalms 27:13); by the merit of Torah – “had Your Torah not been my delight” (Psalms 119:92).
“God saw my hardship and the toil of my hands” – Rabbi Yirmeya said: Labor is more beloved than the merit of the patriarchs, as the merit of the patriarchs salvaged money, while labor saved lives. The merit of the patriarchs salvaged money, as it is stated: “Had the God of my father…not been…[then now you would have sent me away empty-handed].” Labor saved lives – “God saw my hardship and the toil of my hands, and proved it last night.”31When God warned Laban not to harm Jacob.