La Genèse 31:34 Midrash : Midrash Tanchuma, Aggadat Bereshit & Bereshit Rabbah

And God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream of the night (Gen. 31:24). This is one of the occasions on which the Holy One, blessed be He, contaminated the purity of His divine glory in behalf of the righteous. It happened also when God came to Abimelech in a dream (Gen. 20:3) on Sarah’s behalf. Laban began to rebuke Jacob, saying: And now that thou art surely gone, because thou sore longest after thy father’s house, wherefore hast thou stolen my gods? (ibid. 31:30). He replied: With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, he shall not live (ibid., v. 32). At that moment Rachel’s death was decreed. Laban searched the entire tent but was unable to find them. Now Rachel had taken the teraphim (ibid., v. 34). Why did she steal them? To prevent them from informing Laban that Jacob had fled with his wives, his sons, and his flock. Do teraphim actually speak? They do indeed, as it is written: The teraphim have spoken vanity (Zech. 10:2). This is so even though you say: Eyes have they, but they see not (Ps. 115:5).

Chapter (67) 68: Prophets [1] "In the second year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai" (Haggai 1:1). Like the scriptures say: "A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level,the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:3-5) [also look: Eikhah Rabbah 1:23]. "A voice calls out [in the wilderness]" [edit: ] . Rabbi Levi said: "Why is it called 'in the wilderness'? Rather, it is in accordance with the practice of the world. Just as someone who lost a valuable object does not search for it in the place where it was lost, but rather in a public place where many people pass through, so too the Holy One, blessed be He, caused Israel to be lost in the wilderness, as it is said, 'In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die' (Numbers 14:35), and there He goes and seeks them. A voice calls out in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way.' What should we prepare? He said to them, 'Remove the obstacles from among you.' As Laban said to Eliezer, 'Do not be delayed by me, now that the Lord has granted success to your journey. Let me see you off and send you on your way to my master' (Genesis 24:56). Laban had already uprooted [Rebecca] from here [Haran] for Eliezer's sake, as it is said, 'And I have set my face towards the Lord' (Genesis 24:27). And what about the place for the camels? He said to him, 'Rebecca does not steal in this place. And I have set my face towards the Lord.' And who will steal [the idols]? Rachel, who is destined to stand up [to Laban], will steal them and put them among the camels, as it is said, 'And Rachel took the teraphim * [*תְּרָפִים m.n. pl. a kind of household idols. Of uncertain origin. According to Neubauer and others, related to רֽפָאִים ᴵ (= shades, ghosts ).], and put them in the camel's saddle' (Genesis 31:34). Alternatively, 'And I have set my face towards the Lord' is a reference to the statue of Manasseh. And when was it [that it was hidden]? When Nebuchadnezzar went out to destroy it, as it is compared to a camel, as it is said, 'The burden upon beasts of burden' (Isaiah 21:7). The burden upon beasts of burden is the Messiah, and the burden upon a camel is Nebuchadnezzar. On the day that Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the Temple, the Messiah was born, as it is said, 'And Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one' (Isaiah 10:34), and 'a shoot shall grow out of the stock of Jesse' (Isaiah 11:1). Therefore, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God' (Isaiah 40:3), straighten yourselves like those whom I straightened out in the wilderness who were crooked, 'and let every valley be exalted, and every mountain and hill be made low' (Isaiah 40:4), so that you will no longer be afraid of sin, as it is said, 'Look at your way in the valley' (Jeremiah 2:23)." Alternative interpretation: "All valleys will be exalted. I will carry Moshe, who was buried in a valley, as it is written 'And He buried him in the valley' (Deuteronomy 34:6). This can be compared to a wise man who entrusted his son to a scribe to learn Torah laws and teachings. When they came to appoint him as a wise man, he said, 'I swear that my son has not yet been appointed a wise man until his teacher comes and sanctifies him.' Similarly, Hashem entrusted Israel to Moshe and taught them everything, as it is written, 'See, I have taught you statutes and laws' (Deuteronomy 4:5). And the Messiah will come to redeem them, and Hashem says to him, 'I swear that my children will not be redeemed until Moshe Rabbeinu comes,' as it is written, 'I saw his beginning and ending' (Isaiah 41:4). Why do I carry him? 'Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill shall be made low' (Isaiah 40:4). These are the kingdoms, as it is written, 'And I looked up and saw four chariots coming out from between two mountains' (Zechariah 6:1). And 'The crooked shall be made straight and the rough places smooth' (Isaiah 40:4). This refers to the evil inclination, as it is written, 'The heart is deceitful above all things' (Jeremiah 17:9). And 'The riders shall come down to the plain' (Isaiah 40:4). These are wicked people, as David says, 'You will hide them in the shelter of Your presence from the intrigues of men' (Psalms 31:21). Afterwards, 'And the glory of Hashem shall be revealed' (Isaiah 40:5), because in this world the prophets prophesy indirectly, saying, 'I saw Hashem standing by the altar' (Amos 9:1). Ezekiel says, 'The word of Hashem came to me and I saw visions by the river Kevar' (Ezekiel 1:1). Amos says, 'Behold, Hashem stood upon a wall with a plumb line' (Amos 7:7). "And the prophet Haggai prophesied about the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem" (Ezra 5:1), but in the future, everyone will see it, as it is said, "And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken" (Isaiah 40:5).

“And Jacob answered, and said to Laban: Because I was afraid, because I said that you might steal your daugters from me” (Genesis 31:31).
“With whomever you find your gods, he shall not live; before our brethren, identify what is with me, and take them for yourself. And Jacob did not know that Rachel stole them” (Genesis 31:32).
“With whomever you find your gods, he shall not live” – and so it was, “like an error that emerges from the ruler” (Ecclesiastes 10:5). “Rachel stole…” (Genesis 31:19); “Rachel died…” (Genesis 35:19).
“Laban came into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two maidservants, but he did not find; he emerged from Leah's tent, and came into Rachel’s tent” (Genesis 31:33).
“Laban came into Jacob’s tent, and into Rachel’s tent” – “into Jacob’s tent,” which was Rachel’s tent; “and into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two maidservants…he emerged from Leah’s tent, and came into Rachel's tent.” Why into Rachel’s tent twice? It is because he was familiar with her, that she was a toucher.²¹She had a tendency to touch items that did not belong to her and take them.
“Rachel had taken the household idols, placed them in the cushion of the camel, and she sat upon them. Laban felt throughout the tent and did not find” (Genesis 31:34).
“Rachel had taken the household idols, placed them in the cushion of the camel” – in the camel’s saddle.
“She said to her father: Let my lord not be angry, as I cannot arise before you because the manner of women is upon me. He searched, but did not find the household idols” (Genesis 31:35).
“And she sat upon them…she said to her father: Let my lord not be angry, as I cannot…” – Rabbi Yoḥanan said: He did not find household idols, but he found jugs. The household idols were transformed into jugs so as not to embarrass Rachel.