וַאֲבִיכֶן֙ הֵ֣תֶל בִּ֔י וְהֶחֱלִ֥ף אֶת־מַשְׂכֻּרְתִּ֖י עֲשֶׂ֣רֶת מֹנִ֑ים וְלֹֽא־נְתָנ֣וֹ אֱלֹהִ֔ים לְהָרַ֖ע עִמָּדִֽי׃
tandis que votre père s’est joué de moi et dix fois a changé mon salaire; mais Dieu n’a pas permis qu’il me fit du tort.
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
What is written above about the matter (in Gen. 30:25)? NOW IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN RACHEL HAB BORNE JOSEPH, THAT JACOB SAID UNTO LABAN: SEND ME AWAY < THAT I MAY GO TO MY OWN HOME AND MY LAND >. But, if you do not want to send me away, I am going without your permission. Laban said to him: With none of the sons that you sired except Joseph, have you said to me: SEND ME AWAY! He told him that he would bring Esau the Wicked to account. Ergo (in Gen. 30:25): SEND ME AWAY THAT I MAY GO < TO MY OWN HOME AND MY LAND >. (Gen. 30:27:) BUT LABAN SAID UNTO HIM…. I HAVE LEARNED BY DIVINATION < THAT THE LORD HAS BLESSED ME FOR YOUR SAKE >. On that very day at Jacob's feet he had found a treasure80Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34 adds: “i.e., a precious stone.” which would bring luck. He therefore says (in Gen. 30:27): I HAVE LEARNED BY DIVINATION. R. Berekhyah said: Laban had learned by divination, but Jacob did not know it. And what was he concerned about? (Gen. 30:27:) THAT THE LORD HAS BLESSED ME FOR YOUR SAKE. Laban said (in vs. 28): NAME YOUR WAGES. He said to him: You get the speckled < of the flock > and I get the mottled from whatever dams give birth. (Gen. 30:36:) AND JACOB WAS PASTURING THE FLOCK OF LABAN THAT REMAINED. What was it THAT REMAINED (HNWTRWT)? Resh Laqish said: The dams who were old, sterile, < and > sick.81This is the normal spelling of the Hebrew word, but the Masoretic Text spells it defectively as HNWTRT. Resh Laqish has deduced from the missing letter that the animals referred to were defective. See Gen. R. 73:9. By correcting the spelling, the Buber text has obscured the point. What is written (in vs. 37)? THEN JACOB TOOK A < FRESH > SHOOT OF WHITE POPLAR. R. Hosha'ya said: He fashioned an image; and, just as he fashioned, so they gave birth. He only failed to give them breath. They gave birth and multiplied before him. Laban went back on his < word >. Where is it shown? Where Jacob said so (in Gen. 31:7): AND HE CHANGED MY WAGES…. What did Jacob do when he delayed over him?82Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34 reads, “when he was obstinate with him.” He sent after the children of his house, as stated (in Gen. 31:4): SO JACOB SENT AND CALLED RACHEL AND LEAH TO THE FIELD. Why not within his house? R. Simeon ben Gamaliel said: For three things I like the children of the East:83Gen. R. 74:2; PRK 4:3; Ber. 8b (bar.)
Bereshit Rabbah
“My honesty will speak on my behalf on a future day, when you will review my wages before you: every one among the goats that is not speckled and spotted, or brown, among the sheep, was stolen by me” (Genesis 30:33).
“My honesty will speak on my behalf on a future day” – Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon said: It is written: “Do not glory in a future day” (Proverbs 27:1). You said: “My honesty will speak on my behalf on a future day” – in the future, your daughter will go out and be violated, as it is stated: “Dina, Leah’s daughter, went out” (Genesis 34:1).
“Laban said: Indeed, if only it will be in accordance with your statement” (Genesis 30:34).
“Laban said: Indeed, if only [hen lu] it will be in accordance with your statement” – Rabbi Ḥiyya bar 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.”16Hen means yes, lu indicates uncertainty, which constitutes the first step toward reneging on his agreement. The Rabbis say: One hundred times, as it is stated: “But your father has cheated me, and changed my wages ten times [monim]” (Genesis 31:7) – ten times ten, as a quorum [minyan] is no fewer than ten.
“He established a distance of three days’ journey between himself and Jacob. Jacob herded the remaining flock of Laban” (Genesis 30:36).
“He established a distance of three days…Jacob herded the remaining [notarot] flock of Laban” – Reish Lakish said: Notarot – among them of poor quality, among them barren, and among them ill. Nateret is written <just as="" it="" says:="" the="" front="" and="" the="" back="" teeth="" of="" the="" emperor="" fell="" [<i="">natur]>.17Ḥullin 59b.
“My honesty will speak on my behalf on a future day” – Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon said: It is written: “Do not glory in a future day” (Proverbs 27:1). You said: “My honesty will speak on my behalf on a future day” – in the future, your daughter will go out and be violated, as it is stated: “Dina, Leah’s daughter, went out” (Genesis 34:1).
“Laban said: Indeed, if only it will be in accordance with your statement” (Genesis 30:34).
“Laban said: Indeed, if only [hen lu] it will be in accordance with your statement” – Rabbi Ḥiyya bar 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.”16Hen means yes, lu indicates uncertainty, which constitutes the first step toward reneging on his agreement. The Rabbis say: One hundred times, as it is stated: “But your father has cheated me, and changed my wages ten times [monim]” (Genesis 31:7) – ten times ten, as a quorum [minyan] is no fewer than ten.
“He established a distance of three days’ journey between himself and Jacob. Jacob herded the remaining flock of Laban” (Genesis 30:36).
“He established a distance of three days…Jacob herded the remaining [notarot] flock of Laban” – Reish Lakish said: Notarot – among them of poor quality, among them barren, and among them ill. Nateret is written <just as="" it="" says:="" the="" front="" and="" the="" back="" teeth="" of="" the="" emperor="" fell="" [<i="">natur]>.17Ḥullin 59b.
Bereshit Rabbah
“He said to them: I see your father's countenance, and it is not toward me as in the past, and the God of my father was with me” (Genesis 31:5).
“And you know that I worked for your father with all of my strength” (Genesis 31:6).
“But your father has cheated me, and changed my wages ten times; but God did not allow him to harm me” (Genesis 31:7).
“He said to them: I see…But your father has cheated me” – 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”3Hen means yes, lu indicates uncertainty, which constitutes the first step toward reneging on his agreement. (Genesis 30:34). The Rabbis say: One hundred times, as it is stated: “But your father has cheated me, and changed my wages ten times [monim]” (Genesis 31:7); as a quorum [minyan] is no fewer than ten.
“If he said this: The speckled will be your wages, then all the flocks bore speckled, and if he said that: The streaked will be your wages, all the flocks bore streaked” (Genesis 31:8).
“God has diverted the livestock of your father, and given it to me” (Genesis 31:9).
“If he said this [im ko yomar]: The speckled will be your wages, then all the flocks bore [speckled]” – Rabbi Berekhya in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: The Holy One blessed be He foresaw what Laban was destined to do to our patriarch Jacob, and He shaped a corresponding form.4A form that corresponds with Laban’s final position. Im ko yomar – amar5Past tense. The first does not say that after Laban said which animals would be Jacob's salary, then all the births would be of that type. is not written here, but rather, yomar.6Future tense, as the Holy One blessed be He foresaw what Laban was going to do in the future, and before Laban said to Jacob what the new salary would be, the animals born were in accordance with the new salary. Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Aivu said: “For I have seen everything that Laban did to you” is not written here, but rather, “everything that Laban is doing to you” (Genesis 31:12).
“The angel of God said to me in the dream: Jacob, and I said: Here I am” (Genesis 31:11).
“The angel of God said to me in the dream…” – Rabbi Elazar ben Yaakov said: To him and to his generations. There is no generation that does not have one like Abraham. There is no generation that does not have one like Jacob. There is no generation that does not have one like Samuel.
“He said: Please lift your eyes and see, all the males that mount the flock are streaked, speckled, and mottled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you” (Genesis 31:12).
“He said: Please lift your eyes and see, all the males that mount the flock are…streaked, speckled…” – Rabbi Huna of Beit Ḥoron said: “Olim” is not written here, but rather, “haolim” – they mounted involuntarily.7The angel did not merely show him that males were mounting the flock, but rather he was shown that the angels were making sure that the right males were mounting the females. Rabbi Tanḥuma said: Torrential rain.8Transported the males from Laban’s flock. The Rabbis said: Clouds of glory. 9Transported the males from Laban’s flock.
“God has diverted the livestock of your father, and given it to me” – like one who saves items from refuse.
“And you know that I worked for your father with all of my strength” (Genesis 31:6).
“But your father has cheated me, and changed my wages ten times; but God did not allow him to harm me” (Genesis 31:7).
“He said to them: I see…But your father has cheated me” – 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”3Hen means yes, lu indicates uncertainty, which constitutes the first step toward reneging on his agreement. (Genesis 30:34). The Rabbis say: One hundred times, as it is stated: “But your father has cheated me, and changed my wages ten times [monim]” (Genesis 31:7); as a quorum [minyan] is no fewer than ten.
“If he said this: The speckled will be your wages, then all the flocks bore speckled, and if he said that: The streaked will be your wages, all the flocks bore streaked” (Genesis 31:8).
“God has diverted the livestock of your father, and given it to me” (Genesis 31:9).
“If he said this [im ko yomar]: The speckled will be your wages, then all the flocks bore [speckled]” – Rabbi Berekhya in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: The Holy One blessed be He foresaw what Laban was destined to do to our patriarch Jacob, and He shaped a corresponding form.4A form that corresponds with Laban’s final position. Im ko yomar – amar5Past tense. The first does not say that after Laban said which animals would be Jacob's salary, then all the births would be of that type. is not written here, but rather, yomar.6Future tense, as the Holy One blessed be He foresaw what Laban was going to do in the future, and before Laban said to Jacob what the new salary would be, the animals born were in accordance with the new salary. Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Aivu said: “For I have seen everything that Laban did to you” is not written here, but rather, “everything that Laban is doing to you” (Genesis 31:12).
“The angel of God said to me in the dream: Jacob, and I said: Here I am” (Genesis 31:11).
“The angel of God said to me in the dream…” – Rabbi Elazar ben Yaakov said: To him and to his generations. There is no generation that does not have one like Abraham. There is no generation that does not have one like Jacob. There is no generation that does not have one like Samuel.
“He said: Please lift your eyes and see, all the males that mount the flock are streaked, speckled, and mottled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you” (Genesis 31:12).
“He said: Please lift your eyes and see, all the males that mount the flock are…streaked, speckled…” – Rabbi Huna of Beit Ḥoron said: “Olim” is not written here, but rather, “haolim” – they mounted involuntarily.7The angel did not merely show him that males were mounting the flock, but rather he was shown that the angels were making sure that the right males were mounting the females. Rabbi Tanḥuma said: Torrential rain.8Transported the males from Laban’s flock. The Rabbis said: Clouds of glory. 9Transported the males from Laban’s flock.
“God has diverted the livestock of your father, and given it to me” – like one who saves items from refuse.