Commentaire de citation sur La Genèse 31:23

your hair is like a flock of goats. This praise is allegorized as the praise of a woman beloved by her bridegroom [who says to her], “Within your kerchief, your hair is beautiful and shines with brilliance and whiteness, like the hair of white goats descending from the mountains, and whose hair shines from a distance.” And the allegory with which he compares the congregation of Yisroel is as follows: From within your camps and your dwelling places, even the empty ones among you⁴See Rashi in Verse 3 below. are as dear to Me as Yaakov and his sons, who trailed down from Mount Gilad when Lavan overtook them there.⁵See Bereishis 31:23. Another explanation, like those who mobilized against Midyan beyond the Yardein, which is in the land of Gilad. This version is in Midrash Shir Hashirim.

AND JACOB SAID UNTO HIS BRETHREN. I.e., to Laban’s brothers mentioned above,²⁴⁴Verse 23 here. who had accompanied him, as Jacob did not want to say it to his father-in-law whom he treated with respect. Likewise, the verse, And he [Jacob] called his brethren to eat bread,²⁴⁵Verse 54 here. also refers to Laban’s brothers, and he did not invite Laban to eat bread as an act of respect, as if everything is under his authority and is all his. A similar case is the verse, And Pharaoh said unto his brethren: What is your occupation?²⁴⁶Further, 47:3. [which means he said it to Joseph’s brethren]. But Rashi explained: “And Jacob said unto his brethren — to Jacob’s brothers, [meaning, his sons, who were like brothers to him since they stood by him in trouble and in battle].” However, those that came with Laban, whom Scripture calls “his brethren”, were really his friends and companions.
It is possible that that which is said concerning Laban, And he took his brethren with him,²⁴⁴Verse 23 here. refers to his kinsmen, members of his family from the seed of Nahor the brother of Abraham. He did this because he did not want to bring against Jacob strangers lest they fight with him intensely, or covet, rob and steal his belongings. Thus these men were kinsmen to Jacob just as to Laban, and therefore they are called “brethren” of both.
And some say²⁴⁷P’sikta Zutrata above on Chapter 29, Verse 4. that Jacob ethically referred to them as “my brothers,” just as he said to the shepherds, My brethren, whence are ye?²⁴⁸Above, 29:4. And in Bereshith Rabbah, the Sages have said:²⁴⁹74:11. “And Jacob said unto his brethren — these are his sons, whom, in a respectful manner, he called his brothers.” However, with respect to the verse, And he called his brethren to eat bread,²⁴⁵Verse 54 here. the Midrash did not explain [that “his brethren” refers to his sons]! The correct interpretation is the one I wrote at the outset.