פירוש על בראשית 31:49

והמצפה אשר אמר AND MIZPAH (literally, the Mizpah); BECAUSE HE SAID etc . — The word והמצפה and the Mizpah must refer to some well-known place bearing this name (for there are several places named Mizpah) it refers to the Mizpah which is in Mount Gilead — as it is written (Judges 11:29) “and he passed over Mizpah of Gilead”. Why was it also called Mizpah? Because each of them said to the other, “The Lord watch (יצף) between me and thee that thou shouldst not violate this covenant”.

AND MITZPAH. Rashi comments that the meaning of the verse is: “And the Mitzpah which is on Mount Gilead, as it is written, And he passed over Mitzpah of Gilead.²⁵³Judges 11:29. Why was it called Mitzpah? Because each of them said to the other, The Eternal ‘yitzeph’ (watch).” And if so, Mitzpah is the name of a high place on top of the mountain. In my opinion, however, Mitzpah is the stone which Jacob set up for a pillar²⁵⁴Verse 45 here. and is connected with the above verse: Therefore was the name of it called Galed,²⁵⁵Verse 48 here. and he also called it the Mitzpah because he said, The Eternal watch between me and thee. It is possible that this stone is Mitzpah of Gilead,²⁵³Judges 11:29. for the place was always called by the name of this stone.

והמצפה, this lookout is referred to in Judges 11,29.

והמצפה also the name מצפה itself was to serve as a witness. This was because immediately prior Lavan had said יצף ה' ביני ובינך, “may G’d watch between me and you.”

והמצפה, this was the monument he had previously called מצפה, as he had erected it on an elevated spot to serve as a lookout point. Another reason why Yaakov had chosen this name was יצף ה' ביני וביניך, that he had invoked G’d’s benevolent intervention based on their truce. Lavan called it something corresponding in the Aramaic language.

והמצפה אשר אמר, “he also called it mitzpah, (lookout) as he said.” According to Rashi this mountain which appears by that name in Judges 11,29, got its name from the fact that that both Yaakov and Lavan had said to the other that G’d would look down upon this monument to ensure that neither party would breach the agreement. Nachmanides, on the other hand, claims that if Rashi were correct there must have been a high platform on top of this pile of stones. In view of the unlikelihood of this, he believes that our verse is a continuation of verse 47, which had been interrupted by Lavan in verse 48. The words ויעקב קרא לו גלעד והמצפה על כן, must be read as a single sequence, i.e. Yaakov called the pile of stones “Gilad” as well as “hamitzpah.” The reason he did so was because he invited G’d to supervise the agreement which had been sealed between him and Lavan, and to protect him against any attempt to violate that agreement. Ibn Ezra writes that the words אשר אמר, (verse 49) refer back to Lavan, so that the meaning of the line is: “Yaakov called the pile “Mitzpah” because Lavan had said to him: “may G’d look upon (יצף) this monument, etc.”

והמצפה אשר אמר, “as to the watchtower he spoke of;” this line is a continuation of the word קרא in verse 48. The Torah explains the reason for the tower being called מצפה, “lookout, or watchtower.”

This Mitzpah is the one on Mount Gilad. Rashi means as follows: Why is Mount Gilad called Mitzpah, as seen from the verse in Shoftim 11:29, which mentions Mitzpah? [The answer is:] The verse itself explains that Gilad is called also Mitzpah because they said to one another, “May Hashem watch (יצף)...”

כי נסתר WHEN WE ARE ABSENT, and shall not see (be able to watch) one another.

יצף, from that location. Compare Ezekiel 3,17 where the word צופה is a noun, “sentinel.” The relative construction between יצף and צופה is parallel to Genesis 1,22 ירב בארץ and פרה ורבה in Genesis 35,11.

אשר אמר, previously.

כי נסתר, when they would live apart and not see each other so that neither would be aware of the other keeping to the terms of the agreement, G’d would be the witness between the two.