וַיַּ֨עַן לָבָ֜ן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֗ב הַבָּנ֨וֹת בְּנֹתַ֜י וְהַבָּנִ֤ים בָּנַי֙ וְהַצֹּ֣אן צֹאנִ֔י וְכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה רֹאֶ֖ה לִי־ה֑וּא וְלִבְנֹתַ֞י מָֽה־אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֤ה לָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ הַיּ֔וֹם א֥וֹ לִבְנֵיהֶ֖ן אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָלָֽדוּ׃
Lalu Laban menjawab dan berkata kepada Yakub: “Anak-anak perempuan ini adalah anak-anak perempuanku, anak-anak ini adalah anak-anakku, kambing domba ini adalah kambing dombaku, dan segala yang kaulihat ini adalah milikku. Tetapi apa yang dapat kulakukan hari ini terhadap anak-anak perempuanku ini, atau terhadap anak-anak yang telah mereka lahirkan?
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer
The sons of a man's sons are like his own sons. Whence do we learn (this)? From Jacob, because it is said, "Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, shall be mine" (Gen. 48:5). Were they his sons? Were they not the sons of his son? But it teaches thee that the sons of a man's sons are as his own sons. And the sons of one's daughters are as one's own sons. Whence do we learn (this)? From Laban, because it is said, "And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, The daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons" (Gen. 31:43). Were they then his sons? Were they not the sons of his daughters? But it teaches thee that the sons of a man's daughters are like his own sons.
Bereshit Rabbah
“Laban responded and said to Jacob: The girls are my daughters, and the boys are my sons, and the flocks are my flocks, and everything that you see is mine, and to my daughters, what can I do to them today, or to their children whom they have borne?” (Genesis 31:43).
“Laban responded and said to Jacob: The girls are my daughters, and the boys are my sons” – Rabbi Avin said: All of them were his daughters: “The girls are my daughters” – that is two; “And to my daughters, what can I do” – that is four.32Bilha and Zilpa too. The Rabbis cite it from here: “If you afflict my daughters” (Genesis 31:50) – that is two; “or if you take wives in addition to my daughters” (Genesis 31:50) – that is four.
“And now let us, me and you, make a covenant, and let it be a witness between me and you” (Genesis 31:44).
“Jacob took a stone, and established it as a monument” (Genesis 31:45).
“Jacob took a stone” – Rabbi Yoḥanan said: It was like that protruding stone of Tiberias.
“Jacob said to his brethren: Gather stones, and they took stones and made a pile, and they ate there on the pile” (Genesis 31:46).
“Jacob said to his brethren: Gather stones” – how many brothers did he have? He had one, if only he had buried him. It is, rather, his sons, who are called his brethren in the sacred tongue. Rav Huna said: They were mighty like him; righteous like him. Rabbi Yudan said: When a person dons his father’s garments, he is like him.
“Laban responded and said to Jacob: The girls are my daughters, and the boys are my sons” – Rabbi Avin said: All of them were his daughters: “The girls are my daughters” – that is two; “And to my daughters, what can I do” – that is four.32Bilha and Zilpa too. The Rabbis cite it from here: “If you afflict my daughters” (Genesis 31:50) – that is two; “or if you take wives in addition to my daughters” (Genesis 31:50) – that is four.
“And now let us, me and you, make a covenant, and let it be a witness between me and you” (Genesis 31:44).
“Jacob took a stone, and established it as a monument” (Genesis 31:45).
“Jacob took a stone” – Rabbi Yoḥanan said: It was like that protruding stone of Tiberias.
“Jacob said to his brethren: Gather stones, and they took stones and made a pile, and they ate there on the pile” (Genesis 31:46).
“Jacob said to his brethren: Gather stones” – how many brothers did he have? He had one, if only he had buried him. It is, rather, his sons, who are called his brethren in the sacred tongue. Rav Huna said: They were mighty like him; righteous like him. Rabbi Yudan said: When a person dons his father’s garments, he is like him.
Bereshit Rabbah
“Laban called it Yegar Sahaduta and Jacob called it Galed” (Genesis 31:47).
“Laban called it Yegar Sahaduta” – Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: Let this Persian language33This is a reference to Aramaic. not be insignificant in your eyes, as in the Torah, in the Prophets, and in the Writings, we find that the Holy One blessed be He pays tribute to it. In the Torah: “Laban called it Yegar Sahaduta”; in the Prophets: “So you shall say to them…” (Jeremiah 10:11);34The entire verse is written in Aramaic. in the Writings: “The Chaldeans spoke Aramaic to the king” (Daniel 2:4).
“And Laban said: This pile is a witness between me and you today, therefore he called it Galed” (Genesis 31:48).
“And the Mitzpa, as he said: The Lord will observe between me and you, because we will be concealed one from the other” (Genesis 31:49).
“And the Mitzpa, as he said: The Lord will observe [between me and you, because we will be concealed [ki nisater]]” – Rabbi Abbahu said: “Ki yisater” is not written here, but rather, “ki nisater.”35The singular – yisater – can mean that one hides from the other. The plural – nisater – infers that both of them maintain their distance from each other. Until now we have been seeing one another, from now on we will not be seeing one another.
“If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives in addition to my daughters, though no one else be about; see, God is witness between me and you” (Genesis 31:50).
“If you afflict my daughters” – Rabbi Reuven said: They were all his daughters – “the girls are my daughters” (Genesis 31:43).36See subsection 13.
“If you afflict my daughters” – you will not take [other] wives during their lifetime; “if you take wives in addition to my daughters” – after their deaths;37Even after their deaths you should not take another wife. “see, God is witness between me and you.”
“Laban called it Yegar Sahaduta” – Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: Let this Persian language33This is a reference to Aramaic. not be insignificant in your eyes, as in the Torah, in the Prophets, and in the Writings, we find that the Holy One blessed be He pays tribute to it. In the Torah: “Laban called it Yegar Sahaduta”; in the Prophets: “So you shall say to them…” (Jeremiah 10:11);34The entire verse is written in Aramaic. in the Writings: “The Chaldeans spoke Aramaic to the king” (Daniel 2:4).
“And Laban said: This pile is a witness between me and you today, therefore he called it Galed” (Genesis 31:48).
“And the Mitzpa, as he said: The Lord will observe between me and you, because we will be concealed one from the other” (Genesis 31:49).
“And the Mitzpa, as he said: The Lord will observe [between me and you, because we will be concealed [ki nisater]]” – Rabbi Abbahu said: “Ki yisater” is not written here, but rather, “ki nisater.”35The singular – yisater – can mean that one hides from the other. The plural – nisater – infers that both of them maintain their distance from each other. Until now we have been seeing one another, from now on we will not be seeing one another.
“If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives in addition to my daughters, though no one else be about; see, God is witness between me and you” (Genesis 31:50).
“If you afflict my daughters” – Rabbi Reuven said: They were all his daughters – “the girls are my daughters” (Genesis 31:43).36See subsection 13.
“If you afflict my daughters” – you will not take [other] wives during their lifetime; “if you take wives in addition to my daughters” – after their deaths;37Even after their deaths you should not take another wife. “see, God is witness between me and you.”