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כאשר ילדה רחל את יוסף WHEN RACHEL HAD BORN JOSEPH — after the birth of him who was to become Esau’s adversary (Genesis Rabbah 73:7) — as it is said (Obadiah 1:18) “And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame and the house of Esau for stubble“. Fire (Jacob) that has no flame (Joseph) has no effect at a distance. Therefore, when Joseph was born Jacob put his trust in the Holy One, blessed be He, and wished to return home (Obadiah 1:18).

שלחני, for now that Joseph had been born Yaakov’s second stint of 7 years labour for Lavan had come to an end.

שלחני ואלכה, even though Yaakov did not own any livestock at that time, seeing he had crossed the Yabbok with only his walking staff, he did have enough provisions and cash for himself and his extensive family. Had he not possessed these, it would have been irresponsible in the highest degree to undertake this kind of a journey relying on G’d’s miracles to sustain him. Furthermore, it is inconceivable that Lavan a wealthy and respected individual in his town, would consent to let Yaakov take his wives and children, Lavan’s own family, on a journey in which they would face death from starvation. Lavan’s objection to Yaakov’s departing at this time was based on self-interest. He pleaded with him, seeing he knew that his wealth had been due to Yaakov’s presence and he did not want to lose the source of his financial success.

ויהי כאשר ילדה, Yaakov told Lavan that now that all his wives and handmaids had born children including Rachel who had been barren, there was no further reason for him to detain Yaakov. There is an aggadic commentary quoted by Rashi according to which now that Joseph had been born Yaakov was reassured about his fear of Esau being able to harm him. He considered Joseph the antidote to such a danger. He had been told in a prophetic vision that the descendants of Esau would fall victim to the descendants of Joseph, and this is why he was prepared to go back now to his father’s house

ויהי כאשר ילדה רחל את יוסף, “it was as soon as Rachel had given birth to Joseph, etc.” Yaakov felt certain that now Lavan would permit him to leave, as there was no further reason for him to fear that Yaakov would divorce Rachel seeing that he had a child by her; it is also possible that before this even Rachel might not have been willing to leave her father’s house and town. She herself might have been afraid that Yaakov would divorce her if she failed to bear him any children.

אל מקומי ולארצי. Jithro spricht (4. B. M. 18, 30): אל ארצי ואל מולדתי אלך, und der räumlichen Beziehung nach ist doch auch dies das allein richtige; man kann sich nicht in seinem Wohnort befinden, ohne in seinem Lande zu sein. Nur bei Jakob war es etwas anderes; er hat wohl einen Wohnort, aber kein Land. Das Land war nur ein verheißenes, das Land der Zukunft. Darum heißt es auch wohl nicht ואל ארצי, sondern ולארצי. Das Land in seiner konkreten Gegenwart zieht ihn nicht hin, und er ist ihm durch seine Rückkehr konkret nicht näher als in Aram. Allein durch die in seinem Heimatsorte zu gründende Selbständigkeit lebt er mehr für das Land seiner Zukunft. Er lässt da seine Familie heranwachsen, wo ihre Enkel einmal ihr Heimatsland finden sollen.

ויהי כאשר רחל ילדה יוסף, “it occurred as soon as Rachel had born Joseph,” i.e. when Yaakov’s second term of indenture to Lavan had been completed; now all the 12 sons that were to become the twelve tribes of Israel had been born. [according to Ibn Ezra, who considers Dinah as one of those 12. Ed] Rachel’s giving birth completed this circle, she who had been described as barren in 29,31 finally having overcome her handicap. Yaakov therefore now approached Lavan by announcing that he planned to go home to his parents. A different interpretation: the words “ויאמר שלחני,” Yaakov had not asked Lavan for permission to leave previously because he was afraid that as long as Rachel was still barren, Lavan would suspect him of treating her with disdain on account of this. Now that she too had born him a son, he felt confident that Lavan would permit him to leave. We have found the following text in the book called seder olam: “eleven of the tribes, plus Dinah were born during the seven years of Yaakov serving his second term of seven years. Each one of these was born after a pregnancy of only seven months by his respective mother. The 84 months of these seven years are made up of the mothers being actively pregnant for six months each, and allowing for one week of ritual impurity separating each birth from the next.” [Clearly this is a mystic approach which saw in these 84 months a single preordained sequence, and the mothers all being perceived as if they were only one mother. Ed.] The text in seder olam interprets a statement in the Talmud Rosh hashanah 11 in this sense. [The Talmud there discusses the viability of a fetus that was born after less than 36 weeks’ pregnancy. Ed.]

שלחני, a polite form of asking permission, though in fact none was needed.