Komentarz do Rodzaju 29:30

עוד שבע שנים אחרות YET SEVEN OTHER YEARS — Scripture adds the apparently redundant word אחרות another seven years, for the purpose of comparing them to the preceding seven years. — Even as he had worked faithfully during the earlier period (not anticipating any deception on Laban’s part), so he worked faithfully during the latter period, although he (Laban) had practised this deception on him (Genesis Rabbah 70:20).

AND HE LOVED RACHEL MORE THAN LEAH. The reason why Scripture mentions that he also loved Rachel more than Leah is that it is natural for a man to have more love for the woman with whom he first had relations, just as the Sages have mentioned with reference to women:⁹⁴Sanhedrin 22b. “And she makes a firm commitment only to he who marries her first.” Thus Jacob’s loving Rachel more than Leah was unnatural. This is the sense of the word gam: [and he loved ‘gam’ Rachel than Leah].

ויאהב גם את רחל, he not only slept also with her, but also loved her more than he loved Leah. On most occasions in Scripture when the word גם appears in an inverted fashion, such as here, the meaning is similar. In Exodus 12,32 when Pharaoh said to Moses וברכתם גם אותי, the meaning is: “also bless me.” In Numbers 22,33 when the angel said to Bileam: גם אותך הרגתי, he meant: “I would also have killed you, seeing that I first squeezed your foot and you are already lame. Now I would have killed you if not for your ass lying down.”

ויאהב גם את רחל, not only because she was his wife, and such love is natural, but because she was Rachel, because of her distinct personality and her deeds which reflected this personality.

ויבא גם אל רחל. He also slept with Rachel. The reason that the word גם, also, appears twice in this verse maybe to indicate that Jacob spent more time with Rachel than with Leah. According to Bereshit Rabbah 98,4 Jacob's bed was usually besides that of Rachel. The Torah states not only that Jacob spent more time with Rachel but that he also loved her better than Leah. This was unnatural inasmuch as familiarity usually leads to a lessening of the bonds of love. We know this from Proverbs 25,17 where Solomon advises "visit your neighbour's house sparingly, otherwise he will become fed up with you." On the other hand, we are familiar with the proverb that "absence makes the heart grow fonder." This is what is meant when Proverbs 9,17 describes "stolen waters as especially sweet." In Jacob's relationship with Rachel and Leah respectively, these psychologically sound rules did not apply. All of this is alluded to in the repeated use of the word גם.

ויתן...ויבא גם אל רחל, just as he had slept with Leah previously, he now slept with Rachel.

ויאהב גם את רחל, “he loved Rachel also.” Concerning Yaakov also loving Rachel, when he had loved her all along, Nachmanides explains that normally a man loves the first woman he marries, i.e. has intimate relations with.. In this instance, the Torah informs us that in spite of this general rule, and Yaakov having had intimate relations with Leah, he continued also to love Rachel.

גם את רחל מלאה, “also Rachel, better than Leah.” The Torah means that whereas Yaakov did love Leah, he loved Rachel more. This was something contrary to accepted psychology prevalent in those days which claimed that a man’s greatest love is his first wife. This is the reason the Torah commenced this verse with the word גם, “also.”

[The Torah] compares the others to the first... Rashi deduced this from the extra word אחרות. Alternatively, since it is written עוד, it implies “additional” ones similar to the first ones. Just as he was faithful in the first ones, as Lavan had not yet deceived him, so was he faithful in the latter ones, although he had deceived him.

ויאהב גם את רחל, also liebte er Lea auch und ließ sie das Verfahren ihres Vaters und die Art, wie sie sein Weib geworden, nicht entgelten. Wir dürfen hieraus schließen, dass Lea ebenso wie Jakob vom Vater mit Vorspiegelung der örtlichen Sitte getäuscht worden, und sie nicht mit Bewusstsein die Täuschung geübt. "Er liebte auch Rachel, (und zwar) mehr als Lea".

ויאהב גם את רחל מלאה, “Yaakov also loved Rachel more than (he loved) Leah.” What is the meaning of the word גם, “also,” in this verse? Normally a man’s first wife occupies a permanent place in his heart, more so than any subsequent wives he will take. The Torah tells us that whenever Yaakov spent time with Rachel, he enjoyed that “quality time,” more than when he spent time with Leah. This was so although his first experience of marital intimacy had been with Leah. This is hinted at by the word גם.

מלאה, even though since she was his first wife it would have been natural for her to capture most of her husband’s love, (Yevamot 63) Yaakov preferred Rachel.

ויאהב גם את רחל, the Torah had to write this in order to inform us that Yaakov loved Leah also, even though originally he had not chosen her to become his wife. In the event, now that she had become his wife, he loved her just as most husbands love their wives. However, he loved Rachel better.