Берешит 29:12 Мидраш: Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition) & Bereshit Rabbah

(Ib. b.) And Esther still did not tell her nation. R. Chama said: What is the meaning of the passage (Job 36, 7) He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous. i.e., as a reward for her modesty, Rachel merited that King Saul descended from her; and as a reward for Saul's modesty he merited that Esther descended from him." Wherein was Rachel modest? It is written (Gen. 29, 12) And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother. Was he then her father's brother? Indeed, he was the son of her father's sister! This means, he asked her: "Will you marry me?" "Yes," she answered, adding, "but my father is a trickster, and he will deceive you." To this he answered: "I am his brother in trickery." And she asked him: "Are righteous men permitted to walk in the ways of deceit (to deal fraudently with a deceiver)?" "Yes," answered he, "for it is written (Ps. 18, 27) With the pure Thou wilt show Thyself pure, and with the perverse Thou wilt wage a contest." He then asked Rachel: "How can he cheat me?" And she replied: "I have an elder sister, and he will not let me marry before her." So he confided some signs to him by which he could distinguish her. And when Leah was brought in her stead, Rachel said: "My sister will be put to shame." So she confided in return the signs to her. And this explains the Passage, And it came to pass that in the morning. Behold, it is Leah; i.e. Until the morning he knew it not, because Leah knew the sign which Jacob had confided unto Rachel, which she told to him. And therefore Rachel was rewarded that Saul descended from her. And what was Saul's modesty? It is written (I Sam. 10, 16) And Saul said unto his uncle, he told me that asses had been found, but of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel had spoken, he told him not. For this he was rewarded that Esther descended from him. R. Elazar said again in the name of R. Chanina: "When the Holy One, praised be He! decrees greatness for a man, it is for him and his descendants to the end of all generations; as it is said (Job 36, 7) He doth establish them forever, and they are exalted. But if he becomes proud, the Holy One, praised be He! will lower him, as it is said (Ib. 8) If they be bound in fetters, and if they be entangled in the cords of affliction."

R. Chelbo questioned R. Samuel h. Nachmeni: "What is the reason that Jacob took away the privilege of the first-born from Reuben and gave it to Joseph?" You ask for the reason? Does not the Scripture state the reason When he defiled his father's bed? "What I ask, is this: Why did he give it to Joseph?" and he rejoined: "I will tell you a parable to which this case is similar: There was one who had raised an orphan in his house. At a later period the orphan became rich, and thought, I will recompense my benefactor." R. Chelbo said to him: "And how would it have been had Reuben not sinned? Then Jacob would have given nothing to Joseph?" R. Samuel b. Nachmeni replied: "Your teacher, R. Jonathan, did not explain it so, but as follows: The first-born was destined to come from Rachel, as it is written (Ib. 37) These are the generations of Jacob and Joseph. But Leah was preferred by virtue of her prayers. Nevertheless, because of Rachel's discretion, the Holy One, praised be He! returned it to her." And in what consisted Rachel's discretion? As it is written (Ib. 12) And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son. The brother of her father? Was he not the son of her father's sister? It was thus: He asked her whether she would marry him. She said, "Yea, but my father is very shrewd, and you cannot persuade him." And to the question: "What does it mean?" She answered: "I have a sister who is older than me, and my father will not give me to you while she is not married." Then he said: "I am his brother in shrewdness." She then asked him: "Is it, then, allowed to the upright to be shrewd?" And he answered: "Yea, as (II Sam. 22, 27) With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure, and with the perverse thou wilt wage a contest." And then he furnished her with some signs, that when she should be brought to him he would ask her for these signs, and he might be sure that she was not exchanged for Leah. Thereafter, when Leah was about to be brought to him instead of Rachel, the latter said to herself: "Now my sister will he ashamed." She went and confided the signs to her. And this is what is written (Gen. 29, 25) And it came to pass that in the morning, behold, it was Leah. From which it is to be inferred that until the morning he did not know that she was Leah, because of the signs which Leah received from Rachel.

“The girl ran and told her mother’s household all about these matters” (Genesis 24:28).
“The girl ran and told her mother’s household” – Rabbi Yoḥanan said: A woman frequents only her mother’s household. They raised an objection to him: “She [Rachel] told her father” (Genesis 29:12). He said to them: That was because her mother had died. To whom could she have told? Is it not to her father?
“Rebecca had a brother and his name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man, to the spring” (Genesis 24:29).
“When he saw the nose ring and the bracelets upon his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebecca his sister, saying: So spoke the man to me, he came to the man and, behold, he was standing beside the camels at the spring” (Genesis 24:30).
“Rebecca had a brother and his name was Laban” – Rabbi Yitzḥak said a favorable interpretation – he was very fair in complexion.²⁵Lavan (Laban) means white. Rabbi Berekkya said an unfavorable interpretation – he was white, [i.e. pure], in wickedness.
“Laban ran out to the man, to the spring [haayin]” – he was assessing [me’ayen] him.²⁶He was looking over Eliezer, to see if he might get some money from him.
“He was standing beside the camels at the spring [haayin]” – he [Laban] was assessing [me’ayen] himself.²⁷Whether or not he would be able to deceive Eliezer to benefit himself.
“He said: Come, blessed of the Lord; why are you standing outside, and I have cleared the house and place for the camels?” (Genesis 24:31).
“He said: Come, blessed of the Lord” – he thought that he was Abraham, as the contours of his face resembled him.
Rabbi Yosei ben Dosa said: Canaan²⁸Canaan was cursed by Noah (Genesis 9:25). and Eliezer were one and the same, and because he faithfully served that righteous man [Abraham], he emerged from the ranks of the cursed and entered the ranks of the blessed.
“He said: Come, blessed of the Lord” – Rabbi Yaakov said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan of Beit Guvrin, who would use this as a parting statement:²⁹When taking leave of his host. If Eliezer, by means of faithfully serving that righteous man, emerged from the ranks of the cursed and entered the ranks of the blessed, then the people of Israel, who perform acts of kindness for their greater and lesser members with their hands and their feet, all the more so.
“Why are you standing outside” – it is not in keeping with your esteem to remain outside.
“And I have cleared the house” – from the filth of idol worship.