פּירוש אויף בראשית 28:20

“Gives me bread to eat and clothing to wear” [28:20]. He will give me bread to eat and clothes to wear. Rashi asks a question. Where did the Holy One promise to give Jacob bread? The explanation is the Holy One promised, “I will not leave you” [28:15]. I will not leave you. That is to say, when someone does not have bread, he is abandoned by God. Therefore, Jacob said: if He will continue to give me bread.²⁰Rashi, Genesis, 28:20.

Rabbi Isserl asks a question here. Where did the Holy One promise to give Jacob clothes? The explanation is that the Holy One said to the righteous that He would give them that they should have dignity. Everything that Jacob desired from the Holy One, the Holy One gave him everything that he desired on the way.²¹Be’ure Maharai, Genesis, 28:20.

Jacob had desired, “Bread to eat and clothes to wear” [28:20]. This means, bread to eat and clothes to wear. He received this when he was with Laban. He received wives from Laban. This is called “bread to eat.” The verse compares wives to bread. One cannot be without a wife, like [one cannot be] without bread. He also gave him clothes. That is to say, he had many sheep from Laban, out of which one makes clothes from the wool of the sheep.²²Bahya, Genesis, 28:21.

אם יהיה אלהים עמדי IF GOD WILL BE WITH ME — if He will keep for me these promises which He has made me that He would be with me, even as He said to me (v. 15), “Behold, I am with thee” (Genesis Rabbah 70:4),