Chumashחומש

אעבדך שבע שנים. הֵם יָמִים אֲחָדִים שֶׁאָמְרָה לוֹ אִמּוֹ וְיָשַׁבְתָּ עִמּוֹ יָמִים אֲחָדִים (בראשית רבה); וְתֵדַע שֶׁכֵּן הוּא, שֶׁהֲרֵי כְתִיב וַיִּהְיוּ בְעֵינָיו כְּיָמִים אֲחָדִים (בראשית כ"ט):

אעבדך שבע שנים I WILL SERVE THEE SEVEN YEARS — These are the “few days” of which his mother had spoken to him (27:44)): “And thou shalt tarry with him a few days”. You can see that this is so, for it is written (v. 20) “And they (the seven years) were in his eyes (i.e. according to his view) the few days” of which his mother had spoken (Genesis Rabbah 70:17).

ברחל בתך הקטנה. כָּל הַסִּימָנִים הַלָּלוּ לָמָּה? לְפִי שֶׁהוּא יוֹדֵעַ בּוֹ שֶׁהוּא רַמַּאי, אָמַר לוֹ, אֶעֱבָדְךָ בְרָחֵל, וְשֶׁמָּא תֹּאמַר רָחֵל אֲחֶרֶת מִן הַשּׁוּק, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר בִּתְּךָ, וְשֶׁמָּא תֹּאמַר אַחֲלִיף לְלֵאָה שְׁמָהּ וְאֶקְרָא שְׁמָהּ רָחֵל, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר הַקְּטַנָּה; וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן לֹא הוֹעִיל, שֶׁהֲרֵי רִמָּהוּ:

ברחל בתך הקטנה (literally, for Rachel, thy daughter, the younger one) — What reason was there for mentioning all these detailed descriptions of Rachel? Because he (Jacob) knew that he (Laban) was a deceiver. He said to him, “I will serve thee for Rachel”: and should you say that I mean any other Rachel out of the street, therefore I say “your daughter”. Should you say, “I will change Leah’s name and call her Rachel”, I say “your younger one”. In spite of this, however, all these precautions did not avail, for he did actually deceive him (Genesis Rabbah 70:17).

מלאו ימי. שֶׁאָמְרָה לִי אִמִּי, וְעוֹד מָלְאוּ יָמַי, שֶׁהֲרֵי אֲנִי בֶן פ"ד שָׁנָה וְאֵימָתַי אַעֲמִיד י"ב שְׁבָטִים? וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר וְאָבוֹאָה אֵלֶיהָ, וְהֲלֹא קַל שֶׁבַּקַּלִּים אֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר כֵּן? אֶלָּא לְהוֹלִיד תּוֹלָדוֹת אָמַר כֵּן:

מלאו ימי MY DAYS ARE FULFILLED — which my mother told me to remain with you. And another explanation is: MY DAYS ARE FULFILLED for I am now eighty-four years old and when shall I beget twelve tribes? That is what he meant by adding “that I may go in unto her”; for surely even the commonest of people would not use such an expression. But he said this because his mind was intent upon having issue (to fulfil his mission of rearing children who would carry on the religious traditions of his fathers) (Genesis Rabbah 70:18).

ויהי בבקר והנה היא לאה. אֲבָל בַּלַּיְלָה לֹא הָיְתָה לֵאָה, לְפִי שֶׁמָּסַר יַעֲקֹב סִימָנִים לְרָחֵל, וּכְשֶׁרָאֲתָה רָחֵל שֶׁמַּכְנִיסִין לוֹ לֵאָה אָמְרָה: עַכְשָׁו תִּכָּלֵם אֲחוֹתִי, עָמְדָה וּמָסְרָה לָהּ אוֹתָן סִימָנִים (מגילה י"ג):

ויהי בבקר והנה הוא לאה AND IT CAME TO PASS, THAT IN THE MORNING, BEHOLD, IT WAS LEAH —But at night it was not Leah (i. e. he failed to recognise that it was Leah) because Jacob had given Rachel certain secret signs by which they could at all times recognise one another, and when Rachel saw that they were about to bring Leah to him for the marriage ceremony, she thought, “My sister may now be put to shame”, and she therefore readily transmitted these signs to her (Megillah 13b).

מלא שבע זאת. דָּבוּק הוּא, שֶׁהֲרֵי נָקוּד בַּחֲטָף, שָׁבוּעַ שֶׁל זֹאת, וְהֵן שִׁבְעַת יְמֵי הַמִּשְׁתֶּה, בְּתַלְמוּד יְרוּשׁ' בְּמוֹעֵד קָטָן (וְאִ"אֶ לוֹמַר שָׁבוּעַ מַמָּשׁ, שֶׁאִם כֵּן הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְהִנָּקֵד בְּפַתָּח הַשִּׁי"ן; וְעוֹד שֶׁשָּׁבוּעַ לְשׁוֹן זָכָר, כְּדִכְתִיב שִׁבְעָה שָׁבֻעֹת תִּסְפָּר לָךְ, לְפִיכָךְ אֵין מַשְׁמַע שָׁבוּעַ אֶלָּא שִׁבְעָה, שטיי"נא בְּלַעַז):

מלא שבע זאת FULFIL THE WEEK OF THIS ONE — The word is in the construct state for it is punctuated with Sheva, so that the meaning is “the seven days of this woman”, referring to the seven days of the marriage feast. Such is the statement in the Talmud Yerushalmi Moed Katan 1:7. It is impossible to say that it means an actual week, (i. e. a calendar week), so that it would mean “finish this week” in the sense “wait until this week be ended”) — for, if so, the ש should be punctuated with Patach (Rashi terms our Kametz a Patach) for the noun must be in the absolute state. Then, again, the word שָׁבֻעַ is masculine — as it is written (Deuteronomy 16:9) “Seven (שבעה) weeks shalt thou number unto thyself” (and here we should have had שָׁבֻעַ זֶה). Consequently the word שבוע can only mean “a period of seven days” old French septaine (cf. Rashi on Exodus 10:22).

ונתנה לך. לְשׁוֹן רַבִּים, כְּמוֹ נֵרְדָה וְנָבְלָה וְנִשְׂרְפָה (בראשית י"א), אַף זֶה לְשׁוֹן וְנִתֵּן:

ונתנה לך AND WE WILL GIVE THEE — The verb is plural 1st pers. like (נרדה) (Genesis 11:7) “let us go down”, ונבלה “and let us confuse and (Genesis 11:3) ונשרפה “and let us burn": so, also here, it is a form of וְנִתֵּן “and we will give”.

גם את זאת. מִיָּד לְאַחַר שִׁבְעַת יְמֵי הַמִּשְׁתֶּה, וְתַעֲבֹד לְאַחַר נִשּׂוּאֶיהָ:

גם את זאת THIS ONE ALSO we shall give to you immediately after the seven days of the marriage-feast and you may serve for her after marriage with her.

עוד שבע שנים אחרות. אֲחֵרוֹת הִקִּישָׁן לָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת, מָה רִאשׁוֹנוֹת בֶּאֱמוּנָה אַף הָאַחֲרוֹנוֹת בֶּאֱמוּנָה, וְאַעַ"פִּ שֶׁבְּרַמָּאוּת בָּא עָלָיו (בראשית רבה):

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).

(ותקרא שמו ראובן רַבּוֹתֵינוּ פֵּרְשׁוּ, אָמְרָה רְאוּ מַה בֵּין בְּנִי לְבֶן חָמִי שֶׁמָּכַר הַבְּכוֹרָה לְיַעֲקֹב, וְזֶה לֹא מְכָרָהּ לְיוֹסֵף וְלֹא עִרְעֵר עָלָיו, וְלֹא עוֹד שֶׁלֹּא עִרְעֵר עָלָיו אֶלָּא שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ לְהוֹצִיאוֹ מִן הַבּוֹר) (ברכות ז'):

ותקרא שמו ראובן AND SHE CALLED HIS NAME REUBEN — Our Rabbis explained it thus: she said, “See (ראו) the difference between (בין) my son and my father-in-law’s son who himself sold the birthright to Jacob and yet wished to kill him afterwards. This (my son) did not sell it (his birthright) to Joseph (it must be remembered that Joseph being the founder of two tribes was regarded as the first-born of Jacob’s sons since the eldest son took a double portion in the father’s property), yet he did not raise any protest to him being regarded as the first-born and not only did he not raise a protest but he even wished to take him out of the pit and so rescue him from death (Berakhot 7b).

הפעם ילוה אישי. לְפִי שֶׁהָאִמָּהוֹת נְבִיאוֹת הָיוּ, וְיוֹדְעוֹת שֶׁי"ב שְׁבָטִים יוֹצְאִים מִיַּעֲקֹב וְד' נָשִׁים יִשָּׂא, אָמְרָה, מֵעַתָּה אֵין לוֹ פִתְחוֹן פֶּה עָלַי, שֶׁהֲרֵי נָטַלְתִּי כָּל חֶלְקִי בַּבָּנִים (ברבות ס'):

הפעם ילוה אישי THIS TIME WILL MY HUSBAND BECOME ATTACHED TO ME — Because the Matriarchs were prophetesses and knew that twelve tribes would issue from Jacob and that he would have four wives, she said, “From now he will have no fault to find with me, for I have assumed my full share in giving him children” (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayetzei 9).

על כן. כָּל מִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ עַל כֵּן מְרֻבֶּה בְּאֻכְלוֹסִין, חוּץ מִלֵּוִי שֶׁהָאָרוֹן הָיָה מְכַלֶּה בָּהֶם:

על כן THEREFORE — Wherever in the case of the names given to Jacob’s sons the word “therefore” is used, that tribe had a numerous population (Genesis Rabbah 71:4), Levi forming an exception, because the Ark decimated them.

קרא שמו לוי. בְּכֻלָּם כְּתִיב וַתִּקְרָא, וְזֶה כָתַב בּוֹ קָרָא, וְיֵשׁ מִ"אַ בְּאֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים רַבָּה שֶׁשָּׁלַח הַקָּבָּ"ה גַּבְרִיאֵל וֶהֱבִיאוֹ לְפָנָיו וְקָרָא לוֹ שֵׁם זֶה, וְנָתַן לוֹ כ"ד מַתְּנוֹת כְּהֻנָּה, וְעַל שֵׁם שֶׁלִּוָּהוּ בְמַתָּנוֹת קְרָאוֹ לֵוִי:

קרא שמו לוי [THEREFORE] WAS HIS NAME CALLED LEVI (literally, he called his name) — Of all of them (the sons) it is written “And she called”, but of this one Scripture writes “he called!” There is a Midrashic statement in Deuteronomy Rabbah that the Holy One, blessed be He, sent Gabriel who brought him (Levi) into His presence. He called him by this name and gave him the twenty-four perquisites with which the priesthood was favoured, and because He gave him these perquisites as an accompaniment (לוהו) He called him Levi (accompanied).

הפעם אודה. שֶׁנָּטַלְתִּי יוֹתֵר מֵחֶלְקִי, מֵעַתָּה יֵשׁ לִי לְהוֹדוֹת:

הפעם אודה NOW WILL I PRAISE [THE LORD] — because I have assumed more than my share, from now on I should praise God (Genesis Rabbah 71:4).

ותקנא רחל באחותה. קִנְּאָה בְמַעֲשֶׂיהָ הַטּוֹבִים, אָמְרָה אִלּוּלֵי שֶׁצָּדְקָה מִמֶּנִּי לֹא זָכְתָה לְבָנִים (בראשית רבה):

ותקנא רחל באחתה RACHEL ENVIED HER SISTER — She was envious of her because of her good deeds, thinking, “Unless she were more righteous than I am she would not have been privileged to bear children (Genesis Rabbah 71:6).”

הבה לי. וְכִי כָּךְ עָשָׂה אָבִיךָ לְאִמְּךָ? וְהֲלֹא הִתְפַּלֵּל עָלֶיהָ:

הבה לי GIVE ME [CHILDREN ] — Did, then, your father act so towards your mother? Did he not pray on her behalf (Genesis Rabbah 71:6).

מתה אנכי. מִכָּאן לְמִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ בָנִים שֶׁחָשׁוּב כַּמֵּת (בראשית רבה):

מתה אנכי I AM A DEAD WOMAN — One may infer from this that he who is childless may be regarded as dead (Genesis Rabbah 71:6).

התחת. וְכִי בִמְקוֹמוֹ אֲנִי?

התחת means AM I IN HIS STEAD?

אשר מנע ממך. אַתְּ אוֹמֶרֶת שֶׁאֶעֱשֶׂה כְאַבָּא, אֲנִי אֵינִי כְּאַבָּא, אַבָּא לֹא הָיוּ לוֹ בָנִים, אֲנִי יֵשׁ לִי בָּנִים; מִמֵּךְ מָנַע וְלֹא מִמֶּנִּי:

אשר מנע ממך WHO HATH WITHHELD FROM THEE —You say that I should do as my father did; but I am not circumstanced as my father was. My father had no children at all, I, however, have children. From you He has withheld children and not from me (Genesis Rabbah 71:7).

על ברכי. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ וַאֲנָא אֱרַבֵּי:

על ברכי UPON MY KNEES — as the Targum takes it: she will bear children and I will rear them.

ואבנה גם אנכי. מַהוּ גַּם? אָמְרָה לוֹ זְקֶנְךָ אַבְרָהָם הָיוּ לוֹ בָנִים מֵהָגָר וְחָגַר מָתְנָיו כְּנֶגֶד שָׂרָה, אָמַר לָהּ זְקֵנָתִי הִכְנִיסָה צָרָתָהּ לְבֵיתָהּ, אָמְרָה לוֹ אִם הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה מְעַכֵּב, הִנֵּה אֲמָתִי:

ואבנה גם אנכי AND I ALSO MAY HAVE CHILDREN — What force has “also”? She said to him, “Your grandfather, Abraham, had children from Hagar and yet he girded up his loins (actively interceded) for Sarah and she afterwards was blessed with a child”. He replied, “But my grandmother brought an associate wife unto her house”. She retorted, “If that is what prevents me being blessed with children, הנה אמתי BEHOLD MY HANDMAID” etc.

ואבנה גם אנכי. כְּשָׂרָה:

ואבנה נם אנכי AND I ALSO MAY HAVE CHILDREN through her as Sarah was built up through her handmaid (Genesis Rabbah 71:7).

דנני אלהים. דָּנַנִּי וְחִיְּבַנִי וְזִכַּנִי (בראשית רבה):

דנני אלהים GOD HATH PRONOUNCED JUDGMENT UPON ME — He judged me and found me guilty; he judged me again and found me guiltless (Genesis Rabbah 71:7).

נפתולי אלהים. מְנַחֵם בֶּן סָרוּק פֵּרְשׁוֹ בְּמַחְבֶּרֶת צָמִיד פָּתִיל, חִבּוּרִים מֵאֵת הַמָּקוֹם נִתְחַבַּרְתִּי עִם אֲחוֹתִי לִזְכּוֹת לְבָנִים. וַאֲנִי מְפָרְשׁוֹ לְשׁוֹן עִקֵּשׁ וּפְתַלְתֹּל (דברים ל"ב) – נִתְעַקַּשְׁתִּי וְהִפְצַרְתִּי פְצִירוֹת וְנַפְתּוּלִים הַרְבֵּה לַמָּקוֹם, לִהְיוֹת שָׁוָה לַאֲחוֹתִי:

נפתולי אלהים WRESTLINGS OF GOD — Menachem ben Seruk explains in his Machbereth (Dictionary) that the word נפתולי is of the same root as פתיל in (Numbers 19:15) “a covering (פתיל) closely bound upon it”, so that the words here mean: By bonds from God have I been joined to my sister (made equal to her) to merit the privilege of having children. I, however, explain it in the same sense as (Deuteronomy 32:5) “perverse and crooked (עקש ופתלתול)”. I have been persistent and have made many importunities and wrestlings with God that I may become like my sister.

גם יכלתי. הִסְכִּים עַל יָדִי; וְאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם לְשׁוֹן תְּפִלָּה, כְּמוֹ נַפְתּוּלֵי אֱלֹהִים נִתְפַּלְתִּי בַּקָּשׁוֹת הַחֲבִיבוֹת לְפָנָיו; נִתְקַבַּלְתִּי, וְנֶעֱתַרְתִּי כַאֲחוֹתִי:

גם יכלתי AND I HAVE PREVAILED — He has yielded to my importunities. Onkelos translated it in the sense of prayer (תפלה), in this way: נפתולי אלהים נפתלתי means prayers that were pleasing to God I offered and I was accepted and was answered like my sister.

נפתלתי. נִתְקַבְּלָה תְפִלָּתִי, וּמִ"אַ יֵשׁ רַבִּים בִּלְשׁוֹן נוֹטָרִיקוֹן:

נפתלתי means my prayer was accepted. There are many Midrashic explanations in the manner of Notaricon (i.e. making the letters of the word the initial letters of phrases having reference to the matter in question) (Genesis Rabbah 71:8).

ותלד זלפה. בְּכֻלָּן נֶאֱמַר הֵרָיוֹן חוּץ מִזִּלְפָּה, לְפִי שֶׁהָיְתָה בַחוּרָה מִכֻּלָּן וְתִינֹקֶת בְּשָׁנִים וְאֵין הֵרָיוֹן נִכָּר בָּהּ; וּכְדֵי לְרַמּוֹת לְיַעֲקֹב, נְתָנָהּ לָבָן לְלֵאָה, שֶׁלֹּא יָבִין שֶׁמַּכְנִיסִין לוֹ אֶת לֵאָה, שֶׁכָּךְ מִנְהָג לִתֵּן שִׁפְחָה הַגְּדוֹלָה לַגְּדוֹלָה וּקְטַנָּה לַקְּטַנָּה:

ותלד זלפה AND ZILPAH BARE — In the case of all Jacob’s wives there is mention of their having been with child (i. e. Scripture states ותהר) except in the case of Zilpah. This was because she was the youngest of all and quite a child in age so that her being with child was not noticeable (Genesis Rabbah 71:9) Laban had given her to Leah in order to deceive Jacob — that he might not perceive that they were bringing Leah to him in marriage — for thus was the custom: to give the elder handmaid to the elder daughter, and the younger handmaid to the younger daughter.

בא גד. בָּא מַזָּל טוֹב, כְּמוֹ גַּד גַּדִּי וְסָנוּק לָא (שבת ס"ז), וְדוֹמֶה לוֹ הַעֹרְכִים לַגַּד שֻׁלְחָן (ישעיהו ס"ה), וּמִ"אַ שֶׁנּוֹלַד מָהוּל, כְּמוֹ גֹּדּוּ אִילָנָא (דניאל ד'), וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי עַל מָה נִכְתְּבָה תֵּבָה אַחַת; דָּ"אַ לָמָּה נִקְרֵאת תֵּבָה אַחַת בָּגָד, כְּמוֹ בָּגַדְתָּ בִּי, כְּשֶׁבָּאתָ אֶל שִׁפְחָתִי, כְּאִישׁ שֶׁבָּגַד בְּאֵשֶׁת נְעוּרִים:

בא גד FOR MY HAPPINESS! — Good luck has come, as (Shabbat 67b) “Be lucky, my luck (גד גדי) and tire not”. Similar, also, is (Isaiah 45:11) “That prepare a table for fortune (גד)”. The Midrashic explanation is that he was born with the sign of the covenant upon him. It would then be like (Daniel 4:11) “cut down (גדו) the tree”. I do not know why it (בגד) is written as one word. Another comment on בגד is: why is it read as one word? It may be connected with the root בגד which denotes faithless as though Leah said to Jacob, “You proved faithless to me when you married my handmaid”, like a man who is faithless (בגד) to the wife of his youth).