ל׳
י״דוַיֵּ֨לֶךְ רְאוּבֵ֜ן בִּימֵ֣י קְצִיר־חִטִּ֗ים וַיִּמְצָ֤א דֽוּדָאִים֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה וַיָּבֵ֣א אֹתָ֔ם אֶל־לֵאָ֖ה אִמּ֑וֹ וַתֹּ֤אמֶר רָחֵל֙ אֶל־לֵאָ֔ה תְּנִי־נָ֣א לִ֔י מִדּוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנֵֽךְ׃
14Once, at the time of the wheat harvest, Reuben came upon some mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
בימי קציר חטים. לְהַגִּיד שִׁבְחָן שֶׁל שְׁבָטִים; שְׁעַת הַקָּצִיר הָיָה וְלֹא פָשַׁט יָדוֹ בַגֶּזֶל לְהָבִיא חִטִּים וּשְׂעוֹרִים, אֶלָּא דְּבַר הַהֶפְקֵר, שֶׁאֵין אָדָם מַקְפִּיד בּוֹ:
בימי קציר חטים IN THE DAYS OF WHEAT HARVEST — This is stated in praise of the tribes (שבטים a common term for Jacob’s twelve sons, the ancestors of the Tribes of Israel): it was harvest-time, yet he (Reuben) did not put forth his hand upon private property (literally, that which is stolen) by bringing home wheat or barley, but he brought home only ownerless things (such as were free for all to take) about which no one is particular (Genesis Rabbah 72:2).
דודאים. סִיגְלִי, עֵשֶׂב הוּא (סנהדרין צ"ט), וּבִלְשׁוֹן יִשְׁמָעֵאל יַסְמִי"ן:
דודאים are violets: it is a plant. In Arabic it is called Jasmin.
ט״ווַתֹּ֣אמֶר לָ֗הּ הַמְעַט֙ קַחְתֵּ֣ךְ אֶת־אִישִׁ֔י וְלָקַ֕חַת גַּ֥ם אֶת־דּוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנִ֑י וַתֹּ֣אמֶר רָחֵ֗ל לָכֵן֙ יִשְׁכַּ֤ב עִמָּךְ֙ הַלַּ֔יְלָה תַּ֖חַת דּוּדָאֵ֥י בְנֵֽךְ׃
15But she said to her, “Was it not enough for you to take away my husband, that you would also take my son’s mandrakes?” Rachel replied, “I promise, he shall lie with you tonight, in return for your son’s mandrakes.”
ולקחת גם את דודאי בני. בִּתְמִיהָ, וְלַעֲשׂוֹת עוֹד זֹאת לִקַּח גַם אֶת דּוּדָאֵי בְּנִי; וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ וּלְמֵיסַב:
Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband and that thou wouldst do this in addition — TO TAKE MY SON’S MANDRAKES ALSO? It should therefore be translated in the Targum by ולמיטב, the infinitive like the Hebrew infinitive ולקחת “and to take.”
לכן ישכב עמך הלילה. שֶׁלִּי הָיְתָה שְׁכִיבַת לַיְלָה זוֹ, וַאֲנִי נוֹתְנָה לָךְ תַּחַת דּוּדָאֵי בְנֵךְ, וּלְפִי שֶׁזִּלְזְלָה בְּמִשְׁכַּב הַצַּדִּיק לֹא זָכְתָה לְהִקָּבֵר עִמּוֹ (נדה ל"א):
לכן ישכב עמך הלילה THEREFORE SHALL HE BE WITH THEE TONIGHT —He should have stayed this night with me but I cede it to you in return for your son’s mandrakes. Because she thought lightly of companionship with so righteous a man she was not privileged to be buried together with him (Genesis Rabbah 72:3).
ט״זוַיָּבֹ֨א יַעֲקֹ֣ב מִן־הַשָּׂדֶה֮ בָּעֶ֒רֶב֒ וַתֵּצֵ֨א לֵאָ֜ה לִקְרָאת֗וֹ וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֵלַ֣י תָּב֔וֹא כִּ֚י שָׂכֹ֣ר שְׂכַרְתִּ֔יךָ בְּדוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנִ֑י וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב עִמָּ֖הּ בַּלַּ֥יְלָה הֽוּא׃
16When Jacob came home from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You are to sleep with me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” And he lay with her that night.
שכר שכרתיך. נָתַתִּי לְרָחֵל שְׂכָרָהּ:
שכר שכרתיך FOR SURELY I HAVE HIRED THEE — I have given Rachel the hire she demanded.
בלילה הוא. הַקָּבָּ"ה סִיְּעוֹ, שֶׁיָּצָא מִשָּׁם יִשָּׂשכָר (בראשית רבה):
בלילה הוא THAT NIGHT — With God’s help Isaachar was born (Niddah 31a, and cf. Genesis Rabbah 99).
י״זוַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־לֵאָ֑ה וַתַּ֛הַר וַתֵּ֥לֶד לְיַעֲקֹ֖ב בֵּ֥ן חֲמִישִֽׁי׃
17God heeded Leah, and she conceived and bore him a fifth son.
וישמע אלהים אל לאה. שֶׁהָיְתָה מִתְאַוָּה וּמְחַזֶּרֶת לְהַרְבּוֹת שְׁבָטִים:
וישמע אלהים אל לאה AND GOD HEARKENED UNTO LEAH —for she eagerly desired and sought means to increase the number of the tribes (Genesis Rabbah 72:5).
י״חוַתֹּ֣אמֶר לֵאָ֗ה נָתַ֤ן אֱלֹהִים֙ שְׂכָרִ֔י אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥תִּי שִׁפְחָתִ֖י לְאִישִׁ֑י וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ יִשָּׂשכָֽר׃
18And Leah said, “God has given me my rewardemy reward Heb. sekhari, connected with “Issachar.” for having given my maid to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.
י״טוַתַּ֤הַר עוֹד֙ לֵאָ֔ה וַתֵּ֥לֶד בֵּן־שִׁשִּׁ֖י לְיַעֲקֹֽב׃
19When Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son,
כ׳וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לֵאָ֗ה זְבָדַ֨נִי אֱלֹהִ֥ים ׀ אֹתִי֮ זֵ֣בֶד טוֹב֒ הַפַּ֙עַם֙ יִזְבְּלֵ֣נִי אִישִׁ֔י כִּֽי־יָלַ֥דְתִּי ל֖וֹ שִׁשָּׁ֣ה בָנִ֑ים וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ זְבֻלֽוּן׃
20Leah said, “God has given me a choice gift;fhas given me a choice gift Heb. zebadani…zebed. this time my husband will exalt me,gwill exalt me Heb. yizbeleni; in contrast to others “will dwell with me.” for I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.
זבד טוב. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ:
זבד טוב A GOOD DOWRY — explain it as the Targum renders it: a good portion.
יזבלני. לְ' בֵּית זְבֻל (מלכים א ח' י"ג), הירבריי"א בְּלַעַז, בֵּית מָדוֹר, מֵעַתָּה לֹא תְהֵא עִקַּר דִּירָתוֹ אֶלָּא עִמִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לִי בָנִים כְּנֶגֶד כָּל נָשָׁיו:
יזבלני WILL RESIDE WITH ME — It has the same meaning as (1 Kings 8:13) “a house for dwelling (זבול)”. In old French herbergerie, a dwelling house. Leah meant: From now on his real home will be with me since I have as many children as all his other wives together.
כ״אוְאַחַ֖ר יָ֣לְדָה בַּ֑ת וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמָ֖הּ דִּינָֽה׃
21Last, she bore him a daughter, and named her Dinah.
דינה. פֵּרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁדָּנָה לֵאָה דִּין בְּעַצְמָהּ, אִם זֶה זָכָר לֹא תְהֵא רָחֵל אֲחוֹתִי כְּאַחַת הַשְּׁפָחוֹת, וְהִתְפַּלְּלָה עָלָיו וְנֶהְפַּךְ לִנְקֵבָה (ברכות ס'):
דינה DINAH (Judgment) — Our Rabbis explained, that Leah set herself up as judge (דנה) against herself saying: “If this be a son, my sister Rachel cannot be even the equal of any of the handmaids”. She, therefore, offered prayer regarding it, and its sex was changed (Berakhot 60a).
כ״בוַיִּזְכֹּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־רָחֵ֑ל וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ אֱלֹהִ֔ים וַיִּפְתַּ֖ח אֶת־רַחְמָֽהּ׃
22Now God remembered Rachel; God heeded her and opened her womb.
ויזכור אלהים את רחל. זָכַר לָהּ שֶׁמָּסְרָה סִימָנֶיהָ לַאֲחוֹתָהּ וְשֶׁהָיְתָה מְצֵרָה שֶׁמָּא תַּעֲלֶה בְּגוֹרָלוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו, שֶׁמָּא יְגָרְשֶׁנָּה יַעֲקֹב לְפִי שֶׁאֵין לָהּ בָּנִים, וְאַף עֵשָׂו הָרָשָׁע כָּךְ עָלָה בְּלִבּוֹ כְּשֶׁשָּׁמַע שֶׁאֵין לָהּ בָּנִים; הוּא שֶׁיִּסֵּד הַפַּיָּט הָאַדְמוֹן כְּבָט שֶׁלֹּא חָלָה, צָבָה לְקַחְתָּהּ לוֹ וְנִתְבֶּהָלָה:
ויזכר אלהים את רחל AND GOD REMEMBERED RACHEL — He remembered it to her as a merit that she had transmitted the secret signs to her sister and that she was greatly troubled lest she should fall to Esau’s lot if Jacob were to divorce her because she was childless. Indeed, this had entered Esau’s mind when he heard that she was childless (Genesis Rabbah 73:4). The poet refers to this in his Composition (for the First Day of the New Year) “When the Ruddy One (Esau) perceived that she did not travail with child, he hoped to take her for himself and she became terrified”.
כ״גוַתַּ֖הַר וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֑ן וַתֹּ֕אמֶר אָסַ֥ף אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־חֶרְפָּתִֽי׃
23She conceived and bore a son, and said, “God has taken awayhhas taken away Heb. ʼasaph, connected with “Joseph.” my disgrace.”
אסף. הִכְנִיסָהּ בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁלֹּא תֵרָאֶה, וְכֵן אֱסֹף חֶרְפָּתֵנוּ (ישעיהו ד'), וְלֹא יֵאָסֵף הַבַּיתָה (שמות ט'), אָסְפוּ נָגְהָם (יואל ד'), וִירֵחֵךְ לֹא יֵאָסֵף (ישעיהו ס') – לֹא יִטָּמֵן:
אסף [GOD] HATH TAKEN AWAY [MY DISGRACE] — He has laid it up somewhere where it cannot be seen. Similar examples are (Isaiah 4:1) “Take thou away (אסוף) our reproach”; (Exodus 9:19) “and shall not have been taken away (יאסף) into the house “; (Joel 4:13) “withdraw (אספו) their shining”; (Isaiah 60:20) “neither shall thy moon withdraw itself (יאסף) — meaning shall not hide itself.
חרפתי. שֶׁהָיִיתִי לְחֶרְפָּה שֶׁאֲנִי עֲקָרָה וְהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים עָלַי שֶׁאֱעֶלֶה לְחֶלְקוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו הָרָשָׁע. וְאַגָּדָה: כָּל זְמַן שֶׁאֵין לָאִשָּׁה בֵּן, אֵין לָהּ בְּמִי לִתְלוֹת סִרְחוֹנָהּ, מִשֶּׁיֵשׁ לָהּ בֵּן תּוֹלָה בוֹ: מִי שִׁבֵּר כְּלִי זֶה? בִּנְךָ. מִי אָכַל תְּאֵנִים אֵלּוּ? בִּנְךָ:
חרפתי DISGRACE — because I had become an object of reproach as I was barren for people said about me that I would fall to the lot of Esau, the wicked. A Midrashic explanation is (Genesis Rabbah 73:5): So long as a woman has no child she has no-one to blame for her faults; when, however, she has a child, she puts it on him. “Who broke this vessel?” “Your son!” “Who ate those figs?” “Your son!”
כ״דוַתִּקְרָ֧א אֶת־שְׁמ֛וֹ יוֹסֵ֖ף לֵאמֹ֑ר יֹסֵ֧ף יְהֹוָ֛ה לִ֖י בֵּ֥ן אַחֵֽר׃
24So she named him Joseph, that is to say, “May GOD addiadd Heb. yoseph, connected with “Joseph.” another son for me.”
יסף ה' לי בן אחר. יוֹדַעַת הָיְתָה בִנְבוּאָה שֶׁאֵין יַעֲקֹב עָתִיד לְהַעֲמִיד אֶלָּא שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר שְׁבָטִים, אָמְרָה יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁאוֹתוֹ שֶׁהוּא עָתִיד לְהַעֲמִיד יְהֵא מִמֶּנִּי, לְכָךְ לֹא נִתְפַּלְּלָה אֶלָּא עַל בֵּן אַחֵר:
יסף ה' לי בן אחר THE ETERNAL WILL ADD TO ME ANOTHER SON — She knew prophetically that Jacob would rear only twelve tribes. She therefore prayed: “May it be God’s will that the tribe which he is yet destined to rear may issue from me”. For this reason she prayed only for one other son (Genesis Rabbah 72:6).
כ״הוַיְהִ֕י כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר יָלְדָ֥ה רָחֵ֖ל אֶת־יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יַעֲקֹב֙ אֶל־לָבָ֔ן שַׁלְּחֵ֙נִי֙ וְאֵ֣לְכָ֔ה אֶל־מְקוֹמִ֖י וּלְאַרְצִֽי׃
25After Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Give me leave to go back to my own homeland.
כאשר ילדה רחל את יוסף. מִשֶּׁנּוֹלַד שְׂטָנוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְהָיָה בֵית יַעֲקֹב אֵשׁ וּבֵית יוֹסֵף לֶהָבָה וּבֵית עֵשָׂו לְקַשׁ (עובדיה א'), אֵשׁ בְּלֹא לֶהָבָה אֵינוֹ שׁוֹלֵט לְמֵרָחוֹק, מִשֶּׁנּוֹלַד יוֹסֵף בָּטַח יַעֲקֹב בְּהַקָּבָּ"ה וְרָצָה לָשׁוּב:
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).
כ״ותְּנָ֞ה אֶת־נָשַׁ֣י וְאֶת־יְלָדַ֗י אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָבַ֧דְתִּי אֹֽתְךָ֛ בָּהֵ֖ן וְאֵלֵ֑כָה כִּ֚י אַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֔עְתָּ אֶת־עֲבֹדָתִ֖י אֲשֶׁ֥ר עֲבַדְתִּֽיךָ׃
26Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served you, that I may go; for well you know what services I have rendered you.”
תנה את נשי וגו'. אֵינִי רוֹצֶה לָצֵאת כִּי אִם בִּרְשׁוּת:
תנה את נשי וגו GIVE ME MY WIVES etc. — I have no wish to go away except with your permission.
כ״זוַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ לָבָ֔ן אִם־נָ֛א מָצָ֥אתִי חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ נִחַ֕שְׁתִּי וַיְבָרְכֵ֥נִי יְהֹוָ֖ה בִּגְלָלֶֽךָ׃
27But Laban said to him, “If you will indulge me,jIf you will indulge me Lit. “If I have found favor in your eyes.” I have learned by divination that GOD has blessed me on your account.”
נחשתי. מְנַחֵשׁ הָיָה, נִסִּיתִי בְּנִחוּשׁ שֶׁלִּי שֶׁעַל יָדְךָ בָּאָה לִי בְרָכָה; כְּשֶׁבָּאתָ לְכָאן לֹא הָיוּ לִי בָנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְהִנֵּה רָחֵל בִּתּוֹ בָּאָה עִם הַצֹּאן (בראשית כ״ט:ו׳), אֶפְשַׁר יֵשׁ לוֹ בָנִים וְהוּא שׁוֹלֵחַ בִתּוֹ אֵצֶל הָרוֹעִים? עַכְשָׁיו הָיוּ לוֹ בָנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיִּשְׁמַע אֶת דִּבְרֵי בְנֵי לָבָן (שם ל"א):
נחשתי I HAVE DIVINED — He was a diviner. “I have discovered by my art of divination that through you a blessing has come to me. When you first came here I had no sons” — for it is said (29:6) “And, behold, Rachel his daughter is coming with the flock”: is it possible if he had sons that he would have let his daughter go among the shepherds ? — now, however, he had sons, as it is said (31:1) “And he heard the words of Laban’s sons”.