Rashi on TanakhGenesis 28

To Padan. Is the same as לְפַדָּן .

To the house of Besueil. [The same as] לְבֵית בְּתוּאֵל. Any word that requires a ל' prefix may [instead] have a ה' put at the end of it.

[May] the Almighty, Shaddai. “He who has sufficient blessings for those who are blessed by Him, may He bless you.”

The blessing of Avraham. [This applies to that] which He told him: “And I will make you into a great nation. Through your children will be blessed.” May those blessings have been said regarding you. May that nation descend from you as well as that blessed seed.”

Mother of Yaakov and Eisov. I do not know what this teaches us.

And Yaakov listened to. This is connected to the previous statement: When Eisov saw that Yitzchok blessed, etc., and that he sent him to Padan Aram and that Yaakov obeyed his father and went to Padan Aram, and that the daughters of Canaan were evil, then he, too, went to Yishmael.

Sister of Nevayos. By inference from the phrase “The daughter of Yishmael” do I not know that she is Nevayos’ sister. But, [we are told this] to teach us that Yishmael had died after betrothing her to Eisov before her marriage and she was given in marriage by her brother Nevayos. We also learn from this that Yaakov was sixty-three at that time. For Yishmael was seventy-four at Yaakov’s birth: Yishmael was fourteen years older than Yitzchok and Yitzchok was sixty when they were born, giving you seventy-four, [the age of Yishmael]. He lived a total of 137 years as it is said: “These are the years of Yishmael’s life.” Consequently, Yaakov was sixty-three at Yishmael’s death. We learn from this that he hid in the house of Eiver for fourteen years and afterwards went to Charan, for he had not yet been at Lavan’s house before Yoseif’s birth, but only fourteen years. As it is said: “I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your sheep.” And his receiving of the sheep as wages took place after Yoseif’s birth, as it is said “When Rochel had given birth to Yoseif.” Now, Yoseif was thirty when he became ruler and from then until Yaakov went down to Egypt took nine years—seven years of plenty and two years of hunger. [At that time] Yaakov said to Pharaoh: “The years of my temporary residence are one hundred and thirty years.” Now go and calculate: Fourteen years prior to Yoseif’s birth, plus the thirty years of Yoseif[’s age] plus the nine years from when he became ruler until the arrival of Yaakov make a total of fifty-three years. Now, when he left his father he was sixty-three, making it one hundred and sixteen. Yet he says [to Pharaoh, I am] one hundred and thirty years so there are fourteen years missing. Thus, you have learned that after receiving the blessings he hid at the house of Eiver for fourteen years. (However, he was not punished for them because of the merit [of having studied] Torah for Yoseif was not separated from his father but for twenty-two years, that is, from when he was seventeen till he was thirty-nine, corresponding to the twenty-two years that Yaakov was separated from his father [during which time] he did not honor him, which are twenty years in Lavan’s house plus the two years that he was enroute. As is written: “[He] built himself a house and for his livestock he made shelters.” The Sages inferred from this verse that he spent eighteen months enroute, for the house was for the rainy season and the booths for the summer. And according to the calculation, based on the text, that we made above, from the time he left his father until he went down to Egypt, that he was one hundred and thirty years old where we find an additional fourteen years. So, it is certain that he hid in the house of Eiver on his way to the house of Lavan to learn Torah from him [Eiver]. And due to the merit of the Torah he was not punished for them [those years], and Yoseif was not separated from him but for twenty-two years— measure for measure. Up to here is from an old text of Rashi.)

In addition to his other wives. He added evil to his already evil ways, that he did not divorce the first ones.

Yaakov left. Since it was due to the fact that the daughters of Canaan were evil in the eyes of his father, Yitzchok that Eisov went to Yishmael, [Scripture] interrupted the narrative of Yaakov and wrote: “Eisov saw that [Yitzchok] blessed, etc.” when it finished [the account of Eisov’s marriage] it went back to the previous subject.

[Yaakov] left. It had only to be written: “And Yaakov went to Charan.” Why, then, mention his departing? But, this tells us that the departure of a righteous person from his place makes an impression, for while a righteous person is in the city, he is its glory, he is its brilliance, he is its splendor. Once he has left there, its glory has departed, its brilliance has departed, its splendor has departed. Similarly, [this applies to the verse] “And she left the place,” which is written concerning Naomi and Ruth.

And went toward Charan. [Means:] he left in order to go to Charan.

He reached the place. Scripture does not identify which place but, [it refers to] the place mentioned elsewhere, which is Mount Moriah, about which it is said, “And saw the place from afar.”

He reached. As in, “And it reached Jericho,” [or] “And it reached Dabashes.” The Sages explained it as a term for prayer, as in, “Do not entreat me,” and we learn from this that he established the Evening Prayer [עַרְבִית] Scripture used an alternate [word] and did not write וַיִתְפַּלֵל to teach you [also] that “The earth shrank for him” as is explained in the chapter Gid Hanosheh.

Because the sun has set. It should have said “And the sun set” and he “spent the night there.” “Because the sun has set” implies that the sun set suddenly for him not at its appointed time so that he should stay there overnight.

And arranged them around his head. He made them in the form of a drainpipe around his head out of fear of wild animals. They began to argue with one another; this one saying, “Let the righteous one place his head on me” and another one saying, “Let him place [it] on me.” God immediately, made them into one stone. This is the reason for what is said, “And he took the stone that he had placed at his head.”

And lay down [to sleep] in that place. [הַהוּא] is an exclusory term, [i.e.,] in that place he lay down. But, for the fourteen years that he studied in the house of Eiver he did not lay down at night, for he was involved in the study of Torah.

Ascending and descending. It states עוֹלִים —ascending first and יוֹרְדִים —descend_ ing afterwards. Those angels that accompanied him in Eretz Yisrael do not go outside of Eretz Yisrael and ascended to heaven. [Then] the angels of outside of Eretz Yisrael descended to accompany him.

Stood over him. To guard him.

And God of Yitzchok. Although we never find in Scripture that He should associate His Name with the righteous during their lifetimes, to write “The God of so-and-so,” for it is said, “For [even] in His holy ones He does not put His trust,” [nevertheless,] here He associates His Name with Yitzchok for his eyes had become dim [blind] and he was confined in the house and was considered as if he were dead and the evil inclination had ceased from him.

Upon which [you are] lying. God folded the entire Eretz Yisrael beneath him [thereby] he gave him a sign that it will [as] easily be conquered by his descendants as four cubits, the area taken up by a person’s body.

You shall spread. [Meaning:] “You will become strong” as in וְכֵן יִפְרוֹץ “The stronger they became.”

I am with you. Because he feared both, Eisov and Lavan.

Until I have done. אִם, here, is used in the sense of כִּי.

I have spoken for you. [לָךְ means] in your interest and concerning you. That which I promised Avraham regarding his descendants—My promise was referring to you and not to Eisov, for I did not say to him: “for Yitzchok will be called your seed” but, rather: “for בְּיִצְחָק —in Yitzchok” and not all of Yitzchok’s [descendants]. Similarly every לִי, וְלָךְ, וְלוֹ, and לָהֶם that follow any form of the word דִבּוּר are used in terms of “concerning.” This [verse] indicates this [fact] for He had not spoken to Yaakov prior to this.

And I did not know it. For had I known I would not have slept in such a holy place.”

This is the house of Elohim. Said R. Elazar in the name of R. Yose b. Zimra: This ladder stood in Beer Sheva and [the middle of] its slope reached opposite the Beis Hamikdosh. For Beer Sheva is located south of Yehudah[’s territory] and Yerushalayim to its north on the border between Yehudah and Binyamin. Beis Eil was in the north of Binyamin’s territory on the border between Binyamin and the [territory of] the Children of Yoseif. Consequently, a ladder whose foot is in Beer Sheva and its top is in Beis Eil will have the middle of its slope reaching opposite Yerushalayim. However, regarding what our Sages have stated: that God had said, “This righteous person has come to My Dwelling Place and will depart without staying overnight?!” And they stated furthermore: Yaakov called Yerushalayim, Beis Eil yet this place [that he called Beis Eil] was Luz and not Yerushalayim. Then from where did they derive to say that [i.e., this was the site of the Beis Hamikdosh]? I say that Mount Moriah was uprooted and came here. This is the “shrinking of the ground” to which is referred in Chullin, [i.e.] that the [site of] the Beis Hamikdosh came towards him until Beis Eil. And this is [also the reference] “He reached the place.” Should you ask: when Yaakov passed [the site of] the Beis Hamikdosh why did He [God] not detain him there? [The answer is: if] it did not enter his [Yaakov’s] mind to pray in the place where his fathers prayed then, should Heaven detain him? [Actually,] he had gone as far as Charan as is stated in the chapter Gid Hanasheh. This is also evident in the verse: “And went toward Charan.” When he reached Charan he said, “Is it possible that I passed the place where my fathers prayed without me having prayed there?” He decided to go back and returned as far as Beis Eil [whereupon] the ground “shrank” for him. (This Beis Eil is not the one near Ai but [the one near] Yerushalayim. And because it was the City of God he called it Beis Eil. It is [also] Mount Moriah where Avraham prayed and it is also the field where Yitzchok prayed as is written: “To meditate in the field.” Similarly they [the Sages] stated in Pesachim: [concerning the verse] “Let us ascend to the Mountain of God and to the House of the God of Yaakov.” [It is] not called as Avraham called it—a mountain nor as Yitzchok who called it a field but as Yaakov who called it Beis Eil. To this point [from “This Beis Eil…] is from a corrected Rashi text.)

How awesome. The Targum translates it: “How דְחִילוּ is this place. דְחִילוּ is a noun [though plural] as סוּכְלְתָנוּ [understanding] and as וּכְסוּ לְמִלְבָּשׁ [and a garment to wear].

And this is the gate of heaven. I.e., a place of prayer where their prayers ascend to heaven. Its Midrashic interpretation is that the Heavenly Beis Hamikdosh is situated directly above the Earthly Beis Hamikdosh.

If Elohim will be with me. I.e., “If He will keep these promises that He promised me to be with me as He said to me: ‘And behold, I am with you.’”

And guard me. “As He said to me; “And I will guard you wherever you go.”

And give me bread to eat. As He said; “I will not forsake you.” For one who must search for bread is considered “abandoned,” as it is said, “I have never seen a righteous man forsaken and his children searching for bread.”

And if I return. As He told me; “And I will bring you back to [this] land.”

In peace. I.e., completely [שָׁלֵם] free from sin, that I may not learn from the ways of Lavan.

And Adonoy will be my God. [I.e.,] that His Name shall be upon me from beginning to end—that He may not find anyone unfit among my descendants as it is said: [“I will do] that which I have spoken to you.” This [particular] promise he promised to Avraham, for it is said: “To be a God to you and to your descendants after you.” (“Your descendants after you” [meaning:] that nothing in him be found unfit.)

[Then] this stone. This is how to explain this letter וָיו of וְהָאֶבֶן: “If You will do these things I, too, shall do the following:

“This stone which I have set as a monument,” etc. As it is translated by Onkelos: “I shall serve God upon it.” And he, indeed, did so upon his return from Padan Aram when He [God] said to him: “Arise and go up to Beis Eil.” What does it then say? “Yaakov set up a monument—He poured a libation on it.”