Rashi on TanakhGenesis 29

Yaakov [then] lifted his feet. Once he was foretold the good tiding that he was assured of [God’s] protection, his heart lifted his feet and it became easy for him to go [swiftly]. It is thus explained in Bereishis Rabbah.

The flocks are watered. The shepherds give the flocks to drink. The verse speaks elliptically.

Would gather. [Meaning:] they would regularly gather because the stone was large.

Would roll. [Meaning:] and they would roll. Its Targum translation is וּמְגַנְדְרִין. Every expression in the [ongoing] present tense can variably be expressed in the future tense as well as in the past tense because anything that is ongoing in the present tense has already happened and will continue to happen.

They would [then] return. Its Targum translation is וּמְתִיבִין .

Is coming. The accent is on the letter אל"ף [of בָּאָה] and the Targum translation is אָתְיָא [whereas in] וְרָחֵל בָּאָה [v. 9] the accent is on the first syllable on the בי"ת and the Targum translation is אָתַת. The former term means she is doing and the latter means she has done.

The day is yet long. Because he saw them lying down, he thought that their intention was to gather the cattle into the house, and graze no longer. [Whereupon,] he said to them, “The day is yet long.” I.e., “If you are hired workers then you have not completed a day’s work. And if the animals are yours nevertheless, it is not yet time for the sheep to be gathered, etc.”

We cannot [do so]. To give them drink because the stone is large.

And [the shepherds] roll. This is translated by Onkelos— וִיגַנְדְרוּן because it is in the future tense.

He stepped near and rolled. As one removes a stopper from a bottle opening to let you know that his strength was great.

And cried. Because he foresaw through Divine Inspiration that she would not be buried together with him. Another explanation: because he came empty-handed. He thought: My grandfather’s servant, Eliezer, had with him rings, bracelets, and delicacies whereas, I, have nothing with me [This was so] because Elifaz, the son of Eisov, pursued him [Yaakov] by order of his father in order to kill him, and he caught up to him. But, since Elifaz was raised on Yitzchok’s lap he refrained [from killing him.] He [Elifaz then] said to him: “What should I do about my father’s order?” Yaakov replied to him: “Take whatever I have with me because a poor person is considered as dead.”

That he was a relative [lit. brother] of her father [Meaning:] a relative of her father, as in “For we are kinsmen.” Its Midrashic interpretation is: [Yaakov meant:] “If he [Lavan] intends to be deceitful then I, too, am his brother in deception but, if he is an honest person then, I, too, am the son of the righteous Rivkah.”

And told her father. Because her mother had died and she had no one to tell but him.

He ran to greet him. He thought that he [Yaakov] was loaded with money for the servant of the house had come here with ten loaded camels.

He embraced. When he saw that he [Yaakov] had nothing with him, he thought: “Maybe he has brought gold coins and he has them in his bosom.”

And kissed him. He thought: “Maybe he has brought jewels and he has them in his mouth.”

He told Lavan. That he came only under duress, because of his brother [Eisov], and that all his money was taken from him.

Nevertheless, [you are] my bone and flesh. I.e., “Now I have no [reason] to take you into the house since you have nothing with you, but because we are related I will put up with you for a month.” And he did so. But, even this was not for nothing for he was the shepherd of his sheep.

Just because you are my relative. [The ה"א prefix of הֲכִי is] an expression of an incredulous question. Just because you are my brother, should you work for me for nothing?

Must you work for me. Has the same meaning as וְתַעַבְדֵנִי. Similarly, every word which is in the past tense, if a וי"ו is added at the beginning, transforms the word into the future tense.

Tender. Because she had thought that she would fall to the lot of Eisov and so she cried. For everyone would say: Rivkah has two sons and Lavan, two daughters, the older [son would marry] the older [daughter] and the [would marry] the younger daughter.

Form. [תֹּאַר] refers to the form of the face as in the term יְתָאֲרֵהוּ בַשֶּׂרֶד. Conpas in Old French.

Appearance. [מַרְאֶה] refers to the beauty of her features.

I will work for you seven years. These are the “few days” that his mother had told him: “Remain with him a short time.” And you may know that this is so for it is written: “They seemed to him like a few days.”

For Rochel, your younger daughter. Why all these detailed characteristics? [This was] because he knew that he [Lavan] was a deceitful person. He said to him: “I will work for you for Rochel, and lest you claim [that I mean] a different Rochel, [one] from the street, therefore, I say, ‘Your daughter.’ And lest you say, ‘I will change Leah’s name and call her by the name Rochel’ therefore, I say ‘the younger one’. Despite all this, it did him no good for [in the end] he tricked him.

My term is completed. [יָמָי refers to the days] that my mother told me. Another explanation for מָלְאוּ יָמָי, “For I am already eighty-four years old, and when will I establish the Twelve Tribes. This is what he meant by saying, “And thus I will consummate the marriage with her.” For even the lowest of the low would not express himself in such a manner. But, for the purpose of begetting descendants he spoke in this manner.

When it was morning, behold it was Leah! But, during the night she was not Leah! For Yaakov had given Rochel [certain] signs and when Rochel saw that Leah was being brought to him she thought: “My sister may now be humiliated,” [whereupon] she readily transmitted those signs to her.

Complete the [marriage] week for this one. [The word שְבוּעַ] is in the construct state for it is vocalized with a sheva [שְׁ] [whereby it means] the seven days of this [woman], referring to the seven feast days [of marriage]. [Source:] Talmud Yerushalmi, Moed Katan. (It is impossible to say [that it refers to] an actual [calendar] week because, if so, the ש' should have been vocalized with a פַּתַּח (קָמַץ). Furthermore, שָׁבוּעַ is masculine, as is written. “[שִבְעָה] Seven weeks shall you count for yourself.” Therefore, שָׁבוּעַ can mean only a seven [day period], septaine in Old French.)

We will give you. [Here it is in] the plural form [We will give] as in “Let us descend and jumble.” Or וְנִשְׂרְפָה —Let us burn. Here, too, it means we will give.

The other also. Immediately after the seven days of the marriage feast, and you may work [for her] after her marriage [to you].

Another seven years. [The Torah] compares the other [seven years] to the first [seven years] just as the first were with faithful [service] so were the latter [seven years] with faithful [service] even though [Lavan] dealt deceptively with him.

She named him Reuvein Our Sages explained [the word רְאוּבֵן]: She said: “See the difference between my son and the son of my father-in-law who [voluntarily] sold the birthright to Yaakov whereas this one [Reuven] did not sell it to Yoseif and did not protest to him. Not only did he not protest to him but attempted to extricate him from the pit.

This time my husband will become attached. Since the Matriarchs were prophetesses and they knew that twelve tribes would emerge from Yaakov and that he would marry four wives, she, [therefore,] said, “From now on he will not find fault with me for I have assumed my full share of the children.”

Therefore. By whomever [which ever tribe] the term עַל כֵּן is said, [that tribe] had a large population with the exception of Leivi, because the Ark decimated them.

Named him Leivi. Concerning all of them [the sons] it is written: “And she called” whereas concerning this one it states, “He called.” There is a Midrashic explanation [to this] in Devarim Rabbah that God send [the angel] Gavriel and he brought him [Leivi] before Him and He called him by this name and gave him [the rights to] the twenty-four priestly gifts. And since he “accompanied” [לִוָּהוּ] him with the gifts he called him לֵוִי [accompanied].

This time I will praise. “For I have taken more than my share consequently I ought to be thankful.”