Rashi on TanakhGenesis 30

Rochel became jealous of her sister. She was envious of her good deeds. She thought: “Were she not more righteous than I she would not merit bearing children.”

Give me. [She implied:] “Did your father act this way to your mother? Did he not pray for her?”

I am [considered] dead. From here [we learn] that one who has no children is considered as if dead.

In [God’s] place. [הֲתַחַת meaning:] “Am I in His stead?”

Who has withheld from you. “You tell [me] to act as did my father. I am not [my situation is not] like my father. My father had no children [whereas,] I have children. It is from you that He has withheld [children], not from me.”

Upon my knees. As Onkelos translates: “And I will rear them.”

And I too will have a son. What is the intent of גַם —also? She said to him, “Your grandfather Avraham, had children from Hagar, [yet] he ‘girded his loins’ [he interceded] on behalf of Sarah. [He prayed for her.]” He answered her, “My grandmother [Sarah] brought a rival-wife into her house.” She [thereupon] responded, “If that is what prevents [my having children] ‘Here is my handmaid …’”

And I too will have a son through her. As did Sarah.

Elohim has judged me. He has judged me and found me guilty. [He has judged me] and found me innocent.

With Elohim’s bonds. Menachem ben Saruk explains [נַפְתּוּלֵי] in the Machberes [as having the same root as] צָמִיד פָּתִיל [a covering that פָּתִיל —tied]. [Here meaning:] “With bindings from God have I been joined with my sister to have merited having children.” I [Rashi] explain it [as having a common root with] עִקֵּשׁ וּפְתַלְתּוֹל —perverse and crooked. [Here meaning:] “I have stubbornly pleaded many torturous pleas to God that I may be the equal of my sister.”

And I have also prevailed. [Meaning:] “He has agreed to accept [my pleas].” Onkelos explains [נַפְתּוּלֵי] from the term תְּפִלָה —prayer “With Elohim’s bonds, I have been joined,” [i.e., “I prayed] many prayers [to God] that were pleasing to Him. I was accepted and my [prayers] answered like my sister.”

I have been joined. [Meaning:] “My prayer was accepted.” There are [also] many Midrashic interpretations utilizing Notarikon [to explain נִפְתַּלְתִי].

Zilpah bore. Regarding all the other [wives] it is mentioned that [they were] pregnant except in regard to Zilpah, because she was the youngest of all and a child in years and her pregnancy was not noticable. It was in order to deceive Yaakov that Lavan gave her to Leah so that he [Yaakov] would be unaware that they were [really] bringing him Leah—for this was their custom—to give the older handmaid to the older [sister] and the younger handmaid to the younger [sister].

Unexpected success has come. [Meaning:] good luck has come, as in, “Luck to my luck and tire not.” Another similarity to this is, “Who prepare a table for the fortunate.” The Midrashic interpretation is that he was born circumcised as in, “Cut down the tree.” I do not know why it [בָּגָד] is written as one word. Another explanation as to why it is read as one word בָּגָד —[to imply] faithless— traitorous, as if to say, “You were faithless to me when you married my handmaid, as a man who is faithless to the wife of his youth.”

In the days of the wheat harvest. [This is] to relate the praise of the Tribes. It was the time of harvest [when much grain is available], yet he did not stretch out his hand to rob by bringing wheat and barley, but only ownerless things that no person minds [their being taken].

Jasmine flowers. Mandrakes. It is a plant which in Arabic is called jasmin.

Would you also take my son’s jasmine flowers? An incredulous question. [Is the taking away of my husband insignificant] and to additionally do the following—to take also my son’s jasmines? Onkelos translates it וּלְמֵיסַב —to take.

Therefore, he shall be with you tonight. “[Actually,] he was to be with me this night, but, I give it to you in return for your son’s jasmines.” And because she made light of being with such a righteous person she [eventually] did not merit being buried with him.

I have hired you. [Meaning:] I have given Rochel her payment.

At night. God helped him [הוּא —refers to God] that Yissachar should be born from this.

Elohim perceived Leah’s [wish]. Because she desired and sought to increase the number of tribes.

A goodly portion. As Onkelos translates it: [A good portion].

Will make his main home with me. Having a similar meaning as בֵּית זְבוּל —a dwelling, herberjerie in Old French —a dwelling. [She thought:] From now on his main dwelling place will not be other than with me, for I have as many sons as all of his wives together.

Deenah. The Sages explained that Leah assumed to judge [דָנָה] herself, [thinking:] “If this [child that I carry] is a male my sister Rochel would not even be equal to one of the handmaids.” Whereupon she prayed over it and it was transformed into a female.

Elohim remembered Rochel. He remembered that she gave her signs to her sister and that she was concerned lest she fall to Eisov’s lot, should Yaakov divorce her because she had no children. This also entered the mind of the wicked Eisov when he heard that she had no children. This is what the poet alluded to “When the Red One [Eisov] saw that she did not give birth he desired to take her to him and she was petrified.”

Has removed. [Meaning:] He has brought it into a place where it will not be seen. Similar to: “He brought in our shame,” [or] “It will not have been brought into the house,” [or] “Withdrew their light,” [or] “Your moon will not withdraw,” [meaning] it will not be hidden.

My shame. For I had been put to shame having been barren, and that it was said about me that I would fall to the lot of the wicked Eisov. The Aggadah [explains it thus.] As long as a woman has no child she has no one to blame for her faults. Once she has a child, she blames it on him. [E.g.,] “Who broke this vessel? Your child!” “Who ate these figs? Your child!”

May Adonoy add to me another son. She knew prophetically that Yaakov was destined to establish only twelve tribes, so she thought, “May it be His will that the one that he is yet destined to establish should come from me.” She, therefore, prayed for only one more son.

When Rochel had given birth to Yoseif. Now that the adversary of Eisov was born. As it is said, “The House of Yaakov will be a fire, and the House of Yoseif, a flame, and the House of Eisov, straw.” Fire [Yaakov] without a flame [Yoseif] has no effect at a distance. Once Yoseif was born, Yaakov put his trust in God and desired to return.

Give me [permission to take] my wives, etc. [I.e.,] I do not wish to leave without permission.

I have divined. He was a diviner: “I ascertained through my divining that through you a blessing came to me. When you came here I had no sons,” as it is said: “Behold, Rochel, his daughter was coming with the sheep.” Is it possible that he had sons and would send his daughter among the shepherds? [But,] now he had sons, as it is said: “He heard the words of Lavan’s sons.

Set. As Onkelos translates it, “Specify your wages.”

And how your livestock were with me. [Meaning:] the meager amount of your livestock—when they first came into my hands—how many were there?

With my coming. [Meaning:] with my arrival. [I.e.,] because of my arrival, has blessing come to you, as in “The people that have come with you.” [or] “The people that אֲשֶׁר בְּרַגְלָי” [meaning:] that have come with me.

I, also, for my own house. [לְבֵיתִי means] for the needs of my household. [I.e.,] as of now only my sons provide my needs and I ought to do so along with them, to give them support. This [idea] is [conveyed by the word] גַם —also.

Speckled. [Meaning] speckled with small dot like flecks, pointure in Old French.

Spotted. Having the same root as טְלָאִים —patches, wide spots.

Dark [Meaning:] dark brown, similar to red. Ros in Old French. In the language of the Mishnah. “[It was sold as] dark brown and was found to be white,” concerning [the sale of] grain.

That [kind] will be my wage. “Those that will be born from now on speckled and spotted among the goats and dark brown among the sheep will belong to me. Those [with these characteristics] that are now there separate from the rest and put them in the safekeeping of your sons so that you may not say to me about those that will be born from now on, ‘These were here from the beginning,’ And, furthermore, that you may not say to me ‘It was because of the speckled and spotted males that the females gave birth in their [the males’] likeness from this point on.’”

Shall testify, etc. “If you suspect that I am taking anything of yours, then my righteousness will testify for me—for my righteousness will come and testify before you concerning my wages—that you will not find in my flock anything but speckled and spotted [animals]. Any that you may find among them [any] that is not speckled or spotted or dark brown—it will be obvious that I have stolen it from you—and it is through theft that it is in my possession.

Agreed. A term indicating acceptance of terms.

May it be as you say. [Meaning:] “If only you remain satisfied with this!.”

He removed. [I.e.,] Lavan [removed] on that day, etc.

The he-goats. [תְּיָשִים are] male goats.

Everyone that had white in it. [I.e.,] all those that had white spots.

And he gave them. [I.e.,] Lavan [gave] to his sons.

Remaining. [Meaning:] the defective ones among them, the sick ones and the barren ones which were only the residue. Those were the ones that he gave him.

Rod[s] of poplar. It is a tree called לִבְנֶה as it states: “Under oaks and לִבְנֶה .” And I say that it is the one called tremble in Old French, which is white.

Fresh. When it was moist.

Hazel. He also took a stick from לוּז —a tree which grows small nuts, called coldre in Old French.

Chestnut. Chestenier in Old French.

Stripes. Peeled at intervals which gave it a striped appearance.

By uncovering the white. The uncovered white part of the sticks. When he peeled it there became uncovered and visible its white area where it was peeled.

He stuck. Onkelos translates it וְדָעִיץ, meaning inserting and piercing in Aramaic. It occurs often in the Talmud: דָצָהּ וּשְׁלָפָהּ —he inserted it and pulled it out, דֵָּץ בֵּיה מִידֵּי —he inserted something into it. the word דָּצָהּ is the same as דְּעָצָהּ but just a shortened version.

In the ducts. [Meaning:] where the water was running in the channels made in the ground where the sheep are made to drink.

Where the sheep came, etc. In the ducts where the sheep came to drink, there he set up the sticks opposite the sheep.

That they should become heated. The [female] animal would see the sticks and be startled backwards whereupon the male would couple with her and she would give birth to something similar. R. Hoshaya says: The water [miraculously] became sperm in their wombs and they did not require a male. That is the intent of the word וַיֵּחַמְנָה, etc.

Before the rods. [Meaning:] to the appearance of the sticks.

Ringed. They were different at the place they are bound, which is the ankles of their forelegs and hindlegs.

Yaakov separated the lambs. Those that were born spotted and speckled he separated and set them apart for themselves and made them into separate flocks. He then passed the spotted flock in front of the flock whereby the face of the flock that followed behind them would be looking at them. This is meant by what is said: “He set the faces of the flock toward the ringed ones,” so that the flock faced the spotted and towards all the brown ones that he found among Lavan’s flock.

He formed flocks of his own. As I have [previously] explained.

Stronger. As Onkelos translates it [מְבַכְּרָתָה]—the early bearing ones. However, I have no evidence in Scripture. Menachem relates it to, “Achitofel is among the [קוֹשְׁרִים] conspirators, [and] “The conspiracy [קֶשֶׁר] was strong.” [Here it would mean] those [animals] who mated together in order to hurry their conceiving.

But when they [the flock] were late-bearing. A term meaning being late as Onkelos translates it: וּבְלַקִּישׁוּת. Menachem relates it to הַמַחֲלָצוֹת וְהַמַעֲטָפוֹת meaning, the wrapping oneself in a garment; here meaning, they are wrapped in their skin and wool and have no desire to be warmed by the males.

Multiplying flocks. [רַבוֹת means] that are fruitful and multiply more than other flock.

Female slaves and male slaves. He would sell his flock at a high price and buy for himself all these.