Rashi on TanakhGenesis 31

He made. [Here meaning:] gathered, as in “He gathered an army and struck Amaleik.”

Return to the land of your fathers. And there I will be with you. But, while you still associate with someone unclean it is not possible to rest My Divine Presence upon you.

He called Rochel and Leah. First Rochel and then Leah, for she [Rochel] was the principal wife because it was for her that Yaakov accepted to be related to Lavan. Even Leah’s descendants admit to this for Boaz and his court who were of Yehudah’s tribe say, “Like Rochel and like Leah, who both built, etc.,” placing Rochel ahead of Leah.

Ten countings. [Each] מוֹנִים is no less than ten.

Times. Meaning, the sum—the total of counting which are tens. We thus learn that he changed his conditions 100 times.

That the males. Although Lavan separated all of them so that the flock not conceive their likeness, the angels would bring them from the flock that had been placed in the charge of Lavan’s sons to the flock that was in Yaakov’s charge.

And striped. Onkelos translates it וּפַצִיחִין, peised in Old French. A white strand encircled its body and its spots were open and running through from end to end. I have no support [for this interpretation] from Scripture.

The Almighty of Beis Eil. The same as אֵל בֵּית אֵל the letter ה"א being superfluous. It is usual for Scripture to speak this way as in “For you are coming to [הָאָרֶץ] the Land of Canaan.

Where you anointed. Meaning distinction and greatness similar to the anointing of a king. Similarly: “And he poured oil on top of it,” so that it be anointed as an altar.

You made a vow to Me. And you must fulfill it, for you said that it shall be a House of God, [implying] that you will offer sacrifices there.

Do we still have? Why should we prevent you from returning? Do we have any hope of inheriting anything of the estate of our father, among the males [of his family]?

Are we not considered by him as strangers? Even when it is customary for people to give a dowry to their daughters at the time of their marriage he acted toward us as strangers, for he sold us to you as wages for your work.

Our money. For he withheld the wages for your work.

All the wealth. The word כִּי here is used as but, as if to say: “We have nothing of our father’s [wealth] but that which God salvaged from our father that is what is ours.”

Rescued. [הִצִיל] means He separated. Similarly, all terms of הַצָלָה in Scripture has the meaning of separation for he separates him from the evil or from the enemy.

His sons and his wives. He put the males ahead of the females whereas Eisov put the females ahead of the males as it is said: “And Eisov took his wives and sons, etc.”

Which he had purchased with his own livestock. Meaning: that which he had obtained for his sheep: menservants, maidservants, camels and donkeys.

To shear his flock. [The flock] that he had given to his sons—a distance of three-days’ travel between himself and Yaakov.

And Rochel stole the idols. She intended to remove her father from idol-worship.

On the third day. For there was a distance of three-days’ travel between them.

His brothers. [Meaning:] his kinsmen.

A distance of seven days. The entire three days that it took the messenger to [reach and] tell Lavan, Yaakov continued on his journey. Consequently, Yaakov was six-days’ distance from Lavan. And on the seventh [day] Lavan overtook him. We [can, therefore,] infer that the entire distance that Yaakov traveled in seven days Lavan traveled in one day (as it is said: “He pursued him a distance of seven days,” and it does not say, he pursued him for seven days.)

Either good or evil. All that is considered good by the wicked is bad as regards to the righteous.

Like prisoners of war (חָרֶב). An army going to war is called “sword.”

You robbed me. [Meaning:] you stole my mind, [i.e., you misled me].

It is within the power of my hand. [Meaning:] There is strength and power in my hand to do you evil. Everytime אֵל is used to denote a Divine Name it represents strength and great power.

You yearned. [נִכְסַפְתָּה means] you yearned. There are many [such usages] in Scripture. “My soul yearns and even pines,” [or] “You yearn for the work of your hands.”

Because I was afraid, etc. He answered his first [question] first for he [Lavan] had [first] said to him: “You led my daughters away,” etc.

He shall not live. It was due to this curse that Rochel died on the journey.

Here with me. Of yours.

Into Yaakov’s tent. [אֹהֶל יַעֲקֹב] is the same as the tent of Rochel [It was so called] because Yaakov was constantly with her. This is similar to what is said: “The sons of Rochel, the wife of Yaakov”; whereas by the others it does not say: “The wife of Yaakov.”

And came into Rochel’s tent. When he left Leah’s tent he returned to Rochel’s tent before searching the tent of the two handmaidens. Why [did he bother doing] all this [in Rochel’s tent]? Because he knew her to be one who touches everything.

In the camel’s saddle-pillow. Meaning the same as כָּרִים וּכְסָתוֹת —pillows and mats, as Onkelos translates it בַּעֲבִיטָא דְגַמְלָא —which is a saddlebag made like a pillow. In Eruvin [we find:] “They enclosed it with עֲבִיטִין” which are camels’ saddlebags, bastel in Old French.

You were in such hot pursuit. [Meaning:] You pursued, as in “They pursued us upon the mountains,” and as in: “From chasing the Philistines.”

And let them decide. [Meaning] let them determine who is right, aprover in Old French.

Never miscarried. [Meaning] they have not miscarried, as in, “A miscarrying womb” [or,] “His cow expels [the calf] without miscarrying.”

Rams of your flocks. From here they [the Sages] derive that [even] a one-day-old ram is called אַיִל because, otherwise, why would this be praiseworthy; [did he mean to say that] he had not eaten rams but lambs he had eaten? If this were the case, then he would be a thief.

A mutilated animal. [Mutilated] by a lion or wolf.

I will take the blame for it. Having the same meaning as [יַחֲטִא in the verse]: “Sling stones at a hair’s breadth without missing” [יַחֲטִא] [or:] “I and my son, Shlomo, shall be losers,” [חֲטָאִים] [חֲטָאִים meaning] missing. [Yaakov, in effect was saying:] “I will suffer its loss. If it be missing then I will be the one missing it because you may demand it from me.”

I will take the blame for it. Onkelos translates it: דַּהֲוַת שָׁגְיָא מִמִּנְיָנָא. [Meaning] that which is lacking and missing, as in, “Not one person is missing from us” which Onkelos translates וְלָא שְׁגָא [there was not missing].

Whether [an animal] was stolen from me by day, or whether it was stolen from me by night. “Whether stolen by day or by night—I compensated for everything.”

Stolen from me. [The יוּ"ד ending is] the same as: “[רַבָּתִי] Great among nations, [שָׂרָתִי] a princess among states,” [or] “[מְלֵאֲתִי] That was full of justice,” [or] “[אוֹהַבְתִּי] that loves to thresh.”

I was consumed by the burning heat. [אֲכָלַנִי has] the same meaning as a consuming fire.

And ice. as in, “He hurls his ice” which is translated by Targum as גְלִידָא — frost.

My sleep. A term referring to sleep.

You changed my wages. You kept changing the condition between us, from speckled to spotted, and from streaked to ringed ones.

And the fear of Yitzchok. He did not wish to say אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק because God does not associate His Name with the righteous while they are alive. Although He said to him [Yaakov] when he left Beer Sheva: “I am Adonoy, the God of Avraham, your father, And God of Yitzchok,” because his [Yitzchok’s] eyesight had dimmed and he was therefore considered as dead. [Nevertheless] Yaakov was afraid to say אֱלֹהֵי and [instead] said וּפַחַד.

And He reprimanded you. A term meaning reproof and not a term meaning to determine.

What can I do unto these. [Meaning:] “How could it enter my heart to cause them any harm?”

Let Him be witness. [Referring to] God [being the witness].

To his brethren. This refers to his sons who were as brothers to him, standing by him in his troubles and wars.

Yegar Sohadusa. This is the Targum of Galeid.

Galeid. [Made up of two words:] גַל עֵד —a witness mound.

And Mitzpah, because he said, etc. This Mitzpah is the one on Mount Gilad as is written: “And he passed over Mitzpah of Gilad.” Why was its name Mitzpah? Because each of them said to the other: “May God watch [יִצֶף] between us whether you will transgress the covenant.”

When we are concealed. And shall not see one another.

My daughters, my daughters. [בְנֹתַי] twice [a total of four daughters]. Bilhah and Zilpah were also his daughters from a concubine.

If you afflict my daughters. By refusing them marital relations.

I have cast. The same as יָרָה בַיָּם —“Cast into the sea,” as one casts an arrow [spear].

That I. Here אִם is used to mean “that” as in: “Until that I have spoken my words.”

For harmful purposes. For evil purposes you may not pass, but you may pass for business purposes.

The God of Avraham. [אֱלֹהֵי is] holy, [i.e., the Divine Name].

And the god of Nachor. [Here אֱלֹהֵי is] profane [i.e., referring to an idol].

The god of their fathers. [אֱלֹהֵי here, too, is] profane.

Yaakov slaughtered animals. He slaughtered animals for a feast.

His brethren. Here לְאֶחָיו means, for his friends who were with Lavan.

To eat bread [a meal]. Food, in general, is called לֶחֶם — bread, as in, “He made a great feast,” [or] “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit.”