1)

What does "l'Ragli" mean?

1.

Rashi and Targum Yonasan: "Ragli" means 'from the time that I arrived' (on foot).

2.

Targum Onkelos and Rashbam: It means 'because of me.' 1

3.

Ha'amek Davar: Do not say that the Berachah was only due to me. It was due to my great toil and supervision, and also Hashem's Berachah!


1

Rashi in Yoma (38b) agrees with this translation. Also see Gur Aryeh - The prefix Lamed, in this case, means 'close to (or with) [the arrival of] my feet.' It is not stating the time when the blessing came, but rather the cause.

2)

What did Yaakov mean when he said "When will also I work for my household?"

1.

Rashi: He meant that, currently, his children 1 were working to support his family, and that the time had now come for him to join them. 2

2.

Ramban, from Bereishis Rabah 73:8: One needs to invert 3 the words to read "Masai E'eseh Anochi Gam l'Veisi" - 'When will I work, not just for you, but on behalf of my own family?'

3.

Seforno: Until now, Yaakov's work for Lavan had been Divinely blessed; now the time had come, to work for himself with a Divine blessing (and not just to rely on a shepherd's meager wages).

4.

Ha'amek Davar: Just like you are concerned for your household , so I am concerned for my household!


1

Or his wife and servants (Ramban).

2

See Ramban's objection to this explanation.

3

See Ramban who supports this concept of inverting the word "Gam" with a number of examples.

3)

What has all this got to do with Lavan's statement, 'Nakvah Secharcha Alai ve'Etenah!"?

1.

Oznayim la'Torah: Based on the Gemara's statement (Bava Basra 15b) that whoever received a Perutah from Iyov was blessed, the Maharsha points out that the same applied to Yaakov - in other words, due to Hashem's blessing on Yaakov's property, he enjoyed a good Mazal. The opposite was true with Lavan. Hence, Yaakov said to Lavan, "Ki Me'at Asher Hayah Lecha Lefanai..." - due to Lavan's bad Mazal - "Va'Yifrotz la'Rov" -due to his own good Mazal. Therefore, he concluded, "Masai E'eseh Gam Anochi l'Veisi?" - rather than rely on Lavan's wages, which were cursed with an Ayin ha'Ra. 1


1

Oznayim la'Torah: Yaakov continued, "Lo Ta'aseh Li Me'umah" (30:31) - because whatever Lavan would give him was not worth anything, only what Yaakov does independently, which will enjoy the blessing of Hakadosh-Baruch-Hu as it did until now.

4)

How many animals did Lavan have when Yaakov came?

1.

Tosfos ha'Shalem (1): He had 70. We learn from a Gezerah Shavah "Me'at-Me'at" from Bnei Yisrael who descended to Mitzrayim.

QUESTIONS ON RASHI

5)

Rashi writes: "'Also I, for my home' - i.e. [to provide] for the needs of my home." What is Rashi clarifying?

1.

Gur Aryeh: A person does not use his actual proceeds for his home directly. In this case, Yaakov would sell some of his sheep, and acquire what he needed for his household (see Rashi to 30:43).

6)

Rashi writes: "'Also I' - ...at present, only my sons work on my behalf, and I need to work with them to assist them." Why not explain simply that he wished to work and provide for his household, as you [Lavan] yourself do?

1.

Gur Aryeh: Why would Yaakov base this on Lavan? Yaakov himself needed to earn a living, irrespective of what Lavan does.

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