עִם לָבָן גַּרְתִּי. אָמַר, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיָּשַׁבְתִּי עִם לָבָן שֶׁהוּא אַב הָרַמָּאִים זֶה עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה, יֶשׁ לִי שׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר וְעֹשֶׁר גָּדוֹל. לְכָךְ הוֹדִיעוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְהַרְהֵר בְּלִבּוֹ וְיֹאמַר, יַעֲקֹב לֹא עָבַר כִּי אִם בְּמַקְלוֹ וְעָשָׂה עִמּוֹ עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה, וְלָבָן אַב הָרַמָּאִין הוּא, וְזֶה נִתְעַשֵּׁר אֶצְלוֹ וְשָׁב בְּשָׁלוֹם, וַאֲנִי אֵיךְ אוּכַל לוֹ. I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now. and I have oxen, and asses and flocks, and manservants and maid-servants (Gen. 32:5–6). He was telling Esau: “Though I have lived with Laban, the arch-deceiver, for twenty years, I have acquired oxen, asses, and great riches.” He disclosed this fact to Esau in the hope that when he reflected upon it, he would say to himself: “Jacob went there with nothing more than a staff, and though he worked for Laban, the arch-deceiver, for twenty years, he has become a wealthy man and has returned in peace; how can I possibly contend against him?”
וַיְהִי לִי שׁוֹר, אֵין לִי לִירֹא מִמְּךָ, שֶׁהֲרֵי נוֹלַד יוֹסֵף שֶׁנִּקְרָא שׁוֹר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: בְּכוֹר שׁוֹרוֹ הָדָר לוֹ (דברים לג, יז). וַחֲמוֹר, זֶה מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: עָנִי וְרֹכֵב עַל חֲמוֹר (זכריה ט, ט). צֹאן, אֵלּוּ זְכוּתָן שֶׁל שְׁבָטִים שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ בְנֵיהֶם צֹאן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְאַתֵּן צֹאנִי צֹאן וְגוֹ' (יחזקאל לד, לא). And I have oxen. This implies that I have no need to fear you (he was thinking to himself), for now Joseph is born, who is called an ox, as is said: His firstling ox, majesty is his (Deut. 33:17). Asses. The word ass alludes to the Messiah the son of David, as it is said: Lowly and riding upon an ass (Zech. 9:9). Flocks refers to the merit of the tribes, whose descendants will be called flock, as is said: And ye My sheep, the flock of My pasture (Ezek. 34:31).
גַּם יְהוּדָה שִׂטְנוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְאַרְיֵה כַּבָּקָר יֹאכַל תֶּבֶן (ישעיה יא, ז). פֵּרוּשׁ, אַרְיֵה שֶׁהוּא יְהוּדָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: גּוּר אַרְיֵה יְהוּדָה (בראשית מט, ט), כַּבָּקָר זֶה יוֹסֵף, יֹאכַל תֶּבֶן, כְּלוֹמַר זֶה יוֹסֵף שֶׁיָּדִין עֵשָׂו שֶׁהוּא תֶבֶן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּבֵית עֵשָׂו לְקַשׁ (עובדיה א, יח). וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁאַף כֻּלָּם יְדִינוּהוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: מָה אִמְּךָ לְבִיָּא (יחזקאל יט, א), מִכָּאן שֶׁכֻּלָּם יְדִינוּהוּ. Similarly, Judah will also be Esau’s adversary, as it is stated: And the lion shall eat straw like the ox (Isa. 11:7). Lion refers to Judah, as is said: Judah is a lion’s whelp (Gen. 49:9), and like the ox alludes to Joseph. Will eat straw informs us that Joseph will judge Esau, who is referred to as straw, and his descendants will be like straw, as it is said: And the house of Esau is like straw (Obad. 18).1The two tribes, identified as animals, will consume the straw representing Esau. Whence do we know that all the others will likewise judge Esau? From the verse How was thy mother a lioness; among lions she couched (Ezek. 19:2). We learn (from this verse) that all Israel will judge Esau.
וְעֶבֶד זֶה מֹשֶׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד ה' (דברים לד, ה). וְשִׁפְחָה, זוֹ רוּת שֶׁעָתִיד דָּוִד לָצֵאת מִמֶּנָּה, וְכָתוּב עָלָיו, אֲנִי עַבְדְּךָ בֶּן אֲמָתֶךָ (תהלים קטז, טז), בֶּן אוֹתָהּ שֶׁהִנִּיחָה לִהְיוֹת גְּבֶרֶת וּמַלְכָּה, לָבֹא וְלַחֲסוֹת תַּחַת כַּנְפֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה. Male-servants refers to Moses, as is said: Moses was a servant of the Lord (Deut. 34:5). Maid-servants alludes to Ruth, from whom David descended, and concerning whom it is written: I am thy servant, the servant of thy maid-servant (Ps. 116:16). He was the descendant of the woman who forsook being an important lady and a queen in order to find shelter beneath the wings of the Shekhinah.2Tradition tells us that Ruth was the daughter of Eglon, the king of Moab. She would have become a queen if she had not left her native land for the land of Israel.