פרשת ויצא תשט"ו - יעקב בחרן

And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

These twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flocks have I not eaten.

גנבתי יום וגנבתי לילה WHETHER STOLEN BY DAY OR STOLEN BY NIGHT — everything I paid back.

אכלני חרב THE DROUGHT CONSUMED ME — the same metaphor as (Deuteronomy 4:24) אש אכלה “a consuming fire”.

And Jacob said unto them: ‘My brethren, whence are ye?’ And they said: ‘Of Haran are we.’

And he said unto them: ‘Know ye Laban the son of Nahor?’ And they said: ‘We know him.’

And he said unto them: ‘Is it well with him?’ And they said: ‘It is well; and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.’

And he said unto them: ‘Is it well with him?’ And they said: ‘It is well; and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.’

And he said unto them: ‘Is it well with him?’ And they said: ‘It is well; and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.’

Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

And Jacob loved Rachel; and he said: ‘I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.’

And Laban said: ‘It is not so done in our place, to give the younger before the first-born.

Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east.

וישא יעקב רגליו THEN JACOB LIFTED UP HIS FEET —As soon as he received the good tidings that he was assured of God’s protection his heart lifted up his feet and he walked swiftly. Thus is it explained in (Genesis Rabbah 70:8).

Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east.

וישא יעקב רגליו, when a person proceeds on a journey voluntarily, at his own initiative, this is described in terms of his personality carrying, lifting his feet. When the initiative is not his, even when he does not march involuntarily, under orders against his will, his feet are described as carrying him, i.e. his personality, the rest of his body. At this point of Yaakov’s journey, he belonged to the category of traveler mentioned first. We find the other category mentioned in Isaiah 23,7 יובילוה רגליה, “would her feet carry her?”

And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, three flocks of sheep lying there by it.—For out of that well they watered the flocks. And the stone upon the well’s mouth was great.

There was a large stone. It was so large that the shepherds of all the flocks were required to move it. Nevertheless, with heaven’s aid Yaakov was able to move it alone, even though he had just completed a long and arduous journey.

HE CALLED THE NAME OF THST WELL ESEK. The Torah relates and goes to great lengths about the matter of the wells even though the story simply understood serves no purpose and doesnt give great honor to Isaac and [furthermore] he and his father made these wells. In truth there is a hidden matter contained in this incident, for it comes to inform a future [us about] event. For a "well of water" is a hint to the temple of G-d which the offspring's of Isaac would build. This is why it mentions "a well of flowing water" as it says (Jeremiah 17:13) "a source of flowing water Hashem" And he called the first well Esek (contention) which alludes to the first temple, over which our enemies contended with us, engaging us in many conflicts and wars until they destroyed it. HE called the second Sitnah (hatred) a harsher name than the first one it allude to second temple which is called by that very name, for its written "during the reign of Achashveirosh at the beginning of his reign they wrote a hateful accusation (sitnah) against the dwellers of Judah and Jerusalem" and all its days the enemies were hateful to us until the destroyed it and we went into a terrible exile from it. he called the third well Rechovot an allusion to the future temple may it be built speedily in our days. it'll be built without conflict or dispute and G-D will ex[and our borders s it says "When Hashem will ex[and your boundary's he swore" which speaks of a future time. And concerning the third temple its written "it broadened and expanded upward". our pasuk concludes "And we can be fruitful in the land" [alluding to the fact] that [in the future] "all the nations will serve Him with a single resolve"

And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying: ‘What seekest thou?’

הן עוד היום גדול LO, IT IS YET HIGH DAY — Because he saw them lying down he thought that they wished to take the cattle home, and that they should not graze any longer. He, therefore, said to them, “Lo, it is yet high day” — meaning, if you are hired men you have not yet finished your day’s task, and if these are your own cattle, nevertheless — 'לא עת האסף המקנה וגו IT IS NOT YET TIME FOR THE CATTLET TO BE GATHERED TOGETHER TO TAKE THEM HOME (Genesis Rabbah 70:11).

The day is yet long. He thought they were shirking their duties. The righteous are disturbed by injustice even when they are not the victims.