Tanach · Acharonim on Tanach · Or HaChaim · Torah
Or HaChaim on Genesis 29:13/אור החיים על בראשית כ״ט:י״ג
אוַיְהִי כִשְׁמֹעַ לָבָן וְגוֹ׳. אָמְרוֹ וַיְהִי לְשׁוֹן צַעַר. רֶמֶז שֶׁנִּתְכַּוֵּן לְרָעָה כְּאָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (בראשית רבה ע:יג) שֶׁיָּצָא לְגָזְלוֹ וְחִפֵּשׂ מַצְפּוּנָיו, וְגַם חִבְּקוֹ לָדַעַת אֶת אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ, וְגַם נְשָׁקוֹ אִם בְּפִיו מַרְגָּלִיּוֹת. וְאָמְרוֹ שֵׁמַע יַעֲקֹב בֶּן אֲחוֹתוֹ פֵּרוּשׁ: לֹא הִגִּידָה רָחֵל מַה שֶׁאָמַר לָהּ יַעֲקֹב כִּי הוּא אֲחִי אָבִיהָ, אֶלָּא הֱיוֹתוֹ בֶּן רִבְקָה צַדִּיק בֶּן צַדֶּקֶת. וּבָזֶה חָשַׁב מַחֲשָׁבוֹת לְרַמּוֹתוֹ. וְגַם אָמְרוֹ וַיְבִיאֵהוּ אֶל בֵּיתוֹ הַטַּעַם אוּלַי מָמוֹנוֹ יָבֹא אַחֲרָיו, וֶהֱבִיאוֹ לְבֵיתוֹ עַד יַגִּיעוּ נְכָסָיו.
1 ויהי כשמוע לבן, And as soon as Laban heard, etc. The word ויהי, as usual, introduces a negative element. Here too Laban formed evil intentions as soon as he heard about Jacob's arrival. Bereshit Rabbah 70,13 suggests that Laban searched Jacob bodily under the guise of hugging him and kissing him. When the Torah describes that Laban heard that Jacob "was the son of his sister," this means that Rachel had not told her father that he was her father's brother, only that he was the son of Rebeccah. This is why Laban entertained thoughts of tricking him. When the Torah reports that Laban brought Jacob into his house this was also because he thought that maybe Jacob's wealth was following some distance behind him. He wanted to keep Jacob around pending arrival of his possessions.
בוַיְסַפֵּר לְלָבָן אֵת כָּל וְגוֹ׳. סִבַּת בּוֹאוֹ, וְטַעַם בּוֹאוֹ, וַאֲשֶׁר עָבַר עָלָיו עִם אֱלִיפַז כִּי נָטַל מִמֶּנּוּ הַכֹּל בְּרָדְפוֹ אַחֲרָיו:
2ויספר ללבן את כל הדברים האלה. He told Laban all that happened. The word בואו in this verse may refer to Jacob explaining how Eliphaz had pursued him and robbed him of his possessions.
געוֹד יִתְבָּאֵר עַל דֶּרֶךְ אָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (מגילה יג:) שֶׁרָחֵל הוֹדִיעָה אֶת יַעֲקֹב כִּי אָבִיהָ רַמַּאי, לָזֶה נִתְחַכֵּם לְסַפֵּר לוֹ כָּל הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁעֲבָרוּהוּ, כְּדֵי שֶׁבָּזֶה יֶחְדַּל מֵהַרְשִׁיעַ כְּשֶׁיֵּדַע מַה שֶׁנִּתְחַכֵּם עַד שֶׁלָּקַח הַבְּכוֹרָה וְהַבְּרָכָה, יֵדַע כִּי עָרוֹם יַעְרִים לְמַה שֶׁיִּצְטָרֵךְ. וְגַם הוֹדִיעוֹ אֲשֶׁר עֲבָרוֹ מִמַּעֲשֵׂה הָאֶבֶן, וְזֶה יַגִּיד כִּי הוּא גִּבּוֹר חַיִל. גַּם מַעֲשֵׂה הַשְׁקָאַת צֹאנוֹ, וְזֶה יַגִּיד חִבָּתוֹ בּוֹ וְהַנְהָגָתוֹ הַיְּשָׁרָה עִמּוֹ.
3It is also possible that the reason Jacob told Laban everything- seeing Rachel had told him that her father was a swindler- was in order to convince him that there was no point in trying to swindle him as he had himself gotten the better of Esau by obtaining both the birthright and the blessing. He also told Laban of his having single-handedly moved the stone on top of the well to show that he possessed physical strength. He went on to tell Laban that he had watered his flock to show him that he harboured friendly feelings toward him.