Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 30:37/רמב"ן על בראשית ל׳:ל״ז
אוַיִּקַּח לוֹ יַעֲקֹב מַקַּל לִבְנֶה כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִסְכִּימוּ לִהְיוֹת שְׂכָרוֹ בְּאֵלֶּה הָיָה רַשַּׁאי לַעֲשׂוֹת כָּל מַה שֶׁיּוּכַל לְהוֹלִידָם כֵּן. וְאוּלַי הִתְנָה יַעֲקֹב שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה בָּהֶן כָּל מָה שֶׁיִּרְצֶה, כִּי לָבָן לֹא הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ בַּתּוֹלָדָה הַזּוֹ, וְהָרוֹעִים לֹא הָיוּ מַרְגִּישִׁים בַּדָּבָר בִּרְאוֹתָם הַמַּקְלוֹת בָּרְהָטִים פַּעַם אַחַת בַּשָּׁנָה בִּימֵי נִיסָן, כִּי בְּהַעֲטִיף הַצֹּאן בִּימֵי תִּשְׁרֵי לֹא יָשִׂים, שֶׁלֹּא יִשָּׁאֵר לְלָבָן עַד פַּרְסָה. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים (הרד"ק) כִּי הַשָּׁנָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה נוֹלְדוּ לְיַעֲקֹב נְקֻדִּים וּטְלוּאִים רַבִּים בְּבִרְכַּת הַשֵּׁם אֲשֶׁר הֶרְאָה לוֹ הַמַּלְאָךְ, וְשָׂם הַמַּקְלוֹת בִּפְנֵי אֵלּוּ שֶׁהָיוּ שֶׁלּוֹ שֶׁיּוֹלִידוּ בִּדְמוּתָם, שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמַר לָבָן כַּאֲשֶׁר יִוָּלְדוּ כִּי גָּנוּב הוּא אִתּוֹ. וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ "בְּכָל יַחֵם הַצֹּאן הַמְקֻשָּׁרוֹת", שֶׁהֵם הַנּוֹלָדִים לוֹ, "וּבְהַעֲטִיף הַצֹּאן" שֶׁל לָבָן, "לֹא יָשִׂים, וְהָיָה הָעֲטֻפִים לְלָבָן" אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִוָּלְדוּ נְקֻדִּים "וְהַקְּשׁוּרִים" כֻּלָּם "לְיַעֲקֹב" כִּי יִוָּלְדוּ נְקֻדִּים:
1AND JACOB TOOK HIM STICKS OF POPLAR. As soon as they agreed that his hire would be these colors it was permissible for Jacob to do whatever he could to cause them to give birth in this manner. Perhaps Jacob had made a condition that he may do with them whatever he wants since Laban did not know of the ramifications of this measure, nor did Laban’s shepherds sense anything when they saw the sticks in the gutters once a year during the days of Nisan. For When the flocks were feeble165 in the days of Tishri, he did not put them in, otherwise not a hoof would have remained for Laban.Now some commentators166 say that the first year [Jacob did not make use of these sticks, but] there were born to him many speckled and spotted ones by virtue of G-d’s blessing which the angel showed him.167 And then he put the sticks in front of those which were his so that they should give birth in their form. This would prevent Laban from saying that their offspring was stolen by Jacob, [as he would have claimed had they given birth to other colored offspring].This is the meaning of whensoever the stronger flocks became heated,168 referring to those that had been born to Jacob by way of G-d’s blessing; but when the flocks of Laban were feeble, he put them not in; so that the feebler were Laban’s, for they did not give birth to speckled ones, and the stronger were all Jacob’s,165 including their offspring, for they gave birth to speckled ones.