Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah

Sforno on Genesis 29:14/ספורנו על בראשית כ״ט:י״ד

אאַךְ עַצְמִי וּבְשָׂרִי אָתָּה. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁתּוּכַל לְהִתְפַּרְנֵס בִּלְעָדִי בִּמְלֶאכֶת הַמִּרְעֶה אוֹ בְּזוּלָתָהּ, מִכָּל מָקוֹם אַתָּה עַצְמִי וּבְשָׂרִי וְרָאוּי שֶׁתֵּשֵׁב בְּבֵיתִי.
1אך עצמי ובשרי אתה, even though you are no doubt able to make a living without me by undertaking to look after the flocks or in some other manner, the fact remains that you are my flesh and blood and it is therefore appropriate that you should stay under my roof.
בוַיֵּשֶׁב עִמּוֹ. בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ לִרְעוֹת צֹאנוֹ, כְּמוֹ שְׁבָה עִמָּדִי, וְ"וַיּוֹאֶל מֹשֶׁה לָשֶׁבֶת אֶת הָאִישׁ" (שמות ב:כא), לְפִיכָךְ אָמַר לוֹ אַחַר כָּךְ וַעֲבַדְתַּנִי חִנָּם.
2וישב עמו, during which time he looked after Lavan’s livestock. The expression ישב implying more than just being a tourist, a visitor in someone’s house for an extended period is found elsewhere also, as for instance in Exodus 2,21 when Moses is described as ויואל משה לשבת את האיש, where it means not merely that Moses agreed to stay at the house of Yitro but that he undertook to become a shepherd for him. When Lavan, in verse 19 of this chapter asks Yaakov שבה עמדי, he did not merely offer hospitality but meant that Yaakov would continue to mind his flocks. The fact that Lavan himself refers to Yaakov working for him without wages makes it clear that during the first 30 days he was not merely sitting around, but had been more than earning his keep.