(בראשית ל׳:כ״ח) וַיֹּאמֶר נָקְבָה שְׂכָרְךָ עָלַי וְאֶתֵּנָה, מַאי נָקְבָה. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, הַהוּא רָשָׁע אָמַר, אֲנָא חָמֵי, דְּיַעֲקֹב לָא אִסְתַּכֵּל אֶלָּא בְּנוּקְבֵי, וּבְגִין כָּךְ יִפְלַח לִי. אָמַר נָקְבָה שְׂכָרְךָ, הָא נְקֵבָה דְּאִיהוּ שְׂכָרְךָ כַּד בְּקַדְמִיתָא. וְאֶתֵּנָה, אֵימָא מַאן נְקֵבָה אִסְתַּכַּלְתְּ בָּהּ, וְאֶתֵּנָה, וּפְלַח לִי בְּגִינָהּ. AND HE SAID: APPOINT (naqebah) ME THE WAGES, AND I WILL GIVE IT. R. Isaac said: The term naquebah (appoint, akin to neqebah=female) signifies that the wicked Laban said to himself, “I see that Jacob has an eye only for females, for the sake of whom he will serve me.” He therefore said in effect: “Behold, a female shall be thy wage as before; tell me on what female thou hast cast thine eyes, and I will give her to thee in return for thy service.”

(שם) וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב לא תִתֵּן לִי מְאוּמָה, אָמַר יַעֲקֹב חָלִילָה, דְּהָא אֲנָא כָּל מַה דְּעֲבִידְנָא, לְשֵׁם יְקָרָא דְמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא עֲבִידְנָא, (ס"א ולאו לכסופא דגרמאי) וְעַל דָּא לא תִּתֵּן לִי מְאוּמָה, דְּהָא לַאו דַּעְתָּאי בְּהַאי, אֶלָּא אִם תַּעֲשֶׂה לִי (את) הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וְגו'. AND JACOB SAID: THOU SHALT NOT GIVE ME AUGHT. Jacob practically said: “Far be it from me! For in all my acts I am zealous for the glory of the Holy King, and hence thou shalt not give me aught, as my mind is not set on that, but if thou wilt do this thing for me, etc.”

(שם) וַיָּסַר בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אֶת הַתְּיָשִׁים. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (תהילים ט״ו:א׳) יְיָ מִי יָגוּר בְּאָהֳלֶךָ וְגו', הָא אוֹקִימְנָא, וְאוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָיא, (שם) הוֹלֵךְ תָּמִים, דָּא אַבְרָהָם, דְּכַד אִתְגְּזַר תָּמִים אִקְרֵי. וּפוֹעֵל צֶדֶק, דָּא יִצְחָק. וְדוֹבֵר אֱמֶת, דָּא יַעֲקֹב. וַדַּאי יַעֲקֹב בֶּאֱמֶת אִתְדָּבַּק, אִי הוּא בֶּאֱמֶת אִתְדָּבַּק, מַאי טַעֲמָא עֲבַד עִם לָבָן כְּגַוְונָא דָא. AND HE REMOVED THAT DAY THE HE-GOATS. R. Eleazar quoted here the verse: Lord, who shall sojourn in thy tabernacle…. He that walketh in perfection, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh truth in his heart (Ps. 15, 1-2). ‘“He that walketh in perfection”,’ he said, ‘refers to Abraham, who, after he had circumcised himself, was called “perfect”; “and worketh righteousness” refers to Isaac; “and speaketh the truth” refers to Jacob, who indeed attached himself to the truth. If that is so, why then did he act towards Laban in this way?

אֶלָא, יַעֲקֹב בָּחִין שַׁעְתָּא דְמַזְּלֵיהּ הֲוָה. דְּשָׁרֵי לֵיהּ לְאֵינַשׁ, לְמִבְחַן שַׁעְתֵּיהּ, עַד לָא יָתוּב לְאַרְעֵיהּ, וְאִי מַזָּלֵיהּ קָאִים בְּמָּה דְּעֲבִיד שַׁפִּיר, וְאִי לָאו לָא יוֹשִׁיט רַגְלוֹי עַד דְּיִסְלַק (ס"א דקאים במה דעביד) לְגַבֵּיהּ. The reason is that Jacob wanted to see if the hour was propitious for him, for it is permissible for a man to test his luck before returning to his land. If he finds fortune favourable, well and good; but if not, let him not stir before his luck is in again.

תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב, (בראשית ל׳:ל״ג) וְעָנְתָה בִּי צִדְקָתִי בְּיוֹם מָחָר וְגו', דְּהָא אִיהוּ לָא עֲבַד בְּגִין דְּיִטּוֹל מִדִּילֵיהּ לְמַגָּנָא, אֶלָּא כֹּלָּא בְּקוּשְׁטָא וּשְׁלִימוּ דִּרְעוּתָא, וְלָא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְּאִיהוּ נָטִיל רְשׁוּ מִלָּבָן, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (בראשית ל׳:כ״ז) נִחַשְׁתִּי וַיְבָרַכֵנִי יְיָ בִּגְלָלֶךָ. כַּמָּה חֳרָשִׁין וְזִינִין עֲבַד לָבָן, וּבָחִין מַזָּלֵיהּ בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב, וְהֲוָה אַשְׁכַּח בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב, מְאָה עָאנָא כָּל יַרְחָא, וּמְאָה אִמְרִין וּמְאָה עִזִּין יַתִּיר עַל עָאנֵיהּ. It is written: SO SHALL MY RIGHTEOUSNESS WITNESS AGAINST ME HEREAFTER, ETC., for he did not attempt to obtain from Laban anything for nothing, but he acted througnout honestly and uprightly, and, moreover, he asked Laban for permission to depart. Hence Laban himself said: I HAVE OBSERVED THE SIGNS, AND THE LORD HATH BLESSED ME FOR THY SAKE. For Laban tested Jacob by all manner of divinations, and found that he brought him luck; through Jacob he obtained each month a hundred sheep and a hundred lambs and a hundred he-goats more than his flock was wont to produce.’

רַבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר, אֶלֶף עָאנִין, וְאֶלֶף אִמְרִין, וְאֶלֶף עִזִּין, הֲוָה מַיְיתֵי לֵיהּ יַעֲקֹב יַתִּיר בְּכָל יַרְחָא וְיַרְחָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (בראשית ל׳:ל׳) כִּי מְעַט אֲשֶׁר הָיָה לְךָ לְפָנַי וַיִּפְרֹץ לָרֹב וַיְבָרֶךְ יְיָ אוֹתְךָ לְרַגְלִי, וּבִרְכְתָא דִלְעֵילָא לָאו אִיהוּ פָּחוֹת מֵאֶלֶף מִכָּל זִינָא וְזִינָא, מֵעָאנִין אֶלֶף אִשְׁתַּכַּח, מֵאִמְרִין אֶלֶף אִשְׁתַּכַּח, מֵעִזִּין אֶלֶף אִשְׁתַּכַּח. עַל כָּל מַה דְּשַׁרְיָא בִּרְכְתָא דִלְעֵילָא, לָא פָּחוֹת מֵאֶלֶף. עַד דִּבְגִינֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב אִסְתַּלַּק לָבָן לְכַמָּה עוּתְרָא. R. Abba said: ‘Jacob brought him in a thousand sheep and a thousand lambs and a thousand he-goats extra every month. This is proved by the verse: FOR IT WAS LITTLE WHICH THOU HADST BEFORE I CAME, AND IT HATH INCREASED ABUNDANTLY: AND THE LORD HATH BLESSED THEE FOR MY SAKE. For a blessing from on high never results in less than a thousand of each kind. So that there was a surplus of a thousand in Laban’s ewes, and the same in his lambs, and in his goats, until he acquired great wealth, and all through Jacob.

וְכַד בָעָא יַעֲקֹב לְנַטְלֵיהּ אַגְרֵיהּ, לָא אַשְׁכַּח אֶלָּא עֲשָׂרָה מִכָּל זִינָא וְזִינָא, וְיַעֲקֹב חָשִׁיב לֵיהּ לְעוּתְרָא סַגִּי. חָמֵי כַּמָּה נָטִיל מִדִּילֵיהּ, מִמַּה דְּהֲוָה יָהִיב אִיהוּ בִּזְכוּתֵיהּ לְלָבָן. וְכָל דָּא דְּסָלִיק בֵּיהּ יַעֲקֹב, לָא הֲוָה אֶלָּא בִּזְרוֹעַ דְּאִינוּן מַקְלוֹת, דְּשַׁוֵּי לְגַבֵּי עָנָא. But when Jacob came for his recompense, he only obtained ten of each kind, and even this he considered great riches. What a small part then did he take for himself of all that he contributed for the benefit of Laban, and even that he had to force from him, as it were, by means of the rods which he placed against the flock.

תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּמָּה טָרַח הַהוּא שְׁלֵימָא דְיַעֲקֹב, אֲבַתְרֵיהּ דְּלָבָן. כְּתִיב, (בראשית ל) וַיָּשֶׂם דֶּרֶךְ שְׁלשֶׁת יָמִים וְגו', וְהֲוָה אַיְיתֵי לֵיהּ כָּל הַאי עוּתְרָא. וְעִם כָּל דָּא, לָא בָעָא לָבָן דִּיהֵא אַגְרֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב הָכִי, אֶלָּא נְטַל עֲשָׂרָה מִן דָּא וַעֲשָׂרָה מִן דָּא וְיָהַב (בידא דבני) לֵיהּ. וְאָמַר לֵיהּ טוֹל הַנֵּי. וְאִי יוֹלִידוּ כְּמָה דַאֲמַרְתְּ, בְּהַאי גַוְונָא יְהֵא אַגְרָךְ. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (בראשית ל) וַתַּחְלֵף אֶת מַשְׂכּוּרְתִּי עֲשֶׂרֶת מוֹנִים, (ובהני) עֲשָׂרָה מִן דָּא וַעֲשָׂרָה מִן דָּא, וּכְתִיב, (בראשית ל) וַאֲבִיכֶן הֵתֶל בִּי וְהֶחֱלִיף אֶת מַשְׂכּוּרְתִּי עֲשֶׂרֶת מוֹנִים. (ובהני עשרה) אִשְׁתַּדַּל בָּתַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וּבָרְכֵיהּ. וּמִכָּל מַה דְּשַׁוֵּי לָבָן עִמֵּיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב, אַהֲדַר בְּמִלּוּלֵיהּ, וְנָטִיל מִיַּעֲקֹב כֹּלָּא, עַד דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָס עֲלֵיהּ, וְנָטַל מִדִּילֵיהּ בִּזְרוֹעַ. Observe how Jacob in his simplicity did everything possible to satisfy Laban, and while bringing him all this wealth, he only asked for the spotted and speckled. But for all that Laban consented to this, he would not in the end let him have them, but he took ten of each kind and sent them to him through his sons, saying: “Take these, and whatever they will bear of the sort you said shall be yours.” It is thus written: “And your father hath deceived me” (Gen. 30, 7), and also, “and thou hast changed my wages ten times” (Ibid. 41), the term monim (times, akin to minim—kinds) indicating ten of each kind. So whatever agreement Laban made with Jacob, he went back on his word and took from him everything, until God had compassion on him, so that he wrested what was his own from him by force, as it were.’