“He also consorted with Rachel; he also loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked with him another seven additional years” (Genesis 29:30). “He also consorted with Rachel; he also loved Rachel more than Leah…” – Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon said: The way of the world is that a worker performs labor faithfully with the employer for two or three hours, but ultimately, he becomes lazy in his labor. However, here, just as the first ones were complete, so, the latter ones were complete.
Just as the first ones were performed faithfully, so, the latter ones were performed faithfully. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: It is written: “Jacob fled to the field of Aram, and Israel worked for a wife…” (Hosea 12:13). He [Hosea] said to them: ‘Your redemption is modeled after your patriarch Jacob. Just as your patriarch Jacob, before he took a wife he was put to work, after he took a wife, he was put to work, you, too, before your redeemer is born, you were enslaved, after your redeemer is born, you are enslaved.’52Even after the redeemer is born the redemption will not be immediate.