“Laban said to him: If now I have found favor in your eyes, I have divined, and the Lord has blessed me on your account” (Genesis 30:27). “Laban said to him: If now I have found favor in your eyes, [I have divined]” – I attempted and examined,14“Divined” could not refer to divination, as that is abhorrent in the eyes of God and Jacob. The proper interpretation is that he examined the differences in his household between the pre-Jacob era and since Jacob arrived. “and the Lord has blessed me on your account.”
“He said: Stipulate your wages for me, and I will give them” (Genesis 30:28). “He said: Stipulate your wages for me” – calculate, quantify, and state <what your="" wages="" are="">. “He said to him: You know how I have served you, and how your livestock was with me” (Genesis 30:29). “For the little that you had before me has increased abundantly and the Lord has blessed you on my account and now, when will I, too, provide for my household?” (Genesis 30:30).
“He said to him: You know…For the little [me’at] that you had…has increased abundantly” – Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Rabbi Simon in the name of Rabbi Ḥizkiya: Me’at – seventy heads [of livestock]. Me’at is stated here and me’at is stated elsewhere: “[He went down to Egypt with] few in number [bimtei me’at]” (Deuteronomy 26:5). Just as there it is seventy people,15“All the people of the house of Jacob who came to Egypt were seventy” (Genesis 46:27). so, too, here, it is seventy heads.
“The Lord has blessed you on my account” – everywhere the righteous go, blessing is sent. Isaac descended to Gerar, blessing came on his account, as it is stated: “Isaac planted in that land and found in [that] year…and God blessed him.” (Genesis 26:12). Jacob descended to Laban and blessing came on his account, as it is stated: “The Lord has blessed you on my account.” Joseph descended to Potiphar, blessing came on his account, as it is stated: “The Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian” (Genesis 39:5). “Now, when will I, too, provide for my household?” – Reuben requires a house, Simeon requires a house.