“He said to them: I see your father's countenance, and it is not toward me as in the past, and the God of my father was with me” (Genesis 31:5). “And you know that I worked for your father with all of my strength” (Genesis 31:6). “But your father has cheated me, and changed my wages ten times; but God did not allow him to harm me” (Genesis 31:7). “He said to them: I see…But your father has cheated me” – Rabbi Ḥiyya Rabba said: Each and every matter that Laban would stipulate with Jacob, he would renege upon it ten times retroactively, as it is stated: “Hen lu”3Hen means yes, lu indicates uncertainty, which constitutes the first step toward reneging on his agreement. (Genesis 30:34).
The Rabbis say: One hundred times, as it is stated: “But your father has cheated me, and changed my wages ten times [monim]” (Genesis 31:7); as a quorum [minyan] is no fewer than ten. “If he said this: The speckled will be your wages, then all the flocks bore speckled, and if he said that: The streaked will be your wages, all the flocks bore streaked” (Genesis 31:8). “God has diverted the livestock of your father, and given it to me” (Genesis 31:9).
“If he said this [im ko yomar]: The speckled will be your wages, then all the flocks bore [speckled]” – Rabbi Berekhya in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: The Holy One blessed be He foresaw what Laban was destined to do to our patriarch Jacob, and He shaped a corresponding form.4A form that corresponds with Laban’s final position. Im ko yomar – amar5Past tense. The first does not say that after Laban said which animals would be Jacob's salary, then all the births would be of that type. is not written here, but rather, yomar.6Future tense, as the Holy One blessed be He foresaw what Laban was going to do in the future, and before Laban said to Jacob what the new salary would be, the animals born were in accordance with the new salary.
Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Aivu said: “For I have seen everything that Laban did to you” is not written here, but rather, “everything that Laban is doing to you” (Genesis 31:12). “The angel of God said to me in the dream: Jacob, and I said: Here I am” (Genesis 31:11). “The angel of God said to me in the dream…” – Rabbi Elazar ben Yaakov said: To him and to his generations. There is no generation that does not have one like Abraham.
There is no generation that does not have one like Jacob. There is no generation that does not have one like Samuel. “He said: Please lift your eyes and see, all the males that mount the flock are streaked, speckled, and mottled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you” (Genesis 31:12). “He said: Please lift your eyes and see, all the males that mount the flock are…streaked, speckled…” – Rabbi Huna of Beit Ḥoron said: “Olim” is not written here, but rather, “haolim” – they mounted involuntarily.7The angel did not merely show him that males were mounting the flock, but rather he was shown that the angels were making sure that the right males were mounting the females.
Rabbi Tanḥuma said: Torrential rain.8Transported the males from Laban’s flock. The Rabbis said: Clouds of glory. 9Transported the males from Laban’s flock. “God has diverted the livestock of your father, and given it to me” – like one who saves items from refuse.