“And Laban caught up with Jacob, and Jacob pitched his tent on the mountain, and Laban with his brethren pitched on the mountain of Gilad” (Genesis 31:25). “And Laban said to Jacob: What did you do, that you misled me, and you carried away my daughters as though they were captives taken by sword?” (Genesis 31:26). “Why did you flee surreptitiously and deceive me and you did not tell me? I would have sent you with joy and with songs, with drum and with harp” (Genesis 31:27).
“Why did you flee surreptitiously…and you did not tell me? I would have sent you…” – he said:17Laban thought to himself, that if he spoke in this manner maybe Jacob would reconsider. Perhaps he will reconsider. “You did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters; now you have acted foolishly” (Genesis 31:28).
“You did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters” – he said to him: ‘Even now you intend to leave.’18And you are not reconsidering. The difficulty here is why does Laban say: “Now you have acted foolishly,” when he is speaking about the past? “It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father said to me last night, saying: Beware of speaking with Jacob, good or bad” (Genesis 31:29).
“It is in my power to do you harm; but the God of your father said to me last night, saying” – he [Laban] said: ‘It is not from Him.’19It is not because God told me not to harm you that I am not harming you; it is my own decision (Yefe Toar). “Now you have gone because you longed for your father's house, why did you steal my gods?” (Genesis 31:30). “Now you have gone because you longed for your father's house, why did you steal my gods?” – you desired to go to your father’s house, why did you steal my gods?
Rabbi Aivu said: When the tribes heard this, they said: ‘We are ashamed of you, our mother’s father. In the time of your old age,20You should be thinking logically and intelligently, not about your idols. you say: “Why did you steal my gods”?’