“And Jacob answered, and said to Laban: Because I was afraid, because I said that you might steal your daugters from me” (Genesis 31:31). “With whomever you find your gods, he shall not live; before our brethren, identify what is with me, and take them for yourself. And Jacob did not know that Rachel stole them” (Genesis 31:32). “With whomever you find your gods, he shall not live” – and so it was, “like an error that emerges from the ruler” (Ecclesiastes 10:5).
“Rachel stole…” (Genesis 31:19); “Rachel died…” (Genesis 35:19). “Laban came into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two maidservants, but he did not find; he emerged from Leah's tent, and came into Rachel’s tent” (Genesis 31:33). “Laban came into Jacob’s tent, and into Rachel’s tent” – “into Jacob’s tent,” which was Rachel’s tent; “and into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two maidservants…he emerged from Leah’s tent, and came into Rachel's tent.”
Why into Rachel’s tent twice? It is because he was familiar with her, that she was a toucher.21She had a tendency to touch items that did not belong to her and take them. “Rachel had taken the household idols, placed them in the cushion of the camel, and she sat upon them. Laban felt throughout the tent and did not find” (Genesis 31:34).
“Rachel had taken the household idols, placed them in the cushion of the camel” – in the camel’s saddle. “She said to her father: Let my lord not be angry, as I cannot arise before you because the manner of women is upon me. He searched, but did not find the household idols” (Genesis 31:35). “And she sat upon them…she said to her father: Let my lord not be angry, as I cannot…” – Rabbi Yoḥanan said: He did not find household idols, but he found jugs. The household idols were transformed into jugs so as not to embarrass Rachel.