Scorched by Day and Frozen by Night as Jacob Keeps Watch

"By day the drought consumed me" (Genesis 31:40). There was a shepherd who was tending animals on the bank of the Papa river; one of them slipped and fell into the river. He came before Rabba, who acquitted him, saying: what could he have done? He guarded as people guard. Here too he is exempt. He said to him: yes. They raised an objection: until when is a paid watchman obligated to guard? Such as "by day the drought consumed me and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes" (Genesis 31:40). [There it speaks] of municipal watchmen -- but was our father Jacob a municipal watchman? Rather, this is what he said to Laban: I guarded for you with extra guarding, like municipal watchmen. "By day the drought consumed me and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes." What would he say [in his sleeplessness]? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: the fifteen Songs of Ascents in the Book of Psalms. What is the reason? As it says (Psalms 124:1), "Had it not been for the LORD who was for us, let Israel now say" -- Israel the elder [Jacob]. Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said: the entire Book of Psalms. What is the reason? As it says (Psalms 22:4), "And You are holy, enthroned upon the praises of Israel" -- Israel the elder. (Genesis 31:42) "Had it not been for the God of my father, the God of Abraham." Wherever "had it not been" is said, it is by the merit of the fathers. But it is written (Genesis 43:10) "had we not delayed"? Their whole standing was only by the merit of the fathers; for without the merit of the fathers they would not have come up from there in peace. Some take it otherwise: wherever "had it not been" is said it comes by the merit of the fathers, except for this one. He said: this one too is by the merit of the fathers, by the merit of the sanctity of the Name, by the merit of Torah (Psalms 119:92) "had not Your Torah been my delight," by the merit of faith, as it says "had I not believed to see the goodness of the LORD" (Psalms 27:13). "And the labor of my hands God saw" (Genesis 31:42). Labor is more beloved than the merit of the fathers, for the merit of the fathers saved property and labor saved lives. The merit of the fathers saved property: "had it not been for the God of my father... surely now you would have sent me away empty." And labor saved lives: "my affliction and the labor of my hands." (Genesis 31:43) "And Laban answered and said to Jacob, The daughters are my daughters." Rabbi Reuben said: they were all his daughters -- "the daughters are my daughters," that is two; "and my daughters," that is four. (Genesis 31:45-46) "And Jacob took a stone." Rabbi Yochanan said: like the great rock of Tiberias. "And Jacob said to his brothers" -- he had one brother, and would that he were buried! Rather, these were his sons, and he called them brothers, since they were as righteous and mighty as himself. Rabbi Yudan said: when a man wears his father's garment, he is like him. (Genesis 31:47) "And Laban called it Yegar Sahaduta." Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said: let the Aramaic tongue not be light in your eyes, for in the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings the Holy One, blessed be He, allots it honor. In the Torah: "And Laban called it Yegar Sahaduta." In the Prophets (Jeremiah 10:11): "Thus shall you say to them: the gods that did not make the heavens and the earth." In the Writings (Daniel 2:4): "And the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, O king, live forever." (Genesis 31:49) "And Mizpah, of which he said, May the LORD watch [yitzef] between me and you." It is not written "when we are hidden," but "that we shall be hidden" -- until now we could see one another.