Revi'i - Bereishis/Genesis - Parshas Vayeitzei 30:14-27

Reuven, Leah's oldest son, went out during the days of the wheat harvest. He found dudaim (a type of plant, sometimes identified as jasmine or an herb) in the field and brought them to his mother, Leah. Rachel then said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s dudaim.” The Torah specifies that this happened during the wheat harvest to highlight the context of the story and set up the lesson that Rashi will bring out about the character of the shevatim (the tribes).^א׳

Rashi explains that the Torah tells us this happened during the time of the wheat harvest to teach us the praise of the shevatim. At the time of the harvest, there was plenty of wheat and barley available, and people were cutting their own crops in their fields. Reuven could have easily taken some of the wheat or barley, which would have been considered stealing, but instead, he did not stretch out his hand to take what belonged to others. Rather, he brought home something that was hefker—ownerless, something that people do not care about, so there is no issue of theft. This shows the uprightness and honesty of Reuven and the shevatim.^ב׳

Rashi also explains what dudaim are: he brings from Sanhedrin 99b that they are called sigalei (violets), a kind of herb. In the language of the Yishmaelim (Arabic), it is called yasmin—the jasmine plant.

Leah responded to Rachel, “Is it not enough that you have taken my husband, and now you also want to take my son’s dudaim?” Rachel replied, “Therefore, he will lie with you tonight in exchange for your son’s dudaim.” This exchange shows the tension between the sisters and the value placed on the dudaim that Reuven found.

Rashi explains that Leah’s words, “And to take also my son’s dudaim,” are said in wonder—how could Rachel want to do even this, to take the dudaim as well? The Targum translates it as vesisbin (“and you would take”). Rachel then says, “Therefore, he will lie with you tonight,” meaning that the night that was supposed to be Rachel’s with Yaakov, she is giving to Leah in exchange for the dudaim of her son. Rashi adds that because Rachel treated lightly the opportunity to be with the tzaddik (Yaakov), she did not merit to be buried with him.

Yaakov came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him. She said to him, “You must come to me tonight, for I have surely hired you with my son’s dudaim.” So he lay with her that night. The Torah emphasizes “that night” to highlight the special significance of this encounter, as it led to the birth of Yissachar.

Rashi explains the phrase “I have surely hired you” (sachar secharticha): Leah is saying that she gave Rachel her payment for this night. The Torah says “that night” (balaylah hu) to emphasize that Hashem helped in this matter, and from this union, Yissachar was born. This is based on the Gemara in Niddah 31a, which says that Hashem assisted so that Yissachar would be conceived from this encounter.

Hashem listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Yaakov’s fifth son. The Torah notes that Hashem responded to Leah’s prayers and desires.

Rashi explains that Hashem listened to Leah because she was longing and seeking to increase the number of tribes. Leah’s desire was to bring more shevatim into the world, and Hashem granted her this request.

Leah said, “Hashem has given me my reward, because I gave my maidservant to my husband.” She called his name Yissachar. Leah saw the birth of Yissachar as a reward for her selflessness in giving her maidservant, Zilpah, to Yaakov as a wife, so that Yaakov would have more children. She felt that this act of giving up her own position for the sake of building the family was deserving of reward, and therefore she named her son Yissachar, from the word for reward, sachar.

Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to a sixth son for Yaakov. This was the sixth son that Leah herself bore to Yaakov, showing her special merit among Yaakov’s wives.

Leah said, “Hashem has given me a good portion. This time my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.” She called his name Zevulun. Leah felt that with six sons, she had given Yaakov more children than any of his other wives, and therefore she hoped that Yaakov’s main dwelling would now be with her. The name Zevulun comes from the word zavul, meaning dwelling or home, expressing her hope that Yaakov would now make his main home with her.

Rashi explains that the phrase zeved tov means “a good portion,” as the Targum translates it. The word yizbeleni comes from the language of “Beis Zevul,” which means a dwelling place, as in Melachim I 8:13. In Old French, herbergerie, a house of residence. From now on, Leah said, Yaakov’s main residence would be with her, since she now had as many sons as all his other wives combined. This is also how Onkelos translates it: that Yaakov’s main dwelling would be with Leah, because she had given him so many sons.^ג׳

Afterwards, Leah gave birth to a daughter and called her name Dinah. The Torah gives the name but does not immediately explain its meaning, unlike with the sons.

Rashi explains that our Sages said Leah judged a judgment upon herself. She reasoned: “If this child will be a boy, then my sister Rachel will be like one of the maidservants,” since each maidservant had already borne two sons, and Leah would then have seven sons, leaving only one for Rachel out of the twelve tribes that they knew would be born. Therefore, Leah prayed, and the fetus was miraculously changed from a male to a female, so that Rachel would not be left with fewer sons than the maidservants. This is based on the Gemara in Berachos 60a and Midrash Tanchuma.

Hashem remembered Rachel, listened to her, and opened her womb. Rachel’s prayers and merits were answered, and she was finally able to conceive and bear a child after many years of longing and waiting.

Rashi explains that Hashem remembered Rachel’s merit in giving over the secret signs that Yaakov had given her to her sister Leah, so that Leah would not be embarrassed on her wedding night. This act of self-sacrifice was remembered by Hashem. Additionally, Hashem remembered that Rachel was distressed at the thought that she might end up in the lot of Esav, since Yaakov might divorce her for not having children, and Esav had this in mind as well when he heard that Rachel had no children. This is what the liturgical poet refers to in the prayer for Rosh Hashanah: “The red one (Esav) looked, and when he saw that she had not given birth, he desired to take her for himself, and she was terrified.” These are the merits and the pain that Hashem remembered for Rachel, leading to her prayers being answered.

"And she conceived and bore a son, and she said, 'Hashem has gathered in my shame.'" Rachel finally conceives and gives birth to a son. She expresses her gratitude by saying that Hashem has removed her disgrace. The meaning of "gathered in my shame" is that her previous state of barrenness, which was a source of embarrassment, has now been taken away. She is no longer seen as someone who is childless, which was considered a disgrace in those times.

Rashi explains the phrase "Asaf Elokim es cherpasi" (Hashem has gathered in my shame) as follows: "Asaf" means He has brought it into a place where it is not seen, meaning her shame is now hidden. Rashi brings several verses to illustrate this usage: "esof cherpaseinu" (take away our shame) from Yeshayahu 4:1, "velo ye'asef habayta" (it will not be gathered into the house) from Shemos 9:19, "asfu nagham" (they have withdrawn their brightness) from Yoel 4:15, and "virecheich lo ye'asef" (your moon will not be withdrawn) from Yeshayahu 60:20, where it means it will not be concealed. So here, "my shame" refers to the disgrace of being barren. Rashi adds that people used to say about her that she would end up in the lot of Esav the wicked, since she had no children. Furthermore, the Midrash Aggadah says that as long as a woman has no son, she has no one to blame for her faults; but once she has a son, she can blame him. For example, if something is broken or eaten, people will say, "Who broke this vessel? Your son. Who ate these figs? Your son." This is from Bereishis Rabbah 73:5.

"And she called his name Yosef, saying, 'May Hashem add for me another son.'" Rachel names her son Yosef, which comes from the root meaning "to add," expressing her hope and prayer that Hashem will grant her yet another son in the future. She is not just grateful for this child, but is already praying for an additional one.^ד׳

Rashi explains the phrase "Yosef Hashem li ben acher" (May Hashem add for me another son): Rachel knew through prophecy that Yaakov was destined to have only twelve tribes. She prayed that the one who was destined to be born would be from her. Therefore, she only prayed for one more son, not for many more, since she knew there would be only one more tribe to come from her. This is from Bereishis Rabbah 72:6.

"And it was when Rachel had given birth to Yosef, that Yaakov said to Lavan, 'Send me, and I will go to my place and to my land.'" After Rachel gives birth to Yosef, Yaakov approaches Lavan and asks for permission to return home, to his own land. The Torah connects Yaakov's request to leave with the birth of Yosef, indicating that something about Yosef's birth gave Yaakov the confidence or the sign that it was time to go back to Eretz Yisrael.

Rashi explains that once Rachel gave birth to Yosef, the adversary of Esav was born. As it says in the Navi Ovadiah (1:18): "The house of Yaakov will be fire, the house of Yosef a flame, and the house of Esav will be straw." A fire without a flame cannot reach far, but once Yosef was born, Yaakov now had the flame needed to overcome Esav. Therefore, Yaakov now felt secure in Hashem and wanted to return home. This is from Bereishis Rabbah 73:7 and Bava Basra 123b.

"Give me my wives and my children for whom I have worked for you, and I will go, for you know my service which I have served you." Yaakov asks Lavan to allow him to leave with his wives and children, for whom he has worked faithfully all these years. He emphasizes that Lavan knows well how devotedly he has served him, and now he wants to go back to his own home and land.

Rashi explains the phrase "Tena es nashai vegomer" (Give me my wives, etc.): Yaakov is saying that he does not want to leave except with permission. Even though his wives and children rightfully belong to him, he still asks Lavan to let him go, seeking to leave with Lavan's consent. See Midrash Tanchuma Yashan there, beginning of section 24.

Lavan said to Yaakov, “If I have now found favor in your eyes, I have divined, and Hashem has blessed me because of you.” Lavan is telling Yaakov that he realizes, through his own methods of divination or sorcery, that the blessings he has received are due to Yaakov’s presence. Lavan is trying to convince Yaakov to stay, saying that he has noticed that ever since Yaakov arrived, he has been blessed, and he attributes this to Yaakov’s merit. Lavan is essentially saying, “I have checked and figured out through my sorcery that Hashem has blessed me because of you.”^ה׳

Rashi explains the word nichashti (“I have divined”) as meaning that Lavan was a menachesh, a person who uses divination or sorcery. Alternatively, the text can be read as “I was” (hayisi), meaning “I was a diviner.” Lavan is saying, “I have tried through my divination and discovered that the blessing has come to me through you.” Rashi brings a proof: when Yaakov first came to Lavan, Lavan had no sons, as it says earlier, “And behold, Rachel his daughter came with the sheep” (Bereishis 29:6). Rashi asks: is it possible that Lavan had sons and would send his daughter to shepherd the sheep? Clearly, he had no sons at that time. But now, Lavan does have sons, as it says later, “And he heard the words of Lavan’s sons” (Bereishis 31:1). This shows that since Yaakov’s arrival, Lavan’s situation improved, and he attributes this blessing to Yaakov’s merit.