Parasha: Vayetze · Aliyah: Seventh (Malchut)

ויען לבן, Laban replied, etc. The word ויען is meant as the answer to Jacob's challenge to display and identify items Laban considered that Jacob had stolen from him. He said that he did not want to embarass his sons and daughters and would not conduct legal proceedings. His own children could testify to Jacob's trickery; however he did not think it seemly to involve his children in testifying against their husbands and father.

He also hinted that the challenge of identifying household goods by mentioning specific details placed him at a disadvantage versus Jacob; the latter would certainly be far more familiar with them and be able to identify any special marks seeing the users were his own daughters who by virtue of using them knew more about them than he, Laban did.

As to Jacob's charging that the manner of the search was demeaning, all that he Laban had done was examine things which were possessions of his own daughters, i.e. he felt at home in the tents of his daughters. Jacob had no reason to get upset about this.

ולבנותי מה אעשה לאלה, "As to my daughters, what can I do to these?" The word לאלה appears to have no meaning. Perhaps it refers to the words: "all that you behold?" The verse then would mean this: "Since they are my daughters, what can I do to these possessions seeing they are also their children's?" Or, Laban may have meant that though my daughters describe themselves as strangers today, the fact is that I still consider them as my daughters. "What can I do about the way they feel?" We would have to read the words לאלה היום, as belonging together; "today they are called "these" in view of the actions they have committed against me although nominally they are still my daughters."

לבניהם אשר ילדו, to their sons whom they bore. He made a point of saying: "whom they bore," in order not to identify the children with their mother. He only called them their sons since they were biologically their mothers' children. He hoped that they did not share their mothers' character traits. Although the Torah puts these words in the mouth of the wicked Laban, the Torah teaches us something of legal significance at the same time. This is the lesson that in Jewish law the term "family" is determined by the father and not by the mother. We find a similar lesson that the Torah teaches by using Laban as an illustration when the latter espoused the principle of אין מערבים שמחה בשמחה, that one does not celebrate two joyful events simultaneoulsy. Laban had used this rule when he delayed Jacob's and Rachel's wedding by a week so that Leah could have a full week of wedding celebrations with her husband (compare Jerusalem Talmud Moed Katan chapter 1).

ויפגעו בו מלאכי אלוקים, G'd's angels met him. We need to understand the meaning of "they met him." We also need to examine what new insight Jacob contributed by calling the angels' encampment "a camp of G'd." What exactly is the meaning of the word מחנים? Bereshit Rabbah 74,17 offers a variety of explanations all of which are homiletical.

The plain meaning of the verse is that G'd sent Jacob angels in the guise of human beings to gain the confidence of Esau and to find out his intentions concerning him, as we observe in the course of what develops. How did Jacob know that he had been met by angels? The arrival of these people (angels) was not in the manner of ordinary human beings who are seen approaching before they arrive and set up camp. These angels materialised suddenly as if out of nowhere, as if they had sprouted up in front of him. The word ויפגעו alludes to the first sudden and unexpected encounter Jacob had with these beings. This is why he described their encampment as a camp of G'd the moment he set eyes on them. He called the place where this occurred מחנים, i.e. two camps. One camp consisted of Jacob's own people who had prepared with him for war against Esau, the second one was the camp of these angels who had assumed the appearance of human beings. They usually do so whenever they are despatched by G'd to assist someone who is dear to G'd, such as Jacob the choicest of the patriarchs.