Daily Chumash Chamishi Vayeitzei – Yaakov makes new business arrangement with Lavan and becomes wealthy

Chamishi

1. Yaakov makes new business arrangement with Lavan and becomes wealthy:
   • The business negotiations: Lavan [in attempt to convince Yaakov to remain] asked Yaakov to specify a wage he would like to receive in exchange for his work in shepherding the flock. Yaakov replied that he has been a faithful and successful shepherd, causing Lavan’s flock to expand tremendously, and now he desires to prosper for his own home. Lavan once again asked Yaakov what he can offer him as payment, and Yaakov replied as follows: “Do not give me anything. If you agree to the following, then I agree to continue working as a shepherd for your sheep.”
   • The business agreement: Yaakov offered the following business arrangement which was readily accepted by Lavan. Yaakov would examine all the flocks of sheep and goats and remove from them all speckled, dappled, and brownish lamb, and speckled or dappled goats. My wage will then be all future sheep that are brown, and all future goats that are speckled or dappled. This method would allow Yaakov’s integrity to remain unshakeable, as it would be blatantly obvious that he stole if he takes any sheep or goats that are not colored as stated above.
   • Separating the brown and speckled sheep/goats: That very day, Lavan removed the dappled goats and all the brown sheep, and gave them to his sons. These sheep and goats were moved to a distance of three days from Yaakov and his flocks. Yaakov then resumed caring for the remaining flock of Lavan.
   • Yaakov’s business schemes to achieve brown and speckled sheep/goats: Yaakov took a rod of poplar, hazel and chestnut and peeled stripes into them, in a way that revealed their underlying white skin. Yaakov positioned the striped white colored rods into the watering pools where the flock would come to drink. The flock would face these rods when they came to drink and became heated in a way that they conceived and gave birth to ringed, speckled and dappled sheep. Yaakov then took these speckled and brown sheep and placed them at the head of the flock, thus causing the animals to face them. Yaakov made separate herds for his and Lavin’s sheep. During the mating season of the early bearing flocks, Yaakov would place the rods in view of the flock, by the water streams in order to stimulate them. The late bearing flock, however, he did not place in front of the rods, and so it was that the early bearing flocks went to Yaakov and the late bearing one’s went to Lavan.
   • Yaakov’s wealth and the ensuing jealousy: Yaakov became very wealthy, and he amassed much flock, servants, camels and donkeys. Lavan’s sons became jealous and exclaimed that Yaakov had usurped all their fathers wealth. When Yaakov became aware of this, he noticed that Lavan was not happy with him as in previous times.

2. Hashem tells Yaakov to leave:

• Hashem appeared to Yaakov and told him to return to his fathers land. Yaakov summoned Rachel and Leah to meet him in the field. Yaakov explained to them the situation with Lavan and how he was now no longer on good terms with him.
• Yaakov describes how he managed to amass his wealth despite Lavan’s schemes: Yaakov told his wives the following: Lavan had changed my wages tens of times, changing the terms of agreement from me receiving the ringed sheep to me receiving the spotted sheep, although Hashem stood by my side and made the flock give birth to whatever was agreed that I would receive, and thus I managed to amass wealth from your fathers flock. Behold, I even saw in a dream that during the mating season [an angel came and brought] the speckled, spotted, and striped male goats to mate. In the dream, the angel told me to see how all the male goats mating are speckled, spotted and striped, as I have seen all that Lavan has done to you. The angel then instructed me to return home.
• Rachel and Leah agree to leave: Rachel and Leah both responded that they no longer have a portion in the father’s household, and he treated them like strangers, selling them, and consuming their money. “Now do all that G-d tells you.”