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Bereshit 29

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1 וַיִּשָּׂא יַעֲקֹב רַגְלָיו וַיֵּלֶךְ אַרְצָה בְנֵי־קֶדֶם׃

2 וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה בְאֵר בַּשָּׂדֶה וְהִנֵּה־שָׁם שְׁלֹשָׁה עֶדְרֵי־צֹאן רֹבְצִים עָלֶיהָ כִּי מִן־הַבְּאֵר הַהִוא יַשְׁקוּ הָעֲדָרִים וְהָאֶבֶן גְּדֹלָה עַל־פִּי הַבְּאֵר׃

3 וְנֶאֶסְפוּ־שָׁמָּה כָל־הָעֲדָרִים וְגָלֲלוּ אֶת־הָאֶבֶן מֵעַל פִּי הַבְּאֵר וְהִשְׁקוּ אֶת־הַצֹּאן וְהֵשִׁיבוּ אֶת־הָאֶבֶן עַל־פִּי הַבְּאֵר לִמְקֹמָהּ׃

4 וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם יַעֲקֹב אַחַי מֵאַיִן אַתֶּם וַיֹּאמְרוּ מֵחָרָן אֲנָחְנוּ׃

5 וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם הַיְדַעְתֶּם אֶת־לָבָן בֶּן־נָחֹור וַיֹּאמְרוּ יָדָעְנוּ׃

6 וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם הֲשָׁלֹום לֹו וַיֹּאמְרוּ שָׁלֹום וְהִנֵּה רָחֵל בִּתֹּו בָּאָה עִם־הַצֹּאן׃

7 וַיֹּאמֶר הֵן עֹוד הַיֹּום גָּדֹול לֹא־עֵת הֵאָסֵף הַמִּקְנֶה הַשְׁקוּ הַצֹּאן וּלְכוּ רְעוּ׃

8 וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹא נוּכַל עַד אֲשֶׁר יֵאָסְפוּ כָּל־הָעֲדָרִים וְגָלֲלוּ אֶת־הָאֶבֶן מֵעַל פִּי הַבְּאֵר וְהִשְׁקִינוּ הַצֹּאן׃

9 עֹודֶנּוּ מְדַבֵּר עִםָּם וְרָחֵל בָּאָה עִם־הַצֹּאן אֲשֶׁר לְאָבִיהָ כִּי רֹעָה הִוא׃

10 וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאָה יַעֲקֹב אֶת־רָחֵל בַּת־לָבָן אֲחִי אִמֹּו וְאֶת־צֹאן לָבָן אֲחִי אִמֹּו וַיִּגַּשׁ יַעֲקֹב וַיָּגֶל אֶת־הָאֶבֶן מֵעַל פִּי הַבְּאֵר וַיַּשְׁקְ אֶת־צֹאן לָבָן אֲחִי אִמֹּו׃

11 וַיִּשַּׁק יַעֲקֹב לְרָחֵל וַיִּשָּׂא אֶת־קֹלֹו וַיֵּבְךְּ׃

12 וַיַּגֵּד יַעֲקֹב לְרָחֵל כִּי אֲחִי אָבִיהָ הוּא וְכִי בֶן־רִבְקָה הוּא וַתָּרָץ וַתַּגֵּד לְאָבִיהָ׃

13 וַיְהִי כִשְׁמֹעַ לָבָן אֶת־שֵׁמַע יַעֲקֹב בֶּן־אֲחֹתֹו וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתֹו וַיְחַבֶּק־לֹו וַיְנַשֶּׁק־לֹו וַיְבִיאֵהוּ אֶל־בֵּיתֹו וַיְסַפֵּר לְלָבָן אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה׃

14 וַיֹּאמֶר לֹו לָבָן אַךְ עַצְמִי וּבְשָׂרִי אָתָּה וַיֵּשֶׁב עִמֹּו חֹדֶשׁ יָמִים׃

15 וַיֹּאמֶר לָבָן לְיַעֲקֹב הֲכִי־אָחִי אַתָּה וַעֲבַדְתַּנִי חִנָּם הַגִּידָה לִּי מַה־מַּשְׂכֻּרְתֶּךָ׃

16 וּלְלָבָן שְׁתֵּי בָנֹות שֵׁם הַגְּדֹלָה לֵאָה וְשֵׁם הַקְּטַנָּה רָחֵל׃

17 וְעֵינֵי לֵאָה רַכֹּות וְרָחֵל הָיְתָה יְפַת־תֹּאַר וִיפַת מַרְאֶה׃

18 וַיֶּאֱהַב יַעֲקֹב אֶת־רָחֵל וַיֹּאמֶר אֶעֱבָדְךָ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים בְּרָחֵל בִּתְּךָ הַקְּטַנָּה׃

19 וַיֹּאמֶר לָבָן טֹוב* תִּתִּי אֹתָהּ לָךְ מִתִּתִּי אֹתָהּ לְאִישׁ אַחֵר שְׁבָה עִמָּדִי׃

20 וַיַּעֲבֹד יַעֲקֹב בְּרָחֵל שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וַיִּהְיוּ בְעֵינָיו כְּיָמִים אֲחָדִים בְּאַהֲבָתֹו אֹתָהּ׃

21 וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֶל־לָבָן הָבָה אֶת־אִשְׁתִּי כִּי מָלְאוּ יָמָי וְאָבֹואָה אֵלֶיהָ׃

22 וַיֶּאֱסֹף לָבָן אֶת־כָּל־אַנְשֵׁי הַמָּקֹום וַיַּעַשׂ מִשְׁתֶּה׃

23 וַיְהִי בָעֶרֶב וַיִּקַּח אֶת־לֵאָה בִתֹּו וַיָּבֵא אֹתָהּ אֵלָיו וַיָּבֹא אֵלֶיהָ׃

24 וַיִּתֵּן לָבָן לָהּ אֶת־זִלְפָּה שִׁפְחָתֹו לְלֵאָה בִתֹּו שִׁפְחָה׃

25 וַיְהִי בַבֹּקֶר וְהִנֵּה־הִוא לֵאָה וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־לָבָן מַה־זֹּאת עָשִׂיתָ לִּי הֲלֹא בְרָחֵל עָבַדְתִּי עִמָּךְ וְלָמָּה רִמִּיתָנִי׃

26 וַיֹּאמֶר לָבָן לֹא־יֵעָשֶׂה כֵן בִּמְקֹומֵנוּ לָתֵת הַצְּעִירָה לִפְנֵי הַבְּכִירָה׃

27 מַלֵּא שְׁבֻעַ זֹאת וְנִתְּנָה לְךָ גַּם־אֶת־זֹאת בַּעֲבֹדָה אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲבֹד עִמָּדִי עֹוד שֶׁבַע־שָׁנִים אֲחֵרֹות׃

28 וַיַּעַשׂ יַעֲקֹב כֵּן וַיְמַלֵּא שְׁבֻעַ זֹאת וַיִּתֶּן־לֹו אֶת־רָחֵל בִּתֹּו לֹו לְאִשָּׁה׃

29 וַיִּתֵּן לָבָן לְרָחֵל בִּתֹּו אֶת־בִּלְהָה שִׁפְחָתֹו לָהּ לְשִׁפְחָה׃

30 וַיָּבֹא גַּם אֶל־רָחֵל וַיֶּאֱהַב גַּם־אֶת־רָחֵל מִלֵּאָה וַיַּעֲבֹד עִמֹּו עֹוד שֶׁבַע־שָׁנִים אֲחֵרֹות׃

31 וַיַּרְא יְהוָה כִּי־שְׂנוּאָה לֵאָה וַיִּפְתַּח אֶת־רַחְמָהּ וְרָחֵל עֲקָרָה׃

32 וַתַּהַר לֵאָה וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתִּקְרָא שְׁמֹו רְאוּבֵן כִּי אָמְרָה כִּי־רָאָה יְהוָה בְּעָנְיִי כִּי עַתָּה יֶאֱהָבַנִי אִישִׁי׃

33 וַתַּהַר עֹוד וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתֹּאמֶר כִּי־שָׁמַע יְהוָה כִּי־שְׂנוּאָה אָנֹכִי וַיִּתֶּן־לִי גַּם־אֶת־זֶה וַתִּקְרָא שְׁמֹו שִׁמְעֹון׃

34 וַתַּהַר עֹוד וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתֹּאמֶר עַתָּה הַפַּעַם יִלָּוֶה אִישִׁי אֵלַי כִּי־יָלַדְתִּי לֹו שְׁלֹשָׁה בָנִים עַל־כֵּן קָרָא־שְׁמֹו לֵוִי׃

35 וַתַּהַר עֹוד וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתֹּאמֶר הַפַּעַם אֹודֶה אֶת־יְהוָה עַל־כֵּן קָרְאָה שְׁמֹו יְהוּדָה וַתַּעֲמֹד מִלֶּדֶת׃

   

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Arcana Coelestia #3803

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3803. And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother. That this signifies the affinity of the good which is “Jacob” and of the good which is “Laban,” is evident from the signification of “telling,” as being to make known; and from the representation of Jacob, as being good (concerning which see above); and from the representation of Rachel to whom this was made known, as being the affection of interior truth (n. 3793); and from the signification of “brother,” who here is Jacob, as being good (n. 367, 2360, 3303, 3459); and from the signification of “father,” who here is Laban, as also being good (n. 3703). From all this and also from the series it is evident that by “Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother,” is signified the affinity of the good which is “Jacob” and of the good which is “Laban.” But to set forth this affinity itself, and the consequent conjunction of the two through the affection of interior truth (which is “Rachel”) would be to make the subject more obscure, because few know what the good of the natural is, and that this is distinct from the good of the rational; or what is the collateral good of a common stock; or again what is the affection of interior truth. He who by his own investigation has not acquired for himself some idea concerning these things, receives but a faint idea, if any, from description; for a man receives only so much from others as he either has of his own, or acquires for himself by looking into the matter in himself; all the rest passes away. Suffice it to know that there are innumerable affinities of good and truth, and that the heavenly societies are in accordance therewith (seen. 685, 917, 2739, 3612).

[2] The reason why Jacob calls himself the “brother” of Laban, when yet he was his sister’s son, is that all are brethren from good; and for the same reason Laban in his turn calls Jacob “brother” (verse 15). It is good which makes blood relationship, and which conjoins; for good is of love, and love is spiritual conjunction. This is the reason why in the ancient churches all those who were in good were called brethren, and even in the Jewish Church; but inasmuch as this church esteemed all others vile, and supposed themselves alone to be the chosen, they called only those brethren who were born Jews, and all others they called either companions or strangers. The primitive Christian Church also called all brethren who were in good, but afterwards only those who were within their own congregation. But the name “brother” vanished away from among Christians, together with good, and when truth succeeded in the place of good, or faith in the place of charity, then they could no longer from good call one another brethren, but neighbors. This also is the effect of the doctrine of faith without the life of charity, in that brotherhood with one of lower station than themselves seems to be beneath them; for with such persons brotherhood does not derive its origin from the Lord, and consequently from good; but from self, and consequently from honor and gain.3803a. And that he was Rebekah’s son. That this signifies the conjunction of these affinities, is evident without explication; for Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and the sister of Laban, was she from whom was the conjunction.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for the permission to use this translation.