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The following is from the new translation of RSRH's commentary on
Bereishis 30: 27 - 30<br><br>
<font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=4><b>27
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>Lavan said to him: Would
that I found favor in your eyes, for I have a presentiment that
</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>God
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>has blessed me for your
sake.<br><br>
</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=4>28
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>Then he said: Set your
wage from me and I will gladly give it.<br><br>
</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=4>29
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>[Ya’akov] said to him: You
know very well how I have served you and what your property has become
with me.<br><br>
</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=4>30
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>For the little that you
had before I came increased tremendously because
</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>God
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>blessed you according to
my endeavor. And now, when will I, as well, provide for my
household?<br><br>
</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=4>27–30
</b></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>Lavan would very much
like to retain Ya’akov’s services, preferably for<br>
no other payment except his keep, as heretofore. Hence, he begins to<br>
speak in the manner that is typical of self-righteous hypocrites,
who<br>
affect piety. He does not admit that he would like to keep Ya’akov
because<br>
of the diligent services he has rendered. He knows that such actual<br>
things have to be paid for, and that he who praises them will pay a<br>
high price. For this reason he affects extreme piety (just as, today,
those<br>
who have cast off all genuine piety turn to superstition, imagining
that<br>
nechush, superstitious belief in omens, is tantamount to piety). Lavan
says<br>
to Ya’akov: I don’t like to let you go. There is no real reason for it,
but<br>
I have a </font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>nechush
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>(presentiment): It seems to
me that
“</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>'Hashem</font>
<font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>” Whom you serve,<br>
has blessed me for your sake, because you are such a pious man. I<br>
would not like to see such a pious man leave me.<br><br>
Lavan hopes that the pious man will be swayed by the flattery and<br>
will agree to stay on. But when Ya’akov makes no reply, Lavan
realizes<br>
that he must also offer a material reward. “You name your wage,” he<br>
says, “and I will gladly pay it.”<br><br>
Thereupon Ya’akov replies: “You know very well — there is no need<br>
for presentiments — how </font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>I
</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>have served you and how
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>I
</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>have contributed<br>
to your prosperity. You do not have to
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>surmise
</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>that God has blessed<br>
you
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>beglali</font>
<font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>; you
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>know
</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>that He has blessed you
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>liragli</font>
<font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>, according to my <br>
ways, according to the efficiency with which I have employed my
hands<br>
and feet in your service. It is not on account of my piety that God
has<br>
blessed you, but on account of my
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>diligence</i></font>
<font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>. And now, don’t you think<br>
the time has come that I should use some of this same diligence for<br>
building up my own household?”<br><br>
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