<div class="gmail_quote">Ben wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">Right but only with Jacob's sons do we actually see the Avot shepherding. With Avraham it is explicit that he had employees doing the work. So yes, technically they may called themselves shepherds, but tachlis Avraham was home and others did the shepherding.<br>
</blockquote><div><br>Why not assume that he also did sheperding until some point in his life?<br> <br>Ben wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
And frankly I think that we are really being romantic about the job of shepherding. From Yaacov's description of his job in Breishit 31:40 it doesn't sound like a job which is conducive to philosophizing. And from what I saw when I lived in Niger, not much has changed.</blockquote>
<div><br>Not romantic. I hear it is one of the more boring occupations. According to a note in RAK's Living Torah, the p'sukim of Breishit 30:37-30:41, Yaacov is engaged in the deepest of SOD. It is significant that so many of the leaders of Klal Yisroel were sheperds. <br>
<br>Saul<br></div></div>