Literary Devices – Bereshit 31/0

Literary Devices – Bereshit 31

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Key Words

גנב (to steal)

Tanakh Lab points out that the root “גנב” (steal) comes up eight times in this chapter.¹ This verb is used in several different contexts, describing both Yaakov’s experience of injustice in Lavan’s house as well as Yaakov’s deceit of Lavan and Rachel’s stealing of Lavan’s household idols.  The repeated usage of this root emphasizes the web of deceit, suspicion, and mistrust that characterizes the relationship of Lavan and Yaakov, and that surfaces in numerous ways in this chapter. 

Character Titles

Hashem

Hashem is referred to by a number of names in this chapter: Hashem, Elohim, El Beit El, Pachad Yitzchak, and in reference to others as "the God of so and so".  Many of these names highlight the unique narrative context of the chapter, in which there is a confrontation between Yaakov and Lavan and their vastly different religious beliefs. 

• Elohim – Elohim, the general name for Hashem, appears to be the default name in this chapter.²
• Hashem –The proper name of Hashem appears in verse 3, in which Hashem reveals Himself directly to Yaakov, and again in the context of Lavan and Yaakov’s oath in verse 49. In the former it is expected, being a personal revelation, but it is somewhat surprising that Lavan³ invokes this name.⁴
• El Beit El – This name appears in 31:13 and only one other time in Tanakh, in Bereshit 35:7.  Targum OnkelosBereshit 31:13About Targum Onkelos explains that it means “I am the God Who revealed Myself to you in Beit El”, summoning to Yaakov’s mind Hashem’s revelation in Chapter 28.  R. Naftali Herz WesselyBereshit 35:7About R. Naftali Herz Wessely,⁵ MalbimBereshit 35:7About R. Meir Leibush Weiser⁶ and others suggest that this name for Hashem is used to encourage Yaakov and his family to return to Israel by reminding them of the revelation, protection, and promise of Hashem at Beit El.
• The God of your father / my father / Avraham – These names are used by Lavan and Yaakaov respectively (verses 29 and 42), reflecting that this chapter concerns a confrontation between two people with vastly different beliefs about God. The contrast is most stark in verse 53, where each party swears in the name of his own God,⁷ Yaakov in the name of "אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם" and Lavan in the name of "אלֹהֵי נָחוֹר".‎⁸
• Pachad Yitzchak – This appellation appears only in our chapter (in both verses 42 and 53). OnkelosBereshit 31:42Bereshit 35:7About Targum Onkelos, RashiBereshit 31:42About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki and others⁹ understand it to refer to Hashem, meaning "the God whom Yitzchak feared".¹⁰ Others, though, do not think it refers to God at all, but to a quality associated with Yitchak.¹¹  Either way, the reference to Yitzchak’s service of God¹² in this verse highlights that Yaakov is emphasizing that he clings to the beliefs of his forefathers and not to the beliefs of Lavan.

Wordplay

There are several examples of wordplay in this chapter:

•  וַיִּגְנֹב יַעֲקֹב אֶת לֵב לָבָן (Bereshit 31:20) – Prof. Yonatan Grossman notes the wordplay in "לב לבן"  and the general alliteration throughout the clause of the sound "v".
• הָלֹךְ הָלַכְתָּ כִּי נִכְסֹף נִכְסַפְתָּה

Symbolism

Stones play a significant role throughout the story of Yaakov. In fact the concordance reveals that of the 15 occurrences of the word in Sefer Bereshit, all but two relate to Yaakov – beginning with their appearance in the story of the stone upon which he slept and his establishment of a monument upon awakening, continuing with his rolling the stone off of the mouth of the well, and then appearing as a symbol of the covenant between Yaakov and Lavan in this chapter. Stones might symbolize the obstacles and unyielding difficulties that Yaakov encounters throughout his life as he strives to achieve his goals.

Allusions

Yaakov’s words to Lavan: "הַכֶּר לְךָ" (discern) recall the only previous  occurrence of this verb,¹³ in Bereshit 27:23, where we are told that Yitzchak could not discern Yaakov’s identity when he posed as Esav. This is one of many examples of how Yaakov’s deceit of his father casts a shadow over his experiences and relationships throughout his life.¹⁴

Foreshadowing

Yaakov’s declaration of “The one with whom you find your gods shall not live” (verse 32) is an ominous foreshadowing of Rachel’s early death in childbirth.

¹ The somewhat synonymous "גזל" appears once as well.

² In particular, it is used in the verses that describe Yaakov’s experiences in Lavan’s house and in the context of Hashem’s coming in a dream to Lavan.

³ It is actually not clear if the speaker of the verse is Lavan alone (Ibn Ezra) or both Yaakov and Lavan (Rashi).

⁴ Perhaps, he warns Yaakov on his terms, that Yaakov should know that his own God will watch that he keep the oath.

⁵ R. Naftali Herz Wessely and Netziv explain that this name of Hashem is meant to give Yaakov reassurance that Hashem is able to protect him miraculously, as He saved him when he ran away from home in order to escape Esav.

⁶ Malbim explains that the reference to Beit El is meant to call to mind the promise Hashem made at Beit El to protect Yaakov and to return him to Israel, and the vow Yaakov made at that time, both of which will now come true

⁷ See Ibn Ezra and Abarbanel. Cf. Ralbag and R. D"Z Hoffmann that Lavan swore in the name of both "אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם וֵאלֹהֵי נָחוֹר" since he believed in a multiplicity of gods, while Yaakov swore only in the name of "פחד יצחק".

⁸ As such, the need to invoke two names of God to seal Yaakov’s and Lavan’s agreement reflects their vastly different religious perspectives and the lack of trust between them.

⁹ See, for example, R. Y"S Reggio and R. D"Z Hoffman.

¹⁰ Rashi suggests that this name is used for Hashem because He does not associate His name with someone who is still alive, as Yitzchak was. Ramban and Netziv understand it as referring to Hashem’s attribute of judgment.

¹¹ Thus, Ibn Ezra suggests that the phrase refers to Yitzchak’s fear of God, which would serve as a merit for his son.  Similarly, Midrash Aggadah (Buber), Lekach Tov, Sekhel Tov, and R. Hirsch all understand it as referring to Yitzchak’s intense fear of Hashem at the time of the Akeidah, which represented the pinnacle of his service of God.  Hizkuni interprets it as referring to Lavan’s fear of Yitzchak, which served to protect Yaakov, while R. Yosef Ibn Kaspi understands it as referring to Yaakov’s fear of losing his fortune at the end of his life, as his father did.

¹² Yaakov actually refers to both Avraham and Yitzchak's service of God as the verse opens with him invoking the "God of Avraham" as well.

¹³ See the concordance..

¹⁴ Interestingly, the pharse "הַכֶּר נָא" comes up one more time in the Yaakov narratives, during the sale of Yosef, when the brothers tell Yaakov to "discern" whether the bloodied cloak belongs to Yosef.  This, too, might be Tanakh's subtle way of casting judgment on Yaakov.