Sefer haYashar — Medieval Midrash

Sefer HaYashar (midrash) — Book of Genesis / Vayetzei

[Sefer HaYashar (midrash) / Book of Genesis / Vayetzei / 1] And Jacob prosecuted his journey toward Haran, and he reached Mount Moriah, and he ‎tarried there over night near the city of Luz.‎‏ ‏And the Lord appeared there unto Jacob that ‎night, and he said unto him: I am the Lord, the God of Abraham, thy father, and the God of ‎Isaac, the land wherein thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and behold I am with ‎thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and I will multiply thy seed as the stars ‎of heaven, and I will cause thy enemies to fall down before thee, and when they shall wage ‎war against thee they shall never pre vail over thee; and I will bring thee back unto this land in ‎joy and gladness, with children and with great wealth. And when Jacob awoke from his sleep ‎he was exceedingly joyful at the vision which he had seen, and he called the name of that ‎place Bethel. And Jacob arose from that place much rejoiced, and when he walked his feet felt ‎light to him for gladness, and he went thence to the land of the sons of the East, and he came ‎to Haran and seated himself by the shepherd's well; and he met there several men coming ‎from Haran to feed their sheep, and Jacob inquired of them concerning their home, and they ‎said: We are from Haran; and he said unto them: Know ye Laban, son of Nahor? and they said: ‎We know him, and behold, Rachel, his daughter, cometh with the sheep of her father. And ‎while he yet spake with them Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a ‎shepherdess. And Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and he ‎kissed her and lifted up his voice and wept. And Jacob told Rachel that he was Rebekah’s son, ‎her father's sister, and Rachel ran and told it to her father. And Jacob wept exceedingly ‎because he had nothing whatsoever to bring unto the house of Laban. And when Laban heard ‎of the arrival of Jacob, his sister's son, he ran to meet him, and he embraced him, and kissed ‎him, and "brought him to his house, and he gave him meat and he ate. And Jacob told him all ‎that his brother Esau had done unto him, and what his son Eliphaz did unto him on his journey. ‎And Jacob abode at Laban's house the space of a month, eating and drinking in the house of ‎Laban. And finally Laban said unto Jacob: Tell me what shall thy wages be, for why shouldst ‎thou serve me for naught? And Laban had no sons, only daughters, and his wives and hand-‎maids were still barren in those days. And these are the names of Laban's daughters, which his ‎wife Adinah had borne unto him: the name of the oldest was Leah, and the name of the ‎youngest was Rachel. And Leah was tender eyed, but Rachel was beautiful and well favored, ‎and Jacob loved her. And Jacob said unto Laban: I will serve thee seven years for Rachel, thy ‎youngest daughter. And Laban was satisfied, and Jacob served Laban seven years for Rachel, ‎his daughter.‎ [Sefer HaYashar (midrash) / Book of Genesis / Vayetzei / 2] And it was in the second year of Jacob's dwelling in Haran, which was the seventy-ninth year of ‎Jacob's life, that Eber, the son of Shem, died, and he was four hundred and sixty-four years old ‎when he died. And when Jacob heard that Eber died, he grieved greatly, and he wept and ‎mourned over him for many days. And in the third year of Jacob's dwelling in Haran, Bosmath, ‎daughter of Ishmael, Esau’s wife, bear unto him a son, and Esau called his name Reuel; and in ‎the fourth year of Jacob’s dwelling in the house of Laban, the Lord remembered Laban, for the ‎sake of Jacob, and sons were born unto him; and these are the names of his sons born unto ‎him in those days: His first born was Beor, and his second was Alib, and his third was Horash. ‎And the Lord gave unto Laban wealth and honor, and sons and daughters, and the man ‎increased exceedingly, for the sake of Jacob. And Jacob served Laban, his mother's brother, in ‎those days in all sorts of work and labor in the house and in the field, and the blessing of God ‎was in everything that belonged unto Laban, both in the house and in the field. And in the fifth ‎year of Jacob’s dwelling in Haran, Judith, daughter of Beeri, Esau’s wife, died in the land of ‎Canaan; and she had no sons, but two daughters. The name of the oldest was Marnith, and ‎the name of the youngest was Puith. And when Judith died, Esau went to Seir to hunt in the ‎field as heretofore, and Esau dwelt in Seir for many days. And in the sixth year of Jacob’s ‎dwelling in Haran, Esau took Abalibamah, daughter of Zebon the Hevite, to wife, in addition to ‎his other wives, and Esau brought her unto the land of Canaan; and Abalibamah conceived and ‎bear unto Esau three sons: Jaush, and Jaalon, and Korah. And there was a feud in those days in ‎the land of Canaan, between the herdsmen of Esau and the herdsmen of the inhabitants of ‎the land of Canaan. For Esau’s cattle and his wealth were too abundant to dwell in the land of ‎Canaan, in the house of his father, and the land of Canaan could not bear him by reason of his ‎cattle. And when Esau saw that the feud with the inhabitants of the land was increasing, he ‎arose with his wives, and his sons, and daughters, and with all belonging unto him, and all his ‎cattle and other property accumulated in Canaan, and he went away from the inhabitants of ‎the land to locate in the land of Seir. Thus Esau and all that were his came to dwell in Seir. And ‎now and then Esau would go to see his father and mother in the land of Canaan. And Esau ‎intermarried with the Horites, and he gave his daughters to the sons of Seir, the Horite. And ‎he gave Marzith his oldest daughter to Anah, the son of Zebon, his wife's brother, and Puith ‎he gave to Azar, the son of Bilhan, the Horite. And Esau dwelt in the mountain, he and his ‎children, and they were fruitful, and they multiplied greatly.‎ [Sefer HaYashar (midrash) / Book of Genesis / Vayetzei / 3] And in the seventh year when Jacob’s servitude, in which he was bound to Laban, was ‎completed, Jacob said unto Laban: Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled. And Laban was ‎willing to do so; and Laban and Jacob gathered together all the people of the place, and they ‎prepared a feast. And in the evening Laban came to the house, and later came Jacob with all ‎the people of the feast, when Laban put out all the lights that were in the house. And Jacob ‎said unto Laban: What causeth thee to do these things unto us? And Laban replied: Such is the ‎custom in our land. And after wards Laban took Leah, his daughter, and brought her unto ‎Jacob. And Jacob came unto her, and he did not know that it was Leah. And Laban gave his ‎maid servant Zilpah to his daughter, Leah, for a hand-maid. And all the people of the feast ‎knew what Laban was doing unto Jacob, but they told not one word of it to Jacob. And all the ‎neighbors came that night to Jacob's house, and they ate and drank, and made merry before ‎Leah with music and dancing, and they cheered Jacob, exclaiming: Hilleah, hilleah (it is Leah). ‎And Jacob hearing their words, understood them not, for he thought such was the custom ‎among them. And the neighbors spoke these words before Jacob in the night, when all the ‎lights in the house were put out by Laban. And in the morning when it dawned, Jacob turned ‎unto his wife, and behold it was Leah that lay resting on his bosom. And Jacob said: Now I ‎understand what caused our neighbors to call unto me last night, Hilleah. Yes they told it unto ‎me, but I knew it not. And Jacob said unto Laban: What is this thou hast done unto me? did I ‎not serve with thee for Rachel, wherefore then hast thou beguiled me and given me Leah? ‎And Laban answered unto Jacob, saying: It must not be so done in our country to give the ‎younger into marriage before the first born; but if thou desirest to have her sister also, take ‎her for the service which thou wilt serve with me yet seven years. And Jacob did so, and he ‎took Rachel also to wife, and he served seven more years for Rachel. And Jacob came to ‎Rachel likewise, and he loved Rachel more than Leah; and Laban gave her his maid-servant ‎Bilhah, for a hand-maid. And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, the Lord visited her, and ‎she bear unto Jacob four sons in those days, and these were their names: Reuben, Simeon, ‎Levi and Judah, and she ceased bearing afterwards.‎ [Sefer HaYashar (midrash) / Book of Genesis / Vayetzei / 4] And Rachel was barren in those days, she had no children. And Rachel envied her sister Leah, ‎and seeing that she bear no children to Jacob, she took her handmaid Bilhah, and she bear two ‎sons unto Jacob, Dan and Naphtali. And when Leah saw that she had ceased bearing, she also ‎took her hand maid, Zilpah, and gave her unto Jacob for a wife. And Jacob came to Zilpah also, ‎and she too bear unto Jacob two sons, Gad and Asher. And Leah conceived again, bearing unto ‎Jacob in those days two sons and one daughter, and their names were: Issachar and Zebulon, ‎and Dinah, their sister. And Rachel continued in her barrenness in those days, and Rachel ‎prayed unto the Lord, at that time, saying: Oh Lord God remember me and visit me, I pray ‎Thee, for now my husband will abandon me, because I have borne no children unto him. Oh ‎Lord, hear my cries before thee and see my misery and give me offspring like unto one of the ‎hand-maids, that I may escape further reproach. And the Lord hearkened unto Rachel and she ‎conceived and bear a son, and she said: God hath taken away my reproach. At that time ‎Rebekah, Jacob’s mother sent unto Jacob her nurse Deborah, daughter of Uz, and two of ‎Isaac’s servants with her. And they came unto Jacob to Haran, and they said unto him: ‎Rebekah sends us unto thee that thou shouldst return to thy father's house to the land of ‎Canaan. And Jacob listened to them as to what his mother had spoken, and at that time the ‎seven years which Jacob was to serve Laban for Rachel were fulfilled. And at the end of ‎fourteen years of Jacob's dwelling in the land of Haran Jacob said unto Laban: Give me my ‎wives and my children and let me go to my land, for my mother hath sent unto me from the ‎land of Canaan that I should return unto my father's house. And Laban replied unto him: Not ‎so, I pray thee, but if I have found favor in thine eyes do not leave me; appoint me thy wages ‎and I will give it, and tarry with me. And Jacob said unto him, this thou shalt give me for my ‎wages. I will pass through all thy flocks this day, removing thence all the speckled and spotted ‎cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the ‎goats, and of such shall be my hire. And if thou wilt do this thing for me, then I shall return to ‎feed thy flocks and to keep them. And Laban did accordingly, and he removed from his flocks ‎all that Jacob had spoken of, and gave them to him.‎ [Sefer HaYashar (midrash) / Book of Genesis / Vayetzei / 5] And Jacob placed into the hands of his sons all that was removed from Laban's flocks, and ‎Jacob attended to the remainder of Laban's flocks. And the servants of Isaac, which were sent ‎unto Jacob saw that Jacob would not return with them into the land of Canaan, and they went ‎away from him returning to the land of Canaan. But Deborah remained in Haran with Jacob, ‎and would not return to the land of Canaan with the servants of Isaac. And Deborah dwelt ‎with Jacob’s wives and children in Haran. And Jacob continued serving Laban for six more years ‎and whenever the sheep brought forth, Jacob removed from their midst all that were ‎speckled and spotted as he had agreed upon with Laban. And Jacob continued doing so for six ‎years, and the man increased exceedingly, and he possessed cattle, and man servants and ‎maid-servants, and camels and asses. And Jacob had two hundred herds of cattle, every head ‎of which was of a very large size, beautiful in appearance and very fruitful. And all the people ‎of the land desired to pro cure some of Jacob’s cattle, for it was very, very prosperous. And ‎many of the sons of man came to purchase some of Jacob’s stock and Jacob gave them a ‎sheep for a man-servant or for a maid-servant. Whatsoever Jacob asked from them they gave ‎him. And Jacob attained wealth, and honor, and possessions through these sales to the sons ‎of man; and the sons of Laban envied him on account of that distinction. And it came to pass ‎after some days, that Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying: Jacob hath taken away all ‎that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all his glory and the ‎Lord appeared unto Jacob at the end of six years saying unto him: Return into the land of thy ‎fathers and to thy kindred, and I will be with thee. Then Jacob rose up and set his sons and his ‎wives upon camels, and he went away to the land of Canaan, to his father Isaac. And Laban ‎knew nothing of Jacob’s leaving, for Laban was at that time away to shear his sheep. And ‎Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's, and she took and concealed them upon ‎the camel on which she sat. And this is the manner after which images like these were ‎prepared. They took a man that was the first born and put him to death and took all the hair ‎off his head, and then the head was salted with salt and anointed with oil. And afterwards ‎they took a small plate of copper or of gold and wrote “the name” upon it and placed the plate ‎under his tongue; and then the head was brought into the house and lights were kindled ‎around it, and they worshipped it and bowed down before it. And when they bowed down to ‎it the head spoke to them, concerning all that they would inquire of it, through the power of ‎‎“the name’” under its tongue. And some people make those images in the likeness of man, of ‎gold and of silver, and they go to them at certain times known to them, and the idols will ‎attract the power of the stars, and tell them all about future things. And the images which ‎Rachel stole from her father were of the latter kind. And Rachel stole those images of her ‎father so that he should not be able to ascertain whither Jacob had gone. And when Laban ‎returned home he asked for Jacob and his household and they could not be found, and he ‎went seeking his images to find out whither Jacob had gone. And Laban went to other images ‎and making inquiries they told him that Jacob had fled to the house of his father in Canaan.‎ [Sefer HaYashar (midrash) / Book of Genesis / Vayetzei / 6] And Laban rose up and took all his brethen with him and all his servants, and he pursued Jacob ‎and he overtook him on mount Gilead. And Laban said to Jacob: What hast thou done, that ‎thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and hast carried away my daughters as captives taken ‎with the sword. Where fore didst thou flee away secretly, and hast not suffered me to kiss my ‎sons and my daughters and to send them away with gladness; and wherefore hast thou stolen ‎my gods? And Jacob replied: For I said, peradventure thou wouldst take the daughters from ‎me by force and now with whomsoever thou findest thy gods let him not live. And Laban ‎searched for the images, looking through the entire tent of Jacob and through all the furniture, ‎but he found them not. Laban said unto Jacob: Let us make a covenant, I and thou, and let it ‎be for a witness between me and thee. If thou shall afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take ‎other wives beside my daughters, and may the Lord be a witness between me and thee ‎concerning these things. And they gathered up stones and made of them a heap, and Laban ‎said: This heap is a witness between me and thee. And he called the name of that heap ‎Galeed. And Jacob and Laban offered up sacrifices on the mount, and they ate there together ‎by the heap of stones, and they remained there all night. And early in the morning Laban arose ‎and he wept over his daughters and he kissed them, and he returned to his home. And he ‎sent hastily his son Beor, who was then seventeen years of age, and with him Abihoref, the ‎son of Uz, the son of Nahor, and ten men, and they hastened and passed Jacob on the way, ‎and they went by another road to the land of Seir. And they came unto Esau, saying unto him: ‎Thus saith thy kinsman and relative Laban, thy mother's brother, the son of Bethuel: Hast thou ‎heard what thy brother hath done unto me? For he came naked unto my house, and I went to ‎meet him and I brought him with honors into my house. And I made him great, and I gave him ‎for wives my two daughters and two of my maid servants. And the Lord blessed him for my ‎sake, and he increased exceedingly, and he got sons and daughters and servants. And he hath ‎also procured great many flocks and herds, and camels and asses and gold and silver in great ‎plenty. And when he saw the abundance of his wealth, he went while I was away shearing my ‎sheep, and he ran away secretly. And he sat his wives and children upon camels and he took ‎along all his cattle and all the property which he hath gotten in my land, and turned his ‎countenance to go to Isaac his father into the land of Canaan.‎ [Sefer HaYashar (midrash) / Book of Genesis / Vayetzei / 7] And he did not even suffer me to kiss my daughters and their children, but he carried away my ‎daughters like captives taken by the sword, and he stole also my gods and ran away. And now I ‎have left him in the mountains near the river Jabbok with all that is his; he lacketh nothing. And ‎now if it be thy desire to go unto him thou canst find him there, and thou canst do unto him ‎whatsoever pleaseth thee best. And Laban's messengers went and told unto Esau all these ‎words. And when Esau heard the words of Laban's messengers, his anger was kindled against ‎his brother, and he remembered his hatred and his wrath burned within him. And Esau ‎hastened and gathered together his sons and his servants and the people of his household, ‎sixty men, and he assembled likewise all the sons of Seir the Horite, and their people, three ‎hundred and forty men, and he went with this number of four hundred men, to smite his ‎brother Jacob. And Esau divided this number into several bands. And he took the sixty men of ‎his sons and servants and the people of his household in one band, and intrusted them to ‎Eliphaz his oldest son. And the remaining bands he intrusted to the care of the six sons of Seir ‎the Horite, placing every man over his family and their children. And the entire camp moved ‎ahead with Esau among them, who urged them on to great speed. And Laban's messengers, ‎after having left Esau, went into the land of Canaan to the house of Rebekah, the mother of ‎Jacob and Esau and they said unto her: Be hold Esau thy son went with four hundred men ‎against his brother Jacob; for he hath heard of his coming, and therefore he went to wage war ‎with him and to kill him and to take away all that he hath. And Rebekah sent hastily seventy-‎two men of Isaac's servants to go and meet Jacob, for she said Esau might perhaps surprise ‎him on the road when meeting him. And those messengers went and they met Jacob on the ‎road on the opposite side of the brook Jabbok, and Jacob saw them and he exclaimed: This ‎camp is sent to me from God, and he called the name of that place Mahanaim. And Jacob ‎recognized all his father's men, and he kissed and embraced them and came together with all ‎of them, and inquired concerning his father and mother, and they said: All is peace with them. ‎And the messengers said unto Jacob: Thy mother Rebekah sent us to thee, saying: I have ‎heard that thy brother Esau hath gone to meet thee on the road with men from the midst of ‎the sons of Seir the Horite. Now therefore my son, listen unto my voice and reflect what thou ‎art to do. And when he meeteth thee entreat him, and do not speak unto him harshly, and ‎give him gifts from whatsoever thou findest in thy hands, wherewith the Lord hath favored ‎thee graciously. And when he inquires of thee concerning thy matters and affairs do not ‎withhold it from him, maybe he will thus be turned from his anger and thou wilt save thyself ‎and all those that are with thee, for it is in thy place to give him respectful answers as he is the ‎oldest brother.‎‏ ‏And when Jacob heard the words of his mother as told unto him by the ‎messengers, Jacob lifted up his voice and he wept a great weeping and he did at once ‎according to the command of his mother.‎