Jacob Loves Rachel at First Sight!

Torah Study 5-19-12  with Rabbi Janet Marder

Genesis 29:10-18

Jacob sees Rachel…all about the relationships

Jacob rolls the stone off the well... Shows excessive strength ...

"A bit of Biblical comedy"... Rashi...like removing the stopper from the top of a bottle.  To show his strength.

Robert Alter..  Homeric strength is compared to his mother watering the camels before when Abraham's servant came to find a wife for Isaac.

Encountering a maiden at a well-   a forecast of a betrothal.

Jacobs narrative signature is the stone.

Symbol of the stone blocking the well and also of Rachel's infertility.

Stone is also a symbol of Laban 

First kiss ... 

Naomi Rosenblat.. The well as a portal of the soul.  Well represents Rachel virgin sexuality.  Also symbolic of Jacob's unconscious feelings.

Rare scene of love at first sight... The Social Animal(book) by  David Brooks

The kiss in v11,... Much speculation about this...

Weeping... Why?

Rashi. Saw the future that she would not be buried with him.

Also, came with empty hands.. Sorry he didn't have gifts.

Midrash about Esau's son who was supposed to kill Jacob.. Instead he took all his possessions.  A poor man is as if dead.

Sforno.  Because Jacob is not younger and she is so young.

V12.. After kisses her he tells her that she is her fathers kinsman... Wrong word.."brother". Either means a relative or specific "brother".

Another interpretation is that it reflects that Jacob can be as deceitful as Laban...

Midrash it is at this time that he asks her to marry him...she warns him that her father would deceit him... He says he can be just as deceitful.

She runs to tell her father... Parallel to the Rebecca story...

Run is the only indicator of her feelings...

Difference. Rebecca runs to mother, Rachel ran to father...

Why?  Mother had died?  Father is the relative.  

V13 Laban hears the news...ran to greet him.  Embrace kiss takes to house.

Rashi.  Why so eager? Thought he had money... Remembered the last time there was money.  Maybe he hugs to frisk him or kiss to check his mouth?...

Soon you find that Laban is greedy....

Growth through Torah. Book by Zelig Pliskin.  Don't be so trusting.

Jacobs tells Laban ...what..how much...Probably the story was edited..

V14 Laban responds that he is flesh and blood ... Offers hospitality.

But not for free ... Jacob works for Laban.

Some commentators say he did tell all and Laban recognized that he is also a deceiver..  They are kindred spirits.

Naomi Rosenblat... Jacob doesn't see Laban's deception at this point... Laban sees a fellow trickster...