Vayeitzei 31:26 · unit 1

Parashas Vayeitzei · Passuk 31:26

The Complete Passuk

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָבָן֙ לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב מֶ֣ה עָשִׂ֔יתָ וַתִּגְנֹ֖ב אֶת־לְבָבִ֑י וַתְּנַהֵג֙ אֶת־בְּנֹתַ֔י כִּשְׁבֻי֖וֹת חָֽרֶב׃

And Lavan said to Yaakov, “What have you done, that you have stolen my heart and driven my daughters away as captives of the sword?”

Torah Temimah points to classical sources on Lavan’s accusation.

TT lemma: ותגנב את לבבי.

Core Text

אָמְרוּ: לָבָן קָרָא לְיַעֲקֹב גַּנָּב, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא עַצְמוֹ הָיָה רַמַּאי.

English: They said: Lavan called Yaakov a thief, even though he himself was a deceiver.

On the daf / in context: The irony of Lavan’s accusation is noted against the background of his own repeated deceptions.

Derash on the verse (midrashic) — not a formal named middah of the 13. The charge is read in light of Lavan’s own character.

Lavan accused Yaakov of theft while himself being the greater deceiver.