Vayetse: You can only win the lottery if you buy a ticket

• Published date: 01 December 2022
• Publication title: Israel National News (Israel)

Yaakov came to his father in law Lavan and demanded that he be paid for his many years of service, during which he hadn't received a penny. The Torah provides for us the details of the negotiations between the two. Lavan said to Yaakov (Bereishit 30:27), "I can see what has happened; I can read the signs

Nichasti vayevarcheinu Hashem biglalecha." – "God has blessed me because of you."

Yaakov then replied (Bereishit 30:30) by saying,

"Vayevarech Hashem otecha meragli," which we usually translate as, "God has blessed you on my account."

But the term 'leragli' literally means 'because of my feet!' What was Yaakov trying to convey?

Rav Shimshon Refael Hirsh explains this beautifully. He explains that when Lavan said to Yaakov, "Nichasti vayivarcheini Hashem biglalecha," what he meant was this: "What has happened Yaakov, is that God has blessed me – it's not you – you're a holy man, and that's why God has always helped you. It is God who has performed these miracles for my flocks. It's to God that I should give thanks, not to you. You don't deserve a single penny – God has done it all."

When Yaakov then replied and said, "Vayevarech Hashem otecha leragli" – "God has blessed you because of my feet!" what he meant was, "For all these years, I've been standing in...