Rachel's coming to the well at the moment when Jacob reached the
territory belonging to Haran was an auspicious omen. To meet young
maidens on first entering a city is a sure sign that fortune is
favorable to one's undertakings. Experience proves this through
Eliezer, Jacob, Moses, and Saul. They all encountered maidens when they
approached a place new to them, and they all met with success.[154]
Jacob treated Rachel at once as his cousin, which caused significant
whispering among the by-standers. They censured Jacob for his demeanor
toward her, for since God had sent the deluge upon the world, on
account of the immoral life led by men, great chastity had prevailed,
especially among the people of the east. The talk of the men reduced
Jacob to tears. Scarcely had he kissed Rachel when he began to weep,
for he repented of having done it.
There was reason enough for tears. Jacob could not but remember sadly
that Eliezer, his grandfather's slave, had brought ten camels laden
with presents with him to Haran, when he came to sue for a bride for
Isaac, while he had not even a ring to give to Rachel. Moreover, he
foresaw that his favorite wife Rachel would not lie beside him in the
grave, and this, too, made him weep.
As soon as Rachel heard that Jacob was her cousin, she ran home to tell
her father about his coming. Her mother was no longer among the living,
else she would naturally have gone to her. In great haste Laban ran to
receive Jacob. He reflected, if Eliezer, the bondman, had come with ten
camels, what would not the favorite son of the family bring with him,
and when he saw that Jacob was unattended, he concluded that he carried
great sums of money in his girdle, and he threw his arms about his
waist to find out whether his supposition was true. Disappointed in
this, he yet did not give up hope that his nephew Jacob was a man of
substance. Perhaps he concealed precious stones in his mouth, and he
kissed him in order to find out whether he had guessed aright. But
Jacob said to him: "Thou thinkest I have money. Nay, thou art mistaken,
I have but words."[155] Then he went on to tell him how it had come
about that he stood before him empty-handed. He said that his father
Isaac had sent him on his way provided with gold, silver, and money,
but he had encountered Eliphaz, who had threatened to slay him. To this
assailant Jacob had spoken thus: "Know that the descendants of Abraham
have an obligation to meet, they will have to serve four hundred years
in a land that is not theirs. If thou slayest me, then you, the seed of
Esau, will have to pay the debt. It were better, therefore, to take all
I have, and spare my life, so that what is owing may be paid by me.
Hence," Jacob continued, "I stand before thee bare of all the substance
carried off by Eliphaz."[156]
This tale of his nephew's poverty filled Laban with dismay. "What," he
exclaimed, "shall I have to give food and drink for a month or,
perhaps, even a year to this fellow, who has come to me empty-handed!"
He betook himself to his teraphim, to ask them for counsel upon the
matter, and they admonished him, saying: "Beware of sending him away
from thy house. His star and his constellation are so lucky that good
fortune will attend all his undertakings, and for his sake the blessing
of the Lord will rest upon all thou doest, in thy house or in thy
field."
Laban was satisfied with the advice of the teraphim, but he was
embarrassed as to the way in which he was to attach Jacob to his house.
He did not venture to offer him service, lest Jacob's conditions be
impossible of fulfilment. Again he resorted to the teraphim, and asked
them with what reward to tempt his nephew, and they replied: "A wife is
his wage; he will ask nothing else of thee but a wife. It is his nature
to be attracted by women, and whenever he threatens to leave thee, do
but offer him another wife, and he will not depart."
Laban went back to Jacob, and said, "Tell me, what shall thy wages be?"
and he replied, "Thinkest thou I came hither to make money? I came only
to get me a wife,"[158] for Jacob had no sooner beheld Rachel than he
fell in love with her and made her a proposal of marriage. Rachel
consented, but added the warning: "My father is cunning, and thou art
not his match." Jacob: "I am his brother in cunning." Rachel: "But is
deception becoming unto the pious?" Jacob: "Yes, 'with the righteous
righteousness is seemly, and with the deceiver deception.' But,"
continued Jacob, "tell me wherein he may deal cunningly with me."
Rachel: "I have an older sister, whom he desires to see married before
me, and he will try to palm her off on thee instead of me." To be
prepared for Laban's trickery, Jacob and Rachel agreed upon a sign by
which he would recognize her in the nuptial night.[159]
Thus warned to be on his guard against Laban, Jacob worded his
agreement with him regarding his marriage to Rachel with such precision
that no room was left for distortion or guile. Jacob said: "I know that
the people of this place are knaves, therefore I desire to put the
matter very clearly to thee. I will serve thee seven years for Rachel,
hence not Leah; for thy daughter, that thou bringest me not some other
woman likewise named Rachel; for the younger daughter, that thou
exchangest not their names in the meantime."
Nothing of all this availed: "It profits not if a villain is cast into
a sawmill"—neither force nor gentle words can circumvent a rascal.
Laban deceived not only Jacob, but also the guests whom he invited to
the wedding.