294. "Appoint me your wages, and I will give it" (Beresheet 30:28). HE ASKS, What is the meaning of "Appoint?" Rabbi Yitzchak said, The wicked one said - I see that Jacob has eyes only for females, therefore he shall serve me. He then said, "Appoint (Heb. nokvah) me your wages," a female (Heb. nekevah) shall be your wages, as before. "...And I will give it..." means 'tell me what woman you have cast your eyes on, and you shall serve me for her.'
295. "And Jacob said, 'You shall not give me anything'" (Beresheet 30:31). Jacob said, Heaven forbid! -- whatever I did, I did for the glory of the Holy King AND NOT FOR MY PASSIONS. Therefore, "You shall not give me anything," because it was NEVER my intention but, "if you will do this thing for me..."
296. "And he removed that day the he-goats" (Beresheet 30:35). Rabbi Elazar began the discussion with the verse, "Hashem, who shall abide in Your tent" (Tehilim 15:1) This was explained by the friends. "He that walks in perfection" is Abraham, for when he was circumcised, he became perfect; "works Righteousness" refers to Isaac; and he who "speaks truth" is Jacob. Assuredly, Jacob cleaved to the attribute of Truth. HE ASKS, If he cleaved to the attribute of Truth, why did he behave as he did with Laban, NAMELY, WHEN PEELING THE RODS?
297. HE ANSWERS, Jacob was testing his luck BY WHAT HE DID. It is permissible for a man to see if fortune is with him before he returns to his country. If his luck stands by him, all is well; if it does not, he shall not set foot to go until the time is favorable.
298. Come and see, It is written, "So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come..." (Beresheet 30:33) for he did not attempt to obtain something from Laban for nothing, but did everything truthfully and wholeheartedly. Moreover, he received permission from Laban to do this. Thus, it is written THAT HE ANSWERS HIM, "I have learned by signs that Hashem has blessed me for your sake" (Ibid. 27). Laban used magic and sorcery and tested his luck to find out WHETHER HE SUCCEEDED because of Jacob. He found that every month he added a hundred sheep, a hundred lambs, and a hundred male goats to his flocks because of Jacob, AND THEREFORE GAVE HIM PERMISSION.
299. Rabbi Aba said, Jacob used to bring an additional thousand cattle, thousand lambs, and thousand male goats every month. This is what is meant by the verse, "For the little which you had before I came is now increased to a multitude; and Hashem has blessed you since my coming" (Beresheet 30:30). Blessing from above does not dwell on less than a thousand of each kind. So there were a thousand sheep, a thousand lambs, and a thousand male goats, since blessing from above do not dwell on a lesser number. Thus, Jacob brought Laban great wealth.
300. When Jacob asked for his wages, he found only ten of each kind, yet he thought it generous. He saw THE DIFFERENCE between the small amount he received from Laban and what Laban received as a result of his efforts. And what Jacob received was given reluctantly, as a result of the rods he placed against the cattle.
301. Come and behold, how much did the perfect Jacob toil for Laban? It is written, "And he set three days' journey between himself and Jacob" (Beresheet 30:36), and he brought him much wealth. Yet because Laban did not want to pay Jacob's wages, he gave Jacob ten of this kind and ten of that kind, and said to him, Take these, and if they issue as you said, SPECKLED AND SPOTTED, they will be your wages. THIS MEANS HE MAY TAKE TEN OF EACH. This is the meaning of the verse, "and changed my wages ten times (Heb. monim)" (Beresheet 31:7), that is, ten of (Heb. min) this and ten of (Heb. min) that. It is written, "And your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times." By these ten, he strove after the Holy One, blessed be He, and blessed Him. With all his conditions, Laban went back on his words and took everything from Jacob, until the Holy One, blessed be He, took pity on him and took from Laban by force.