זוהר, וישלח ב׳Zohar, Vayishlach 2

Segment 1א׳

וַיְצַו אֹתָם לֵאמֹר כֹּה תֹאמְרוּן לַאדֹנִי לְעֵשָׂו כֹּה אָמַר עַבְדְּךָ יַעֲקֹב עִם לָבָן גַּרְתִּי וָאֵחַר עַד עָתָּה. מִיָּד פָּתַח יַעֲקֹב לְאִתְהַפָּכָא לֵיהּ לְעַבְדָּא, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִסְתַּכַּל עֵשָׂו בְּאִינוּן בִּרְכָאן דְּבָרְכֵיהּ אֲבוֹי, דְּהָא יַעֲקֹב סָלִיק לוֹן לְבָתַר כְּדְקָא אֲמָרָן.

AND HE COMMANDED THEM, SAYING: THUS SHALL YE SAY UNTO MY LORD ESAU: THUS SAITH THY SERVANT JACOB: I HAVE SOJOURNED WITH LABAN, AND STAYED UNTIL NOW. He began by representing himself as Esau’s servant, in order that the latter’s thoughts might be diverted from the blessings which he had received from his father, and the enjoyment of which he was postponing for a future time, as already said.

Segment 2ב׳

אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה מַאי חָמָא יַעֲקֹב דְּשַׁדַּר לֵיהּ לְעֵשָׂו וְאָמַר עִם לָבָן גַּרְתִּי, וְכִי מַה עָבִיד בִּשְׁלִיחוּתֵיהּ דְּעֵשָׂו (דאמר) מִלָּה דָא. אֶלָּא לָבָן הָאֲרַמִּי קָלֵיהּ אָזִיל בְּעַלְמָא דְלָא הֲוָה בַר נָשׁ דְּיִשְׁתְּזִיב מִנֵּיהּ, דְּהוּא הֲוָה חָרָשׁ בֶּחֳרָשִׁין וְרַב בְּקוֹסְמִין, וַאֲבוֹי דִבְעוֹר הֲוָה, וּבְעוֹר אֲבוֹי דְבִלְעָם, דִּכְתִיב (יהושע י״ג:כ״ב) בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעוֹר הַקּוֹסֵם, וְלָבָן חָכָם בֶּחֳרָשִׁין וְקוֹסְמִין יַתִּיר מִכֻּלְּהוּ, וְעִם כָּל דָּא לָא יָכִיל בְּיַעֲקֹב. וּבָעָא לְאוֹבָדָא לְיַעֲקֹב בְּכַמָּה זַיְינִין הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (דברים כ״ו:ה׳) אֲרַמִּי אוֹבֵד אָבִי.

R. Judah said: ‘What was Jacob’s object in saying to Esau, “I have sojourned with Laban”? What had this to do with his message to Esau? The reason was that Laban the Aramean was famous throughout the world as a master magician and sorcerer whose spell no man could escape. He was, in fact, the father of Beor, who was the father of Balaam, mentioned in Scripture as “Balaam the son of Beor, the soothsayer” (Josh. 13, 22). But for all Laban’s skill and pre-eminence in sorcery and magic, he could not prevail over Jacob, though he employed all his arts to destroy him, as it says: “An Aramean designed to destroy my father” (Deut. 26, 5).’

Segment 3ג׳

אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא כּוּלֵי עַלְמָא הֲוֵי יָדְעֵי דְּלָבָן הֲוָה רַב חַכִּימִין וָחֳרָשִׁין וְקוֹסְמִין, וּמַאן דְּבָעֵי לְאוֹבָדָא בֶּחֳרָשׁוֹי לָא אִשְׁתְּזִיב מִנֵּיהּ, וְכָל מַה דְּיָדַע בִּלְעָם מִנֵּיהּ הֲוָה. וּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ בְּבִלְעָם (במדבר כ״ב:ו׳) כִּי יָדַעְתִּי אֵת אֲשֶׁר תְּבָרֵךְ מְבֹרָךְ וַאֲשֶׁר תָּאֹר יוּאָר. וְכוּלֵי עַלְמָא הֲווּ מִסְתָּפֵי מִלָּבָן וּמֵחֳרָשׁוֹי, וּמִלָּה קַדְמָאָה דְּשַׁדַּר יַעֲקֹב לְעֵשָׂו אָמַר עִם לָבָן גַּרְתִּי. וְאִי תֵימָא דִּזְעֵיר הֲוָה יֶרַח אוֹ שַׁתָּא. לָאו הָכִי, אֶלָּא וָאֵחַר עַד עָתָּה, עֶשְׂרִין שְׁנִין אִתְאֲחָרִית עִמֵּיהּ.

R. Abba said: ‘All the world knew that Laban was the greatest of wizards and sorcerers and magicians, and that no one whom he wished to destroy could escape from him, and that it was from him that Balaam learnt all his skill-Balaam, of whom it is written: “for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed” (Num. 22, 6). Thus Laban and his magic were universally feared. Hence Jacob’s first intimation to Esau was, “I have sojourned with Laban”; and lest Esau should think that it was merely a month, or, at most, a year, he added: “and I stayed until now”-a space of twenty years.