After years of grueling labor in a foreign land, a pivotal moment arrives when Jacob finally requests to return home. The timing of this request is deeply tied to the birth of Joseph. The primary approach among commentators is that this birth perfectly coincided with the completion of the fourteen years of labor Jacob owed for Rachel and Leah [רשב״ם, בכור שור, חזקוני].
Beyond the fulfillment of his work contract, Jacob harbored practical and personal concerns that kept him from asking to leave earlier. As long as Rachel remained childless, he feared that Laban might refuse to let her go, or suspect that Jacob intended to divorce her. The birth of a son removed this anxiety [חזקוני, הטור הארוך, פענח רזא, צרור המור]. Additionally, Jacob felt a profound sense of personal shame at the thought of returning to his father with a beautiful wife who had no children, worried that people might assume he married her purely out of physical desire. Joseph's arrival erased this stigma [כלי יקר].
On a deeper level, the birth of Joseph provided Jacob with the spiritual and practical confidence he needed to face his estranged brother, Esau. Tradition views Joseph as the unique spiritual force capable of subduing Esau. Commentators compare Jacob to a foundational fire, which possesses intense heat but cannot spread far without a flame. Joseph is that reaching flame. With his power now fully actualized, Jacob trusted God and felt ready to return [רש״י, גור אריה]. Joseph's ability to stand against Esau is rooted in a distinct moral advantage. If the other brothers were to condemn Esau for seeking to harm Jacob, Esau could easily point out that they too harmed their own brother. Joseph, however, ultimately repaid his brothers' cruelty with kindness, allowing him to face Esau with a flawless moral record [תולדות יצחק, צאינה וראינה]. Furthermore, this birth, coupled with Rachel's prophecy of another son, assured Jacob that his family was whole and that the twelve tribes would indeed be established, guaranteeing that he would not fall to Esau [כלי יקר].
When Jacob approaches Laban to ask for his release, he is not asking for travel provisions. He already possessed enough basic resources to support his family on the journey. Rather, he is seeking Laban's formal consent. By asking openly, Jacob hoped to avoid leaving in secret and to prevent his father in law from sabotaging his departure [ספורנו, רד״ק].
Jacob expresses a desire to return to his place and his land. Commentators note the specific order of these destinations, as a person usually enters a country before arriving at a specific local place. This phrasing emphasizes his deep yearning for his true homeland, sharply contrasting with his status as a foreigner in Aram [מלבי״ם]. Others suggest that his place does not refer to a geographic location at all, but rather to a status of personal independence. Jacob wanted to reach a state where he was his own master, no longer a servant to others. His plan was to first establish this independence and only then return to the land of his ancestors [העמק דבר]. Because the promised land was not yet in his physical possession, Jacob needed to first secure his own independent standing wherever he chose to settle, creating a stable environment to raise his family for their future destiny in his land [רש״ר הירש].