בראשית, פרק ל׳, פסוק ל״ד

Laban's swift and enthusiastic acceptance of the proposed wage agreement reveals his hidden motives and true character. The primary approach among commentators is that he was expressing his full, unconditional consent to the terms [רש״י, מזרחי, שפתי חכמים, רד״ק, בכור שור, ביאור יש״ר]. He saw the arrangement as a tremendous opportunity for himself, calculating that the chances of animals being born with such highly specific traits were incredibly slim. In his mind, this guaranteed that the wages he would ultimately have to pay would be very small [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Because Laban believed the deal was overwhelmingly in his own favor, his immediate concern was that the offer might be withdrawn. He expressed a strong hope that the agreement would stand exactly as proposed, without any later regrets. Fearing the offer was either insincere or would soon be retracted, he eagerly wished for the arrangement to remain settled and accepted [רש״י, מזרחי, שפתי חכמים, רד״ק, ספורנו, בכור שור]. Another perspective suggests Laban recognized that the terms were offered out of a deep awareness and fear of his own deceitful nature, rather than out of free will. His response was thus a wish for the agreement to be embraced with a truly willing heart, rather than out of apprehension [דברי דוד].

Beneath this public show of agreement, several commentators detect a deep layer of cunning. Laban deliberately used soft and pleasant language to mask his true intentions, planning all along to turn the agreement into an illusion and cheat Jacob immediately afterward [רש״ר הירש, ביאור יש״ר].

In stark contrast, two highly unique approaches offer different interpretations of Laban's reaction. One suggests that he actually agreed in good faith, genuinely wishing that many such animals would be born so that righteousness would be proven before God [מלבי״ם]. Another approach connects Laban's response to the prior condition that any unapproved animal found later would be considered stolen. According to this view, Laban was actually hoping to find stolen property, as wicked individuals draw a deep sense of satisfaction from discovering a flaw or casting doubt on an honest person [חתם סופר].