Vayetze: Economics

Economics is the overwhelming theme of the parsha.  When Yaakov is given a blessing, he immediately arranges to pay for it:: 10% will be returned . The tithe and the income tax are born as one. 

He comes to the shepherd's well and criticizes the system of water  distribution. He seems to be accusing the shepherd's of slacking on the job, hiding behind a flawed agreement that the water will be distributed at a fixed time. He then takes matters into his own hands when he see Rachel.  He removes the stone over the well and waters her sheep ( ancient flirting?)

Jacob (on the lam) comes to Uncle  Laban  as a guest.  

יד  וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ לָבָן, אַךְ עַצְמִי וּבְשָׂרִי אָתָּה; וַיֵּשֶׁב עִמּוֹ, חֹדֶשׁ יָמִים.	14 And Laban said to him: 'Surely thou art my bone and my flesh.' And he abode with him the space of a month.
טו  וַיֹּאמֶר לָבָן, לְיַעֲקֹב, הֲכִי-אָחִי אַתָּה, וַעֲבַדְתַּנִי חִנָּם; הַגִּידָה לִּי, מַה-מַּשְׂכֻּרְתֶּךָ.	15 And Laban said unto Jacob: 'Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?'

Clearly, there was no free lunch at LAban's place. 

Then we have the series of deals: indentured servitude for the daughthers Bride price. Jane Austen

The deal by which Jacob acquires acquires his own assets has elements of speculation. Here  is another part of the foundation story of antisemitism. Jacob and Laban agree that the spotted sheep will belong to Jacob, the white (lavan)  sheep will belong to Laban.  Laban removes the spotted sheep and gives them to his sons. But the better sheep that are subsequently born are spotted ( a possible violation of Mendelian inheritance).  Jacob grows rich and Laban feels cheated.  Jacob becomes rich by virtue of speculation.  He wins a bet, a bet over which he exercises control ( the sticks at the watering troughs) that was not anticipated by the other side.  Is this the origin of the financial market?  How Jewish is that?

Ultimately, Jacob and Laban come to the parting of ways and the division of assets. Jacob, unaware that  a member of his party actualy stole the Trefaim  from Laban, launches the angry tirade of the victimized worker against Boss Laban.  Capitalist Laban answers:

מג  וַיַּעַן לָבָן וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל-יַעֲקֹב, הַבָּנוֹת בְּנֹתַי וְהַבָּנִים בָּנַי וְהַצֹּאן צֹאנִי, וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר-אַתָּה רֹאֶה, לִי-הוּא; וְלִבְנֹתַי מָה-אֶעֱשֶׂה לָאֵלֶּה, הַיּוֹם, אוֹ לִבְנֵיהֶן, אֲשֶׁר יָלָדוּ.

43 And Laban answered and said unto Jacob: 'The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks, and all that thou seest is mine; and what can I do this day for these my daughters, or for their children whom they have borne?

This is the  fundamental argument between capital ( our tradition from Laban) and labor ( our tradition from Comrade Jacob). 

I would love to see commentaries on this parsha from Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Thorsten Veblen, etc. 

This is a part of the Torah. The Price is Right.