The Ohr Hachaim asks why Yaakov first mentions Yaakov’s kindness and then the truth and Divine assistance that he received. Should the truth not be mentioned before the extra kindness? The trajectory should be first the truth and then the kindness.
The Ohr Hachaim explains that the kindness of Hashem is different from that of humans. When a person acts with kindness to another, he can expect or at least hope for an act of kindness in return. However, Hashem’s kindness is different. Hashem’s kindness can never be repaid by a mortal. The possuk says אִם צָדַקְתָ מַה תִתֶּן לוֹ - If you are righteous, what do you give Him? A person who is a Tzadik has not done anything for Hashem, and he has not repaid Hashem’s kindness at all.
For this reason, Hashem’s kindness is called ‘truth’. In this possuk, the first level of kindness is the simple one that humans could also perform. But Yaakov added on the extra, Divine, kindness that Hashem had shown him, that could never be repaid.
Another explanation offered by the Ohr Hachaim is that the possuk is describing two types of kindness that Hashem does for people and performed for Yaakov Avinu. The first one is that which Hashem gave him when Lavan had to pay him for his work. The animals gave birth to the precise type of animal that he was promised by Lavan. The second kindness Hashem did for him was that He protected Yaakov’s possessions that they were not stolen by Lavan or damaged by someone else. Essentially, Hashem guarded the kindness that He had done for Yaakov.
Sometimes, Hashem performs a kindness to a person, but that kindness is stolen by someone else. That other person has free will and Hashem does not involve Himself to prevent an Aveira from being committed. In return, Hashem gives the person another gift to make up for that which was stolen from him. The return of his money is a semi-consolation for the person. He has his money, but he does not forget the theft and the loss that he suffered. There are two reasons for this – first, a person thinks that if not for the theft, he would have double the money. Second, he is still upset that the thief was successful in taking his money and keeping it.
Hashem performed a double kindness for Yaakov, when He prevented Lavan from using his free will to steal Yaakov’s possessions from him. When Lavan stole, Hashem returned things from Lavan’s possessions and Yaakov had no reason to be upset.
