Va-Yeitzei / Genesis 28:10 ~ 32:3

Va-Yeitzei: He Went Out

This parsha tells the story of Jacob’s exile and return from Haran, where he had been living with his uncle, Laban. Jacob’s had his famous dream of the ladder to heaven in this parsha. He also fell in love with Rachel and agreed to work for 7 years in order to gain her hand. His uncle, however, deceived him, and instead of marrying Rachel, Jacob was tricked into marrying her sister, Leah. Jacob worked another 7 years so he could marry Rachel. The parsha ends with Jacob taking his family and returning to the home of his birth.

On his way to Haran, Jacob stopped for the night, laying his head on a stone for a pillow. During the night, he had a dream in which he saw a ladder reaching to heaven. Angels were going up and down the ladder. In his dream, G~d appeared to him and promised that his descendants would be granted the land on which he lay sleeping. When Jacob awoke, he named the place Beth-el, which means House of G~d.

As Jacob approached the land of his mother’s birth, he came upon a well. Rachel was at the well to draw water for her family’s flock. This was their first meeting and Jacob fell in love with her at first sight. Laban welcomed Jacob into his family. Jacob offered to work for Laban to gain Rachel’s hand. After working for seven years, Jacob asked Laban, a wedding was planned. Rachel, however, was the younger daughter, so Laban deceived Jacob into marrying his older daughter, Leah. Jacob was forced to work another seven years so he could marry Rachel. When Jacob married Leah, Laban gave his daughter Zilpah to be her handmaiden. Upon Rachel’s marriage to Jacob, she was given Bilhah as her handmaiden, thus Jacob’s family consisted of his two wives and their handmaidens.

Jacob favored Rachel over Leah, so G~d allowed Leah to bear many children, which Rachel remained barren. Leah’s children were: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. She also bore a daughter, Dinah. Rachel envied her sister for being fruitful, so gave Jacob her handmaiden, Bilhah, to be her surrogate. Bilhah bore Jacob two sons: Dan and Naphtali. Leah, too, offered Jacob her handmaiden, Zilpah who bore two sons: Gad and Asher. Finally, after many years, Rachel conceived and bore a son she named Joseph.

By now, Jacob had lived with Laban and his family for many years. He asked Laban to be allowed to take his household and return to his own country. Laban was reluctant, but ultimately agreed. He also agreed to allow Jacob to take certain identifiable sheep from his flock. Jacob, through his expertise in animal husbandry, manipulated the stock, so that those Laban promised him would be great in number.

Ultimately, however, Laban lets Jacob and his family return to the land of Jacob’s birth.