This Week’s Torah Portion: Vayeitzei – וַיֵּצֵא (Genesis 28:10−32:3)
וַיִּיקַ֣ץ יַעֲקֹב֮ מִשְּׁנָתוֹ֒ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אָכֵן֙ יֵ֣שׁ יְהֹוָ֔ה בַּמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וְאָנֹכִ֖י לֹ֥א יָדָֽעְתִּי׃
As Jacob awoke from his slumber he said, “Surely Adonai is in this place and I did not, I did not know.” (Genesis 28:16).
When Jacob flees to his uncle to escape his brother, he stops in a particular place to sleep. After having an awe-inspiring dream of angels ascending and descending on the mystical ladder and encountering God, Jacob wakes up to a startling revelation—God was with him all along; he just needed to pause to recognize it. This Shabbat, I pray we can all take a moment to pause and open ourselves to the possibility of experiencing the Divine in even, if not especially, the most unusual of places. Shabbat Shalom!
Parsha Vayeitzei – וַיֵּצֵא Torah Summary:
Jacob dreams of angels going up and down a ladder. God blesses him. Jacob names the place Bethel. (28:10-22)
Jacob works seven years in order to marry Rachel, but Laban tricks Jacob into marrying Leah, Rachel’s older sister. (29:16-25)
Jacob marries Rachel but only after having to commit himself to seven more years of working for Laban. (29:26-30)
Leah, Rachel, and their maidservants, Bilhah and Zilpah, give birth to eleven sons and one daughter. (29:31-30:24)
Jacob and his family leave Laban’s household with great wealth. (31:1-32:3)
Vayeitzei – וַיֵּצֵא
וַיִּיקַ֣ץ יַעֲקֹב֮ מִשְּׁנָתוֹ֒ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אָכֵן֙ יֵ֣שׁ יְהֹוָ֔ה בַּמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וְאָנֹכִ֖י לֹ֥א יָדָֽעְתִּי׃
As Jacob awoke from his slumber he said, “Surely Adonai is in this place and I did not, I did not know.” (Genesis 28:16).
When Jacob flees to his uncle to escape his brother, he stops in a particular place to sleep. After having an awe-inspiring dream of angels ascending and descending on the mystical ladder and encountering God, Jacob wakes up to a startling revelation—God was with him all along; he just needed to pause to recognize it. This Shabbat, I pray we can all take a moment to pause and open ourselves to the possibility of experiencing the Divine in even, if not especially, the most unusual of places. Shabbat Shalom!
