Scroll to Scroll:

Todays Parsha #7: Vayetze (And he departed)

STUDY QUESTIONS FROM LAST WEEKS PORTION (Toldot)
1) What might be one reason why Abba YHWH tells Rebekah that Jacob is
destined to rule but never does He tell Isaac or command Rebekah to tell
Isaac?
We may never know for sure. Perhaps Abba YHWH wanted to see what
Rebekah would do to make things happen, much like Sarah did when
Abraham got his vision about having a son. It may also be that Rebekah
feared that Isaac wouldnt believe her, since she favored Jacob over Esau.
2) Jacob may have cheated Esau twice to incite his older brother to anger, but it
is also the case that Jacob did one thing right which Esau clearly did wrong.
What was that one thing?
Esau had married two pagan Hittite girls, presumably without his
parents consent because they were grieved at his choices. Jacob
however agreed to not go to Canaan for his wife but like Isaac, to get a
wife from Padan-Aram from among Labans extended family. And
unlike Esau, there is little doubt Jacob would have happily married
Rachel and never been with anyone else, if he was given the chance to do
so.
3) In addition to not wanting to grieve his parents, what is one other reason why
Esau did not kill Jacob before he left for Padan-Aram? Remember later Esau
only promised not to kill Jacob while their FATHER was alive. There seems
to be no concern about doing so while his MOTHER still lives!
In a word: GUILT and for the same reason that answer #2 addresses.
Esau had acted hastily in marriage and theres Jacob on his way to do the
right thing by marrying a nice Semite girl. If he kills Jacob now, it will
also make Jacob a martyr in the eyes of his parents, because he was en
route to do a righteous act according to their will. Here Esaus guilt at not
consulting his parents probably outweighs his blood lust against his
brother.
4) How does Esau try to compensate for his error?
28:9 says that Esau then took a daughter of Ishmael and grand-daughter
of Abraham also as a wife. Because of Ishmaels location OUTSIDE
Canaan, he fulfilled the command to not marry a Canaanite!

5) Did Esaus compensation for his error work? Why or why not?
It did not work because he still had the first two wives and never divorced
them to elevate his third wife. It also didnt work because Isaac knew
YHWH didnt approve of polygamy and he had seen up close the damage
that practice could do. And finally, because we know Hagar found an
Egyptian wife for Ishmael, this would have already perverted that line
into paganism and away from YHWH. Esaus descendants would
certainly suffer for these mixed alliances down the line.

1) Meaning of this weeks Torah portion and summary of contents:

Vayetze means and he departed the he being Jacob heading towards Haran.
At Haran Jacob has his famous vision of the heavenly ladder before proceeding to
dwell with his uncle Laban. This of course sets up the struggle with Jacob
wanting Rachel but being forced to marry Leah as he toils for 20 years. After
finally escaping, Jacob finds himself trapped between a deceptive uncle he left
behind and a brother who publicly swore to kill him coming towards him with
hundreds of armed men.
2) Parsha (English-Genesis 28:10-32:2). This week we will read the entire portion.
3) Play by Play commentary where appropriate.
4) Point out key Hebrew words/terms. Color Commentary:
VAYETZE YAAKOV MI-BE-ER SHAVA VAYELECH CHARANAH (28:10) =
Jacob departed from Beer Sheva and went towards Haran. Beer-Sheva means well of the
oath (or seven) and Haran means crossroads. Given what is about to happen in the
story, it seems to hint that Jacob is going away from the oath of protection (from
Abraham) because he betrayed his brother Esau and is entering a crossroads in his life
where others will deceive him as well.
VAYIFGA BAMAKOM VAYALEN (28:11) = he came to a certain place and spent the
night there. The word LON/LEN is very important not just because of this passage of the
Torah but because of its Aramaic cognate, NAGHA, which appears in Yochanans
Gospel in 19:31. This word can mean dawning, shining and so the Greek goes with
that meaning with EPIPHOSOKO, not in that passage but in Matthew 28:1 and other
places.
EPIPHOSKO means growing light, to shine and is used as a metaphor for dawning, to
begin which is why the Greek reads, and the Shabbat was dawning/about to begin.
The Aramaic however, while referring also to a mixture of light, intended it the other
waygrowing darkness, sunset, mixing from light to dark. In certain key verses, the
word NAGHA appears which means the same as LON/LENto spend the night, a
metaphor for closing down, going to bed. Now lets see the Comprehensive Aramaic
Lexicon.

nghvb. to
shine
G
1to shine at dawnQum, Jud, CPA, Syr, JBA.--(a) (astron.) to rise
(heliacally??)Qum.(a.1)metaph.: to wake after a long sleepQum.--(b) w. name of
a day: very early morning of a daySyr.--(c) w. -: to dawnJBA. 2to get darkJBA.-(a) to be lateJBA. C 1to cause to shineSyr. 2to shineSyr. 3to stay up through

the nightSyr. 4to prolongJBA. LS2: 888[414]. DJPA: 340b. DJBA: 728b.
Jastrow: 872. J. Payne-Smith: 327. Ngh (nogah, nogha) n.m dawn. Nagah
morning.
In other words, Johns Gospel in the Greek doesnt say EPIPHOSKO, but it has NAGHA
which was misunderstood to mean shine, dawn which is the same meaning as
EPIPHOSKO. However, the clear context from the Aramaic is, again, the Shabbat was
going to bed to spend the night, that is, the ANNUAL Shabbat was ending.
Luke 6:12 has the spend the night version of NAGHA (though conjugated/spelled
differently), and the rest of the key to understanding this properly is what part of the day
is being referenced. So, if it is dawn, then they SPENT the night (past tense), but if it is
late afternoon as it is in the Gospels at the time of Yshuas death the word is in
PRESENT tense and is about to spend the night, or lay down, and this is how it reads in
Luke 23:54:
WYOMA (and the day) AURBATA HWT (setting was or, was in erev) WSHABTA
(and the Shabbat) NEGHA HWT (was spending the night).
VAYACHALOM VEHINEH SULAM MUTSAV ARTSAH VEROSHO MAGIA
HASHAMAYMAH VEHINEY MALACHEY ELOHIM OLIM VEYOREDIM BO
(28:12) = he had a vision in a dream: A ladder was standing on the ground and its top
reached heaven and there were Messengers of Elohim going up and down it. The Rabbis
talk about the ladder as being symbolic of all the levels of spiritual understanding being
given to Jacob and his descendants and therefore also a hint that Jacob was about to start
a large family. I agree but also see a connection with the Tower of Babel in that before
Nimrod tried to build a way to heaven by force but when it comes to Yahs beloved He
actually will provide the ladder for them to climb up into His region Himself!
VEHINEY YAHWEH NITZAV ALAV (28:13) = Then behold, Yahweh was standing
above him. This implies that Abba YHWH was at the top of the ladder, standing over him
from that position.
KOL MISPECHOT HA ADAMAH UVEZARECHA (28:14) = All families of the earth
will be blessed by your seed. This is one of the most important but overlooked passages
in all of Scripture. Most of the time we recall when this is said to Abraham; but not here
when it is said to Jacob. By the time it is told to Jacob, the specificity of the blessing
becomes clear: It is the line from Isaac, to Jacob and the twelve tribes that the world is
blessed by, not the line of Ishmael! If the your seed was never clarified, one could
make an argument to the contrary, but since it is clarified here, it is actually through
ISRAEL that all families are blessed and thats a whole different ball game!
VEHINEY ANOCHI IMACH (28:15) = and behold I am with you. Similar statements
are given to Moshe (Exodus 3:12) and said by Yshua (Matthew 28:20) as

VEHA (and behold) ANA (I) AMKON (am with you). ANA (I)KULHON YOMATA
(all the days) AIDMAH (until) LSHALMAH (towards the completion/end) DALMAH
(of time/the universe).
VEANOCHI LOYADATI (28:16) = and I did not know it. What is interesting here is
the word ANOCHI, or as I call it, the long I. Related to EHYEH ASHER EHYEH (I
am that I am), ANOCHI was used by Abba YHWH to refer to Himself in the First
Commandment and since that time ANOCHI has been avoided for the most part in favor
ANI, or the short I. But since Sinai hasnt happened yet, Jacob is under no restrictions
or suggestions to veer away from this usage.
BETHELLUZ (28:19). It can either be Bethel or Beth El the latter being a formal
designation of YHWHs placeJerusalem and that Yaakov is proclaiming that
sanctuary as the future Temple. Luz on the other hand means almond tree but in
Aramaic can mean bone or spinesuggesting that Luz was part of old Jerusalem.
Some rabbis believe old Jerusalem was originally two adjacent villages, Salem where
Malki-tzedek was from and Luz, the backbone of the overall city that contained the
shrine. In other legends Luz is thought of as a magical place where for a time no one
ever died.
VEHAYAH YAHWEH LI LE ELOHIM (28:21) = Then Yahweh will be my Elohim.
This is apparently where Jacob is willing to do more than just admit the Elohim of his
fathers has power and is worthy of worship but also to dedicate himself to YHWH at the
exclusion of all other powers. He was well aware that members of his extended family
were not fully dedicated to YHWH though they knew of Him.
ETZEMI UVASARI (29:14) = Literally, you are my BONES and my flesh as opposed
to flesh and blood as we might say it in English. Also OTZEM (bones) can mean
innermost substance or self.
VEEYNEY LEAH RAKOT VERACHEL HAYETAH YEFAT-TOAR VIFAT
MAREH (29:17) = Leahs eyes were delicate and Rachel was of beautiful form and
beautiful face. The word RAKOT is sometimes translated as weak for Leahs eyes but
I believe delicate is the better reading. The VAV here can be but on occasion but
more likely it is and here meaning the two halves of the sentence are meant to agree
with one another, so each half is about some beautiful feature each woman has. Rachel
apparently leads Leah 2 to 1. Rachel is gorgeous overall but Leah has the kind of
distinctive eyes that can also be very striking and help her stand out. Abrahams family
line seems to have a propensity for having beauty run in the family as far as the women
are concerned at least.
VAYITEN LAVAN LAH-ET ZILPAH SHIFCHATO LE-LEAH VITO SHIFCHAH
(29:24) = And Laban had also given Zilpah his handmaid to Leah to be her handmaid. A
SHIFCHAH is a female servant and specifically NOT a slave. Contrast this with AMAH
in Hebrew and Aramaic which can be either and is used for women when they become
permanents slaves, as also before that happens. Yshuas mother Maryam showed her

humility by calling herself AMITEH (His handmaid, the Him being Abba YHWH),
because she knew she would always be loyal to Him and do what He said. Had she said
SHIFCHAH, it might have implied her faith was conditional or temporary.
MALE SHEVUA ZOT (29:27) = complete the week of this one (Leah), meaning the
wedding celebrations. It is interesting in Judaism how both the most joyous (weddings)
and saddest (mourning) are commemorated by sitting or staying for a week.
29:28 NOTE: When the polygamy debate comes up, what often gets overlooked is the
fact that by the standards of Sinai, Jacob would have violated Torah (Leviticus 18:18) for
taking the sister of his first wife while Leah was alive, even if it could be proved that
having more than one wife in other cases was somehow okay at this time in history.
However, this becomes interesting to look at also because there are occasions when
something seems allowed that is banned later in the Mosaic code. For example, Amram
marries his aunt (Exodus 2:1-2, 6:20) and this is forbidden later (Leviticus 18:12-14).
29:29-35 NOTE: Look at how pious Leah isshe praises YHWH for each child she has!
REUBEN (29:32) = Can mean See! A son! As if to say to Jacob, Look YHWH has
blessed our marriage! See, we have a son! But Reuben can also be a shortened form of
RAAH BE ONYI (He [YHWH] saw my pains). The name Ben Oni will come again later
in Jacobs life, ironically with the birth of Benjamin by Rachel, where she wants to call
him Son of My pain.
VATOMER HINEH AMATI VILHAH BO ELEYHA VETELED AL-BIRKAY GAM
ANOCHI MIMENAH (30:3) = (Rachel) said, Here is my handmaid Bilhah. Go into her
and let her give birth on my lap (or knees). Through her then I will also have children.
This was a common practice in the Middle East at this time. The barren woman would
have the pregnant woman sitting on her lap so that the baby would come out and appear
to be between the legs of the barren one. Otherwise a wooden birth stool was used
(Exodus 1:16).
DAN, NAPHTALI (30:8) = The names mean judgment and struggle/twisting around,
respectively. Rachel may think YHWH judged her righteous by allowing her servant
girl to get pregnant and have the son credited to her. But, YHWH continued to make her
barren, proven the opposite was the case. Naphtali though is an appropriate name to
describe how Rachel has felt tossed about with her feelings for Jacob and his relationship
with Leah.
GAD (30:11) = can mean good fortune but also I have been vindicated. Another
interesting meaning is troop. This is a reference to the troops of sons Leah had
already and Rachels hopes that the sons through her servant girl will be as numerous.
ASHER (30:13) = Happy. Because Leah stopped bearing children herself and yet she is
saying young girls will consider me happy as if it was her still having the son,
extending her youth.

QETZIR HA CHITTIM (30:14) = wheat harvestor what will later be known as

Shavuot.
ISSACHAR (30:18) = Actually YESH (there is) SEKHAR (a reward). This can refer to
YHWH hearing Leahs prayer or to the fact that she paid for Jacobs services through the
mandrakes (30:16).
ZEVEDZEBULON (30:20) = Zeved is the wonderful gift but it morphs into
Zebulon for the name, meaning habitation or dwelling place because she hopes
Jacob will dwell with her now.
Commentary on 30:37-39:
There does not appear to be a scientific explanation for this miracle, which of course is
just fine by me. Many Rabbis who otherwise hate the concept of mysticism will accept,
on the plain meaning of the text here that a pure miracle did happen and Jacob is said to
have manipulated high spiritual forces that actually changed the DNA of the animals. If
so, it is a miracle that is never repeated again and has no parallel save what Abba YHWH
did of course in Genesis 1.
VAYOMER ELAY MALACH HA ELOHIM BACHALOM (31:11) = a messenger
called to me in Elohims name. Proving again that Elohim HAD A NAME that Jacob
knew.
31:19- from Bible.ort.org:
Commentary:

Rachel stole
Some say that it was to prevent her father from worshipping them (Bereshith Rabbah 74; Rashi).
Others maintain that it was to prevent him from using them in divination to find Jacob (Tanchuma
12; Rashbam; Ibn Ezra; cf. Genesis 30:27; Hosea 3:4, Zechariah 10:2). Still others maintain that
Rachel took them to gain her father's pardon (Josephus 1:19:9).

fetishes
Teraphim in Hebrew, sexual images, from the word turpha (Tanchuma 12; Zohar 164a). These
were images having human form (cf. 1 Samuel 19:13). In some cases, they were made out of the
shrunken head of a first-born infant (Targum Yonathan; Tanchuma 12). They were not necessarily
idols (Rambam, from 1 Samuel 19:13; Judges 17:5, 18:5), but here they were used for idolatrous
purposes (Genesis 31:30; Zohar). In general, they were used as a meditative device to obtain
messages (Hosea 3:4, Zechariah 10:2; Ibn Ezra; Radak; Ralbag; Rashi on Ezekiel 21:26). The
teraphim would be tapped, inducing a relaxed, meditative state (Zohar 164a, from 2 Samuel 24:16;
cf. Yad, Avodath Kokhavim 11:6; Chinukh 510).
YESH LEEL YADI LAASOT IMACHEM RA VEELOHEY AVICHEM EMESH AMAR
ELAY LEMOR HISHAMER LECHA MIDABER IM YAAKOV MITOV AD RA (31:29) = I
have the power in my hand to do great evil to you, but your fathers Elohim spoke to me last night
and said, be careful not to say anything good or bad to Jacob. Interesting, because Laban here is
THREATENING Jacob and yet the rest of his statement proves Jacob is protected and Laban is
powerless, unless of course Laban feels he COULD kill Jacob but wont for fear he will be
punished for it. The other interesting aspect here is that Laban calls YHWH your fathers Elohim,
indicating he does NOT worship Abba YHWH but he does fear Him, as we also saw last week.
IM ASHER TIMTSA ET-ELOHEYCHA LO YICHYEH NEGED ACHEYNU HAKER LECHA
MAH IMADI VEKACH LACH VELO YADA YAAKOV KI RACHEL GENAVATAM (31:32)
= (Jacob said): If you find your gods with anyone here, let them not live! Let all our close relatives
be witnesses! See if there is anything belonging to you and take it back. And Jacob did not know
that Rachel had stolen them. This may be one reason why Rachel was punished, according to her
own husbands curse, closing up her womb and having her eventually die in childbirth. If that
interpretation is right it may be the second indication is this parsha thus far of Jacob having some
extremely powerful spiritual gifts.
Note on 31:35-Rachels scheme to sit on where the idols were hidden and tell her father that she
was menstruating may be a proof that the NIDDAH laws which are spelled out in Leviticus were
actually in force at this time, in Genesis.
GENUVITI YOM UGENUVITI LAILA (31:39) = stolen by day or stolen by night. Jacob is
making an implied legal argument that he went above and beyond what would have normally been
expected of him. If the sheep had wandered off or been stolen at night, the expectation would have
been he was NOT responsible, so long as reasonable measures were taken to keep the sheep locked
up. If it were stolen by day, then he would have been more likely to have been guilty of negligence,
but Jacobs point is that he never complained until now, paid more than what he needed to pay and
therefore Laban is in the wrong to complain now.
VATACHELEF ET-MASKURTI ASERET MONIM (31:41) = and you changed my wages ten
times! This is one of the first occurrences of the number 10 as the number of witness or witnessing.
Jacob witnesses his wages changed 10 times and then he leaves. The Israelites witnessed 10
plagues in Egypt and then they left. The Israelites then witnessed 10 commandments at Mount Sinai
and tried YHWHs patience 10 times per Numbers 10, the last one being with the bad report of 10
spies!

YEGAR SAHADUTHA (31:47) = Witness Heap---IN ARAMAIC, which is Labans native

language. This is the only Aramaic phrase in the Hebrew Torah and it shows how early Aramaic
was a part of the Biblical narrative since Jacob is himself called a wandering Aramean
(Deuteronomy 26:5).
ELOHEY AVRAHAM VE ELOHEY NACHOR YISHPETU VEYNEYNU (31:53) = May the El
of Abraham and the El of Nahor, the El of their father, judge between us. This Dread Oath
originally said by Isaac is a stern warning to Laban that the WHOLE FAMILY was to serve Abba
YHWH. Abba YHWH was not just the El of Abraham but of Abrahams brother and Labans
grandfather, Nahor.
MACHANIM (32:3) = dual camps, just like MACHPELAH was a double cave. Also, referring
to two campsone for the men and one for the divine messengers.

Torah Question of the Week:

How are the similarities and the differences in the way that AbbaYHWH introduces
himself to Jacob here and Moshe later in Exodus 3 help us understand what
happened historically in the intervening centuries between these men?

END PART 1

PART 2: THE HAFTORAH

Torah Question of the Week:
How are the similarities and the differences in the way that Abba YHWH
introduces himself to Jacob here and Moshe later in Exodus 3 help us understand
what happened historically in the intervening centuries between these men?
ANI YAHWEH ELAHAY AVRAHAM AVICHA VEELOHEY YITZKHAK
(28:13) = I am Yahweh, the Elohim of Abraham your ancestor and the Elohim of
Isaac. This is nearly verbatim what YHWH will say through the Burning Bush to
Moshe in Exodus 3:6: ANOCHI ELOHAY AVICAH ELOHAY AVRAHAM,
ELOHEY YITZKHAK.
Whats interesting are the two differences. First I am is ANI in Genesis and
ANOCHI in Exodus, the latter being a more formal address. ANI is how we might
introduce ourselves to longtime friends. So YHWH is talking in intimate terms to
Jacob because of his father and grandfather. By the time Moshe comes along, that
ancestral chain is obscured and YHWH re-introduces Himself ANOCHI.
The second difference is that Yahweh does not appear in the address at this
moment in Exodus because He is going to explain that in 3:14-16 as part of a
message, You shall say, I AM (Ehyeh) and YHWH (He is) the Elohim of my
fathers sent you. In fact, the exact phrasing of Exodus 3:15 makes it clear that
YHWH is not a new name to the captive Israelites but a REMINDER of who their
Master is and what He promised to them.
Bonus Teaching! Climbing Jacobs Ladder
10 And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward
Haran. 11 And he came upon a certain place, and stayed
there all night, because the sun was set.1 And he took one of
the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay
down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed. And behold,
a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to
heaven. And behold, the angels of Elohim ascending and
descending on it.2 13 And, behold, YHWH stood above it, and
said, I am YHWH, the Elohim of Abraham your father, and
1

Jonathan: And he prayed in the place of the house of the sanctuary and he stayed there, because the sun
had gone down.
2
Jonathan and Jerusalem: And the two angels who went to Sodom and who had been expelled from
among the midst of them because they had revealed the secrets of the Lord of the World; and being cast out
they went forth until the time that Jacob went out from the house of his father and has journeyed with him
in kindness to Bethelin that day they had ascended into the high heavens and said, Come, see Jacob the
pious, whose image is inlaid in the Throne of Glory and whom you have so greatly wanted to see.
Then the rest of the angels of Holy YHWH descended to look upon him.

10

the Elohim of Isaac. The land where you lie, to you will I give
it, and to your seed. 14 And your seed shall be as the dust of
the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the
east, and to the north, and to the south. And in you and in
your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 And,
behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go,
and will bring you again into this land.3 For I will not leave
you, until I have done that which I have spoken to you of. 16
And Jacob woke out of his sleep, and he said, Surely YHWH is
in this place.4 And I did not know it. 17 And he was afraid,
and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other than
the house of Elohim, and this is the gate of heaven.5
18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone
that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and
poured oil upon the top of it. 19 And he called the name of
that place Beth-el. But the name of the city was Luz at the
first. 20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If Elohim will be
with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give
me bread to eat, and clothing to put on, 21so that I come
again to my father's house in peace, and YHWH will be my
Elohim, 22 then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar,
shall be Elohim's house. And of all that you will give me I will
surely give the tenth to you. (Genesis 28:10-21-Matara)
When many of us I suspect think about the great mystical visions in the Scripture, I
imagine our thoughts will turn to later prophets like Ezekiel or Daniel or, failing that, to
the Revelation as recorded by Yochanan bar Zawdi (the Apostle John). However, one of
the most powerful mystical encounters of them all is right here in this part of Genesis,
and it is a vision that is never repeated again! What exactly is going on with Jacob and his
ladder to heaven?
I will begin with some traditional Jewish sources and then we can work out way outwards
into Hebraic Roots understandings. First up, Bible.ort.org puts the matter very succinctly:

Onkelos and Jonathan: My Word shall be a help for you.

Jonathan: Surely the Glory of the Shekinah of YHWH dwells in this place.
5
Onkelos: Truly the Glory of YHWH dwells in this place, and I didnt know it. And he feared and said,
How awe-inspiring is this place! This place is not common ground but a place of pleasantness before
YHWH. Jonathan: How dreadful and how glorious is this place! This place is not common but a sanctuary
(Beth Mikdash = Holy House) for the Name of YHWH, the proper spot for prayer, set forth before the gate
of heaven and founded beneath the Throne of Glory.
4

11

The ladder represented all the spiritual levels, which would now be given to Jacob
and his descendants. It was shown to him now, because Jacob was about to start a
family.
Actually I suppose that is a bit too succinct an interpretation for such a majestic and
unprecedented vision. I also wonder, if Jacobs descendants are given all spiritual
levels why then has Jewish tradition in the main shied away from the gifts of the Ruach
that they have rightly inherited? In spite of all the elders prophesied, but it did not
continue in Exodus and Is not Saul among the prophets? later on, I dont see a whole
lot of rabbinic exegesis on speaking in tongues or doing miracles. If there are spiritual
levels in mainline Rabbinic Judaism, these largely seem to come from the realm of
studying Torah and the sages, a more intellectual pursuit that Jacob does not seem to be
engaging in at that moment.
For these reasons, I appreciate the commentary in the Stone Chumash (p. 145) much
more:
The dreams mentioned in Scripture are vehicles of prophecy; otherwise the
Torahwhich uses words very sparinglywould not cite them. Jacobs dream at
Mount Moriah symbolized the future of the Jewish people and mans ability to
connect himself to Gods master plan. Among the many interpretations of the
dream are these:
Mount Sinai. The ladder alludes to Sinai, since the words and ( ladder)
both have the numerical value of 130; the angels represent Moses and Aaron; and
God atop the Sinai to give the Torah (Midrash). Accordingly, the Torah, given at
Mount Sinai and taught by sages such as Moses and Aaron, is the bridge between
heaven and earth.
The Four Kingdoms. Jacob was shown the guardian angels of the Four
Kingdoms that would ascend to dominate Israel. Jacob saw each angel climbing a
number of rungs corresponding to the years of its dominion, and then descending,
as its reign ended. Babylons angel climbed seventy rungs and then went down;
Medias angel fifty-two; Greeces 130but the angel of Edom/Esau kept
climbing indefinitely, symbolizing the current exile, which seems to be endless.
Jacob was frightened, until God assured him (v. 15) that he would receive Divine
protection and eventually return to the Land (Vayikra Rabbah 29:2; Rambam
citing Pirkei dRabbi Elieazar (The Sayings of Rabbi Elieazar).
The Lands greatness. Jacob was shown that the angels that protected him in
Eretz Yisrael were going back up to heaven and were being replaced by lesser
angels, which would escort him while he was outside the Land. This process was
reversed when he returned to the Land (32:2) and the angels of the Land returned
to him. This vision instilled in him a recognition of the great holiness of the Land
and a desire to return to it (Rashi, according to Abarbanel). By speaking of angels
ascending and being replaced by others, the Torah indicates that God extends His

12

protection to Hi righteous ones, though the angels are unseen anyone, perhaps
even by those they escort.
Jacobs uniqueness. The angels, which are Gods agents in carrying out Gods
guidance of earthly affairs, constantly go up to heaven to receive His commands
and then come back to earth to carry them out, as it were. Jacob and the Jewish
nation, however, are under the direct guidance of God, Who is atop the ladder
(Rambam; Ibn Ezra).
Now whats interesting about this tradition is that none of these interpretations, and there
are many others like them, disproves the others as false. In fact, the most likely scenario I
believe is all four are true at once.
But in addition to these beautiful rabbinic studies, our own faith walk provides other
scenarios for understanding Jacobs Ladder that have more to do with Messiah Yshua!
The Hebrew word for ladder, which occurs only here in Genesis 28, is sullam. However,
there are other images that give us the same effect of ascending and descending without
a ladder being present.
As we just saw, for the Rabbis, it was the up and down motion of the angels that most
captured their analytical attention. The ladder itself was barely mentioned, and even when
it was it was in concert with other metaphors, like Moshe and Aaron being bridges
between heaven and earth.
Actually though I think that is the proper way to approach this vision, not about the
ladder per se but what the ladder represents as a bridge or a connecting point of some
kind. Also the very brief comment by Bible.ort.org is relevant here. This is about spiritual
capabilities after all, and I believe there is also a man-based counterfeit of this idea that
nevertheless fails miserably which in turn leads to Jacobs success here:
And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech.
[Jonathan and Jerusalem: In the Set-apart language
they spoke, that which by the world (or universe) had
been created at the beginning.]6
[Jerusalem: While their hearts erred afterwards from
the Word of Him who spoke and world was at the
beginning.]

Perhaps a reference to the mystical work Sefer Yetzirah, which talks about the 22 letters of the
Hebrew/Aramaic alap-beyt (alphabet) being used to create the heavens and the earth through their
vibrations of power.

13

And it came to pass, as they journeyed east, that they found

a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. 3 And
they said one to another, Come, let us make brick, and burn
them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had
they for mortar. 4 And they said, Come, let us build us a city,
and a tower, whose top may reach to heaven, and let us make
us a name; unless we be scattered abroad upon the face of the
whole earth.
2

[Jonathan: And we will make us (an image) for worship

at the top of it, and put a sword in his hand to act
against the array of war., before that we scattered on
the face of the earth. And YHWH was revealed to
punish them for the work of the city and the tower
which the sons of men built.]7
And YHWH came down to see the city and the tower,
which the children of men built. 6 And YHWH said, Behold,
they are one people, and they have all one language; and this
is what they begin to do: and now nothing will be withheld
from them, which they purpose to do. 7 Come, let us go down,
and there confound their language, that they may not
understand one another's speech.8
5

So YHWH scattered them abroad from that place and out

to the face of all the earth: and they left off building the city.
9 Therefore was the name of it called Confusion (Babel)9;
because YHWH did there confound the language of all the
earth: and from there did YHWH scatter them abroad upon
the face of all the earth. (Genesis 11:1-9-Matara)
8

So we see here with the Tower of Babel another attempt to connect earth with heaven tht
has certain mystical ramifications according to the ancient Aramaic interpretations we
call the Targums and these are also implied to a lesser extent in the actual Torah text. The
difference of course is that in the case of Babel, Nimrod thought himself god-like enough
7

Jerusalem has a nearly verbatim passage for this section.

Jonathan refers to YHWH having seventy angels join him in confounding their speech. The Targum then
adds: And the Word of YHWH was revealed against the city, and with him seventy angels, which are
representative of the seventy nations, each with its own language, and from there in the writing of his own
hand, he dispersed them from there and to the seventy languages.
9
Samaritan: Lillaq.
8

14

to do the bridging of worlds on his own power and initiative and in doing so he was
prevented by Abba YHWH; whereas here in Genesis 28 it is Abba YHWH Who controls
the vision and is in fact at the top of the ladder.
But of the four interpretations offered by Stone Chumash, the two I like the best are
regarding Mount Sinai and the Torah. In their own ways, both of these images also speak
to Mashiyach Yshua, as the Word or Torah that became flesh. It is therefore very
interesting to note that one of the first images Yshua gives to a disciple is to a true
Israelite, in whom there is no guile, and since Israel is Yaakov (Jacob) and Sinai-Torah
is the Word from the beginning (Yochanan 1:1-5), this particular choice of image he
gives to Nathaniel seems one of the greatest mystical hints in all of the Scripture!
(Joh 1:47) And Y'shua saw Nathaniel while coming toward him and said
concerning him, "Behold, truly a son of Yisrael in whom there is no deceit!" (Joh
1:48) Nathaniel said to him, "From where do you know me?" Y'shua said to him,
"Before Peleepos called you, while you were under the fig tree, I saw you." (Joh
1:49) Nathaniel answered and said to him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of Elohim.
You are the King of Yisrael." (Joh 1:50) Y'shua said to him, "Because I told you
that I saw you under the fig tree you have believed; for even greater than these
things you will see." (Joh 1:51) He said to him, "Truly I say to you that from
now on you will see the heavens that are opened and the Messengers of
Elohim while ascending and descending to the Son of man." (AENT)
Again the ladder itself is not importantit is what it represents as a connecting point that
is. Yshua may have very well been at the top of the ladder looking back at Jacob, even as
he may have also been the Messenger who is about to wrestle with Yaakov later,
dislocate his thigh and name him Yisrael. However, more fundamentally than those deep
ideas is this one: Just as Yisrael is the connecting point between the covenant of Abba
YHWH and the world, so too is Mashiyach Yshua the connecting point between the true
Yisrael and Abba YHWH as well! And all humanity is welcome to climb on up and cross
that bridge from sin to redemption, for no one climbs to the Father but by Yshua,
which is the heart of our faith according to Keefa:
(1Pe 3:21) And you also, by a like figure, are made alive by immersion (not when
you wash your bodies from filth, but when you confess Elohim with a pure
conscience) and by the resurrection of Y'shua the Mashiyach (1Pe 3:22) who is
taken up to heaven and is on the right hand of Elohim and Messengers and
authorities, and powers are subject to him. (AENT)
Halel-u-YAH, our Great Father Yah reigns and has put His authority with His Son, the
Mashiyach!

15

1) Haftorah portion: (English- Hosea 12:13-14:10) and discuss common themes with the
Torah portion. Read entire portion first.
2) Our linguistic commentary
NASA (13:1) = exalted, but more literally, lifted himself up.
VE ELOHIM ZULATI LO TEDA UMOSHIA AYIN BILTI (13:4) = You know no
Elohim but Me and there is no savior but Me. The word MOSHIA (savior, deliverer) is
MESSIAH, so YHWH is saying He is the Messiah and He sends the MessiahHis Son
Yshua!
MIYAD SHEOL (13:14) = Usually translated as power of Sheol/the grave it literally
reads, hand of Sheol.
EL-YAHWAY IMERU ELVA KOL TISA AVON VEKACH TOV UNESHALMAH
FARIM SFATEYNU (14:3) = Say to Yahweh, Forgive all sin and grant us favor, so we
will offer the fruits of our lips instead of calves. Bear in mind Hosea is writing early
First Temple period, around 800 BCE, and even that early he is saying that sacrifices pale
to real mercy and repentance. It is especially interesting the line before asks Israel to
REPENT, or turn back, to righteousness. Apparently that returning involved
understanding the kosher attitude that is behind the sacrifices. It was a lesson that Cain
was also loathe to learn in Genesis 4.
On a personal note one of my favorite prayers in Yom Kippur and other liturgy is called
Say of Elohim or in Hebrew IM-ROO LAY-LOW-HEEM, and this passage of Hosea
closely follows that pattern.
ANI KIVROSH RAANAN MIMENI PERICHA NIMTSA (14:10) = I am like an
evergreen cyprus; your fruit comes from Me. A reminder that Ephraim is fruitful and
means fruitful only so long as YHWH chooses to bless him as such.
3) Renewed Covenant portion: (English). Yochanan 1:43-51 (all the way through with
applicable footnotes.)
4) Highlight common themes in Aramaic (terms in footnotes which I will read):
5) Apply these themes/issues to modern issues in the Netzari faith. (Today there seems
to be a lot of strife from among and between the tribes of Israel, but at the end of the
day YHWH wants what Yshua said, That they may be one even as we are one.)
6) Relate to all or part of an Appendix portion of AENT or footnotes from a portion
(Twelve Tribes, p. 1005).

16

STUDY QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED NEXT WEEK

1) What special title for Abba YHWH is used here that is no longer valid for us to us
today?
2) In this parsha Laban does something that really smacks of high hypocrisy even by his
own standards. What do you think it is?
3) We have seen two instances of possible miraculous powers on the part of Jacob, first
with him changing the DNA of the livestock to have white stripes and second when
his unintentional curse against Rachel seems to come true. But there is a third
candidate for another miracleironically enough proof for Catholics to make him a
saintalso mentioned. What is that possible third miracle?
4) Is Laban always bad? Why or why not?
5) What is the calendar secret Hosea refers to in this Haftorah portion?

Torah Thought for the Week:

Rescuing Princess Leah
.
When I first began on television some years ago, I had a little fun making an occasional
pop culture reference. I had opened my series explaining a fair amount of Tanakh history
and worked gradually into resolving common misconceptions about the Nativity,
Quirinius and the census and so on. By the time the first three shows were done, I was
ready to showcase the actual birth time of Yshua the following week so I couldnt resist
calling that Episode IV: A New Hope, the same name as the first Star Wars film.
The following week, which dealt with Roman oppression in Yshuas childhood, well
what else could that be except Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back? I remember
thinking as these shows aired someone would complain and write to the station saying,
Whats next for Andrew? Episode VI: Return of the Magi? (I actually did consider that
one, but thought better of it later.)
I should also point out that this type of thing had started some years back when, because I
was such a hermit, a few folks started calling me Yoda because there were no pictures
on the web of me at that time. So they talked about how hard it was to find me because I
didnt get out of my cave, and so on. Much away from people, I was.
And that brings me to this weeks thoughtand I couldnt help myself once againto
talk about rescuing Princess Leah, because for a long time I thought this lady simply
was not given her due respect.

17

Sure, everyone feels for Rachel. We know this situation was forced on her by her father
and she was in a way a pawn of Jacobs as well. And on top of that she is barren while
she watches her sister bring forth one strong son after another. Can we understand when
she says, Jacob, give me children or I will die? Absolutely. Do we weep for her and
with her about her children? You better believe it.
But in the process, it seems we forgot about Leah, along the lines that Isaac gets a bit of
the short shrift too, which we talked about last week. Leah is Jacobs first wife and
therefore she is the First Queen of Israel. Out of her womb come the leaders of both
priestly and kingly lineages. Out of her comes the hope of our Savior Yshua.
So why is Leah so downplayed? Do we not have sympathy for the sister who is NOT the
pretty one? For the one who does NOT get the affection of the man she clearly loves?
For the one who obeys her father perfectly and does what her husband expects of her
more than Jacob could expect with 6 sons!only to be neglected and only to have her
sister as the sole object of his affection? So yes, weep for Rachel, her children AND her
sister!
Leah IS a princess in every way the title could be measured. The worst you can say
about her is she resorts to having children through Jacob going into her handmaid and yes
that is a problem. However, that problem was begun by Abraham and Sarah and Rachel
did the same thingFIRST I might add--so it wasnt an opportunity for Rachel to show
she is more righteous than Leah.
Lets think about this clearly. What was Leah supposed to do other than bring forth sons
for her husband? What was she supposed to do other than marry the man her father chose
and that, by the way, she really loved? How can she bear the jealousy of her sister and
the rebuke of her husband who cant even scare up an occasional thank you? How does
she feel as the second choice, a negotiating pawn which her father used for his own gain?
Leah certainly does way more for her family than they do for her. She holds up her end of
the bargain without a single apology or reward from those she loves and sacrifices for the
most.
I think it is because of our modern culture that Leah doesnt get her due, even though I
would not lessen my empathy for Rachel one bit, just raise that empathy for her sister.
Jacob and Rachel are in a sense the star crossed lovers and forbidden romance. Laban has
deliberately schemed to keep them apart and we love stories about the long divided lovers
finally coming together. And all that would be fineif it were not for the fact Leah
married Jacob first!
So while this or that romance novel or movie can make light of people having affairs and
committing adultery, Jacob and Rachel show the price that often is paid as a result. It is
clear, for example, that Moshe is displeased with the whole affair as he makes a specific
command AGAINST marrying two sisters at the same time. Whered he get that idea
from?

18

Now dont get me wrong. I know the circumstances between Jacob and Rachel are
absolutely terrible. They had great evil forced upon and had they the ability to work their
will, I have no doubt Rachel would be his first wife and his only wife. But the story
shows that we need not be evil ourselves to be put into an evil situation that brings grief
nevertheless.
I also believe that Abba YHWH fundamentally blesses Rachel, certainly by the end of
her life when she can bear children, but He still must make a distinction between her and
Leah. Again, because Leah obeyed the rules and thats the way it is. At a minimum,
Leah should elicit equal attention and equal sympathy from us. We should remember her
as often and as fondly as we do Rachel for Abba YHWH loves them both for different
reasons.
And so, at the end of the day, lets rescue Princess Leah from the land of biblical
obscurity and put her on the throne for virtuous womanhood that she so richly deserves to
sit on. And let us stop our own rebellion that forgets the woman who is left behind on the
wrong side of the love triangle.
And as for perhaps learning my lesson regarding the manner in which I began this Torah
Thought all I can do is raise my hands like the Kohenim and say: Peace and long life.
Live long and prosper! May His Force be with you!
Im Andrew Gabriel Roth and thats your Torah Thought for the Week!
Next week we will be exploring Vayishlach or Genesis 32:3-36:43. Our Haftorah portion
will be Hosea 11:7-12:12 and our Renewed Covenant reading will be from 1 Corinthians
5:1-13. Stay tuned!

19