Weekly reading:
Haftorah: Hos 12:13-14:10
Suggested HaBerith HaChadashah Reading: Jn 1:19-51
Gen 28:10-22 And Yaʽaqoḇ went out from Be’ĕrsheḇa and went toward Ḥaran.
11 And he came upon a place and stopped over for the night, for the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep.
12 And he dreamed and saw a ladder set up on the earth, and its top reached to the heavens, and saw messengers of Elohim going up and coming down on it.
13 And see, יהוה stood above it and said, “I am יהוה Elohim of Aḇraham your father and the Elohim of Yitsḥaq. The land on which you are lying, I give it to you and your seed.
14 “And your seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and you shall break forth to the west and to the east, to the north and the south. And all the clans of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your seed.
15 “And see, I am with you and shall guard you wherever you go, and shall bring you back to this land. For I am not going to leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”
16 And Yaʽaqoḇ awoke from his sleep and said, “Truly, יהוה is in this place, and I did not know it.”
17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of Elohim, and this is the gate of the heavens!”
18 And Yaʽaqoḇ rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a standing column, and poured oil on top of it.
19 And he called the name of that place Bĕyth Ěl, however, the name of that city had been Luz previously.
20 And Yaʽaqoḇ made a vow, saying, “Seeing Elohim is with me, and has kept me in this way that I am going, and has given me bread to eat and a garment to put on –
21 when I have returned to my father’s house in peace, and יהוה has been my Elohim,
22 then this stone which I have set as a standing column shall be Elohim’s house, and of all that You give me, I shall certainly give a tenth to You.”
Second
Gen 29:1-35 And Yaʽaqoḇ moved on and came to the land of the people of the East.
2 And he looked and saw a well in the field, and saw three flocks of sheep lying by it, for out of that well they watered the flocks, and a large stone was on the well’s mouth.
3 And all the flocks would be gathered there, then they would roll the stone from the well’s mouth and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the well’s mouth.
4 So Yaʽaqoḇ said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from Ḥaran.”
5 And he said to them, “Do you know Laḇan son of Naḥor?” And they said, “We know him.”
6 So he said to them, “Is he well?” And they said, “Well. And see, his daughter Raḥĕl is coming with the sheep.”
7 And he said, “See, it is still high day, not the time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them.”
8 But they said, “We are not allowed until all the flocks are gathered together, and they have rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, then we shall water the sheep.”
9 While he was still speaking with them, Raḥĕl came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
10 And it came to be, when Yaʽaqoḇ saw Raḥĕl the daughter of Laḇan his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laḇan his mother’s brother, that Yaʽaqoḇ went near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laḇan his mother’s brother.
11 And Yaʽaqoḇ kissed Raḥĕl, and lifted up his voice and wept.
12 And when Yaʽaqoḇ told Raḥĕl that he was her father’s relative and that he was Riḇqah’s son, she ran and told her father.
13 And it came to be, when Laḇan heard the report about Yaʽaqoḇ his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Then he told Laḇan all these matters.
14 And Laḇan said to him, “You are indeed my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him for a month.
15 Then Laḇan said to Yaʽaqoḇ, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for naught? Let me know, what should your wages be?”
16 And Laḇan had two daughters, the name of the elder was Lĕ’ah, and the name of the younger was Raḥĕl.
17 And Lĕ’ah’s eyes were weak, but Raḥĕl was lovely of form and appearance.
Third
18 And Yaʽaqoḇ loved Raḥĕl, so he said, “Let me serve you seven years for Raḥĕl your younger daughter.”
19 And Laḇan said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.”
20 So Yaʽaqoḇ served seven years for Raḥĕl, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.
21 Then Yaʽaqoḇ said to Laḇan, “Give me my wife, for my days are completed, and let me go in to her.”
22 And Laḇan gathered all the men of the place and made a feast.
23 And it came to be in the evening, that he took Lĕ’ah his daughter and brought her to Yaʽaqoḇ. And he went in to her.
24 And Laḇan gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Lĕ’ah as a female servant.
25 And in the morning it came to be, that see, it was Lĕ’ah. So he said to Laḇan, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Raḥĕl that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?”
26 And Laḇan said, “It is not done this way in our place, to give the younger before the first-born.
27 “Complete the week of this one, then we give you this one too, for the service which you shall serve with me still another seven years.”
28 And Yaʽaqoḇ did so and completed her week. Then he gave him his daughter Raḥĕl too, as wife.
29 And Laḇan gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Raḥĕl as a female servant.
30 And he also went in to Raḥĕl, and he also loved Raḥĕl more than Lĕ’ah. And he served with Laḇan still another seven years.
31 And יהוה saw that Lĕ’ah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Raḥĕl was barren.
32 And Lĕ’ah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Re’uḇĕn, for she said, “For יהוה has looked on my affliction, because now my husband is going to love me.”
33 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because יהוה has heard that I am unloved, He gave me this son too.” And she called his name Shimʽon.
34 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband is joined to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So his name was called Lĕwi.
35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I praise יהוה.” So she called his name Yehuḏah. And she ceased bearing.
Gen 30:1-43 And when Raḥĕl saw that she bore Yaʽaqoḇ no children, Raḥĕl envied her sister, and said to Yaʽaqoḇ, “Give me children, or else I am going to die!”
2 And Yaʽaqoḇ’s displeasure burned against Raḥĕl, and he said, “Am I in the place of Elohim, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”
3 And she said, “See, my female servant Bilhah; go in to her, and let her bear for me, and let me be built up from her as well.”
4 So she gave him Bilhah her female servant as wife, and Yaʽaqoḇ went in to her.
5 And Bilhah conceived and bore Yaʽaqoḇ a son.
6 And Raḥĕl said, “Elohim has rightly ruled my case, and has also heard my voice and given me a son.” So she called his name Dan.
7 And Raḥĕl’s female servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Yaʽaqoḇ a second son.
8 And Raḥĕl said, “With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and I have overcome.” So she called his name Naphtali.
9 And Lĕ’ah saw that she had ceased bearing, and she took Zilpah her female servant and gave her to Yaʽaqoḇ as wife.
10 And Lĕ’ah’s female servant Zilpah bore Yaʽaqoḇ a son.
11 And Lĕ’ah said, “With Gaḏ!” So she called his name Gaḏ.
12 And Lĕ’ah’s female servant Zilpah bore Yaʽaqoḇ a second son.
13 And Lĕ’ah said, “I am blessed, for the daughters shall call me blessed.” So she called his name Ashĕr.
Fourth
14 And Re’uḇĕn went in the days of wheat harvest and found love-apples in the field, and brought them to his mother Lĕ’ah. And Raḥĕl said to Lĕ’ah, “Please give me some of your son’s love-apples.”
15 But she said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s love-apples too?” And Raḥĕl said, “Therefore let him lie with you tonight for your son’s love-apples.”
16 And when Yaʽaqoḇ came out of the field in the evening, Lĕ’ah went out to meet him and said, “Do come in to me, for indeed, I have hired you with my son’s love-apples.” And he lay with her that night.
17 And Elohim listened to Lĕ’ah, and she conceived and bore Yaʽaqoḇ a fifth son.
18 And Lĕ’ah said, “Elohim has given me my hire, because I have given my female servant to my husband.” So she called his name Yissasḵar.
19 And Lĕ’ah conceived again and bore Yaʽaqoḇ a sixth son.
20 And Lĕ’ah said, “Elohim has presented me with a good present. Now my husband is going to dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she called his name Zeḇulun.
21 And afterward she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah.
22 And Elohim remembered Raḥĕl, and Elohim listened to her and opened her womb.
23 And she conceived, and bore a son, and said, “Elohim has taken away my reproach.”
24 So she called his name Yosĕph, and said, “יהוה has added to me another son.”
25 And it came to be, when Raḥĕl had borne Yosĕph, that Yaʽaqoḇ said to Laḇan, “Send me on my way, to go to my own place and to my land.
26 “Give my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go, for you yourself know my service which I have done for you.”
27 And Laḇan said to him, “If I have found favour in your eyes, please stay, for I have diligently watched that יהוה has blessed me for your sake.”
Fifth
28 And he said, “Name me your wages, and I give it.”
29 So he said to him, “You know how I have served you and how your livestock has been with me.
30 “For the little you had before I came has increased greatly, and יהוה has blessed you since my coming. But now, when am I to provide for my own house too?”
31 And he said, “What do I give you?” And Yaʽaqoḇ said, “Give me naught! If you do this for me, I shall again feed and guard your flocks:
32 “Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the black ones among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. And these shall be my wages.
33 “And my righteousness shall answer for me in time to come, when you come concerning my wages: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the lambs, it is stolen if it is with me.”
34 And Laḇan said, “See, let it be according to your word!”
35 And on that day he set aside the male goats that were speckled and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had some white in it, and all the black ones among the lambs, and gave them into the hand of his sons.
36 And he put three days’ journey between himself and Yaʽaqoḇ, and Yaʽaqoḇ fed the rest of Laḇan’s flocks.
37 And Yaʽaqoḇ took for himself rods of green poplar and of the almond and chestnut trees, peeled white strips in them, and exposed the white which was in the rods.
38 And he set the rods which he had peeled before the flocks in the gutters, in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, and they conceived when they came to drink.
39 So the flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted.
40 And Yaʽaqoḇ separated the lambs, and made the flocks face toward the streaked and all the black in the flock of Laḇan, but he put his own flocks by themselves and did not put them with Laḇan’s flock.
41 And it came to be, whenever the strong ones of the flock conceived, that Yaʽaqoḇ placed the rods before the eyes of the flock in the gutters, so they would conceive among the rods.
42 But when the flocks were weak, he did not put them in, so the weak ones were Laḇan’s and the strong ones Yaʽaqoḇ’s.
43 Thus the man increased very much, and had many flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
Gen 31:1-55 And he heard the words of Laḇan’s sons, saying, “Yaʽaqoḇ has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what belonged to our father he has made all this wealth.”
2 And Yaʽaqoḇ would look at the face of Laḇan and see that it was not toward him as before.
3 And יהוה said to Yaʽaqoḇ, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives. And I am with you.”
4 And Yaʽaqoḇ sent and called Raḥĕl and Lĕ’ah to the field, to his flock,
5 and said to them, “I see your father’s face, that it is not toward me as before, but the Elohim of my father has been with me.
6 “And you know that I have served your father with all my strength.
7 “Yet your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but Elohim did not allow him to do evil to me.
8 “When he said this, ‘The speckled are your wages,’ then all the flocks bore speckled. And when he said this, ‘The streaked are your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked.
9 “So Elohim has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.
10 “And it came to be, at the time when the flocks conceived, that I lifted my eyes and looked in a dream and saw the rams which leaped upon the flocks were streaked, speckled, and mottled.
11 “And the Messenger of Elohim spoke to me in a dream, saying, ‘Yaʽaqoḇ.’ And I said, ‘Here I am.’
12 “And He said, ‘Lift your eyes now and see, all the rams which leap on the flocks are streaked, speckled, and mottled, for I have seen all that Laḇan is doing to you.
13 ‘I am the Ěl of Bĕyth Ěl, where you anointed the standing column and where you made a vow to Me. Now rise up, get out of this land, and return to the land of your relatives.’ ”
14 And Raḥĕl and Lĕ’ah answered and said to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father’s house?
15 “Are we not reckoned by him as strangers? For he has sold us, and also entirely consumed our silver.
16 “For all the wealth which Elohim has taken from our father are ours and our children’s. Now then, do whatever Elohim has told you.”
Sixth
17 So Yaʽaqoḇ rose and put his sons and his wives on camels,
18 and he drove off all his livestock and all his possessions which he had acquired, his property of the livestock which he had acquired in Paddan Aram, to go to his father Yitsḥaq in the land of Kenaʽan.
19 And when Laḇan had gone to shear his sheep, Raḥĕl stole the house idols that were her father’s.
20 And Yaʽaqoḇ deceived Laḇan the Aramean, because he did not inform him that he was about to flee.
21 And he fled with all that he had. And he rose up and passed over the river, and headed toward the mountains of Gilʽaḏ.
22 And on the third day Laḇan was told that Yaʽaqoḇ had fled.
23 Then he took his brothers with him and pursued him for seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the mountains of Gilʽaḏ.
24 But in a dream by night Elohim came to Laḇan the Aramean, and said to him, “Guard yourself, that you do not speak to Yaʽaqoḇ either good or evil.”
25 Then Laḇan overtook Yaʽaqoḇ. Now Yaʽaqoḇ had pitched his tent in the mountains, and Laḇan with his brothers pitched in the mountains of Gilʽaḏ.
26 And Laḇan said to Yaʽaqoḇ, “What have you done, that you have deceived me, and driven my daughters off like captives taken with the sword?
27 “Why did you flee secretly and deceive me, and not inform me, and I would have sent you away with joy and songs, with tambourine and lyre?
28 “And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now you have been foolish to do this.
29 “It is in the power of my hand to do evil to you, but the Elohim of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Guard yourself, that you do not speak to Yaʽaqoḇ either good or evil.’
30 “And now you have gone because you greatly long for your father’s house, but why did you steal my mighty ones?”
31 And Yaʽaqoḇ answered and said to Laḇan, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Lest you tear your daughters away from me.’
32 “With whomever you find your mighty ones, do not let him live. In the presence of our brothers, see for yourself what is with me and take it with you.” For Yaʽaqoḇ did not know that Raḥĕl had stolen them.
33 And Laḇan went into Yaʽaqoḇ’s tent, and into Lĕ’ah’s tent, and into the tents of the two female servants, but he did not find them. And he came out of Lĕ’ah’s tent and entered Raḥĕl’s tent.
34 Now Raḥĕl had taken the house idols and put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. And Laḇan searched all about the tent but did not find them.
35 And she said to her father, “Let it not displease my master that I am unable to rise before you, for the way of women is with me.” And he searched but did not find the house idols.
36 And Yaʽaqoḇ was wroth and contended with Laḇan, and Yaʽaqoḇ answered and said to Laḇan, “What is my transgression? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me?
37 “Now that you have searched all my goods what have you found of all your household goods? Set it here before my brothers and your brothers, and let them decide between the two of us!
38 “These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your sheep.
39 “That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you, I myself bore the loss of it. You required it from my hand, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.
40 “Thus I was! By day the heat consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes.
41 “These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.
42 “Unless the Elohim of my father, the Elohim of Aḇraham and the Fear of Yitsḥaq, had been with me, you would now have sent me away empty-handed. Elohim has seen my affliction and the labour of my hands, and rendered judgment last night.”
Seventh
43 And Laḇan answered and said to Yaʽaqoḇ, “These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and this flock is my flock, and all that you see is mine. But what shall I do today to these, my daughters or to their children whom they have borne?
44 “And now, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and it shall be a witness between you and me.”
45 So Yaʽaqoḇ took a stone and set it up as a standing column.
46 And Yaʽaqoḇ said to his brothers, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap.
47 And Laḇan called it Yeḡar Sahaḏutha, but Yaʽaqoḇ called it Galʽĕḏ.
48 And Laḇan said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” That is why its name was called Galʽĕḏ,
49 also Mitspah, because he said, “Let יהוה watch between you and me when we are out of each other’s sight.
50 “If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us; see, Elohim is witness between you and me!”
51 And Laḇan said to Yaʽaqoḇ, “See this heap and see this standing column, which I have placed between you and me.
52 “This heap is a witness, and this standing column is a witness, that I do not pass beyond this heap to you, and you do not pass beyond this heap and this standing column to me, for evil.
53 “The Elohim of Aḇraham, the Elohim of Naḥor, and the Elohim of their father rightly rule between us!” And Yaʽaqoḇ swore by the Fear of his father Yitsḥaq.
54 And Yaʽaqoḇ brought an offering on the mountain, and called his brothers to eat bread. And they ate bread and spent the night on the mountain.
55 And Laḇan rose up early in the morning, and kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them. And Laḇan left and returned to his place.
Maftier
Gen 32:1-3 And Yaʽaqoḇ went on his way, and the messengers of Elohim met him.
2 And when Yaʽaqoḇ saw them, he said, “This is the camp of Elohim.” And he called the name of that place Maḥanayim.
3 And Yaʽaqoḇ sent messengers before him to Ěsaw his brother in the land of Sĕʽir, the field of Eḏom
Haftorah: Hos 12:13-14:10
Hos 12:13-14 And by a prophet יהוה brought Yisra’ĕl out of Mitsrayim, and by a prophet he was watched over.
14 Ephrayim has provoked most bitterly. So his Master left his blood-guilt on him, and repaid him for his reproach.
Hos 13:1-16 When Ephrayim spoke there was trembling, he was lifted up in Yisra’ĕl. But through Baʽal he became guilty, and he died.
2 And now they sin more and more, and make for themselves moulded images from their silver, idols according to their skill, all of them the work of craftsmen. They say of them, “Let the men who slaughter kiss the calves!”
3 Therefore they shall be like a morning cloud, and like dew that goes away early, like chaff blown off from a threshing-floor, and like smoke from a window.
4 “But I am יהוה your Elohim since the land of Mitsrayim, and an Elohim besides Me you shall not know, for there is no Saviour besides Me.
5 “I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought.
6 “When they were fed they were satisfied. They were satisfied and their heart was exalted, therefore they forgot Me.
7 “So I am become like a lion to them, like a leopard I watch by the way,
8 like a bear robbed of her young I attack them and rip open the enclosure of their heart. And there I devour them like a lion, a wild beast tear them apart.
9 “You have destroyed yourself, O Yisra’ĕl, but your help is in Me.
10 “Where is your sovereign now to save you in all your cities, and your rulers of whom you said, ‘Give me a sovereign and rulers’?
11 “I gave you a sovereign in My displeasure, but I took him away in My wrath.
12 “The crookedness of Ephrayim is bound up, his sin is hidden.
13 “Pains of a woman in labour shall come upon him. He is not a wise son, for it is not the time that he should delay at the breaking forth of children.
14 “From the power of the grave I ransom them, from death I redeem them. Where is your plague, O Death? Where is your destruction, O Grave? Repentance is hidden from My eyes.
15 “Though he bears fruit among his brothers, an east wind comes, a wind from יהוה comes up from the wilderness, and it dries up his fountain, and his spring becomes dry – it plunders a treasure of all desirable objects.
16 “Shomeron is held guilty, for she has rebelled against her Elohim – they fall by the sword, their infants are dashed in pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.”
Hos 14:1-9 O Yisra’ĕl, return to יהוה your Elohim, for you have stumbled by your crookedness.
2 Take words with you, and return to יהוה. Say to Him, “Take away all crookedness, and accept what is good, and we render the bulls of our lips1. Footnote: 1Heb. 13:15 - bulls, referring to offerings.
3 “Ashshur does not save us. We do not ride on horses, nor ever again do we say to the work of our hands, ‘Our mighty ones.’ For the fatherless finds compassion in You.”
4 “I shall heal their backsliding, I shall love them spontaneously, for My displeasure has turned away from him.
5 “I shall be like the dew to Yisra’ĕl. He shall blossom like the lily, and cast out his roots like Leḇanon.
6 “His branches shall spread, and his splendour shall be like an olive tree, and his fragrance like Leḇanon.
7 “Those who dwell under his shadow shall return. They shall revive like grain, and blossom like the vine, and become as fragrant as the wine of Leḇanon.
8 “What more has Ephrayim to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after him. I am like a green cypress tree, your fruit comes from Me.”
9 Who is wise and understands these words, discerning and knows them? For the ways of יהוה are straight, and the righteous walk in them, but the transgressors stumble in them.
Suggested HaBerith HaChadashah Reading: Jn 1:19-51
Joh 1:19-51 Now this was the witness of Yoḥanan when the Yehuḏim sent from Yerushalayim priests and Lĕwites to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 And he confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.”
21 And they asked him, “What then, are you Ěliyahu?” So he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
22 Therefore they said to him, “Who are you, so that we give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”
23 He said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of יהוה,’ as the prophet Yeshayahu said.”
24 And those sent were of the Pharisees,
25 and they asked him, saying, “Why then do you immerse if you are not the Messiah, nor Ěliyahu, nor the Prophet?”
26 Yoḥanan answered them, saying, “I immerse in water, but in your midst stands One whom you do not know,
27 the One coming after me, who has become before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loosen.”
28 This took place in Bĕyth Anyah beyond the Yardĕn, where Yoḥanan was immersing.
29 On the next day Yoḥanan saw יהושע coming toward him, and said, “See, the Lamb of Elohim who takes away the sin of the world!1 Footnote: 1Mt. 1:21, Titus 2:14, 1 John 3:5 & 8.
30 “This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has become before me, for He was before me.’1 Footnote: 1See v. 15.
31 “And I did not know Him, but that He might be revealed to Yisra’ĕl, therefore I came immersing in water.”
32 And Yoḥanan bore witness, saying, “I have seen the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove and remain on Him.
33 “And I did not know Him, but He who sent me to immerse in water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit coming down and remaining on Him, this is He who immerses in the Set-apart Spirit.’
34 “And I have seen and have witnessed that this is the Son of Elohim.”
35 Again the following day, Yoḥanan was standing with two of his taught ones,
36 and looking at יהושע walking, he said, “See the Lamb of Elohim!”
37 And the two taught ones heard him speaking, and they followed יהושע.
38 And יהושע turning, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” And they said to Him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are You staying?”
39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They went and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day. Now it was about the tenth hour.
40 Andri, the brother of Shimʽon Kĕpha, was one of the two who heard from Yoḥanan, and followed Him.
41 First he found his own brother Shimʽon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means the Anointed).
42 And he brought him to יהושע. And looking at him, יהושע said, “You are Shimʽon the son of Yonah, you shall be called Kĕpha” (which means A Stone).
43 On the following day יהושע wished to go to Galil, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.”
44 And Philip was from Bĕyth Tsaiḏa, the city of Andri and Kĕpha.
45 Philip found Nethanĕ’l and said to him, “We have found Him whom Mosheh wrote of in the Torah, and the prophets: יהושע of Natsareth – the son of Yosĕph.”
46 And Nethanĕ’l said to him, “Is it possible for any good matter to come out of Natsareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
47 יהושע saw Nethanĕ’l coming toward Him, and said of him, “See, truly a Yisra’ĕlite, in whom is no deceit!”
48 Nethanĕ’l said to Him, “From where do You know me?” יהושע answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
49 Nethanĕ’l answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of Elohim! You are the Sovereign of Yisra’ĕl!”
50 יהושע answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? Greater than that you shall see.”
51 And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, from now on you shall see the heaven opened, and the messengers of Elohim ascending and descending upon the Son of Aḏam.”
• "Scripture taken from The Scriptures, Copyright by Institute for Scripture Research. Used by permission" On the whole of this website. For more information click [Here]Vayeitzei Aliya Summary |
| General Overview: In this week's reading, Vayeitzei, Jacob travels to his uncle Laban. En route he stops at the Temple Mount where G‑d appears and assures him that he will return safely to the Land of Canaan. Jacob stays for twenty years in Charan before returning to Canaan. During his stay he shepherds Laban's sheep, and survives and prospers despite all his uncle's attempted deceptions. He marries Leah and Rachel, and the first eleven tribes are born. First Aliyah: Jacob left Be'er Sheba and headed towards Charan, to his uncle Laban's home. While traveling, Jacob encountered "the place" (Mount Moriah) and since the sun had set, he lay down to sleep. In a dream he saw a ladder reaching up to heaven with angels ascending and descending its rungs. G‑d appeared and informed him that He would bequeath the entire land to his descendants, and that He would safeguard him until he returned to Canaan. Jacob awoke, and now recognizing the holiness of the location, he erected a monument to G‑d, named the location Beth El ("House of G‑d"), and vowed to tithe all his belongings when G‑d's promise of a safe return would be fulfilled. Second Aliyah: Jacob continued on his journey, and arrived at a well located on the outskirts of Charan. Upon seeing Rachel, Laban's younger daughter, arriving with her father's sheep, Jacob single-handedly rolled off the heavy rock that sat atop the well, and gave water to the flock. Rachel told her father about the new arrival, and Laban rushed out to greet Jacob. Jacob went to Laban's home, and after spending a month, Laban offered Jacob the job of tending to his herds, and asked Jacob what he wished in terms of wages. Third Aliyah: Laban had two daughters, the aforementioned Rachel, and her older sister Leah. Jacob loved Rachel and offered to serve Laban for seven years in exchange for her hand in marriage. Laban accepted the deal. After the seven years of service passed, Jacob asked Laban to make good on his word. Laban arranged a wedding feast, but switched daughters, giving Leah instead of Rachel. When Jacob protested, Laban offered to give Rachel too—in exchange for another seven years of service. One week later Jacob married Rachel, and began serving an additional seven years. Leah gave birth to four children – Reuben, Simon, Levi, and Judah – but Rachel remained barren. Rachel and Leah both gave their handmaids to Jacob as concubines. Rachel's maid, Bilhah, bore two children – Dan and Naftali – and Leah's maid also bore two children—Gad and Asher. Fourth Aliyah: One spring day, Reuben picked jasmine plants from the field, and brought them to his mother. Rachel asks Leah for some of them, and Leah agreed, provided that Rachel relinquishes her turn with Jacob that night. Leah gave birth to another two sons – Issachar and Zebulun – and one daughter—Dinah. Eventually, Rachel, too, gave birth to a son, whom she named Joseph. At that point, Jacob asked Laban for permission to take his wives and children and return to Canaan. In response, Laban pointed out that his divinations revealed that his great wealth and blessings were due to Jacob's presence in his home. Fifth Aliyah: "Specify your wages," Laban told Jacob. "And I will give it!" Jacob proposed that all the streaked and spotted sheep that would be born to Laban's sheep would constitute his payment. In return, Jacob would continue caring for Laban's flocks. Laban immediately removed all the existing spotted and streaked sheep from the herd and put them under his sons' charge—thus differentiating between the current ones, which belonged to Laban, and the to-be-born ones, that would belong to Jacob. Jacob made striped poles for the strong and robust sheep to view while they were mating. As a result, the sheep gave birth to striped offspring, and Jacob became fabulously wealthy—despite Laban's deceptive practices, and his continual changing of the terms of Jacob's pay. After an additional six years of service, G‑d commanded Jacob to return to Canaan. Jacob summoned his wives, who agreed that the time has arrived to leave. Sixth Aliyah: Seizing an opportunity when Laban was away, Jacob took his family and belongings and slipped away. Before departing, Rachel stole one of Laban's idols. Laban pursued them. On the night before he reached them, G‑d warned Laban in a dream not to harm Jacob or his family. Laban reached Jacob on Mount Gilead and complained that he was deprived of the opportunity to bid them an appropriate farewell, and protested the theft of his idols. Jacob suggested that Laban search for his idol amongst his belongings, but Laban turned up empty-handed in his search. Seventh Aliyah: Laban and Jacob made a peace treaty and erected a stone monument to seal the pact. Laban returned to Charan, and Jacob continued on his way. When he entered Canaan, he was greeted by a delegation of welcoming angels. copyrighted, produced by Chabad.org. |
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