Selections from Vayeshlach Genesis 32.4 – 36.42
Jacob learns his brother, Esau is coming
to meet him with 400 men Yakov is frightened and prays. Deliver me from the hand of my brother
I fear he may strike me down, the
mothers and children also
You said: Return to your native land; I’m
dealing bountifully with you
Whose person are you and where are you
going? Yakov is alone
A high being wrestles with him thru
the night and says: Let me go Dawn’s breaking. Jacob says, not
until you bless me. What’s your name?
Yis-ra-El
because you strive and prevail. Call this place Peni-El
Seeing divinity face-to-face. The sun
rises. Esau comes with 400
Yacob prostrates. Esau runs and
embraces him. Yisra-El says
Seeing your face is seeing the face of
God. Please accept my offerings God is favoring me. I have everything. Just let
us continue as friends
Jacob goes to Sukkoth and Shechem buys
open land, sets up tents there And erects an altar naming it El Elohey YisraEl, God is Israel’s Lord
Dinah goes out to visit local girls. The
local chief’s son Shechem sees her, Seduces her and rapes her. Jacob learns
Dinah was abused
His sons return. Learning what
happened they are shocked and outraged
Shimon and Levi take their swords,
enter the city at night, kill Shechem, his father and all the men. God tells
Jacob, go to Beth El
Make an altar there to the one who
appeared when you fled from Esau
Jacob tell his family, get rid of your
false idols and purify yourselves
They all come to the land of Canaan. Jacob
builds an altar there
And names the place the God of Beth El.
God appears to Jacob again
And blesses him saying, your name is
not only Jacob, but also Yis-ra-El
I am God Almighty, be fruitful and
increase
Jacob set up a pillar there and offers
a libation
As they are moving from Beth El, Rachel
begins to give birth
In extremely difficult labor. The
midwife says, don’t be afraid
Rachel breathes her last and is buried
on the road to Bethlehem
Jacob sets up a monument on her grave
– to this very day
Jacob returns to his father Isaac in
Hebron
Old and in the fullness of his years,
Isaac lives to 180
Breathes his last, dies and is
gathered to his people
His sons Esau and Jacob bury him (in the cave of Machpelah) Gen. 35.29
n from the Torah Gita
