VAYETZE 28:10-32:3

      

                       

 

This week's Parshah is Vayeitze.

Among other things we learn:

Jacob journeys from Beersheva to Charan.

 On the way he dreams of a ladder connecting heaven and earth.

 Hashem appears to him and promises that the land upon which he lies will be given to his descendants.

 Jacob works for his uncle Laban who agrees to give him Rachel as a wife, but Jacob must work for seven years in order to get this prize.  On the wedding night the sisters pull a bait and switch, and Jacob ends up with Leah, and has to do an additional seven years of sheep herding

 Between Rachel, Leah and two handmaidens, Jacob fathers 13 children

 After 14 years plus an additional six, a prosperous Jacob and his family secretly leave Charan.

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 At 28:10-11 we learn:

“And Jacob left Beersheba, and he went to Haran”.

וַיֵּצֵא יַעֲקֹב, מִבְּאֵר שָׁבַע; וַיֵּלֶךְ, חָרָנָה

Beersheva served as the launch point for Jacob’s Father and Grandfather.  So when Jacob leaves Beersheva to go to Haran it is reminiscent of Lech Lecha at 12:1 - “And the Lord said to Abram, "Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's house….”

Reminiscent, but hardly the same; going to Haran is leaving the Land, leaving holiness. It reminds me of the time We went to Egypt and became slaves.

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­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­In the Parshah at 28:11, Jacob arrives at a place where he has a mystical experience in which he sees a ladder extending to heaven: 

“And he arrived at the place and lodged there because the sun had set, and he took from the stones of the place and put at his head, and he lay down in that place”.

וַיִּפְגַּ֨ע בַּמָּק֜וֹם וַיָּ֤לֶן שָׁם֙ כִּי־בָ֣א הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ וַיִּקַּח֙ מֵֽאַבְנֵ֣י הַמָּק֔וֹם וַיָּ֖שֶׂם מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֑יו וַיִּשְׁכַּ֖ב בַּמָּק֥וֹם הַהֽוּא

The word “place”, מָּק֔וֹם is used three times in this verse.  Perhaps it is another name for Hashem as used in the Passover Haggadah or maybe a reference to the location of the future Temple, a place where Hashem will show you.

יִּפְגַּע could be translated as “meet” or “encounter”; מָּקוֹם  could be understood as “God”.

Jacob had an encounter with Hashem.  On Shabbat we have a similar encounter.  Isn’t Torah great?

Then there is Led Zeppelin:  https://youtu.be/QkF3oxziUI4

 https://youtu.be/QkF3oxziUI4

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I took some liberties in re- interpreting a verse from part of Bereishis 28:11 -

 הַהוּא וַיִּקַּח מֵאַבְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם, וַיָּשֶׂם מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו; וַיִּשְׁכַּב, בַּמָּקוֹם

And he chose the  הַמָּקוֹם, from (other) the stones.

And he placed it under his head,

And he slept with that one, the הַמָּקוֹם

I see it as a marriage ceremony.

Selection: And he chose the  הַמָּקוֹם, from (other) the stones.

Joining: And he placed it under his head,

Marriage: And he slept with that one, the הַמָּקוֹם

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Some people are slow in fulfilling a vow, and need to be reminded. Jacob was one such person.

In the Parshah, after Jacob has his mysterious dream and Hashem’s promise, he erects a monument and makes a vow (28:21-22) –

“and this stone, which I have set up for a memorial, shall be God's house;”

  וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת, אֲשֶׁר-שַׂמְתִּי מַצֵּבָה--יִהְיֶה, בֵּית אֱלֹהִים