Bar’chu
et YHVH ha-m’vorach, Baruch YHVH ha-m’vorach l’O’lam va-ed! Baruch ata YHVHEloheinu
melech ha-olam asher bachar banu m’kol ha-amim, v’na-tan lanu eht Torah-to.Baruch
atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Bless YHVH the blessed One; Blessed is YHVH, the
blessed One for all eternity. Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim, King of the
Universe, you have selected us from among all the peoples, and have given us
your Torah.
Gen 31:3 And יהוה said to Yaʽaqoḇ,
“Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives. And I am with you.” (“relatives”
– “moledet” plural for “birthplaces”)
This is the first time in
the Torah that the land is referenced to individuals – “Return to the land of
your fathers” (Hegg)
Hidden in this and
following Torah portions seems to the reality that the return of Yaqov’s
descendants will be a hazardous journey and they will have to face dangers from
all sides – family and foe.
Gen 31:4 And Yaʽaqoḇ sent
(vayishlach) and called (vayikra) Raḥĕl and
Lĕ’ah to the field, to his flock, Gen 31:5
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. Gen 31:6 “And you know that I have served your father
with all my strength. Gen 31:7 “Yet your
father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but Elohim did not allow
him to do evil to me. Gen 31:8 “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. Gen 31:9 “So Elohim has taken
away the livestock of your father and given them to me. Gen 31:10 “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. Gen
31:11 “And the Messenger of Elohim spoke
to me in a dream, saying, ‘Yaʽaqoḇ.’ And I said, ‘Here I am.’ Gen 31:12 “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. Gen 31:13 ‘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.’ ”
Gen 28:19 And he called the name of that
place Běyth Ěl, however, the name of that city had been Luz previously.
Gen 28:20 And Ya‛aqoḇ 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 – Gen 28:21 when I
have returned to my father’s house in peace, and יהוה has been
my Elohim, Gen 28:22 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.”
Gen 31:14 And Raḥĕl and
Lĕ’ah answered and said to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance in
our father’s house?
Gen 31:15 “Are we
not reckoned by him as strangers? For he has sold us, and also entirely
consumed our silver. Gen 31:16 “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.”
Gen 31:17 So Yaʽaqoḇ rose
and put his sons and his wives on camels, Gen 31:18 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. Gen 31:19 And
when Laḇan had gone to shear his sheep, Raḥĕl
stole the house idols that were her father’s. Gen 31:20 And Yaʽaqoḇ
deceived Laḇan the Aramean, because he did not inform him that he was
about to flee. Gen 31:21 And he fled
with all that he had. And he rose up and passed over the river, and headed
toward the mountains of Gilʽaḏ. Gen 31:22 And on
the third day Laḇan was told that Yaʽaqoḇ had
fled. Gen 31:23 Then he took his
brothers with him and pursued him for seven days’ journey, and he overtook him
in the mountains of Gilʽaḏ. Gen 31:24 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.” Gen 31:25 Then
Laḇan overtook Yaʽaqoḇ. Now Yaʽaqoḇ had
pitched his tent in the mountains, and Laḇan
with his brothers pitched in the mountains of Gilʽaḏ. Gen
31:26 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? Gen 31:27 “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? Gen 31:28 “And you
did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now you have been foolish to
do this. Gen 31:29 “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.’ Gen 31:30 “And now
you have gone because you greatly long for your father’s house, but why did you
steal my mighty ones?” (idols élohim) Gen 31:31
And Yaʽaqoḇ answered and said to Laḇan,
“Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Lest you tear your daughters away from me.’
Gen 31:32 “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. Gen 31:33 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. Gen 31:34
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. Gen
31:35 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. Gen
31:36 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? Gen 31:37 “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! Gen 31:38 “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. Gen 31:39 “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. Gen 31:40 “Thus I was! By day the heat consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. Gen 31:41 “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. Gen 31:42 “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.” Gen 31:43 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? Gen 31:44 “And now, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and it shall be a witness between you and me.” Gen 31:45 So Yaʽaqoḇ took a stone and set it up as a standing column. Gen 31:46 And Yaʽaqoḇ said to his brothers, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap. Gen 31:47 And Laḇan called it Yeḡar Sahaḏutha, but Yaʽaqoḇ called it Galʽĕḏ. Gen 31:48 And Laḇan said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” That is why its name was called Galʽĕḏ, Gen 31:49 also Mitspah, because he said, “Let יהוה watch between you and me when we are out of each other’s sight. Gen 31:50 “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!” Gen 31:51 And Laḇan said to Yaʽaqoḇ, “See this heap and see this standing column, which I have placed between you and me. Gen 31:52 “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. Gen 31:53 “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. Gen 31:54 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. Gen 31:55 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. Gen 32:1 And Yaʽaqoḇ went on his way, and the messengers of Elohim met him. Gen 32:2 And when Yaʽaqoḇ saw them, he said, “This is the camp of Elohim.” And he called the name of that place Maḥanayim.
contended with Laḇan, and Yaʽaqoḇ answered and said to Laḇan, “What is my transgression? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me? Gen 31:37 “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! Gen 31:38 “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. Gen 31:39 “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. Gen 31:40 “Thus I was! By day the heat consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. Gen 31:41 “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. Gen 31:42 “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.” Gen 31:43 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? Gen 31:44 “And now, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and it shall be a witness between you and me.” Gen 31:45 So Yaʽaqoḇ took a stone and set it up as a standing column. Gen 31:46 And Yaʽaqoḇ said to his brothers, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap. Gen 31:47 And Laḇan called it Yeḡar Sahaḏutha, but Yaʽaqoḇ called it Galʽĕḏ. Gen 31:48 And Laḇan said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” That is why its name was called Galʽĕḏ, Gen 31:49 also Mitspah, because he said, “Let יהוה watch between you and me when we are out of each other’s sight. Gen 31:50 “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!” Gen 31:51 And Laḇan said to Yaʽaqoḇ, “See this heap and see this standing column, which I have placed between you and me. Gen 31:52 “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. Gen 31:53 “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. Gen 31:54 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. Gen 31:55 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. Gen 32:1 And Yaʽaqoḇ went on his way, and the messengers of Elohim met him. Gen 32:2 And when Yaʽaqoḇ saw them, he said, “This is the camp of Elohim.” And he called the name of that place Maḥanayim.
Yasher 31 (Josh 10:13 and 2 Sam 1:18) 44 And
Rachel stole these images which were her father's, in order that Lavan might not
know through them where Yaqov had gone.45 And Lavan came home and he asked
concerning Yaqov and his household, and he was not to be found, and Lavan
sought his images to know where Yaqov had gone, and could not find them, and he
went to some other images, and he inquired of them and they told him that Yaqov
had fled from him to his father's, to the land of Canaan.46 And Lavan then rose up and he
took his brothers and all his servants, and he went forth and pursued Yaqov,
and he overtook him in mount Gilead.47 And Lavan said unto Yaqov, What is this
you have done to me to flee and deceive me, and lead my daughters and their
children as captives taken by the sword? 48 And you did not suffer me to kiss
them and send them away with joy, and you did steal my gods and did go away. 49
And Yaqov answered Lavan, saying, Because I was afraid lest you would take your
daughters by force from me; and now with whomsoever you findest your gods he
shall die. 50 And Lavan searched for the images and he examined in all Yaqov's
tents and furniture, but could not find them. 51 And Lavan said unto Yaqov, We
will make a covenant together and it shall be a testimony between me and you;
if you shalt afflict my daughters, or shalt take other wives besides my
daughters, even YHVH shall be a witness between me and you in this matter. 52
And they took stones and made a heap, and Lavan said, This heap is a witness
between me and you, therefore he called the name thereof Gilead. 53 And Yaqov
and Lavan offered sacrifice upon the mount, and they ate there by the heap, and
they tarried in the mount all night, and Lavan rose up early in the morning,
and he wept with his daughters and he kissed them, and he returned unto his
place. 54 And he hastened and sent off his son Beor, who was seventeen years
old, with Abichorof the son of Uz, the son of Nahor, and with them were ten
men. 55 And they hastened and went and passed on the road before Yaqov, and
they came by another road to the land of Seir. 56 And they came unto Esav and
said unto him, Thus saith your brother and relative, your mother's brother Lavan,
the son of Bethuel, saying, 57 Have you heard what Yaqov your brother has done
unto me, who first came to me naked and bare, and I went to meet him, and
brought him to my house with honor, and I made him great, and I gave him my two
daughters for wives and also two of my maids. 58 And YHVH blessed him on my account,
and he increased abundantly, and had sons, daughters and maid servants. 59 He
has also an immense stock of flocks and herds, camels and asses, also silver
and gold in abundance; and when he saw that his wealth increased, he left me
while I went to shear my sheep, and he rose up and fled in secrecy. 60 And he
lifted his wives and children upon camels, and he led away all his cattle and
property which he acquired in my land, and he lifted up his countenance to go
to his father Yitschaq, to the land of Kanaan. 61 And he did not suffer me to
kiss my daughters and their children, and he led my daughters as captives taken
by the sword, and he also stole my gods and he fled. 62 And now I have left him
in the mountain of the brook of Yabuk, him and all belonging to him; he lacks
nothing. 63 If it be your wish to go to him, go then and there wilt you find
him, and you can do unto him as your soul desires; and Lavan's messengers came
and told Esav all these things. 64 And Esav heard all the words of Lavan's
messengers, and his anger was greatly kindled against Yaqov, and he remembered
his hatred, and his anger burned within him. 65 And Esav hastened and took his
children and servants and the souls of his household, being sixty men, and he
went and assembled all the children of Seir the Horite and their people, being
three hundred and forty men, and took all this number of four hundred men with
drawn swords, and he went unto Yaqov to smite him.
Jer 30:10 And you, do not fear, O Ya‛aqoḇ My servant,’ declares יהוה, ‘nor be discouraged, O Yisra’ěl. For look, I am saving you
from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity. And Ya‛aqoḇ shall
return, and have rest and be at ease, with no one to trouble him. Jer 30:11 For I am with
you,’ declares יהוה, ‘to save you. Though I make
a complete end of all nations[a] where I have scattered you, yet I do not make a
complete end of you. But I shall reprove you in judgment, and by no means leave
you unpunished.’ Footnote: aSee Jer_46:28, Isa_34:2, Isa_45:17,
Dan_2:44, Amo_9:8, Hag_2:22. Jer 30:12 “For
thus said יהוה, ‘Your breach is incurable,
your wound is grievous. Jer 30:13 No one pleads your cause, to bind
up. There are no healing medicines for you. Jer 30:14 All those
loving you have forgotten you, they do not seek you. For I struck you as an
enemy strikes, with cruel chastisement, because your crookedness is great, your
sins have increased. Jer 30:15 Why do you cry about your breach?
Your pain is incurable. Because of your many crookednesses, because your sins
have increased, I have done this to you.
Jer 30:16 However, all those who devour you shall be devoured.
And all your adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity. And those
who exploit you shall be exploited, and all who prey upon you I shall make a
prey. Jer 30:17 For I restore health to you and heal you of your
wounds,’ declares יהוה, ‘for they have called you
an outcast saying, “This is Tsiyon, no one is seeking her.”
Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu,
Melech ha-‘Olam, asher natan lanu Toraht-emet, v’chay-yeh o’lam nata-b’tochenu.
Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Blessed are you Yahweh, our Elohim,
King of the Universe, you have given us your Torah of truth, and have planted
everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you, YHVH giver of the Torah –
Ameyn