Parashat 7 Portion 28 Gen 29:31-30:21 ‘’Vayetzei’’ 1 Sam1:2-11 +2:28 (birth of Samuel)

Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, who has set us apart with His commandments and has commanded us to engross ourselves in the words of Torah. Please, YHVH, our Elohim, sweeten the words of Torah in our mouth and in the mouths of Your people, the family of Israel. May we and our offspring and the offspring of Your people, the house of Israel – all of us – know Your Name and study Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, YHVH, who teaches Torah to His people Israel.

וירא יהוה ‘’and YHVH saw…”

Jacob's Children

Gen 29:31  And יהוה saw that Lě’ah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Raḥěl was barren. 

 

‘’We really don’t know the full reason why Leah was unloved (much speculation) and the Torah doesn’t tell us. It simply states the fact: YHVH saw that Leah was unloved and He opened her womb.

‘’That silence is deliberate. It leaves us to wonder, to feel the weight, and to recognize that YHVH’s mercy often operates in places human judgment never reaches. Maybe Leah carried a hidden sorrow no one else perceived. Maybe her prayers were fiercer than anyone knew. Maybe YHVH simply chose to honour the one who was structurally disadvantaged in that polygynous household - the elder sister who was “given” rather than chosen.’’

We can only speculate without knowing the real reason. And that speculation itself can be an act of respect for her pain, refusing to reduce Leah’s story to moral categories (did she sin? did she deserve it, was she trying to avoid a possible arranged marriage with Esau?) and instead letting YHVH’s compassionate “seeing” stand as the explanation. וירא יהוה

So yes, maybe YHVH saw what no one else saw. And maybe that’s enough. Maybe that’s the whole point of the verse.’’

 

Gen 29:17 says Leah's eyes were weak - maybe she didn’t fully know or understand why she was suffering.

The sages (especially in Genesis Rabbah 70:17, Tanhuma Vayetze 4, and Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 36) explain that Leah’s eyes were “weak” because she wept constantly.

The sages say YHVH saw those hidden tears — tears no one else knew about — and rewarded her with fertility. Her womb is opened precisely because YHVH saw the affliction behind those weak eyes.

 

‘’The Torah doesn’t explain Leah’s inner world beyond that one verse. It leaves the “why” open, perhaps deliberately — so we feel the weight of YHVH’s compassionate gaze filling the silence.’’

That’s why Gen 29:31 is so powerful: וַיַּרְא יְהוָה — “And YHVH saw…” He saw what Jacob didn’t fully see. (what you and I do not yet fully see) He saw what Leah herself may not have fully understood about her own suffering. And He responded, not with explanation, but with life (He opened her womb).

Leah’s pain was deeper and older than anyone around her realized. And YHVH’s response was to meet her in that hidden place.

If you meditate on this long enough, it becomes one of the most comforting verses in the Torah: ‘’Even when no one else understands why you’re suffering, even when you don’t fully understand YHVH sees - וירא יהוה’’

 

And He is still the Elohim who opens wombs, who turns tears into legacy, who chooses the overlooked.

 

 

וירא יהוה – YHVH also saw the coming into being of the family of Jacob - Amo 3:2  “You alone have I known (Heb ‘’yada’’) of all the clans of the earth, therefore I punish you for all your crookednesses.” ‘’Yada’’ carries ‘’ intimate covenantal significance’’ Gen 4:1  And Adam knew (yada) Eve his wife; and she conceived. (See also Ex 4:22)

 

YHVH chose one family (Jacob’s descendants) to be the root and trunk of the covenant tree, but He never intended the branches to be limited. He designed the tree so that all the families of the earth could be grafted in and blessed through it.

 

Rom11:11-24 Paul warns that both natural and wild branches can be broken off through unbelief – However YHVH is able to graft any broken branch (wild or natural) back into the tree.

 

Rom 11:33  Oh, the depth of riches, and wisdom and knowledge of Elohim! How unsearchable His judgments and untraceable His ways! 

Rom 11:34  “For who has known the mind of יהוה? Or who has become His counsellor?” Isa_40:13. 

Rom 11:35  “Or who first gave to Him, and it shall be given back to him?” Job_35:7, Job_41:11. 

Rom 11:36  Because of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all, to whom be esteem forever. Aměn. 

 

Let us return back to opening phrase the scribe used to introduce this Torah portion - וַיַּרְא יְהוָה

 

We may not be certain as to what YHVH saw what caused Leah to be unloved -However we have been given volumes and volumes of evidence as to what YHVH saw and revealed to us about His chosen family - Jacob. From cover to cover in our scriptures the central narrative revolves around this family and their redemptive calling – their successes and failures –

 

Every generation of this family has been seen in its brokenness - and kept because of the covenant that rests not on their perfection but on YHVH’s name and faithfulness

 

That calling will never be revoked, even when the family fails spectacularly. It is the thread that makes the Scriptures one coherent story:

 

Rom 11:29  For YHVH's gifts and calling never change. 

 

A messianic Torah teacher attempting to explain the complexity and beauty of this family used a modern day parable by comparing Jacob’s family to a giant jigsaw puzzle.

 

Imagine joining a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle together that creates a beautiful scene of a rain forest full of wild animals and mountain streams.

 

Where does one start? Normally you collect the four corner pieces and then begin to search for the uniquely shaped puzzle pieces and join them together to complete the puzzle.

 

Now, let us imagine creating a family portrait of Jacobs family which will take at least 1000 years to complete. The pieces of this puzzle have been ‘’lying around’’ for the last few thousand years, some are still being ‘’uniquely shaped’’ and if somehow YHVH guides you to walk in the righteousness of the truth– you will begin to put together the pieces of the ‘’puzzle’’. Remember וַיַּרְא יְהוָה YHVH has already seen the whole picture –

 

1Co 2:9  But as it has been written, “Eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, nor have entered into the heart of man what Elohim has prepared for those who love Him.” Isa_64:4. 

1Co 2:10  But Elohim has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all matters, even the depths of Elohim. 

 

The first ‘’corner piece’’ of this puzzle is found in this week’s Torah portion: It is about Jacob and his 4 wives bringing 12 sons and one daughter into the world.

 

The second ‘’corner piece’’ of the puzzle is found in Gen 49 – its about Jacob on his death bed proclaiming to his sons what would ‘’call’’ or ‘’come upon’’  them in the last days.

 

The third ‘’corner piece’’ is found in Deut 33 and is about Moses blessing Jacobs family before they enter the promised land – millennial kingdom.

 

The fourth ‘’corner piece’’ of the puzzle is about the challenges (victories and defeats) this family will face in this world until they are eventually presented to YHVH by the Messiah without ‘’spot or wrinkle’’ These pieces of the ‘’puzzle’’ are found on every page of our Scriptures.

 

The first ‘’corner’’ puzzle piece – the formation of Jacobs family:

 

Gen 29:32  And Lě’ah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Re’uḇěn, for she said, “For יהוה has looked (ראה יהוה) on my affliction, because now my husband is going to love me.” 

 

Leah believes that because YHVH has seen her affliction, He has given her a son -Reuben – which means ‘’see a son’’ now Leah believes her husband will love her.

 

Gen 29:33  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 ‘’Shim‛on’’ 

 

This name comes from the well-known Hebrew verb ‘’shema’’ or to hear. When one adds a ‘’nun sufit’’ to a verb, it intensifies the verb. ‘’To listen’’ becomes to ‘’truly listen’’

Now Leah believes YHVH has ‘’truly’’ heard her plea, Jacob will now love her for sure.

 

Gen 29:34  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 Lěwi. 

 

‘’Levi’’ means to ‘’join’’ now, Leah is convinced the YHVH has seen her and heard her and now is certain Jacob will be ‘’joined’’ to her -but the narrative suggests the deeper relational change did not yet occur.

 

Gen 29:35  And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I praise יהוה.” So, she called his name Yehuḏah. And she ceased bearing. 

 

For the first time in the narrative of her sons’ births, Leah’s attention turns fully to YHVH rather than to Jacob – she is not trying to win Jacob’s favour – she is now praising YHVH because there was something very special about Judah. This son is significant because it is from his tribe that Messiah would come – and the motivation of Messiah’s entire existence was to give all praise and honour to his Father alone – the Giver of all life – including his own.

Joh 5:30  “… I do not seek My own desire, but the desire of the Father who sent Me.’’ 

Gen 30:1  And when Raḥěl saw that she bore Ya‛aqoḇ no children, Raḥěl envied her sister, and said to Ya‛aqoḇ, “Give me children, or else I am going to die!” 

Gen 30:2  And Ya‛aqoḇ’s displeasure burned against Raḥěl, and he said, “Am I in the place of Elohim, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” (It’s like Jacob was saying ‘’Do you think I understand what’s going on here?)

 

Why was Rachel barren? Answer: We also don’t know - this part of the puzzle is not yet available. One day we will see more clearly how Rachel’s bareness was a very important part of YHVH’s covenantal plan to redeem mankind. It becomes a very important piece of the puzzle required to see the whole picture. (the life of Joseph is a very important hint)

 

Gen 30:3  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.” 

 

This reaction from Rachel may be seen as trying to ‘’help YHVH out’’ but once again it forms a perfect piece of the puzzle, which is yet to be revealed. This was no mistake it was part of YHVH’s perfect plan for this family.

 

Gen 30:4  So she gave him Bilhah her female servant as wife, and Ya‛aqoḇ went in to her. 

Gen 30:5  And Bilhah conceived and bore Ya‛aqoḇ a son. 

Gen 30:6  And Raḥěl said, “Elohim has rightly ruled my case, and has also heard my voice and given me a son.” So she called his name Dan. (Judges)

 

Judges 13:5 “He shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” (Samson from the tribe of Dan)

 

There is also a very interesting prophetic detail in Genesis 49:17 about Dan will ‘’become a serpent on the way’’

Some later interpreters saw the serpent image as hinting at some serious future trouble from Dan.

Reasons include:

The tribe of Dan later became associated with idolatry (Judges 18).

1 Kings 12:29–30 – Jeroboam places a golden calf at Dan, making it a centre of false worship in the northern kingdom.

Some early Christian writers (for example, Irenaeus and Hippolytus) speculated that the Antichrist might arise from the tribe of Dan.

 

So, this piece of the puzzle is not completely clear, but we are given several helpful hints to help identify the nature of this tribe.

 

Genesis 49:16 (Jacob’s blessing): “Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.”

 

Gen 30:7  And Raḥěl’s female servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Ya‛aqoḇ a second son. 

Gen 30:8  And Raḥěl said, “With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and I have overcome.” So she called his name Naphtali. 

 

This is a serious part of Isreal’s DNA - The wrestling which was and will remain central to the formation of Israel -The name Israel itself means “he strives/wrestles with YHVH” (Gen 32:28). Jacob’s entire life is marked by struggle — with Esau, with Laban, with his own character, and ultimately with YHVH at the Jabbok. The family drama in Gen 29–30 is the first generation of that same wrestling:

·         Leah wrestles for love and recognition.

·         Rachel wrestles for children and dignity.

·         The handmaids are pulled into the struggle. Out of this painful competition come twelve sons - the future tribes of Israel.

YHVH allows the wrestling because the nation of Israel is born from struggle, not from perfection. The twelve tribes are not the product of harmony; they are the product of divine grace working through human pain. This part of our divine calling.

 

Rachel’s words reflect a deeper spiritual reality When Rachel says “naftulei Elohim niftalti” (“wrestlings of Elohim I have wrestled”), she is doing something profound:

·         She attributes the struggle to YHVH -“wrestlings of YHVH.”

·         She claims a kind of victory: “gam-yacholti”- “I have prevailed / I have been able.” This echoes Jacob’s own later wrestling at Peniel: he wrestles with a man (understood as Elohim/an messengerl) and prevails (yachol) to receive the blessing and the name Israel.

Rachel is not wrong to see her barrenness and rivalry as a form of divine wrestling. She is part of the same covenant struggle that defines her husband and her descendants.

 

7 times to the 7 assemblies in Revelation Yahshua says ‘’ to him who overcomes’’ – if you are not continually involved in the appointed wrestling match with YHVH – you may have to question how authentic your relationship is with YHVH.

 

Gen 30:9  And Lě’ah saw that she had ceased bearing, and she took Zilpah her female servant and gave her to Ya‛aqoḇ as wife. 

Gen 30:10  And Lě’ah’s female servant Zilpah bore Ya‛aqoḇ a son. 

Gen 30:11  And Lě’ah said, “Fortune comes!” So she called his name Gaḏ. (Gaḏ, meaning fortune.)

 

 Gad reminds us that the destiny of Jacobs family is to bring blessing beyond what anyone could ever imagine.

 

Gen 30:12  And Lě’ah’s female servant Zilpah bore Ya‛aqoḇ a second son. 

Gen 30:13  And Lě’ah said, “I am happy, for the daughters shall call me happy.” So she called his name Ashěr.a Footnote: aHeb. Ashěr, meaning happy. 

 

Asher is more correctly interpreted as ‘’contentment’’ this too is the inheritance and legacy to all nations through and in Jacobs family.

 

Gen 30:14  And Re’uḇěn went in the days of wheat harvest and found love-apples in the field, and brought them to his mother Lě’ah. And Raḥěl said to Lě’ah, “Please give me some of your son’s love-apples.” 

Gen 30:15  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 Raḥěl said, “Therefore let him lie with you tonight for your son’s love-apples.” 

Gen 30:16  And when Ya‛aqoḇ came out of the field in the evening, Lě’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. 

Gen 30:17  And Elohim listened to Lě’ah, and she conceived and bore Ya‛aqoḇ a fifth son. 

Gen 30:18  And Lě’ah said, “Elohim has given me my hire, because I have given my female servant to my husband.” So she called his name Yissasḵar. 

 

 

The love apples were indeed seen as aphrodisiacs/fertility aids — Rachel wanted them to help her conceive.   Leah used them to “hire” Jacob for a night.

 

This speaks to a desperately painful situation and is equally difficult and painful to understand and explain.

 

Gen 30:19  And Lě’ah conceived again and bore Ya‛aqoḇ a sixth son. 

Gen 30:20  And Lě’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. 

 

The root meaning of ‘’Zevulon’’ is ‘’zaval’’ to cohabit or to live very closely with someone. This too is a prophetic reminder that one day this family will live together with one another and the world in harmony and peace.

 

Gen 30:21  And afterward she bore a daughter and called her name Dinah. 

 

Dinah comes from the Hebrew word meaning justice and strife – this too was evident in her life at Schechem.

 

What makes this parable/picture of Jacobs family more profound is that you and I are part of this puzzle -we are all uniquely shaped to fit into a uniquely prepared place.

 

The mothers play a central role in the beginning of the creation of this family many believe they will play a central role once again in the healing and restoration of this family in the future again.

 

Jacob is saying: “These jagged pieces will only make sense when viewed through the lens of the last days.” The full picture is eschatological. Gen 49

 

Moses’ Blessing (Deuteronomy 33) Moses, just before he dies, does something remarkable — he re-assembles the same twelve pieces with a new layer of blessing and destiny:

 

Isaiah 8 describes the house of Jacob (the very same family) in a state of internal fracture:

 

Two houses of Israel (Judah + Ephraim/Israel) are divided and stumbling over the same “stone” (8:14).

The people are turning to mediums and wizards instead of the Torah and the testimony (8:19–20).

Darkness, distress, and “thick darkness” cover the land (8:22).

Yet right in the middle, Isaiah declares hope:

“I and the children whom YHVH has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel” (8:18).

 

Isaiah is saying: The puzzle pieces are still clashing. chafing The family is broken, divided, and spiritually blind — exactly as it began in Genesis 29–30. But the same YHVH who saw Leah’s hidden tears is still watching. The Torah and the testimony (the witness) remain the only light.

 

Blessed are you YHVH, 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 –

 

 

Parashat 7 Portion 27 ‘’Vayetzei’’ – ‘’and he went out’’ Gen 28:10-29:30

Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, who has set us apart with His commandments and has commanded us to engross ourselves in the words of Torah. Please, YHVH, our Elohim, sweeten the words of Torah in our mouth and in the mouths of Your people, the family of Israel. May we and our offspring and the offspring of Your people, the house of Israel – all of us – know Your Name and study Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, YHVH, who teaches Torah to His people Israel.

Introduction to the Torah portion:

"The only thing standing before YHVH and the complete and utter annihilation of mankind is the chosen family of Jacob"

I then submitted this statement to Grok (AI platform)

Their response:

‘’The claim is theologically potent and biblically grounded’’

Then AI asked me to please unpack my statement.

I responded:

I have been a pastor for almost 40 years – I have been studying the Torah for more than 20 years.

What bothers me deeply is that if Jacob and his family were alive today – I don’t think they would be welcome in any church or synagogue in the world.

I say this because Jacob had two wives and two concubines – a patriarchal way of life banned by Rabbi Gershom a long time ago.

Then Jacob’s family was to put it mildly extremely dysfunctional – your eldest son sexually violating one of your wives? And that was not the end of it.

 

Either God made a huge mistake or we are incredibly deceived!

 

AI responded:

 

Your conclusion is brutally logical: Either God made a colossal mistake in choosing this family, or we (modern religious systems) are the ones who are deceived.

I want to say this plainly and without religious spin:

God did not make a mistake, this is holy ground you’re walking on - (Grok)

 

My conclusion (not submitted to AI):

 

Luk 19:38  saying, “ ‘Blessed is the Sovereign (king Messiah) who is coming in the Name of יהוה!a Psa_118:26 Peace in heaven and esteem in the highest!” Footnote: a Mat_23:39. 

Luk 19:39  And some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your taught ones.” 

Luk 19:40  But He answering, said to them, “I say to you that if these shall be silent, the stones would cry out.” 

 

The ‘’stones’’ are crying out - AI is like a lifeless stone.

 

The term "ישׂראל" (Yisrael/Israel) is primarily a proper noun, but its etymological origin is a verbal phrase found in Genesis 32:29. It is constructed from the future-tense verb śārâ ("he will strive/struggle") and El ("YHVH"). We are about to enter the time of Jacobs distress Jer 30:7

 

ויצא יעקב

Jacob's Dream

Gen 28:10  And Ya‛aqoḇ went out (ויצא יעקב) from Be’ěrsheḇa and went toward Haran (Heb – ‘’mountaineer or ‘’parched place’’) to climb the most important mountain in the world – Mount Tzion. Presently the most ‘’parched’’ piece of real estate in the world.

 

Midrash (e.g., Genesis Rabbah) highlights the phrase "וַיֵּצֵא" as carrying emotional weight: Jacob "goes out" not just physically but in a sense of leaving behind security, facing uncertainty, and the possibility of severe persecution and hostility. Some midrashim portray Jacob's departure as leaving the spiritual "light" of Beersheba (associated with oaths and fulfillment) toward a higher aspiration ‘’Haran’’ linked to a mountaineer preparing to climb a very high dangerous mountain.

 

In essence, Genesis 28:10 is deceptively simple, a travel notice, but it launches one of the Torah's most profound episodes: a fugitive's lonely journey becomes the site of heaven touching earth, covenant renewal, and Jacob's awakening to YHVH's calling and ongoing presence ("Surely YHVH is in this place, and I did not know it" verse 16). It underscores that YHVH's promises endures even amid human failure, deception, great trials and even exile.

 

 Acts 14:22 (words of Paul) “through many pressures (affliction and anguish persecution, tribulation, trouble) we have to enter the reign of Elohim.” 

 

Joh 16:33  (Yahshua) “These words I have spoken to you, that in Me you might have peace. In the world you have pressure,(affliction and anguish persecution, tribulation, trouble ) but take courage, I have overcome the world.” 

 

This Torah portion contains a very important end time prophetic message for an end time generation that is being prepared by YHVH to enter into the millennial reign of Messiah.

 

An end time generation may have to prepare itself for almost total isolation, the loss of all personal property and a level of hatred and opposition never before experienced by the family of Jacob.

 

Jer 30:5  “For this is what יהוה said, ‘We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. 

Jer 30:6  Ask now, and see if a man is giving birth. Why do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labour, and all faces turned pale? 

Jer 30:7  Oh! For great is that day, there is none like it. And it is the time of Ya‛aqoḇ’s distress, but he shall be saved out of it. (distress in Heb ‘’tzara’’ in LXX Gk ‘’thlipsis’’ same Gk word in Acts 14:22 and Jn 16:33)

 

Jer 30:24  The burning displeasure of יהוה shall not turn back until He has done and established the purposes of His heart. In the latter days you shall understand it.b Footnote: bSee Jer_23:20.

 

Mat 24:21  “For then there shall be great distress, (Gk ‘’thlipsis’’)c such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. Footnote: cOr great pressure, or great affliction. 

Mat 24:22  “And if those days were not shortened, no flesh would be saved, but for the sake of the chosen ones (Jacob and his family – Jew and gentile) those days shall be shortened. 

 

How do we know that life will become increasingly difficult for believers in the last days?

 

2Th 2:3  Let no one deceive you in any way, because the falling away is to come first, and the man of lawlessness is to be revealed, the son of destruction

 

In fact most believers will fall away in the last days – confirmed by AI with several scripture references.

 

Signs of the End of the Age

Mat 24:3  And as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the taught ones came to Him separately, saying, “Say to us, when shall this be, and what is the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 

Mat 24:4  And יהושע answering, said to them, “Take heed that no one leads you astray. 

Mat 24:5  “For many shall come in My Name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they shall lead many astray. 

Mat 24:6  “And you shall begin to hear of fightings and reports of fightings. See that you are not troubled, for these have to take place, but the end is not yet. 

Mat 24:7  “For nation shall rise against nation, and reign against reign. And there shall be scarcities of food, and deadly diseases, and earthquakes in places. 

Mat 24:8  “And all these are the beginning of birth pains. 

Mat 24:9  “Then they shall deliver you up to affliction and kill you, and you shall be hated by all nations for My Name’s sake. 

Mat 24:10  “And then many shall stumble, and they shall deliver up one another, and shall hate one another. 

Mat 24:11  “And many false prophets shall rise up and lead many astray. 

Mat 24:12  “And because of the increase in lawlessness,(in the house of Jacob) the love of many shall become cold. 

Mat 24:13  “But he who shall have endured to the end shall be saved.a Footnote: aSee Mat_10:22.

 

Yasher Chapter 29 – gives interesting insight into this Torah portion. (Josh 10:13)

 

vs30. And Isaac finished commanding Jacob and blessing him, and he gave him many gifts, together with silver and gold, and he sent him away; and Jacob hearkened to his father and mother; he kissed them and arose and went to Padan-aram; and Jacob was seventy seven years old when he went out from the land of Canaan from Beersheba 31. And when Jacob went away to go to Haran Esau called unto his son Eliphaz, and secretly spoke unto him, saying, Now hasten, take thy sword in thy hand and pursue Jacob and pass before him in the road, and lurk for him, and slay him with thy sword in one of the mountains, and take all belonging to him and come back. 36. And Eliphaz came near to Jacob and he answered and said unto him, Thus did my father command me, and now therefore I will not deviate from the orders which my father gave me; and when Jacob saw that Esau had spoken to Eliphaz to employ force, Jacob then approached and supplicated Eliphaz and his men, saying to him, 37. Behold all that I have and which my father and mother gave unto me, that take unto thee and go from me, and do not slay me, and may this thing be accounted unto thee a righteousness. 38. And the Lord caused Jacob to find favor in the sight of Eliphaz the son of Esau, and his men, and they hearkened to the voice of Jacob, and they did not put him to death, and Eliphaz and his men took all belonging to Jacob together with the silver and gold that he had brought with him from Beersheba; they left him nothing – end quote.

 

From the time Jacob left Beersheva until the present day – Jacob and his descendants have always faced the possibility of total annihilation and extinction from the earth.

 

Zec 13:8  And it shall be throughout all the soil,” (Heb ‘’ha aretz’’ the land of Israel)  declares יהוה, “that two thirds therein are cut off and die, and one third is left therein. 

Zec 13:9  “And I shall bring the third into fire, and refine them as silver is refined, and try them as gold is tried. They shall call on My Name,b and I shall answer them. I shall say, ‘This is My people,’ while they say, ‘יהוה is my Elohim.’ ” Footnote: b Zep_3:9. 

 

Gen 28:11  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. 

 

Three times in this one verse (Ber 28:11) the Hebrew word “ha makom” or “the place” is used.

 

Traditional Rabbinic interpretation (Rashi) identifies this specific spot as Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, the same location where Abraham was bound to sacrifice Isaac (the Akeida).

 

Gen 28:12  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. 

 

Yahshua explicitly references Jacob's ladder in John 1:51, telling Nathanael, "You will see heaven open, and the messengers of Elohim ascending and descending on the Son of Man." This portrays Yahshua as the ultimate bridge between heaven and earth, the true "ladder" or mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). (And Jacob the family that Yahshua belongs to.)

 

“ladder” in Hebrew is “sulam” this is the only place in scripture where this word is used. The gematria for “sulam” and “Sinai” are the same – 130.

 

Deu 4:12  “And יהוה spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard a voice (‘’kol’’ gematria 130) of words, but saw no form, you only heard a voice. (From Sinai)

 

Pirkei Avot 6:2 Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said: every day a bat kol (a heavenly voice) goes forth from Mount Horeb/Sinai and makes proclamation and says: “Woe unto humankind for their contempt towards the Torah.

 

This numerical links are seen as intentional, symbolizing a deeper prophetic foreshadowing in Jacob's dream of the future revelation at Mount Sinai, where YHVH establishes the covenant through the giving of the Torah exclusively to Jacob's descendants, the nation of Israel.

 

Gen 28:13  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. 

Gen 28:14  “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. 

Gen 28:15  “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.” 

Gen 28:16  And Ya‛aqoḇ awoke from his sleep and said, “Truly, יהוה is in this place, and I did not know it.” 

Gen 28:17  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!” 

 

There is an interesting connection between vs 11 and vs 18:

 

Gen 28:11  And he came upon a place and stopped over for the night, for the sun had set. And he took one of the stones (plural) of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. 

 

Gen 28:18  And Ya‛aqoḇ rose early in the morning, and took the stone (singular) that he had put at his head, set it up as a standing column, and poured oil on top of it. 

 

There are several notable midrashic comments and interpretations specifically tied to the word מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו (merahashotav / m'ra'ashotav), the plural form meaning "at his head" or "as his headrest/pillows" in Genesis 28:11 (where Jacob takes "stones of the place" and places them מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו), which directly connects to verse 18 where he takes "the stone" (singular) that he had placed מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו and sets it up as a pillar.

The word itself is rare and emphatic in its plural form (related to ראשׁ, "head"), and midrashim focus on why it's plural at first but singular later, using it to uncover profound lessons about unity, divine favor, protection, and Jacob's destiny.

 

Peter addresses this same issue:

 

1Pe 2:4  Drawing near to Him, a living Stone – rejected indeed by men, but chosen by Elohim and precious – 

1Pe 2:5  you also, as living stones, are being built up, a spiritual house, a set-apart priesthood, to offer up spiritual slaughter offerings acceptable to Elohim through יהושע Messiah. 

1Pe 2:6  Because it is contained in the Scripture, “See, I lay in Tsiyon a chief corner-stone, chosen, precious, and he who believes on Him shall by no means be put to shame.” Isa_28:16. 

1Pe 2:7  This preciousness, then, is for you who believe; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner-stone,” Psa_118:22. 

1Pe 2:8  and “A stone of stumbling and a rock that makes for falling,” Isa_8:14 who stumble because they are disobedienta to the Word, to which they also were appointed. Footnote: aSee Jhn_3:36, Heb_3:18. 

1Pe 2:9  But you are a chosen race,b Deu_10:15 a royal priesthood,c Isa_61:6 a set-apart nation,d Exo_19:6 a people for a possession,e Isa_43:2 that you should proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light, Footnotes: bAlso see Isa_43:20. cAlso see Isa_66:21. dAlso see Deu_7:6. eAlso see Exo_19:5, Tit_2:14. 

1Pe 2:10  who once were not a people,f but now the people of Elohim;f who had not obtained compassion,f but now obtained compassion.f Hos_1:9-10, Hos_2:23. Footnote: fAlso see Isa_65:1, Hos_1:9, Isa_63:16, Isa_64:8, Rom_9:25-26. 

 

 Peter is quoting Isaiah 8:14, where YHVH is described as a stone of stumbling for both houses of Israel. Peter identifies Yahshua as that stone. Those who reject Him, despite being recipients of the Torah and prophets, stumble over Him.

 

Isa 8:13  “יהוה of hosts, Him you shall set apart. Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. 

Isa 8:14  “And He shall be for a set-apart place, but a stone of stumbling and a rock that makes for falling to both the houses of Yisra’ěl, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Yerushalayim. 

Isa 8:15  “And many among them shall stumble and fall, and be broken and snared and taken.” 

Isa 8:16  Bind up the witness, seal the Torah among my taught ones. 

 

Isa 8:20  To the Torah and to the witness! If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because they have no daybreak.a Footnote: aOr light. 

 

Once again the severity of the consequences of Jacob and the nations not walking in all the words of YHVH’s Torah will be devastating.

 

Isa 24:1  See, יהוה is making the earth empty and making it waste, and shall overturn its surface, and shall scatter abroad its inhabitants. 

Isa 24:2  And it shall be – as with the people so with the priest, as with the servant so with his master, as with the female servant so with her mistress, as with the buyer so with the seller, as with the lender so with the borrower, as with the creditor so with the debtor; 

Isa 24:3  the earth is completely emptied and utterly plundered, for יהוה has spoken this word. 

Isa 24:4  The earth shall mourn and wither, the world shall languish and wither, the haughty people of the earth shall languish. 

Isa 24:5  For the earth has been defiled under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the Torot,a changedb the law, broken the everlasting covenant.c Footnotes: aTorot - plural of Torah - teaching. b Jer_23:36. cSee also Isa_13:9, Isa_13:11, Isa_26:21, Isa_66:24, Mic_5:15, Zep_1:2-18. 

Isa 24:6  Therefore a curse shall consume the earth, and those who dwell in it be punished. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth shall be burned, and few men shall be left. 

 

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 28:20  And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God 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, 

 

Rashi (citing midrashic tradition): The "if" is not skepticism but a humble recognition that YHVH's promises (from verses 13–15) are not unconditional. Jacob fears his own potential sins might cause the promises to be abrogated or delayed. Thus, he's saying, "If YHVH fulfills these despite my flaws (or if He keeps His word to me), then I will respond with devotion." It's an expression of humility and self-awareness rather than a demand.

 

Php 3:11  if (Gk ‘’ei’’) somehow I might attain to the resurrection from the dead.

 

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.” 

 

The pillar as foreshadowing the Temple: Midrashic sources (e.g., Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer ch. 35) teach that the stone Jacob anointed and set up became (or prefigured) the ‘’Even ha-Shetiyah’’ (Foundation Stone), the central stone in the Most Set Apart place of the future Temple on Mount Moriah (Temple Mount in Jerusalem). The midrash describes YHVH sinking this stone into the depths as the "navel of the earth," from which creation expanded and upon which the Sanctuary stands. Jacob's declaration that "this stone... shall be YHVH's house" is seen as prophetic of the Beit HaMikdash, (Temple) the permanent dwelling place for YHVH's presence among Israel.

 

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

Gen 29:1  And Ya‛aqoḇ moved on and came to the land of the people of the East. 

Gen 29:2  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. 

 

In the last days before the Messiah returns the flocks of Jacob will be fully assembled before the stone is rolled,(end time revelation of Messiah) symbolizing Jacobs's unity and the in gathering before receiving the full outpouring of YHVH's Spirit (Acts 2, Joel 2). The three flocks (debated) could be the two houses of Isael (Judah and 10 lost tribes of Israel) and those grated into these two houses. This echoes prophetic visions of Israel and Judah reuniting under one shepherd (Ezekiel 37:15-24), fulfilled in Messiah.

 

Gen 29:3  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. (Mat 27:60 – a large stone was used to seal the tomb of Yahshua)

Gen 29:4  So Ya‛aqoḇ said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from Ḥaran.” (an end time remnant declaring ‘’we have made it to the end’’)

Gen 29:5  And he said to them, “Do you know Laḇan son of Naḥor?” And they said, “We know him.” 

Gen 29:6  So he said to them, “Is he well?” And they said, “Well. And see, his daughter Raḥěl is coming with the sheep.” 

Gen 29:7  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.” 

Gen 29:8  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.” 

Gen 29:9  While he was still speaking with them, Raḥěl came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 

Gen 29:10  And it came to be, when Ya‛aqoḇ saw Raḥěl the daughter of Laḇan his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laḇan his mother’s brother, that Ya‛aqoḇ went near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laḇan his mother’s brother. 

Gen 29:11  And Ya‛aqoḇ kissed Raḥěl, and lifted up his voice and wept. Zech 12:10

Gen 29:12  And when Ya‛aqoḇ told Raḥěl that he was her father’s relative and that he was Riḇqah’s son, she ran and told her father. 

Gen 29:13  And it came to be, when Laḇan heard the report about Ya‛aqoḇ 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. 

Gen 29:14  And Laḇan said to him, “You are indeed my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him for a new moon. (Laban is lying – he is a religious imposter – trying to portray purity- white)

 

There is a direct, deliberate connection between the Eden narrative in Genesis 2 and Laban’s statement to Jacob in Genesis 29:14 ("You are indeed my bone and my flesh"). Laban’s words are a conscious echo of Adam’s declaration upon meeting Eve in Genesis 2:23 ("This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh) is an idiom for the closest possible kinship or blood relation.

There is a profound, direct, and foundational connection in Jewish tradition between the concept of a Zivug (a predestined soulmate or pairing) and Adam’s declaration in Genesis 2:23: "This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh

Zivug - Two souls destined to be together in this world and the next.

According to teachings from scholars, the marriage to both sisters allowed Jacob to bridge two worlds: A Zivug rishon or first (Rachel) and a ‘’Zivug’’ sheni or second (Leah)

While Rachel is the Zivug Rishon, the Torah teaches that both women were necessary to build the house of Israel. See also Ezek 23:4

 

Gen 29:15  Then Laḇan said to Ya‛aqoḇ, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for naught? Let me know, what should your wages be?” 

Gen 29:16  And Laḇan had two daughters, the name of the elder (‘’gedolah’’means ‘’greater’’)

 was Lě’ah, and the name of the younger (‘’qetannah’’) means ‘’smaller’’

 was Raḥěl. (The choice of these words allows the text to hint at more than just birth order — a literary subtlety the Torah often employs.)

 

Gen 29:17  And Lě’ah’s eyes were weak, but Raḥěl was beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance. 

Gen 29:18  And Ya‛aqoḇ loved Raḥěl, so he said, “Let me serve you seven years for Raḥěl your younger daughter.” 

Gen 29:19  And Laḇan said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.” 

Gen 29:20  So Ya‛aqoḇ served seven years for Raḥěl, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her. 

Gen 29:21  Then Ya‛aqoḇ said to Laḇan, “Give me my wife, for my days are completed, and let me go in to her.” 

Gen 29:22  And Laḇan gathered all the men of the place and made a feast. 

Gen 29:23  And it came to be in the evening, that he took Lě’ah his daughter and brought her to Ya‛aqoḇ. And he went in to her. 

Gen 29:24  And Laḇan gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Lě’ah as a female servant. 

Gen 29:25  And in the morning it came to be, that see, it was Lě’ah. So he said to Laḇan, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Raḥěl that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?” 

Gen 29:26  And Laḇan said, “It is not done this way in our place, to give the younger before the first-born. 

Gen 29:27  "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.” 

Gen 29:28  And Ya‛aqoḇ did so and completed her week. Then he gave him his daughter Raḥěl too, as wife. 

Gen 29:29  And Laḇan gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Raḥěl as a female servant. 

Gen 29:30  And he also went in to Raḥěl, and he also loved Raḥěl more than Lě’ah. And he served with Laḇan still another seven years. 

 

Blessed are you YHVH, 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 –

Pesikata Rabbati 36

 

Rabbi Isaac said, "In the year that the King of the Messiah will appear, all the kings of the nations of the world will taunt one another. The king of Persia will taunt the king of Arabia. The king of Arabia will go to Edom to seek advice from them. The king of Persia will return and destroy the entire world. All the nations of the world will tremble and be terrified and fall on their faces. He will seize them with labor pains like the labor pains of a woman in labor. Israel will tremble and be terrified, saying, 'Where shall we go? Where shall we come?' And he will say to them, 'My sons, do not be afraid.' The time for your redemption has come. Not like the first redemption, so the last redemption. For the first redemption was for you sorrow and the bondage of (other) kingdoms.' But the last redemption is for you no sorrow and the bondage of (other) kingdoms.'

 

 

 

 

 

Parashat 6 Portion 26 ‘’Toldot’’ Gen 27:28-28:9 Obadiah 1 Is 43

Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, who has set us apart with His commandments and has commanded us to engross ourselves in the words of Torah. Please, YHVH, our Elohim, sweeten the words of Torah in our mouth and in the mouths of Your people, the family of Israel. May we and our offspring and the offspring of Your people, the house of Israel – all of us – know Your Name and study Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, YHVH, who teaches Torah to His people Israel.

ויתן־לך ''and he shall give to you..'' – This is statement is deliberately left incomplete – why? YHVH wants to give His people more than what is stated in vs 28-29

Gen 27:28  And Elohim give you (Jacob and his descendants, both natural and grafted in)  of the dew of the heavens, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine. 

Gen 27:29  Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be master over your brothers, and let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be those cursing you and blessed be those blessing you!” (brothers and sons are plural and refers to descendants of Jacob and Esau)

 

The ‘’greater blessing’’ is that YHVH has chosen one nation Jacob aka Israel above all the other nations of the world - Amo 3:2  “You alone have I known (Heb ‘’yada’’) of all the clans of the earth – ‘’Yada’’ - This word is also used to describe the sexual intimacy of marriage, such as in Genesis 4:1 ("Adam knew [yada] his wife"). In this context, it represents the highest form of intimacy, symbolizing a "one flesh" union that is meant to reflect the covenant love between YHVH and His people Israel. (including the ‘’grafted into Israel’’)

 

Israel was not only chosen by YHVH as the recipients of His covenant but also chosen to guard YHVH’s covenant -  Rom 9:4  …. the children of Yisra’ěl, to whom is the adoption, and the esteem, and the covenants, and the giving of the Torah, and the worship, and the promises, 

Rom 9:5  whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Messiah according to the flesh, who is over all, Elohim-blessed forever. Aměn. 

 

And this is why the Edomite spirit is trying to destroy Israel – Esau rejected the covenant and YHVH has rejected Esau. In fact YHVH hates Esau – Mal 1:3 and will completely destroy this spirit

 

The modern day manifestation of the Edomite/Christian spirit can be compared to AI – it is almost impossible to discern what is real and what is fake – who is the real Jacob? The Edomite spirit is the enemy’s chosen instrument to attempt to completely destroy the inheritance and existence of the real Jacob through deception. What complicates this issue is that the real Jacob is only a very small remnant of the entire Jacob - Isa 1:9  Unless יהוה of hosts had left to us a small remnant, we would have become like Seḏom, we would have been made like Amorah. 

 

The church never was or never will be the initial recipients or guardians of YHVH’s Covenant – YHVH’s Torah.

 

Oba 1:6  “How Ěsaw shall be searched out! His hidden treasures shall be sought out! 

Oba 1:7  “All your allies shall send you forth to the border, your friends shall deceive you and overpower you. They make your bread a snare under you, without you discerning it! 

Oba 1:8  “In that day,” declares יהוה, “I shall destroy the wise men from Eḏom, and discernment from the mountains of Ěsaw! 

Oba 1:10  “Because of your violence against your brother Ya‛aqoḇ, let shame cover you. And you shall be cut off forever. 

Oba 1:17  “But on Mount Tsiyon there shall be an escape,a and they shall be set-apart. And the house of Ya‛aqoḇ shall possess their possessions. Footnote: a Isa_4:2-3, Jol_2:32, Rev_14:1. 

Oba 1:18  “And the house of Ya‛aqoḇ shall be a fire, and the house of Yosěph a flame, but the house of Ěsaw for stubble. And they shall burn among them and they shall consume them, so that no survivor is left of the house of Ěsaw.” For יהוה has spoken. 

 

What is greater than YHVH’s blessings?

YHVH Himself.

 

The remnant of Jacob desires a covenant with YHVH more than the blessings that covenant would bring.

Esau desired the blessings of the covenant more than the covenant itself. This is evidenced in ‘’replacement theology’’ and Antisemitism.

 

Heb 12:15  See to it that no one falls short of the favour of Elohim, that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, by which many become defiled, 

Heb 12:16  lest there be anyone who whores, or profane one, like Ěsaw, who for a single meal sold his birthright.b Footnote: b Gen_25:32-33. 

Heb 12:17  For you know that afterward, when he wished to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it with tears. 

 

To Esau the covenant was a means to an end.

To Jacob the covenant was the end itself.

 

The covenant is the goal; The Torah is the covenant. For some the Messiah is the goal of the Torah. For others the Messiah terminates the need for the Torah/ covenant – for some the covenant found in the Torah has been replaced with a ‘’New covenant’’. Some believe the church is the guardian of this ‘’New covenant’’. Some don’t.

 

Rom 10:4  For Messiah is the goalb of the ‘Torah unto righteousness’ to everyone who believes. Footnote: bOr end purpose; not termination. (many believe the Messiah came to terminate the Torah and introduce a ‘’new covenant’’)

 

The firstborn male (Hebrew: bekhor) in an ancient Hebrew household was tasked with the central responsibility of maintaining ongoing covenantal continuity. Esau despised this birthright responsibility and traded his birthright for a bowl of lentil soup. Esau and most of his descendants continue to treat with contempt this same covenantal continuity.

 

Gen 27:30  And it came to be, as soon as Yitsḥaq had finished blessing Ya‛aqoḇ, and Ya‛aqoḇ had hardly left the presence of Yitsḥaq his father, that Ěsaw his brother came in from his hunting. 

Gen 27:31  And he too had made a tasty dish and brought it to his father, and said to his father, “Let my father rise and eat of his son’s wild game, so that your being might bless me.” 

Gen 27:32  And his father Yitsḥaq said to him, “Who are you?” And he said, “I am your son, your first-born, Ěsaw.” 

Gen 27:33  Then Yitsḥaq trembled exceedingly, and said, “Who was it then who hunted wild game and brought it to me? And I ate all of it before you came, and I have blessed him. Yes, he is blessed.” 

 

The Hebrew phrase וַיֶּחֱרַד יִצְחָק חֲרָדָה גְדֹלָה עַד־מְאֹד (vayyeḥĕrad Yitzḥaq ḥărādāh gədōlāh ʿad-məʾōd) in Genesis 27:33 is unusually emphatic. The verb חָרַד means to tremble or shake (often from fear or shock), and the text piles on intensifiers: a "great trembling" that reaches "exceedingly" or "to the extreme" (עַד־מְאֹד). Most English translations render it as "trembled very exceedingly," "trembled violently," or "was seized with very violent trembling."

 

Several overlapping reasons explain why Isaac's reaction was so profoundly serious and intense:

 

1.      The blessing given to Jacob was irreversible - Romans 11:29 states, "For YHVH's gifts and his call are irrevocable"

 While often applied to individual spiritual gifts, the original context (Romans 11) pertains to YHVH's faithfulness to Israel/Jacob despite their disobedience.

Irrevocable Nature: "Without repentance" (KJV/TS2009) means YHVH does not regret or reverse this decision – ever.

 

2.      Profound spiritual and emotional shock The patriarchal blessing was not a casual family wish; in that era and culture, it was a binding, prophetic act that shaped destiny, inheritance, and spiritual legacy. Isaac felt the full weight of having transferred it to the "wrong" son (from his perspective), yet he could not undo it. This created deep inner conflict: anger at the deception, grief over Esau's loss, but also reverent fear before YHVH's sovereignty. The text's extreme language underscores existential dread mixed with the realization of the devastating consequences of his actions.

 

3.      Traditional Jewish interpretations add depth Midrashic sources (e.g., cited by Rashi on Genesis 27:33) connect this trembling to Isaac's prophetic insight—he perceived the future consequences of family division and hatred between the brothers (and later their descendants). Some midrashim say he saw Gehinom (hell/punishment) opening beneath him and sensed the spiritual danger of his earlier resistance to YHVH's decree. This explains the intensity: it wasn't just family drama, but a moment of cosmic eschatological significance.

 

What makes this Edomite spirit so insidious is that at the end of the millennium after Satan is released from his chains, he attempts one final time to destroy YHVH’s inheritance –

 

Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years have ended, Satan shall be released from his prison, 

Rev 20:8  and he shall go out to lead the nations astray which are in the four corners of the earth, Goḡ and Maḡoḡ, Ezk_38:2 to gather them together for battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. (possibly tens of billions)

Rev 20:9  And they came up over the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the set-apart ones and the beloved city. And fire came down from Elohim out of the heaven and consumed them. 

Rev 20:10  And the devil, who led them astray, was thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur where the beast and the false prophet are. And they shall be tortured day and night forever and ever. 

 

Gen 27:34  When Ěsaw heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, me too, O my father!” 

Gen 27:35  And he said, “Your brother came with deceit and took your blessing.” 

Gen 27:36  And Ěsaw said, “Was his name, then, called Ya‛aqoḇ? For he has caught me by the heel these two times. He took my birthright, and see, now he has taken my blessing!” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” 

 

Esau's statement is partially true but not fully accurate—especially regarding the birthright. Here's a clear breakdown:

The second part ("he has taken my blessing") is true. Jacob did deceive Isaac (by pretending to be Esau, with Rebekah's help) and received the irrevocable covenantal blessing intended for Esau (Genesis 27:27–29). Isaac confirms he cannot undo it (27:33, 37), even though it was obtained deceitfully.

 

The first part ("he took my birthright") is misleading or false in how Esau frames it. Earlier, in Genesis 25:29–34, Esau voluntarily sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of lentil stew when he was famished. Esau himself said, “Behold, I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” He swore an oath and sold it, after which the text explicitly states: “Thus Esau despised his birthright.” Jacob did not steal or take it by force/deception—he negotiated a transaction that Esau agreed to, however impulsively and foolishly. Esau later regretted it deeply, but he had legally and willingly transferred it.

 

Gen 27:37  Then Yitsḥaq answered and said to Ěsaw, “See, I have made him your master, and all his brothers (includes all future generations) I have given to him as servants. And I have sustained him with grain and wine. And what, then, shall I do for you, my son?” (Esau is now in ‘’panic mode’’ he realizes what he has lost and will never be able to get back again – unless of course he repents and is ‘’grafted’’ into Jacob’s tree’’- this includes ALL gentiles)

 

Gen 27:38  And Ěsaw said to his father, “Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me, me too, O my father!” And Ěsaw lifted up his voice and wept. 

 

Gen 27:39  And Yitsḥaq his father answered and said to him, “See, your dwelling is of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of the heavens from above. 

Gen 27:40  And by your sword you are to live, and serve your brother. And it shall be, when you grow restless, that you shall break his yoke from your neck.” 

 

In essence, Esau's "one blessing" is a bittersweet prophecy of survival through strife, material provision in a tough land, and temporary subjugation followed by bursts of freedom—but never the covenant role or ultimate spiritual inheritance given to Jacob.

 

Gen 27:41  And Ěsaw hated Ya‛aqoḇ because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Ěsaw said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father draw near, then I am going to kill my brother Ya‛aqoḇ.” 

Gen 27:42  And the words of Ěsaw her older son were reported to Riḇqah, and she sent and called Ya‛aqoḇ her younger son, and said to him, “See, your brother Ěsaw comforts himself concerning you, to kill you. 

Gen 27:43  “And now, my son, listen to my voice, and rise, flee to my brother Laḇan in Ḥaran. 

Gen 27:44  “And stay with him a few days, until your brother’s wrath turns away, 

Gen 27:45  until your brother’s displeasure turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. And I shall send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?” 

 

Have you noticed how ‘’Esau’s’’ hatred has returned since ‘’Jacob’’ has begun to return to the land since 1948?

 

·         Gen 27:46  And Riḇqah said to Yitsḥaq, “I am disgusted with my life because of the daughters of Ḥěth. If Ya‛aqoḇ takes a wife from the daughters of Ḥěth, like these who are the daughters of the land, what is my life to me?” (Biblical Context: Heth is the ancestor of the Hittites (sons of Heth) and is sometimes interpreted as meaning "terror," "dread," or "broken" they hated Israel/Jacob)

‘’ Genetic studies and historical analyses indicate that modern-day Palestinians can be compared to the ancient Canaanites, as they share significant genetic ancestry with the indigenous Levantine populations that inhabited the region during the Bronze Age. Palestinians possess high levels of continuity with ancient Canaanites, often80–90%, reflecting a long-term presence in the area.’’ wikipedia

 

Jacob Sent to Laban

Gen 28:1  And Yitsḥaq called Ya‛aqoḇ and blessed him, and commanded him, and said to him, “Do not take a wife from the daughters of Kena‛an. (the Canaanites were determined to destroy Israel – then and now)

Gen 28:2  “Arise, go to Paddan Aram, to the house of Bethu’ěl your mother’s father. And take a

wife for yourself from there, from the daughters of Laḇan your mother’s brother. 

 

 By marrying within the family, Jacob positioned himself to inherit the "Blessing of Abraham," which included promises of a numerous posterity, a chosen land, and being a blessing to all families.

The biblical account indicates that Abraham  did not originally come from Paddan Aram,

 but he lived there for a significant period before migrating to Canaan -  Abraham later referred to this region as "the land of my birth" 

 

Gen 28:3  “And Ěl Shaddai bless you, and make you fruitful and increase you, and you shall become an assembly of peoples, 

Gen 28:4  and give you the blessing of Aḇraham, to you and your seed with you, so that you inherit the land of your sojournings, which Elohim gave to Aḇraham.” 

Gen 28:5  So Yitsḥaq sent Ya‛aqoḇ away, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laḇan son of Bethu’ěl the Aramean, the brother of Riḇqah, the mother of Ya‛aqoḇ and Ěsaw. 

Esau Marries an Ishmaelite

Gen 28:6  And Ěsaw saw that Yitsḥaq had blessed Ya‛aqoḇ and sent him away to Paddan Aram to take himself a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he gave him a command, saying, “Do not take a wife from the daughters of Kena‛an,” 

Gen 28:7  and that Ya‛aqoḇ had obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Paddan Aram. 

Gen 28:8  So Ěsaw saw that the daughters of Kena‛an did not please his father Yitsḥaq, 

Gen 28:9  and Ěsaw went to Yishma‛ěl and took Maḥalath the daughter of Yishma‛ěl, Aḇraham’s son, the sister of Neḇayoth, to be his wife, besides the wives he had. (Mahalath -  Derived from the root chalah (חָלה), meaning to be weak or sick – also related to the root machol, suggesting rhythmic or whirling dance.)

 

Isa 10:20  And in that day it shall be that the remnant of Yisra’ěl, and those who have escaped of the house of Ya‛aqoḇ, never again lean upon him who struck them, but shall lean upon יהוה, the Set-apart One of Yisra’ěl, in truth. 

Isa 10:21  A remnant shall return, the remnant of Ya‛aqoḇ, to the Mighty Ěl. 

Isa 10:22  For though your people, O Yisra’ěl, be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return – a decisive end, overflowing with righteousness.

 

Blessed are you YHVH, 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 – Amein.