Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have selected us from among all the nations and have given us your Torah. Amein.
שׁוּב אֶל-אֶרֶץ – return to ‘’a’’ land. ‘’A’’ land
only becomes ‘’the’’ land when Yakov returns.
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 a land of
your fathers”
Hidden in this and
following Torah portions seems to the reality that the return of Yakov’s
descendants will be a hazardous journey and they will have to face dangers from
all sides – family and foe before returning and settling forever in ‘’the’’
land of Yisrael.
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.
‘’Recent research has documented that the branches of the trees chosen by Yakov do, in fact, provide the nutrients needed to alter the expression of the agouti gene, which does, in turn, alter the color of the lambs born.’’
What makes this miracle amazing is that Lavan’s sons removed all the speckled and streaked flocks from the herd leaving Yakov with only the single colour white sheep – see Gen 30 :35
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 – 22)
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.
וַיִּגְנֹב יַעֲקֹב, אֶת-לֵב לָבָן הָאֲרַמִּי ‘’Yakov stole
Lavan’s heart..’’ how do you steal someone’s heart? You take away from them
everything that is important to them in this life.
We see Yakov leaves his father’s house and loses everything, now he leaves his
father in law’s house with ‘’everything’’ Like our ancestors who did not leave Mitsrayim/Egypt
empty handed, we too will not leave our ‘’captivity’’ empty handed. (If we
leave when YHVH tells us??? Mat 24:15-22)
‘’The early church historian Eusebius tells
of a prophetic oracle given to the Jerusalem church that caused them to flee
the city before its destruction (Eusebius, ‘Church History’ 3.5.3). Believers
were to flee from the approaching Roman army. The Roman army did not practice a
swift “blitzkrieg” kind of warfare. Their movement tended to be cautious,
methodical, and relentless. Jesus warned against playing a waiting game to see
how things would develop. (NIV Study Bible)’’
Because of a lack of unity around the truth
there will be no mass exodus- Jer 3:14
“Return, O backsliding children,” declares יהוה, “for I shall rule over you, and shall take you, one from a
city and two from a clan,[a] and shall
bring you to Tsiyon. Footnote: aSee Isa_27:12.
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?”
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
Gen 32:3 And Ya‛aqoḇ sent messengers before him to Ěsaw his brother in the land of Sě‛ir, the field of Eḏom
Yasher 31 (Josh 10:13 and 2 Sam 1:18 – ‘’see it is
written in the book of Yashar’’)
39. And Laban did not know that Yalov had gone from him, for Laban had been that day sheep-shearing. 40. And Rachel stole her father's images, and she took them and she concealed them upon the camel upon which she sat, and she went on. 41. And this is the manner of the images; in taking a man who is the first born and slaying him and taking the hair off his head, and taking salt and salting the head and anointing it in oil, then taking a small tablet of copper or a tablet of gold and writing the name upon it, and placing the tablet under his tongue, and taking the head with the tablet under the tongue and putting it in the house, and lighting up lights before it and bowing down to it. 42. And at the time when they bow down to it, it speaketh to them in all matters that they ask of it, through the power of the name which is written in it. 43. And some make them in the figures of men, of gold and silver, and go to them in times known to them, and the figures receive the influence of the stars, and tell them future things, and in this manner were the images which Rachel stole from her father.44 And Rachel stole these images which were her father's, in order that Laban might not know through them where Yacob had gone.45 And Laban came home and he asked concerning Yacob and his household, and he was not to be found, and Laban sought his images to know where Yacob had gone, and could not find them, and he went to some other images, and he inquired of them and they told him that Yacob had fled from him to his father's, to the land of Canaan.46 And Laban then rose up and he took his brothers and all his servants, and he went forth and pursued Yacob, and he overtook him in mount Gilead.47 And Laban said unto Yacob, 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 Yacob answered Laban, 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 Laban searched for the images and he examined in all Yacob's tents and furniture, but could not find them.51 And Laban said unto Yacob, 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 YAHWEH shall be a witness between me and you in this matter.52 And they took stones and made a heap, and Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and you, therefore he called the name thereof Gilead.53 And Yacob and Laban offered sacrifice upon the mount, and they ate there by the heap, and they tarried in the mount all night, and Laban 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 Yacob, and they came by another road to the land of Seir. 56 And they came unto Esau and said unto him, Thus saith your brother and relative, your mother's brother Laban, the son of Bethuel, saying, 57 Have you heard what Yacob 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 YAHWEH 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 Isaac, to the land of Canaan. 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 Jabuk, 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 Laban's messengers came and told Esau all these things. 64 And Esau heard all the words of Laban's messengers, and his anger was greatly kindled against Yacob, and he remembered his hatred, and his anger burned within him.65 And Esau 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 Yacob to smite him.
Finally in our Haftarah portion in the light of returning to the land, our hearts will be examined by YHVH, He will cause us to reflect on our spiritual condition as well as His overwhelming goodness to deliver us and give us an inheritance.
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.
Breach – שׁבר - breaking, fracture, crushing, breach, crash, ruin, shattering….
Jer 17:9 “The heart is crooked(עקב - deceitful, sly, insidious) above all, and desperately sick – who shall know it?
Rom 7:18 For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good. For to wish is present with me, but to work the good I do not find.
Rom 3:10 As it has been written, “There is none righteous, no, not one!
Mal 3:2 “And who is able to bear the day of His coming, and who is able to stand when He appears? For He is like the fire of a refiner, and like the soap of a launderer.
1Ti 1:15 Trustworthy is the word and worthy of all acceptance, that Messiah יהושע came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost. (Present tense)
We are only able to face our own condition when He reveals to us that His love and favour are infinitely greater than our condition and His loving commitment triumphs over judgment – James(Yakov) 2:12-13
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 (iniquity) 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,(iniquity) because your sins (are plentiful)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.”Jer 30:18 “Thus said יהוה, ‘See, I turn back the captivity of Ya‛aqoḇ’s tents, and have compassion on his dwelling places. And the city shall be built upon its own mound, and the palace stand on its right place.
Baruch atah YHVH,
Eloheinu, Melech ha-‘Olam, asher natan lanu Toraht-emet, v’chai-yeh o’lam
nata-b’tochenu. Baruch atah YHVH, notein ha-Torah. Amein.
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.