Wrestling with God

Parashat Vayishlach
Genesis 32:4 - 36:43

"Jacob sent (vayishlach) messengers ahead to his brother Esau in the land of Seir..."

Our story continues 20 years after last week's parasha, Vayetze, where Jacob left Canaan for Haran, meeting Rachel and entering into a problematic betrothal agreement with her father, Laban, that ended with his marriage to both Rachel and her older sister, Leah. In Parashat Vayishlach, Jacob decides to return to Canaan with his large family, and begins to nervously prepare for his reunion with his estranged brother Esau, whose land they must pass through during their travels. His messengers return with the report that Esau is bringing 400 men to his meeting with Jacob. Obviously threatened by this news, Jacob divides up his family and flocks into two camps, hoping that one will survive if the other faces what Jacob considers to be an inevitable attack. After sending Esau a lavish gift of animals, Jacob begins the process of moving along his entourage. Once he safely sees the last across a river, Jacob was left alone. That evening, he wrestles with a mysterious "man" who injures Jacob in the thigh, leaving him with a limp, and bestowing upon him a new name, Yisrael, meaning "one who has struggled/wrestled with God." Eventually, Jacob and Esau meet without incident and peacefully go their separate ways.

After a brief detour through Shechem, God tells Jacob to travel on to Bethel and to build an altar there. Once they arrive in the appointed place, God appears to Jacob and confirms upon him this new name of Yisrael and reaffirms with him the covenant made between God and the family of Abraham. Rachel dies in childbirth (with Benjamin) and is buried along the road to Ephrat. Isaac dies at the ripe old age of 180, and both Esau and Jacob do their duty by their father and bury him. The parsha concludes with the recitation of the genealogy of Esau's descendants.

A few questions for your Shabbat table:

• Jacob's new name was Yisrael, or Israel, which means to struggle with God. What does it mean to struggle with God? Have you ever struggled with God?
• A person's name is very important, sometimes telling what the person is like. In the Torah, when someone's name is changed, it means that the person has changed too. How do you think Jacob changed when he became Yisrael?
• Part of Parashat Vayishlach shows us the tension Jacob anticipated in his meeting with Esau. Have you ever had a fight with anyone in your family? How did you feel? What feelings did you have to wrestle with in order to make peace with each other?
• Jacob received his new name after he wrestled with a man (eesh in Hebrew), but his new name says that he wrestled with God (el in Hebrew), not a man. Why do you think this is? Was the mysterious wrestler a man, or perhaps something else?
• Many synagogues are called "Beth El," like the site in this parasha where God tells Jacob to build an altar. Beth El literally means "a house of God" - what do you think makes a synagogue like a house of God?

                                         

Dream a Little Dream

Parshat Vayeitzei
Genesis 32:4-36.43

Parshat Vayeitzei, the seventh portion in the book of Genesis (Bereisheet), tells of Jacob leaving (va'yeitzei - and he left) Beer Sheva and headed for Haran. Along the way, he stops for the evening, and goes to sleep, using a stone for a pillow. That night he had dreamt of a ladder than stretched up to the heavens with angels ascending and descending the structure. God stands beside Jacob and tells him that the land on which he stands will one day belong to Jacob and his descendants and they will be blessed. Additionally, God promises that Jacob will return safely to his home.

In Haran, Jacob comes to his Uncle Laban's house, and falls in love with Laban's daughter, Rachel. In exchange for Rachel's hand, Jacob agrees to work for seven years. At the end of the seven years, the wedding feast Jacob prepares to marry Rachel, but finds Leah as his bride instead. Understandably upset by this outcome, Jacob confronts Laban, only to be told that it is not Laban's practice to marry off the younger daughter before the older. The agree that Jacob will be allowed to marry Rachel as well, but must work another seven years.

After his many years of servitude and the arrival of many children, Jacob decides it is time to leave his uncle's home and return to the land of his birth. Jacob and Laban work out an agreement over the payment of Jacob's wages, but Laban's sons are unhappy with the arrangement. With Laban suddenly expressing some doubts as well and the situation becoming increasingly tense, Jacob, Rachel, and Leah decide to leave quickly, not even stopping to say goodbye. On the way, Rachel steals her father's set of idols. When Laban discovers that these important items are missing, he pursues his daughters and son-in-law. Laban catches up with the groups, and he and Jacob discuss the matter, eventually resolving a number of issues that had built up between the two of them over Jacob's twenty years with Laban's household. The two reconcile, and Jacob and his family resume their journey.

Questions for your Shabbat table:

• When Jacob awoke from his dream, he sensed God's presence and was changed. Have you ever had a dream experience that had such an effect on you?
• During his time in Haran, Jacob is the victim of tricks and lies. What do you do when you think someone is not being honest with you?  How does it make you feel?
• Have you ever lied to anyone? How does it make you feel? How do you think the other person feels if they discover the truth?
• Is it ever acceptable to lie? Why or why not?
• At the end of the portion, Jacob and Laban discuss their disagreements and are able to resolve some of their differences. Can you think of someone with whom you disagree with whom you could make peace?

And now your weekly Torah cartoons based on this week's parsha.

The Twins

Parshat Toldot
Genesis 25:19-28:10

"These are the generations of Isaac the son of Abraham..."

Toldot, the title of this week's parsha, means "generations," and this portion of Torah begins by recounting the family background of Isaac in preparation for its description of his adult life. The story of Isaac and his beloved Rebecca is very similar to that of his parents, Abraham and Sarah. Both couples share great difficulty in getting pregnant, and Parshat Toldot begins with Isaac praying to God on Rebecca's behalf, for she is barren. Lo and behold, God responds to Isaac's plea and Rebecca conceives twins. The first twinges of sibling rivalry are felt within her womb, as it says that they struggle within her. The first twin to emerge is red and hairy and is named Esau; the other, born holding Esau's heel, is called Jacob. The twins are quite different from each other with different interests and temperaments - Esau is a hunter, Jacob is a quite individual who chooses to stay in camp. Isaac favors Esau, but Rebecca loves Jacob.

One day, Esau returns from a day of hunting to find Jacob preparing a delicious fragrant stew. Esau comes in starving and demands food. As payment, Jacob, always the wily one, manipulates Esau into selling him his birthright in return for the hot meal, which Esau does with no hesitation.

The parsha continues with the tale of a famine in the land, but God commands Isaac to remain in Canaan and not travel to Egypt so that Isaac might receive the blessings God bestowed upon his father, Abraham (i.e., a great nation and land). There are interactions with local neighbors, some cases of mistaken identity and/or relations (Isaac pretends Rebecca is his sister - much as Abraham did with Sarah when they traveled to Egypt), Isaac becomes wealthy and is asked to leave the area, and a series of wanderings ensue, with Isaac eventually settling in Beersheva and making a peace treaty with the Philistines.

The end of the parsha brings us the end of Isaac's life - he grows old and the time of blessing his offspring is at hand. This is the famous story of Rebecca's intervention that causes Jacob to steal his older brother's blessing. She convinces Jacob to deceive his father by impersonating him - he dons animal skins and pretends to be Esau, in turn receiving the blessing rightfully due his older brother. Jacob, encouraged by his mother's fear of Esau's reaction to this theft, flees to Haran to his uncle Laban's home.

A few questions for your Shabbat table:

• The Torah tells us that Jacob and Esau were not identical twins - they looked very different from each other. In what ways - your appearance, your hobbies, the way you view the world - are you similar to other members of your family? In what ways are you different?
• Think of a time that you were jealous of a family member of friend. What made you jealous? How did you feel inside? How did you act?
• For parents: Describe a time when you acted like Rebecca. For children: describe a time when you acted like Jacob.
• In order to get his father's blessing, Jacob had to trick Isaac. Was this the right thing to do? Why or why not?
• What could this family have done differently? What advice would you give them to handle this situation better?
• Think of a choice you made on impulse. What were the consequences? Would you have acted differently if you had considered the repercussions of your actions?
• If Jacob already received his brother's birthright when they agreed on the deal over a bowl of soup, why did he also need his father's blessing?

This week's Torah cartoons...

And new this week - a "partoon" from The Bible Players - the parsha in 60 seconds:

The Life of Sarah

Parshat Chayei Sarah
Genesis 23:1-25:18

This week's parsha, Chayei Sarah, or "The Life of Sarah," begins with Sarah's death at the age of 127. By this point, Sarah and Abraham were living in Canaan, and at the time of her death, they had reached Kiryat Arba, a city now located in the West Bank's Judean Hills near Hebron. It was here that Abraham bargains with Ephron, a Hittite, for a burial place and purchases the Cave of Machpelah (sometimes called the Cave of the Patriarchs) and its surrounding field.

Following Sarah's death, the parsha focuses on the next generation with Abraham's decision that Isaac must wed. He sends his servant Eliezer back to, Aram-Naharaim, Abraham's homeland, in order to find a suitable prospect. Upon arriving in the city of Nahor, the servant prays to God to direct him to the woman chosen for Isaac. He approaches a well, the communal gathering area for the city, and decides for himself what he is looking for: if a young woman approaches him and offers some help, she would surely be the one God intends. Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, comes to the well, and through her kindness to the stranger and her haste to ensure his comfort, it is clear to Eliezer that she is the right wife for Isaac.

Eliezer and Rebekah return to Canaan, where she and Isaac fall in love. The parsha closes with Abraham's death at the age of 137, and Isaac and his brother Ishmael bury him in the Cave of Machpelah beside Sarah.

A few questions for your Shabbat table:

• When Eliezer arrives in the city of Nahor, he is alone and knows no one. What does it feel like to be a stranger? What kinds of things can you do to make someone who is new to your school, class, or community feel welcome?
• Eliezer decided that the right wife for Isaac would have to pass a kind of test. Why did Rebekah pass Eliezer's test? How can we be more like Rebekah?
• When Sarah dies in the beginning of the parsha, it says that Abraham mourned her passing, but the portion says nothing of Isaac's grief until the very end of the parsha. When Rebekah arrives in Canaan, she and Isaac fall in love. It is at this point that he is finally able to mourn the loss of his mother. Why might it have taken the discovery of Rebekah for Isaac to be comforted?
• In Chayei Sarah, Isaac's wife is determined for him by his father. As a family, discuss whether there are things children should be able to do without their parents' consent. How does the age of a child affect the answers to this question? At what age should children be able to act completely independently of their parents?

In this week's Torah cartoon, take a closer look at the interaction between Eliezer and Rebekah.

Testing God, Testing Abraham

Parshat Vayera
Genesis 18:1-22:24

Like many parashot in B'reishit (Genesis), Parshat Vayera is jam packed with stories and lessons. The parsha opens with a visit to Abraham from messenger, who bring predictions of the birth of Isaac. This greatly amuses Sarah, who, understandably, can hardly believe she is to become a mother at the ripe old age of 90.

God later appears to Abraham and foretells the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. A discussion ensues in which Abraham bargains for the citizens of these cities. The story continues with Lot having to flee Sodom, and his wife is turned into a pillar of salt after ignoring the warning to not look upon the annihilation of the city as they escape.

The parsha ends (after a brief sojourn in the land of Gerar) with the birth of Isaac, the banishment of Hagar and Ishmael, and the near-sacrifice of Isaac.

A few questions for your Shabbat dinner table:

• During this parsha, Sarah gives birth to her son who is named "Isaac," which is derived from the Hebrew word for laughter. Why might this be the name chosen for Isaac? What is so funny about his birth?
• Take this time to discuss names and the meaning behind them. How did everyone in your family get their name? Are they named for someone? What characteristics of that person might you want to emulate?
• When God tells Abraham about the wickedness of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham tries to bargain for the citizens of those two cities. How do you think Abraham felt trying to argue with God? Have you ever had an occasion to argue for something you thought was very important?
• At the end of the parsha, we see the story of Akedat Yitzchak, the binding and near-sacrifice of Isaac, which we read during Rosh Hashanah. Some people read this as God testing Abraham's commitment and devotion, and it seems that Abraham has passed the test. Ask every family member to think of a very strong belief he or she holds or a value to which he or she is committed. Would any of you put the belief or value above the lives of those you love?

And as always, here is a fun quick look at Parshat Vayera - this video takes a deeper look at the story of Hagar and Ishmael.