This week’s Parshah is one of unfulfilled expectations. Jacob wants Rachel but gets Leah instead; Laban wants a cheap employee but ends up with a rival. But the main focus of disappointment and frustration concerns the love triangle of Jacob, Leah and Rachel. Each of the two sisters has what the other wants and wants what the other has. Rachel has Jacob’s love but wants children; Leah has children in abundance but craves her aggrieved husband’s affection. G-d has given Leah children precisely because her husband ‘hated’ her but this does not satisfy her. G-d, seeing Jacob’s love for Rachel, sees no need to give her children as well, but this is what she craves above all. How is this vicious circle to be broken? The pivotal point in this family saga comes when Leah‘s son finds mandrakes, a fertility drug, and brings them to his mother. Rachel requests some, to which Leah bitterly replies: ‘is it not enough that you have taken my husband, that you also want to take my son‘s mandrakes? Rachel then offers her ‘night’ with Jacob in return for the mandrakes, which Leah accepts. Leah sleeps with Jacob and has more children, while Rachel, also, finally gets the child for which she craved. What has gone on here? Obviously something more than a simple sordid deal. G-d Himself takes notice and acts to give each woman their desire. In fact what has happened is something quite profound. Each woman has understood the pain of the other, and their need for what the other has. Rachel, rather than replying that it was her sister that deceitfully stole her lover, comprehends the pain that Leah must feel at her husbands rejection and willingly surrenders her intimacy with him to her sister. Leah, overcoming her own pain, understands her sisters need for children, and surrenders her sons fertility drug. By giving up what they have but what the other needs, both sisters finally attain their most desired wish. Can there be a more profound lesson to us all? How often to we enviously look at others, thinking them more fortunate than us, not realising that they may need what only we can give them. No one has everything and no one has nothing to give. It is precisely by giving of what we have but that others need, that we can open the door to the solution to even the most intractable problems.
ALIYAH BY ALIYAH SYNOPSIS
Rishon |
Jacob leaves for Haran. He dreams of an angelic ladder with G-d promising to protect him. |
Sheni |
Jacob arrives in Haran meets Rachel and falls in love. |
|
Shelishi |
He works for Rachel for 7 years but is deceived and gets Leah instead. He gets Rachel for another 7 years labour. Leah is fruitful but Rachel barren so they use maidservants as surrogates. |
|
Revi’i |
Rachel finally gives birth to Joseph. Laban ask Jacob to stay on after his contract is ended. |
|
Chamishi |
Jacob agrees to take only the non-white animals but by good husbandry becomes rich. Laban is jealous. |
|
Shishi |
Jacob flees but Laban catches up but is prevented by G-d from harming Jacob. |
|
Shevi’i |
After mutual recriminations Laban and Jacob make a deal. Jacob re-enters the Land of Israel. |
|
Haftorah |
Hosea: 12;13-14;10: Israel should remember G-d’s kindness to Jacob and return to G-d. |
Sidra Statistics
Parshat Vayetze
· has 148 verses ;
· is the 7th in Genesis, 7th in the Torah
· 3rd longest in Genesis, 5th longest in the Torah ;
· has no mitzvot
