Commentary on Parashat Vayetzei, Genesis 28:10 - 32:3
Every week, Julie Seltzer, artist and Torah scribe, bakes a challah depicting an aspect of the week’s Torah portion.
And an angel of God said to me in the dream: Jacob; and I said: Here am I.
And he said: Lift up your eyes, and see, all the sheep which leap upon the flock are streaked, dotted, and speckled. (Genesis 31:11-12)
וַיּאמֶר אֵלַי מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלהִים, בַּחֲלוֹם–יַעֲקב; וָאמַר, הִנֵּנִי.
וַיּאמֶר, שָׂא-נָא עֵינֶיךָ וּרְאֵה כָּל-הָעַתֻּדִים הָעֹלִים עַל-הַצֹּאן, עֲקֻדִּים נְקֻדִּים, וּבְרֻדִּים
Jacob strikes a deal with his father-in-law Laban to take ownership over some of the flock, and Jacob figures out a clever (if mysterious!) way to make the animals breed in a manner that insures that the strong ones go to him.
challah
Pronounced: KHAH-luh, Origin: Hebrew, ceremonial bread eaten on Shabbat and Jewish holidays.
Torah
Pronunced: TORE-uh, Origin: Hebrew, the Five Books of Moses.