Vayetze

Genesis 28:10-32:3

For full text in Hebrew and English, click here: Genesis 28:10-32:3

Jacob has a dream with angels going up and down a ladder from earth to heaven. God appears before Jacob, renewing the covenant that God had made with Abraham. Jacob sees Rachel, Laban’s daughter, tending to sheep and wishes to marry her. Laban tricks Jacob into marrying his eldest daughter, Leah, after seven years of labor. In exchange for another seven years of work, Jacob is allowed to marry Rachel. Jacob has many sons with Leah, but Rachel is unable to conceive. Finally, God blesses Rachel, and she has a son, whom she names Joseph.

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Click here for a summary of Haftarat Vayetze.
rachel's sheep
Rachel’s sheep

Text Studies

Social Action and Environmentalism

“I Have A Dream . . .”
Rabbi Ed Rosenthal, Hillel

 

Jacob the Migrant Worker
Sam Berrin Shonkoff, AJWS

 

Jacob’s Covenant With God
Rabbi Jordan D. Cohen, KOLEL

 

Awaken to Activism
Rabbi Elliot Kukla, AJWS

 

Sisterhood
Rabbi Paula Goldberg, Union for Reform Judaism

 

Jacob’s Anxiety
Daniel Bloom, AJWS

 

Laban’s Excuse: Labor Ethics & Standards
Jeremy Burton, socialaction.com

 

Jacob Out In the World
Avi Neuman, Canfei Nesharim

 

From the Denominations

Pluralism and Outreach

Children And Deferred Dreams
Rabbi Bradley Artson, American Jewish University
Open-Ended Journeys
Rabbi Kerry Olitzky, Big Tent Judaism

 

Complicated Relationships
Rabbi Melissa Crespy, Jewish Theological Seminary

 

God Was In This Place And I Did Not Know
David Elcott, CLAL

 

Blaming Society
Rabbi Avraham Fischer, Orthodox Union

 

On Dreams And Reality
Pinchas Leiser, UJA-Federation of New York

 

Family and Fun

Parshat Vayetze Quiz
Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies

 

Parshat Vayetze Challah
Julie Seltzer

 

Parshat Vayetze for Families
Torah Topics for Today

 

Dealing With Dishonesty
Torah Topics for Today

 

Tithing
Torah Topics for Today






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