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.
| Click here for a summary of Vayetze. Click here for a summary of Haftarat Vayetze. |
 Rachel’s sheep |
Text Studies |
Social Action and Environmentalism |
| “I Have A Dream . . .” Rabbi Ed Rosenthal, Hillel
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Jacob the Migrant Worker Sam Berrin Shonkoff, AJWS
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| Jacob’s Covenant With God Rabbi Jordan D. Cohen, KOLEL
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Awaken to Activism Rabbi Elliot Kukla, AJWS
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| Sisterhood Rabbi Paula Goldberg, Union for Reform Judaism
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Jacob’s Anxiety Daniel Bloom, AJWS
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| Laban’s Excuse: Labor Ethics & Standards Jeremy Burton, socialaction.com
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| Jacob Out In the World Avi Neuman, Canfei Nesharim
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From the Denominations |
Pluralism and Outreach
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| Children And Deferred Dreams Rabbi Bradley Artson, American Jewish University |
Open-Ended Journeys Rabbi Kerry Olitzky, Big Tent Judaism
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| Complicated Relationships Rabbi Melissa Crespy, Jewish Theological Seminary
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God Was In This Place And I Did Not Know David Elcott, CLAL
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| Blaming Society Rabbi Avraham Fischer, Orthodox Union
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On Dreams And Reality Pinchas Leiser, UJA-Federation of New York
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Family and Fun
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| Parshat Vayetze Quiz Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies
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| Parshat Vayetze Challah Julie Seltzer
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| Parshat Vayetze for Families Torah Topics for Today
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| Dealing With Dishonesty Torah Topics for Today
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| Tithing Torah Topics for Today |
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Avraham
Pronounced: AHVR-rah-ham, Origin: Hebrew, Abraham in the Torah, considered the first Jew.
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Torah
Pronunced: TORE-uh, Origin: Hebrew, the Five Books of Moses.
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