Bible Studies
Parshat Vayishlach
“And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the field of Edom.” Genesis 32:4 (JPS)
“And Jacob said: 'O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who saidst unto me: Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will do thee good; I am not worthy of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which Thou hast shown unto Thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two camps.” Genesis 32:10-11 (JPS)
Again Israel is two camps in this day. When Israel returns to the land, they are in two camps. The children of Rachel are in one camp, and all the other children in the other camp. Again Israel needs to be delivered from the hand of their brother.
“And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.” Genesis 32:25 (JPS)
Much is left out of this story. Why did they start wrestling? How did Jacob know to ask this man to bless him? Jacob says that it was God that he wrestled with, but how did he know? Jacob makes it clear that he didn’t even know the man’s name. Did he know that this man was God when he started wrestling?
“And he said: 'Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for thou hast striven with God and with men, and hast prevailed.'” Genesis 32:29 (JPS)
Jacob literally means “heel-holder.” But at this point, Jacob is no longer holding onto Esau’s heel. He has prevailed with God and with man and is given the name Yisra’el, which is “the strength of God” or “the bracelet of God” or “the prince of God.” He was now a prince of God, he was filled with the strength of God. Israel was no longer a heel-holder, he was a ruler.
“And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him a house, and made booths for his cattle. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.” Genesis 33:17 (JPS)
Before Jacob could live in the land of Canaan he had to go to Sukkot. This would be repeated in Israel’s coming out of Egypt, and will be again in the final return to the land.
“And he erected there an altar, and called it El-elohe-Israel.” Genesis 33:20 (JPS) el eloheyi yisra’el means “God the God of Israel.” So at this point, Father has provided for Jacob food and clothing, and allowed him to go back to his father’s house, and now Father is his God, as he swore in Genesis 28:20.
“And Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.” Genesis 34:1 (JPS)
Dinah’s first mistake?
“And it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city unawares, and slew all the males.” Genesis 34:25 (JPS)
Deliverance comes on the third day. Here, on the third day, the deliverers came and took Dinah out of the hand of the enemy. It is interesting that there are two deliverers, not one. Later, all the sons of Israel come and plunder the already defeated city. This reflects both comings of Messiah. When Jacob does rebuke Simeon and Levi for killing the men of the city of Shechem it isn’t because it was wrong, he rebukes them because it makes him hated in the eyes of the natives of Canaan. The people had not committed the sin, but the sins of the rulers affect the people as well.
“Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him: 'Put away the strange gods that are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your garments;’” Genesis 35:2 (JPS)
Though Father is the God of Israel, He was not yet the God of his household. At this point He becomes the God of Israel’s household. The household had to be pure in order to build a holy altar to Father at Beyit-El.
“And they gave unto Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hand, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth which was by Shechem.” Genesis 35:4 (JPS)
Why does this associate earrings with pagan gods? Were they always associated with idol worship? That doesn’t seem likely. Deuteronomy 15:17, “then thou shalt take an awl, and thrust it through his ear and into the door, and he shall be thy bondman for ever. And also unto thy bondwoman thou shalt do likewise.” (JPS) Had they made a covenant to be servants to these gods forever?
The word translated “terebinth” is elah, a root-word of eshel. The root of elah is ayil, meaning “leader,” “pillar,” or “strength.” Again, it is associated with covenants. What it literally says is, “and Jacob hid them beneath or at the foot of the elah which was with Shechem.” It can also mean “by” but what if it were “with”? Then Shechem would refer to the ruler who was just talked about in the previous chapter. But he is dead by this point. In that case, is it the covenant of death? Or perhaps this is a pillar that is the symbol of the covenant that they had made with Shechem, that if his people would be circumcised they would give Dinah to him, and would intermarry with his people.
“And he built there an altar, and called the place El-beth-el, because there God was revealed unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.” Genesis 35:7 (JPS)
Before Jacob only called it “house of El.” This time he calls it “El of house of El.” Does this indicate that before he didn’t know El, but now he does? Before this was merely the house of El. Now he knows the God of the house of God.
“And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing--for she died--that she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin.” Genesis 35:18 (JPS)
“Thus saith the LORD: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children; she refuseth to be comforted for her children, because they are not.” Jeremiah 31:14 (JPS)
Why was Rachel weeping for her children? She must have known why she was dying, but why does it say that her children “are not”? Rachel’s maid had died earlier in the chapter, and now Rachel is dying. That leaves Leah and her maid to care for Rachel’s children. Rachel knew what this would mean to Joseph and Benjamin, that they would be persecuted by their brothers and by their stepmothers. Is this what caused Rachel to weep for her children? Is this why she called Benjamin “son of my sorrow”? She sees her children left alone in the world, motherless, surrounded by people who hate them because they are beloved of their father. Eventually, one of them would be sold into Egypt, who would then prove to be the salvation of them all. Do these two not exactly parallel Israel and Judah?
“And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath--the same is Beth-lehem.” Genesis 35:19 (JPS)
Ephrath means, “place of fruitfulness.” The root-word is parah, meaning “to be fruitful.” Rachel died on the way to fruitfulness. Because Rachel was on the way to fruitfulness, perhaps meaning the baby was not born yet, and the midwife had already told her that it was a boy, perhaps Benjamin was breach, which would explain why Rachel had hard labor. Bethlehem means “house of bread.” So at the birthplace of Messiah there was the bread and the fruit, Bethlehem and Ephrath. Does this echo the bread and wine?
“And Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave; the same is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.” Genesis 35:20 (JPS)
This is the same kind of pillar that Jacob set up at Beth-El. Was Jacob setting up a gravestone at Beth-El? A gravestone to his old person, a memorial that he was no longer following pagan gods, but following Father?
The Readings: Parshat Vayishlach, Genesis 32:4-36:43. Haftarat Vayishlach, Obadiah 1:1-21. Tehillim Vayishlach, Psalm 140. B’rit Chadesha Vayishlach, Matt. 2, I Corinthians 11:23-29
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