V’yeitzei
He went out
“Jacob’s Maturing Faith”
Genesis 28:10-32:2
Hosea 12:12-14:10 (A);
11:7-12:12 (S)
excerpted from TorahScope, Volume III
Torah students should realize that after the first 11 chapters of Genesis record a wide swath of human history, from the Creation to the scrambling of the languages, the remaining chapters deal with the four generations—which consist of Abraham, his children, his grandchildren, and his great-grandchildren. From Genesis chs. 12-25, the focus is on God testing Abraham, the person chosen to be the father of faith. From Genesis chs. 25-28, the emphasis is on Abraham’s son Isaac, and how he continued along the walk of faith Abraham had established. When we now turn to the Torah portion V’yeitzei in our weekly readings, the life of Jacob is detailed, and is followed by specific actions taken by his twelve sons and daughter for the balance of the Book of Genesis. The first book of the Pentateuch is primarily concerned with the Lord God, and how He interacted with these individuals and their steadily enlarging family, as they learned to trust wholeheartedly in Him. This Deity is hence forever referred to as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—precisely because their personal testimonies established a foundation for their successors in the balance of the Holy Scriptures.
It is not only interesting—but also extremely important—for readers to study, analyze, and compare how these different individuals responded to the Almighty. Each generation was unique, and no two people and their experiences with God were identical. Abraham had at least a modicum of belief in the One True Creator, when his father Terah and their family left Ur. When Abraham received the direct call from the Holy One to go forth to another country (Genesis 12:1-3), Abraham responded without any recorded hesitancy. Abraham is so recognized as “the father of faith,” because his intimate relationship with God was not necessarily modeled by his father Terah. Abraham was uniquely chosen by God to establish a special relationship with one man and his family, which would set in motion a system of belief which has endured down through the millennia. It is from the early chapters of Genesis, that the foundation of the Judeo-Christian faith system and worldview are derived.
Believers in the Messiah would be reminded centuries later, how the Torah was to serve as an example of things for instruction and admonition (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:11). And, this is one of the primary reasons why one studies the recorded stories of the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Just like modern people today, these early heroes of our faith were human beings with foibles and carnal tendencies, which did not make them perfect in any way. Even though they each had varying degrees of personal interaction with the Holy One as recorded, there were still times when some of their decisions were “curious,” to say the least. Those who annually study through the Torah might identify with many of the specific challenges which the Patriarchs and Matriarchs of these four generations endured, because family dynamics and issues doubtlessly continue down through the generations to our own time. Perhaps in the course of reviewing these lives and understanding some of the problems they had to contend with, people today will learn from these examples and grow in their walks with the Lord. In so doing, may we all continue to receive the blessings promised to those who place their faith in the Holy One of Israel!
Jacob’s Journey
V’yeitzei begins with Jacob obeying his parents, and heading east toward his uncle Laban’s community. Because Jacob’s demeanor was such that he had a tendency to hang out around the tents during his upbringing (cf. Genesis 25:27)—seemingly learning about the family traditions and seeking to please his parents—when his parents gave him some instructions to avoid marrying the local Canaanite women, but rather find a wife from the daughters of Laban, he did not hesitate or question their wisdom (Genesis 27:41-46). As Jacob obediently departed from Beersheba toward Paddan-aram, he had his first recorded, life-changing encounter with the Lord. Since no other people are mentioned on the journey, Jacob was likely traveling by himself, with many thoughts on his mind about Esau’s anger, and perhaps being separated from his parents.
After traveling some distance, Jacob stopped for the night, and had a dream-vision which obviously impacted him for the rest of his life. It is in this dream when the God of his grandfather Abraham and father Isaac appeared to him, and He reaffirmed the blessings which Isaac had recently declared about Jacob receiving the blessings of Abraham (Genesis 28:3-4):
“Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place, and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep. He dreamed and saw a stairway set upon the earth, and its top reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. Behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, ‘I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. I will give the land you lie on to you and to your offspring. Your offspring will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your offspring, all the families of the earth will be blessed. Behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you until I have done that which I have spoken of to you.’ Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, ‘Surely the LORD is in this place, and I didn’t know it.’ He was afraid, and said, ‘How awesome this place is! This is none other than God’s house, and this is the gate of heaven.’ Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil on its top. He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. Jacob vowed a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to put on, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, and the LORD will be my God, then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, will be God’s house. Of all that you will give me I will surely give a tenth to you’” (Genesis 28:10-22, WMB).
While it is impossible to know just where Jacob’s faith was, when this dream and word from the Lord came, Jacob was quite moved. Here, Jacob was venturing out alone on a journey, to a foreign land, seeking to connect with Rebekah’s brother Laban—and all of a sudden he had a vision of a ladder reaching from the Earth to Heaven, with many angels ascending and descending up and down. It surely must have been something to behold! While staring into the night and trying to discern what he was witnessing, all of a sudden the Lord appeared and repeated to him the blessings which he had undoubtedly heard about, which had been received by his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac. The Lord said how He would be with him and keep him and bring him back to the Promised Land.
Upon awakening from this dream, the reaction of Jacob was elated worship, knowing that he had been in the presence of God. To Jacob, something was very awesome about this particular place on Earth. He felt that this must have been the House of God, and a literal gate to Heaven after watching angels ascend and descend. Upon arising in the morning, Jacob took some of the oil he was carrying, and anointed the stone which had been his pillow, naming the place Beit’El, Bethel or House of God. Like his grandfather and father before him, who had both built altars to the Lord to honor and worship Him, this is the first recorded time when Jacob not only directly encountered the Lord, but openly worshipped Him. Clearly, Jacob was now confident that the Lord God was with him, not only to protect him, but to eventually be with him until his return to Canaan.
Conditional Faith
If you consider what Jacob vowed to the Lord, after receiving the comfort of knowing that He was going to be with him and protect him, until He returned Jacob to the Promised Land—you read that Jacob’s faith had some if/then conditions attached to it:
“Jacob then made a vow, saying, ‘If God remains with me, if He protects me on this journey that I am making, and gives me bread to eat and clothing to wear, and if I return safe to my father’s house—the LORD shall be my God” (Genesis 28:20-21, NJPS).
Jacob was overwhelmed with the dream-vision he had witnessed the night before. The promises from God were irrevocable, but it appears that Jacob’s faith and willingness to serve God had some strings attached. Despite the Lord telling Jacob that He would be with him wherever he went, and would bring Jacob back to the Land of Canaan—Jacob made a vow to the Lord that if he were cared for, then Lord would be Jacob’s God, and Jacob would give a tenth of his wealth to the Lord (Genesis 28:22). At the beginning of Jacob’s journey here, there appears to be a nominal faith which he possessed in the Holy One. One wonders why Jacob had a lack of faith. Was it because he was a third generation follower of the Holy One, who had not yet personally seen Him perform His word? Did Jacob need some trials in life, perhaps having lived a sort of “sheltered” existence in the shadow of his grandfather and parents? Was Jacob just used to getting his way, as he had secured the birthright and blessing of Isaac, without trusting in the Lord, but cleverly deceiving Esau and Isaac?
While there is little doubt that Jacob was substantially moved by his encounter with the Lord at Bethel, his reaction to the dream-vision was clearly different, than the relative mute responses of Abraham and Isaac, when they had similar interactions with Him. By placing conditions on his willingness to make God his provider, it appears that Jacob still had some trust in his own ability to make things happen, according to his human will. Consequently, as Jacob’s journey continued, the Lord would use conflicting situations with Laban, to teach Jacob how to more fully trust in Him.
Jacob’s Growing Family
When Jacob arrived at his destination in Paddan-aram, in a scene reminiscent of Eliezar’s trek to secure a wife for Isaac (Genesis 24), Jacob found himself at a well where herds of sheep were waiting to be watered. Providentially, one of the groups watering their sheep just happened to be the relatives of Laban, specifically Laban’s daughter Rachel. Jacob had to be elated. After his experience with God at Bethel, he had to sense that the Lord was directing his steps. In a chivalrous move, Jacob moved the rock, to attain access to the well and water the sheep of Rachel’s herd. In what seems like a bold gesture, Jacob kissed Rachel, while tearfully declaring to her that he was her father’s kinsman. The news of Jacob’s arrival was received by Laban with great expectations, as he recalled how Eliezar years earlier had brought many gifts to give to his family (Genesis 29:1-20). As readers soon discover, Jacob had met his match when it came to a person operating in his own strength, rather than trusting in the Lord.
Please remember how Jacob had two primary motivations for traveling eastward. First, Jacob was fleeing from the presence of Esau, who had made some threatening remarks which Rebekah considered potentially harmful to him. Secondly, once a safe distance between Jacob and Esau was established, the next motivation was to secure a suitable wife, to continue the faithful line of Abraham and Isaac. Upon encountering Rachel, it seems that Jacob’s concerns over Esau were mitigated, as the opportunity to have a wife who his parents would approve of became paramount. The only problem which Jacob did not foresee, was the cleverness of Laban, and how he was going to alter Jacob’s plans to marry Rachel. Laban misled Jacob on his wedding night, by substituting the elder Leah instead of the younger Rachel for his wife:
“When Laban heard the news of Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet Jacob, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things. Laban said to him, ‘Surely you are my bone and my flesh.’ Jacob stayed with him for a month. Laban said to Jacob, ‘Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what will your wages be?’ Laban had two daughters. The name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and attractive. Jacob loved Rachel. He said, ‘I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter.’ Laban said, ‘It is better that I give her to you, than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.’ Jacob served seven years for Rachel. They seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had for her. Jacob said to Laban, ‘Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.’ Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. In the evening, he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to Jacob. He went in to her. Laban gave Zilpah his servant to his daughter Leah for a servant. In the morning, behold, it was Leah! He said to Laban, ‘What is this you have done to me? Didn’t I serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?’ Laban said, ‘It is not done so in our place, to give the younger before the firstborn. Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you will serve with me for seven more years.’ Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week. He gave him Rachel his daughter as wife. Laban gave Bilhah, his servant, to his daughter Rachel to be her servant. He went in also to Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him seven more years” (Genesis 29:13-30, WMB).
The wedding bargain which Jacob and Laban established for marriage to his daughter, was Jacob serving Laban for seven years. The first seven years apparently went by quickly, as Jacob anticipated his marriage to Rachel. However, when the wedding night switch of Leah for Rachel took place, the clever Laban negotiated another seven years for his second daughter. Jacob had been tricked by Laban, and had perhaps met his match in terms of deceptive practices. During those fourteen years Jacob had to deal with his father-in-law, who continually altered the agreements for wages they had made. Clearly, the Lord was trying to get the attention of Jacob, as he must have pondered all of these circumstances. What had begun years earlier with an encounter with God, followed by venturing into Laban’s community to find his wife, was surely the Lord’s hand upon him. But the trials of dealing with Laban and the ongoing struggles, as Jacob began to have children, had to try him terribly. Certainly, the Lord was preparing Jacob for the promises He had made to him. But as always, the timing was always up to Him.
Without going into all the details about the births of Jacob’s children, what most concerned him was the lack of a child with the beloved Rachel. For years, as Leah and the handmaidens had children, Rachel was barren. But finally, Rachel conceived and had a child she named Joseph. Jacob now made a request to Laban that he take his family back to the land from where he came. But, there was a conflict between Jacob and Laban, because Laban clearly understood that he was benefitting from the Lord’s blessings which were being bestowed upon Jacob:
“God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb. She conceived, bore a son, and said, ‘God has taken away my reproach.’ She named him Joseph, saying, ‘May the LORD add another son to me.’ When Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, ‘Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country. Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service with which I have served you.’ Laban said to him, ‘If now I have found favor in your eyes, stay here, for I have divined that the LORD has blessed me for your sake’” (Genesis 30:22-27, WMB).
Jacob finally wanted to return back to the Land of Canaan with his growing family. The Lord had prospered him mightily with wives, children, and the ability to add substantially to the family business of sheep herding. In fact, the overabundance of sheep was creating a logistical problem, with too many sheep for the grazing land to support. Laban was in a bit of a dilemma. While he was enjoying the relative prosperity which Jacob was bringing to his own wealth, there was some animosity building between Jacob and Laban. And so, Jacob received not only another word from the Lord, but we see how Jacob was certainly aware how the blessings upon him were from the Lord:
“Jacob heard Laban’s sons’ words, saying, ‘Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s. He has obtained all this wealth from that which was our father’s.’ Jacob saw the expression on Laban’s face, and, behold, it was not toward him as before. The LORD said to Jacob, ‘Return to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and I will be with you.’ Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock, and said to them, ‘I see the expression on your father’s face, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me. You know that I have served your father with all of my strength. Your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God didn’t allow him to hurt me. If he said, “The speckled will be your wages,” then all the flock bore speckled. If he said, “The streaked will be your wages,” then all the flock bore streaked. Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock, and given them to me” (Genesis 31:1-9, WMB).
With the word from the Lord that he was to return to the land of his fathers, Jacob explained what had been transpiring, and gave the Lord total credit for prospering him with the flock’s growth. Obviously, Jacob’s faith had been maturing through all the trials of dealing with his father-in-law, and the challenges of having a large family. Yet, God was given the credit for explaining how to maximize his herd of goats to the detriment of Laban’s herds, while reminding Jacob how He was the God of Bethel:
“‘Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock, and given them to me. During mating season, I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which leaped on the flock were streaked, speckled, and grizzled. The angel of God said to me in the dream, “Jacob,” and I said, “Here I am.” He said, “Now lift up your eyes, and behold, all the male goats which leap on the flock are streaked, speckled, and grizzled, for I have seen all that Laban does to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. Now arise, get out from this land, and return to the land of your birth.”’ Rachel and Leah answered him, ‘Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? Aren’t we considered as foreigners by him? For he has sold us, and has also used up our money. For all the riches which God has taken away from our father are ours and our children’s. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do’” (Genesis 31:9-16, WMB).
After having this discussion with Rachel and Leah, Jacob decided it was time to leave the environs of Laban ,and take his wives, children, livestock, and property back to the Land of Canaan. The major challenge was doing this without the knowledge and consent of Laban. But having lived and worked with Laban for twenty years, Jacob knew that he was going to have to surreptitiously leave, in order to avoid the anticipated conflict with Laban. One curious thing that we find in V’yeitzei, concerns Laban’s family idols which were stolen by Rachel. The beloved Rachel was still harboring an affection for idol worship, and was not totally committed to the Lord—who her husband Jacob was trusting even more with his destiny. We also find that the Lord continued to intervene for Jacob, by appearing in a dream to Laban, to warn him not to impede the departure of Jacob and his entourage:
“Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives on the camels, and he took away all his livestock, and all his possessions which he had gathered, including the livestock which he had gained in Paddan Aram, to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan. Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father’s. Jacob deceived Laban the Syrian, in that he didn’t tell him that he was running away. So he fled with all that he had. He rose up, passed over the River, and set his face toward the mountain of Gilead. Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled. He took his relatives with him, and pursued him seven days’ journey. He overtook him in the mountain of Gilead. God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night, and said to him, ‘Be careful that you don’t speak to Jacob either good or bad.’ Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain, and Laban with his relatives encamped in the mountain of Gilead. Laban said to Jacob, ‘What have you done, that you have deceived me, and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword? Why did you flee secretly, and deceive me, and didn’t tell me, that I might have sent you away with mirth and with songs, with tambourine and with harp; and didn’t allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now have you done foolishly. It is in the power of my hand to hurt you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, “Be careful that you don’t speak to Jacob either good or bad.” Now, you want to be gone, because you greatly longed for your father’s house, but why have you stolen my gods?’ Jacob answered Laban, ‘Because I was afraid, for I said, “Lest you should take your daughters from me by force.” Anyone you find your gods with shall not live. Before our relatives, discern what is yours with me, and take it.’ For Jacob didn’t know that Rachel had stolen them. Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two female servants; but he didn’t find them. He went out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent. Now Rachel had taken the teraphim, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. Laban felt around all the tent, but didn’t find them. She said to her father, ‘Don’t let my lord be angry that I can’t rise up before you; for I’m having my period.’ He searched, but didn’t find the teraphim. Jacob was angry, and argued with Laban. Jacob answered Laban, ‘What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me? Now that you have felt around in all my stuff, what have you found of all your household stuff? Set it here before my relatives and your relatives, that they may judge between us two’” (Genesis 31:17-37, WMB).
Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the family idols, or he would never have made the statement which would have condemned to death anyone found with the Laban’s idols. But, since the idols were never discovered, Jacob and Laban finally came to an agreement about any separation of property. Jacob had honorably taken only that which he had earned, after twenty years of laboring for Laban. Jacob reiterated the history of their relationship, and once again gave credit to the God of Abraham and Isaac as not only his Provider, but also his Protector. In an effort to maintain peace between the two growing families, the two made an agreement which was exemplified by a heap of stones gathered to mark the spot where the covenant was ratified. Interestingly, even Laban conceded that the God of Abraham, and the God of his father Nahor, was to ultimately judge between the two parties:
“‘These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not cast their young, and I haven’t eaten the rams of your flocks. That which was torn of animals, I didn’t bring to you. I bore its loss. Of my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. This was my situation: in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes. These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.’ Laban answered Jacob, ‘The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine! What can I do today to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne? Now come, let’s make a covenant, you and I. Let it be for a witness between me and you.’ Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar. Jacob said to his relatives, ‘Gather stones.’ They took stones, and made a heap. They ate there by the heap. Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. Laban said, ‘This heap is witness between me and you today.’ Therefore it was named Galeed and Mizpah, for he said, ‘The LORD watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another. If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives in addition to my daughters, no man is with us; behold, God is witness between me and you.’ Laban said to Jacob, ‘See this heap, and see the pillar, which I have set between me and you. May this heap be a witness, and the pillar be a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.’ Then Jacob swore by the fear of his father, Isaac. Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his relatives to eat bread. They ate bread, and stayed all night in the mountain. Early in the morning, Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. Laban departed and returned to his place. Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When he saw them, Jacob said, ‘This is God’s army.’ He called the name of that place Mahanaim” (Genesis 31:38-32:2, WMB).
After twenty years of living and working together, Jacob and Laban finally came to peace with one another. Clearly over that time, it seems that Jacob’s faith in the Holy One grew considerably. Not only had he encountered the Lord as he commenced his journey, but he had witnessed the Lord providentially guide him to the family, which would eventually provide him with the means to have his own children. Even though Laban created a number of challenges as he cleverly manipulated marriages, changed the wages, and eventually made the separation difficult—it is obvious that as their immediate association came to a close, the influence of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and now even more so, Jacob, was becoming ever-present. By the time of building a heap of stones to be a witness between the competing groups, reference to God became much more commonplace. Both Jacob and Laban recognized that God was ultimately in charge of the circumstances.
Also important is how the blessing of Laban upon his daughters and grandchildren was completed, and Laban was resigned to the reality that Jacob was taking his growing family back to Canaan. As our parashah concludes, the angels of God met Jacob—and more than ever, Jacob proclaimed that this was “God’s camp.”
Obviously, the maturation of Jacob, after twenty years away from Isaac and Rebekah, is evident. Jacob was seeing God’s hand upon all which he was doing, recognizing how God had been present in all he had done.
Thinking back to his experience with God at Bethel, Jacob had to be reminded that God was indeed keeping His word to be with him, and keep him in his travels (Genesis 28:13-15). Jacob was also remembering how God said He would bring Jacob back to the land of his fathers, and now that the separation with Laban was complete, the next step was to get back to the Land of Canaan. After all, Jacob was the inheritor of the blessings bestowed upon Abraham and Isaac, and he was aware that his descendants would be like the dust of the Earth and bless all peoples on Earth.
Now on the verge of taking his family back to Canaan, there was only one thing which might have concerned Jacob. This, of course, was the possible threat of his brother Esau. As Jacob sat around the camp at Mahaniam, contemplating all which had occurred in the previous twenty years, and the dramatic departure of Laban after securing his blessing—he might have looked at the heap of stones and realized that he was not going back to Paddan-aram, but instead venturing back west to the land where he was raised. Thankfully, his trust and faith in the Almighty God of Abraham and Isaac was maturing. But was he ready to deal with a vengeful brother, who years earlier threatened his death? Was he going to trust in the Lord, or would he fall back on some of his clever ways to avoid the inevitable confrontation?
The promises were sure, and Jacob had witnessed the Lord fulfill His promises. Now Jacob was ready to fulfill his vow to the Lord and make Him his God. This is a common lesson of life, to many who study the Torah and the lives of the Patriarchs, for they were mortal beings with various strengths and weaknesses, just like those of us living today. They always had the choice to rely upon their own strength or cleverness, or trust and have faith in the Lord.
Perhaps in your meditation on this subject, you might consider some significant choices, as you go about your daily routine. Do you trust in your own abilities, or are you placing your faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Have you gotten to the point in your own walk, that the tests and trials of life have shown you to trust in the Lord?
A maturing faith makes trust in the Lord the best choice. May we all reach the point where our trust in the Lord overcomes our trust in anything else…