page_title: Vayetze
section_title: Genesis chapter 28
hierarchical_section_title: Vayetze / In classical rabbinic interpretation / Genesis chapter 28
caption_attribution_description: English: Jacob's Vision and God's Promise, as in Genesis 28:1-5, 10-22, illustration from a Bible card published 1906 by the Providence Lithograph Company
context_page_description: Vayetze, Vayeitzei, or Vayetzei is the seventh weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. It constitutes Genesis 28:10–32:3. The parashah tells of Jacob's travels to, life in, and return from Haran. The parashah recounts Jacob's dream of a ladder to heaven, Jacob's meeting of Rachel at the well, Jacob's time working for Laban and living with Rachel and Leah, the birth of Jacob's children, and the departure of Jacob's family from Laban.
  The parashah is made up of 7,512 Hebrew letters, 2,021 Hebrew words, 148 verses, and 235 lines in a Torah Scroll. Jews read it the seventh Sabbath after Simchat Torah, generally in November or December.
context_section_description: Rabbi Judan taught in Rabbi Aibu's name that the words, "the righteous comes out of trouble," in Proverbs 12:13 allude to Jacob, as Genesis 28:10 reports, "And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba" (and away from Esau, who sought to kill him).
  A Midrash noted that Genesis 24:10 reports that Abraham sent Eliezer to woo Rebekah with ten camels and "having all goodly things of his master's in his hand," but Jacob traveled to Haran without a single ring or bracelet. Rabbi Haninah taught that Isaac sent Jacob away empty-handed. Rabbi Joshua, however, taught that Isaac sent Jacob well provided, but Esau arose and stripped him of all he had. The Midrash taught that Jacob then thought to himself that he would not lose confidence in God, for as Psalm 121:2 teaches, his help would come from God. As Psalm 121:3 teaches, God would not suffer his foot to be moved (לַמּוֹט, la-mot) and the Midrash taught that this meant that God would not allow Jacob to die (la-mayt). As Psalm 121:7 teaches, God would keep him from all evil, and thus from the evil Esau and Laban. And Psalm 121:8 teaches, God would guard his going out, and thus as Genesis 28:10 reports, "Jacob went out from Beer-sheba."
  Hezekiah taught that Jacob was 63 years old when Isaac blessed him (as a Baraita taught), and Jacob spent another 14 years secluded in the Land of Israel studying under Eber and a further 7 years working for the Matriarchs. Thus he married at the age of 84, whereas Esau married at the age of 40 (as Genesis 26:34 reports). Thus we learn that God hastens the happiness of the wicked and delays that of the righteous.
  Rabbi Hoshaya noted that Genesis 28:7 already stated, "And Jacob hearkened to his father and his mother, and was gone to Paddan-aram," and thus Rabbi Hoshaya asked why Genesis 28:10 says, "and Jacob went out from Beer-sheba." Rabbi Hoshaya taught that Jacob reasoned that when his father desired to emigrate from the Land of Israel, he first sought permission at Beer-sheba, so Jacob too went to Beer-sheba to seek God's permission.
  Rabbi Judan and Rav Huna commented on why Genesis 28:10 says, "and Jacob went out from Beer-sheba." Rabbi Judan taught that it means that Jacob sought to leave "out of the well of the oath." (Be'er, בְּאֵר, means "well." And Rabbi Judan connected Sheba, שָׁבַע, with shevuah, שְּׁבֻעָה, which means "oath," as in the oath that Genesis 21:31 reports Abraham and Abimelech swore to each other.) Rabbi Judan taught that Jacob reasoned that he did not want Abimelech to demand that Jacob swear to Abimelech (a commitment of nonaggression) as Jacob's grandfather Abraham swore to him, and so delay Jacob's descendants from entering the Land of Israel for seven generations. (As a result of Abraham's oath to Abimelech, seven generations — from Abraham to Joshua — passed before the Israelites entered the Land of Israel. Thus to avoid another seven generations of delay, Jacob went "out of the well of the oath" to evade a further commitment of nonaggression.) Rav Huna taught that the words of Genesis 28:10 mean "out of the well of the birthright." Rav Huna taught that Jacob reasoned that he did not wish to allow Esau to rise up against him and assert that Jacob had cheated him by taking his birthright, and thus lose the advantage of Esau's oath (when Esau conveyed his birthright in Genesis 25:33). Rabbi Berekiah taught that the words of Genesis 28:10 mean "out of the well of the blessings." Rabbi Berekiah taught that Jacob reasoned that he did not want Esau to rise up against him and assert that Jacob had cheated Jacob by taking Esau's blessings, and so frustrate his mother Rebekah's labors on his behalf.
  Our Rabbis taught that Jacob reached Haran on that same day as Genesis 28:10 reports that he "went toward Haran." Rabbi Berekiah said in Rabbi Isaac's name, however, that Genesis 28:10 merely speaks as people do colloquially when they say, "So-and-so has gone to Caesarea," when in fact So-and-so has not actually arrived in Caesarea. (Similarly, here Genesis 28:10 does not mean that Jacob reached Haran on the same day that he set out.)
  Once in
caption: Jacob's Vision and God's Promise (illustration from a Bible card published 1906 by the Providence Lithograph Company)
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