Parshat Vayetzei
Parshat Vayetzei
In today’s day and age, Jews come in all different “shapes and sizes.” In this week’s parsha, we learn about the holy conception of the twelve sons of Jacob, later called the 12 tribes. The children of Rachael, Leah and the two maidservants were all born with different attributes, different opinions, different outlooks and different ways to be a Jew, but they were still united as the twelve tribes, different, but very much the same.
As the story progresses, we learn more about our matriarchs and patriarchs. For example, we see one of Yaakov’s (Jacob’s) very important attributes, that permeates his relationship with G-d, Rachael and Leah, and his uncle Lavan, and his self-understanding as well. Like I always say, we must try to understand who these great people were in order to know why must follow in their footsteps.
Yaakov was a very strong-willed person who took action when necessary. He fled from his father’s house to escape Eisav’s murderous hand. He left his comfort zone and was uncertain about the immediate future of his life. Yaakov leaves his father’s house to move in with his uncle Lavan (Rebecca’s brother) and consequentially meets Rachael and Leah. Yaakov falls in love with Rachael and asks his uncle if he could work for her and marry her. He first married the older sister Leah, and then the younger one, Rachael.
Yaakov stayed in Lavan’s house and worked selflessly for more than 14 years. During that time, Lavan’s wealth drastically increased. The holy presence that dwelled with Yaakov affected Lavan’s house both spiritually and physically. But eventually, the time comes when Yaakov is ready to leave and start his own life journey. (RASHI says that after Rachael gave birth to Joseph, he was so great that Eisav would not want to kill him anymore.) When Yaakov began to leave, Lavan tried to convince Yaakov to stay.
“If I find favor in your eyes!—I have learned by divination that HaShem has blessed me on account of you (30:27)”
We hear something very deep in Lavan’s words. There are many types of people in this world. There are people who know in their hearts exactly what they need to do and who they need to be. But there are other people who do things because it is the convenient and popular thing to do at the moment. Uncle Lavan shows us signs of the latter. When one lives vicariously through others, they lose their identity and what they stand for.
Yaakov’s attributes, which combine Avraham’s chesed (kindness) and Yitzchak’s gevurah (strength), teach us an important lesson.
“For the little that you have had before I came has expanded substantially as HaShem has blessed you with my coming: and now, when will I do something for my own house?
(30:30)”
What do we learn from our forefather Yaakov? He is a man who, no matter what else is going on in his life; is constantly spending time investing in his future. Yaakov is saying “I need to know myself a little, let me build my own life, my own family…let me do my own avodah (service) without it being based in your home.”
Friends, sometimes in life we forget about what is really important to our spiritual growth. We search within others for our purpose, which consequently takes us further away. If we aspire to be less like Lavan and more like Yaakov, we will realize that true strength, true happiness, and true connection to HaShem does not come from your friends, your Rabbi’s, your Hillel dinners or anything in between, it comes from you and your efforts and the chizuk (strength) from HaShem.
This week I will try to: search within myself for myself. I will realize that if my actions in Judaism or based on anything or anyone, then they are not fully mine. I will make my connection with HaShem for me, and do actions for my own personal growth and future.
Gut Shabbos!!! A.K.A Shabbat Shalom!!
Edited by: Rachael B. Goldberg
In today’s day and age, Jews come in all different “shapes and sizes.” In this week’s parsha, we learn about the holy conception of the twelve sons of Jacob, later called the 12 tribes. The children of Rachael, Leah and the two maidservants were all born with different attributes, different opinions, different outlooks and different ways to be a Jew, but they were still united as the twelve tribes, different, but very much the same.
As the story progresses, we learn more about our matriarchs and patriarchs. For example, we see one of Yaakov’s (Jacob’s) very important attributes, that permeates his relationship with G-d, Rachael and Leah, and his uncle Lavan, and his self-understanding as well. Like I always say, we must try to understand who these great people were in order to know why must follow in their footsteps.
Yaakov was a very strong-willed person who took action when necessary. He fled from his father’s house to escape Eisav’s murderous hand. He left his comfort zone and was uncertain about the immediate future of his life. Yaakov leaves his father’s house to move in with his uncle Lavan (Rebecca’s brother) and consequentially meets Rachael and Leah. Yaakov falls in love with Rachael and asks his uncle if he could work for her and marry her. He first married the older sister Leah, and then the younger one, Rachael.
Yaakov stayed in Lavan’s house and worked selflessly for more than 14 years. During that time, Lavan’s wealth drastically increased. The holy presence that dwelled with Yaakov affected Lavan’s house both spiritually and physically. But eventually, the time comes when Yaakov is ready to leave and start his own life journey. (RASHI says that after Rachael gave birth to Joseph, he was so great that Eisav would not want to kill him anymore.) When Yaakov began to leave, Lavan tried to convince Yaakov to stay.
“If I find favor in your eyes!—I have learned by divination that HaShem has blessed me on account of you (30:27)”
We hear something very deep in Lavan’s words. There are many types of people in this world. There are people who know in their hearts exactly what they need to do and who they need to be. But there are other people who do things because it is the convenient and popular thing to do at the moment. Uncle Lavan shows us signs of the latter. When one lives vicariously through others, they lose their identity and what they stand for.
Yaakov’s attributes, which combine Avraham’s chesed (kindness) and Yitzchak’s gevurah (strength), teach us an important lesson.
“For the little that you have had before I came has expanded substantially as HaShem has blessed you with my coming: and now, when will I do something for my own house?
(30:30)”
What do we learn from our forefather Yaakov? He is a man who, no matter what else is going on in his life; is constantly spending time investing in his future. Yaakov is saying “I need to know myself a little, let me build my own life, my own family…let me do my own avodah (service) without it being based in your home.”
Friends, sometimes in life we forget about what is really important to our spiritual growth. We search within others for our purpose, which consequently takes us further away. If we aspire to be less like Lavan and more like Yaakov, we will realize that true strength, true happiness, and true connection to HaShem does not come from your friends, your Rabbi’s, your Hillel dinners or anything in between, it comes from you and your efforts and the chizuk (strength) from HaShem.
This week I will try to: search within myself for myself. I will realize that if my actions in Judaism or based on anything or anyone, then they are not fully mine. I will make my connection with HaShem for me, and do actions for my own personal growth and future.
Gut Shabbos!!! A.K.A Shabbat Shalom!!
Edited by: Rachael B. Goldberg
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