Seven is a significant number, both in Judaism in general and in Genesis in particular. It is a holly number, and it carries many a connotation. The seventh portion of the week – Va’yai’tzai (literally, “when he left” as in “When Jacob left Be’er She’va in order to go ….”) – proves to be both unique and holly, as its number suggests. Today I will continue to comment on our third – and most thoroughly “reported” – father, Jacob (or Israel).
I. A Quick Note on Jacob’s Ladder
The portion begins with a brief, though dramatic and very powerful return of the image of God - the same God that was at the center, if not constituted the center, of the first several portions and then withered away – through the wonderful story of Jacob's Ladder. This magical dream, where a ladder stands on the ground "and its head reaches the heavens, and there the Angels of God climb up and down on it" (Gen. 28:12), is one of the most multi-faceted apparitions in all of Genesis – a book where dreams play major role. Indeed, generations of interpreters found hidden meanings in that story, and the Kaballah itself – much harder to understand than most people think – adopted its text and symbolism as one of its earliest tenets. Indeed, you are more than invited to research some of these interpretations, which attempted to decipher the meaning of the “Angels of God” who appear in the dream, as well as that of the image of God himself who is positioned atop of the ladder – first merely visible to Jacob (recall what is the punishment for seeing God in other places in the bible), and then actually talking to him. Another interesting point of reference is Jacob’s first comment once he has awakened from his dream: “Indeed God exists in this place, and I did not know.” (Gen. 28:16). Is it possible that our own Jacob was not aware of God’s omnipresence?
Much like the story of the Akeda (sacrifice of Itzhak), the story of Jacob’s ladder could not be properly examined in this short framework. In any event, the seventh portion is not only unique in describing celestial dreams; it is also – and perhaps more — unique in that it demonstrates, in astonishing detail, the next twenty years in the life of Jacob (or Israel), the Third Father of our nation who gave birth to the twelve sons (and one daughter) who later became the twelve tribes of Israel.
II. Jabob’s Journey
A quick reminder regarding where we are in the text: After being blessed (erroneously) by his aging father Isaac, Jacob hears word that his brother Esau is somewhat dissatisfied. Or, as the text puts the unequivocal words in Esau’s mouth – and I only somewhat paraphrase here – “as soon as the mourning period over my father is over, I shall kill my brother.” (Gen. 27:41). This murder plan is astonishing, in particular considering the fact that Isaac (the father) is not even dead yet. But Esau can’t be bothered with niceties: He is so furious about the act of stealing his Birthright that he already plans ahead, beyond his father’s death. (A brownie point here to readers who identify themes from the first murder of a younger brother by his elder, several portions back.) Hearing of his plan, Rivkah, the wise mother who always supported Jacob over his brother, comes up with an ingenious solutions: Jacob would go to her brother, Laban (whom we met earlier, in the story of Isaac’s slave who came to select her as a wife), who lives far enough to escape Esau’s ire. Yet, like every smart woman, she wants to present the plan to Isaac in a way that he, Isaac, would think that it was his idea. And thus we find the following amusing and over-dramatized dialogue in the seventh portion of the week: (Gen. 27:46-28:2)
“And Rebecca said to Isaac: I have no more use of my life, all due to the daughters of Chat – if Jacob were to take a wife from the daughters of Chat, like the other daughters of this country, what point does my life have anymore? And Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and ordered him and said: You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan; get up and go …. [away] and take a wife from the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.”
And so we finally come to the beginning of our portion, where Jacob begins his journey in the opposite direction of his grandfather’s – who came all the way from Aram Na’ha’rayim (roughly Iraq) to Israel – in order to find a wife. Recall that Abraham did not directly send his son there to find a wife, but rather used a slave to “import” Rivkah. Jacob is not that lucky, however, and he’s going there by foot, all by himself, and without any property.
Think for a moment of this “tent-dweller,” an ancient-world chef who focused until now on cooking and talking with the women in the tent. He is probably not equipped with man navigation skills. More importantly, he probably does not have many hours of hiking and hunting for food under his belt. Yet he’s now bound to walk, by foot, hundreds of miles across the early Middle-Eastern deserts to find the right woman (and escape his brother revenge).
The text tells us very little about the journey, other than the dream relating to the Ladder; the next time we encounter Jacob is when he meets his future wife, Rachel. And what a meeting that is. [Thanks to Meir Shalev for introducing this idea.] just imagine the scenery, if you will: A number of lazy (male) goat-herders are awaiting in the sun by the big well in the field. They are not providing any water to their herds – they can’t, as the stone covering the well is too large; only when all the goat herders assemble can they move the stone together. [An economic analysis of this arrangement led to new thinking about collective bargaining and the “tragedy of the commons”; but that’s for another time.] Jacob, meanwhile, is trying to gather information only to find out that Rachel, the daughter of Laban (his uncle from his mother’s side), is about to appear at any moment; she, too, is a goat herder, and she’s coming to water her sheep with everyone else. Jacob is puzzled: why are you people just sitting there doing nothing? The day is far from over, and you can go and herd your sheep. [Perhaps he wanted the place for himself, once he heard the Rachel is approaching]. But the lazy herders have no intentions to leave: “No, we cannot (leave) up until all the herds would gather here and have moved the stone from the face of the well and we shall water our sheep.” (Gen. 29: 1-8)
III. The Arrival of Rachel
After setting the backgound, and “while he is still talking to them” (Gen. 28:9) Rachel arrives at the scene. And what an entrance that is. Recall that the biblical text loves to praise the beauty of our mothers – Sarah was so beautiful that of all the women in Egypt the King wanted her to himself; Rivkah was so beautiful that Isaac, just like his father, preferred to lie about her identity than to be killed by another king who wanted her (Avimelech). But Rachel is (apparently) at another league altogether: She was so beautiful that the text gushes: “And Rachel was both beautiful (Yefat Toar) and a feast to the eyes (Yefat Mareh).” (Gen. 29:17)
So Rachel, and her sheep, moves slowly into the field. Instead of introducing himself, Jacob then performs a series of four amazing deeds, each intends to impress his future wife in a different way: (1) First, on his own, this “tent-dweller” who just finished a very difficult single traverse of the ancient Middle-East, lifts the huge stone over the well without any help from the other herders – a physical feat of epic proportions in that area; he then (2) waters only Rachel’s herd, lest there can be any doubt as for whom did he perform this Herculean task; he then (3) kisses Rachel, no doubt to her great amazement – he still didn’t utter a word, mind you, while she is still shocked by the single-handed feat she just witnessed (I doubt if anyone has ever even tried that before; the stone probably looked like no one should try to lift it on his own); and then, yet another twist: (4) Jacob begins crying and sobbing (yes; he just broke the world-record of Strong-Man, and now he’s weeping like a baby). Only then, finally, Jacob tells Rachel: I’m actually your relative, your cousin, the son of Rivkah, your father’s sister. (Gen. 29: 9-13) Could she not fall in love with this man-of-all-seasons? [Think for a minute of your entrance during your first date with your current spouse – was it anything like that?]
Rachel, of course, could not resist; she falls in love with her cousin, and he falls in love with her. He then works seven years for her, during which he is not allowed to touch her. [Again, with today’s mores, think about that for a moment: Not for a month, not for a year, not even for five years – Seven whole years and they never materialized their love. Isn’t that amazing?] Yet Jacobs utters one of the most romantic statements of love of all times when he summarizes this period in the following way: And those days were “in his eyes as several days passed in his love for her.” (Gen. 29:20)
Laban, the sneaky Uncle, does everything is his powers to deny Jacob of his prized love. Even after the seven years are up he cheats Jabob into marrying Leah, Rachel’s elder sister. (“This shall not be done in our place,” he explains to his shocked nephew, “taking the younger sister prior to her elder.” (Gen. 29:26)). And he makes Jacob work seven additional years for Rachel, and six more for some of the property he took care of so beautifully. But love concurs all, and Jacob leaves Laban pretty much the opposite of how he came to him: not alone – but married to two women and having many children; not penniless – but rich and famous; not a young man – but a grown person in his full powers; and not a tent-dweller attached to his mother, but a property owner with many practical and professional skills.
IV. Jacob’s Monologue
Laban, who envies the man who came to him barefoot and alone twenty years earlier, can’t bear the thought he’s leaving him with both his daughters and so much property (despite the fact he worked for all of those for over twenty years). He chases Jaboc and accuses him of stealing his medicines (an interesting story that would repeat later with Tamar and Judah; I will not discuss that here). Then, in an astonishing turn, Jabob – who was silent all these years, never complained, never argued with his deceitful uncle – finally opens up and delivers one of the most moving monologues in all of Genesis. Opening a narrow window into what he went through all those years, he says: (Gen. 31:38-42)
“For twenty years I have dwelled with you . . . not once have I eaten from your herd; not once have I violated your property; I myself made good on any loss to your herd – whether stolen by day or stolen by night [an interesting comment on the different laws, perhaps, that applied to theft in different times of the day]. Often scorching heat ravaged me by day, and icy-freezing temperatures by night bearing sleep impossible. I have spent twenty years at your home, working all the while: Fourteen years working for your two daughters, and six years for your sheep, and you have earned my salary scores time over.”
Laban tries to argue: “the daughters are mine, and the sheep are mine, and everything you see here is mine”; but moves back to offer an agreement. Jacob agrees and they part ways amicably. So comes to an end one of the most fascinating chapters in our history. Loves concurs all, and Jacob’s back on his way to Israel. Now he realizes that fraudulent Laban was merely a warm-up: His vengeful brother awaits him in Israel.
To be continued.
Shabat Shalom.
Doron
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