God, Who is faithful to start the work of deliverance in us, also is trustworthy to finish it too, when we walk through life like we trust we can overcome our old life of slavery. 

 In the Torah reading ויצא Vayetze (Genesis 28:10–32:2), Jacob spent 20 years in his uncle’s house, slowly transforming from a cowardly younger brother, who had to sneak away after taking his brother’s birthright and covenant blessing, and only caring about himself, to a strong patriarch of a large family who had to think of others before himself. God took away Jacob’s reproach.

His transformation from Jacob the deceiver to Israel the overcomer took a lifetime to complete. So will those of us who answer Heaven’s call to be adopted into the commonwealth of Israel.

Table Of Contents

Highlights of Vayetze

* Genesis 28:10–22: Ladder between Heaven and Earth* Genesis 29:1–14: Ya’akov meets Rakhel* Genesis 29:15–30: Laban dupes Ya’akov into working 14 years for Rakhel* Genesis 29:31–30:24: Le’ah and Rakhel battle over babies* Genesis 30:25–31:16: Ya’akov sheepishly rope-a-dopes Laban* Genesis 31:17–32:2: Ya’akov flees, and Laban overtakes him

Pattern shows the purpose: Transformation of Ya’akov

Rabbi David Fohrman’s lesson “The Secret Meaning Behind Joseph’s Name” reveals what seems to be a chiasm in the Vayetze reading. A chaism is a literary structure that pairs portions of a passage together thematically, pointing the astute reader toward a key insight. In Hebrew, it’s known as an אתבש ATBaSh structure, based on the first letter of the Hebrew alephbet (א) pairing with the last letter (ת), the second letter (ב) with the penultimate letter (ש), etc.

Jacob’s character changes profoundly from the time he leaves his father’s house to Haran and then when he returns to his family home from Haran 20 years later.

According to Fohrman’s take, a point of this passage seems to be that Yosef (Joseph) is key to removing the shame of the family of Israel proper.

A. Ya’akov leaves for Kharan, encounters angels and names the place (Gen. 28:10–17)

B. Pillar erected to mark the “covenant” between Heaven and Ya’akov (Gen. 28:18–21)

C. Tithe (Gen. 28:22)

D. Ya’akov encounters three flocks of sheep at the well (Gen. 29:1–3)

E. Wages: Rakhel, for seven years of work (Gen. 29:15–20)

F. Give me my wife, Rakhel (Gen. 29:21)

G. Rakhel’s shame of being bypassed in front of the אסף osef (“gathering”) (Ge. 29:22–30)

G’. God gathered (i.e., took away) Rakhel’s reproach (אָסַף אֱלֹהִים אֶת־חֶרְפָּתִי) in the birth of יסף Yosef (“increase”) (Gen. 30:22–24)

F’. Give me my wives and children (Gen. 30:25–26)

E’. Wages: Providential selection of livestock (Gen. 30:28–35)

D’. Flocks separated by three days (Gen. 30:36)

C’. Wages changed 10 times (Gen. 31:7)

B’. Pillar erected to mark the covenant between Ya’akov and Laban (Gen. 31:43–55)

A’. Ya’akov leaves Kharan for Eysau, encounters angels horizontally and names the place