In this week’s Torah Portion ‘Vayetze’ (he went out), the focus is on Jacob’s stay in Haran, carrying the same two themes at both ends of the “visit” .
In the beginning of this portion, we see Jacob, fleeing to Haran, due to his fear of Esau. He leaves the house of his father Isaac. A stone is placed under his head for him to rest on. That night Jacob has a dream about Angels going up and down a ladder. He decided to name the place where he had his dream.
The portion ends with Jacob fleeing from Haran, leaving the house of his father-in-law and stones are stacked to form a pilar as sign of peace between Jacob and Laban. Jacob is met by angels on the way. Again, Jacob names this place following his encounter and the portion ends with Jacob now willing to face Esau, which was his biggest fear!
What happened between these two bookends of the Torah portion and how did it affect Jacob’s life?
Jacob, the one who deceived his father Isaac, was confronted, and deceived by Laban into marrying Leah instead of Rachel (Gen 29:23). After the deception he confronted Laban and was rewarded with the bride he bargained for initially.
Laban deceived Jacob again after begging him to stay, saying that he may make his price (Gen 30:35). This time, Jacob decided not to confront Laban, but to make a run for it. This time he did not react out of his own will; he acted on God’s instruction to go.
Jacob changed.
He surrendered his life and destiny to Father. No longer was he making his own plans, forcing God’s timeline to deliver on the promises made.
The slight differences in the two book ends become clear:
In leaving for Haran, he was acting in accordance with his own fear as well as the advice of both his father and mother. It was a ‘second hand revelation’ from the Creator. It was a revelation given to his forefathers, and not to him directly. Jacob knew that he was chosen to be the image bearer of our Creator, and to be a part of the promises made to Abraham. However, this was only theoretical knowledge.
That night, in total exhaustion, he rested his head on the rock.
Why was it mentioned that he put a rock under his head before he fell asleep? Is Isaiah 51:1-2 an echo of what went through Jacob’s mind?
Isa 51:1-2 “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD! Look to the rock from which you were cut, to the quarry from which you were hewn. Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who gave you birth. For when he was only one person I called him, but I made him fruitful and made him many.
Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who do the upright thing. Was Jacob in pursuit of righteousness? Perhaps he was trying to correct his previous wrongdoings by being obedient to the will of his parents? In Gen 28:1-2 he was asked to marry a daughter of Laban, not a Canaanite, the cursed generation of Ham. Here he was, on his way to Haran, doing not only what Isaac requested him to do, but also what Abraham did for Isaac, acquiring a bride from Haran. He was returning to the ways of his fathers, to the rock from which he was cut.
While fast asleep with his head on the rock, he had a dream. It was of an encounter with angels coming and going. He had a vision of our Creator, and the Abrahamic covenant was confirmed. He was called to be the image bearer of our Father. Jacob was called to be His representative to the nations around him.
We see the change in Jacob’s heart through his actions and reactions in Gen 31. He now reacts on the direct instruction of our Creator and not on his own emotion or fear. Jacob’s fear for Esau did not prevent him from acting in obedience. He did not fight Laban when he was pursued. He displayed trust in Father, like Abraham did when he was asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac. He displayed the same lack of violence Isaac had when confronted at the wells he reopened.
He was being shaped into an image bearer. He was being prepared for the next encounter with our Creator.
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