Torah Portion Vayeitzei Beresheit 28:10-32:3

Is it lawful to actively take part in your own success?

Welcome to Hungry for Torah. This week we are discussing Vayeitzei, “and departed.” The Torah portion name comes from the beginning of the first verse, “And departed Yakov from Beer Shava and he went toward Haran.” (Beresheit 28:8)

For seven years, Yakov worked for Laban to buy Rachel’s hand in marriage. Laban tricked and gave Yakov Leah, the older sister instead, and for the next seven years Yakov worked for the privelege of wedding Rachel as well. What did he have in the way of financial assets at the end of his fourteen years of servitude?

But before we talk about Yakov’s financial situation, let’s drop back and look at his marital status.

In the course of a week, Yakov went from bachelor to husband of two wives. I have heard some people tell the story as though he worked seven years, married Leah, worked another seven years and then married Rachel. In the Torah, we see that Laban says, “ ‘Fulfil her week, and we will give you this (Rachel) also for the service which you shall serve with me yet seven other years.’ And Yakov did so, and fulfilled her week: and he (Laban) gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.” (Beresheit 29:27-28)

A Rabbi Trail off the Portion Path

At the end of the week, Yakov is the husband of two wives and the provider for two handmaids. As time progresses, we see that without the participation of the two handmaids, we would be talking about the eight tribes of Israel rather than the twelve tribes. This suggests a question, “What about polygamy? Is it allowed? Is it a good thing?”

Pro-Elohim/Anti-Elohim

I find it interesting that there are groups today pushing to allow homosexual ‘marriage,’ that is clearly immoral by Biblical standards yet they are adamantly against polygamy which is practiced by many of the patriarchs and beyond. The world’s position is in line with so many other issues. The dividing line is pro-Elohim and anti-Elohim.

The same factions that support homosexual relationships and oppose polygamy also tend to support abortion and oppose capital punishment. The correlation is that they fall on the anti-Elohim side of each issue. The Bible clearly supports capital punishment for certain crimes and forbids the murder of innocents, and it allows polygamy and forbids homosexual relationships.

Three Questions

Just to be clear, I am not promoting the practice of polygamy, but the Bible doesn’t forbid it, and therefore I see no reason to condemn its biblical practice. I don’t see it as a major issue because nowhere are we commanded to practice it either. The three questions we ask when faced with an issue are:

1.    Does the Torah forbid it?

2.    Does the Torah require it?

3.    Is the Torah silent on it?

We have our hands full working to become obedient to the many issues that Torah requires, or forbids. Polygamy, while it is allowed, it is not required. Once we get all of the rest in place and are obedient, then by all means, when we have extra time, let’s talk about it. Those things the Torah forbids, let’s not do. Those that the Torah requires, let’s do, and those things the Torah is silent on, let’s deal with as they become an immediate issue.

The Seder Question

While we are discussing these three questions, one issue that will become immediate in about four or five months is the Passover Seder. Is a Seder commanded? No. Is it forbidden? No. We are commanded to observe the Passover (Pesach) and to keep the Pesach, but the traditional Seder is not commanded as such in the Torah. It is important for us to teach our children the events and lessons that are so beautifully incorporated in the Seder. But as far as the organization of the instruction, the Seder itself is only a traditional method to transmit what Yehovah commanded us to teach.

I am in favor of having a modified traditional Seder. I see it as a multi-sensory training and teaching aid designed long before anybody had coined the phrase multi-sensory. It is valuable for the young child as well as the well informed adult and those who are reaching the end of life. There are some traditions that are good, and I think the Pesach Seder, with some informed alterations in the haggadah as a result of our understanding of non-biblical intrusions into the meal and Messiah’s fulfilled ministry, is a good tradition.

Back to the Portion

And we’re back to the portion. At the end of fourteen years of service, Yakov had two wives. two handmaids, eleven sons, and one daughter. But no financial assets. So he goes to Laban and says, “Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served you, and let me go: for you know my service which I have done you.” (Beresheit 30:26)

Laban says that he has learned by divination that Yehovah has blessed him because of Yakov presence in the land. (Beresheit 30:30) Understandably, Laban doesn’t want to lose his ‘golden goose.’ When Yakov arrived, Laban’s holdings were sparse enough that Rachel alone was able to tend to his flocks. Now he has prospered.

Yakov agrees to stay, but he wants to gain some measure of financial security for his now large family. But not from Laban’s holdings. Yakov will only take a portion of the increase from that point on.

The increase is not left to chance. Yakov sets stakes in front of the healthiest of the flock so when they give birth, the lambs fall into his portion. The weaker ones are allowed to birth plain lambs and while Yakov’s flocks became stronger and healthier, Laban’s became weaker.

Science and Elohim

How did Yakov know what to do? And how did the stakes have any part in the outcome of the markings on the lambs? With our understanding of genetics, we can be fairly certain that setting a pole in front of a ewe will not effect the markings on her lamb. Yet when Yakov did it, there was a predictable result.

Perhaps the effect on the lambs was not a result of the stakes at all, but rather an effect of Yakov’s faith in Yehovah. Near the beginning of our portion, Yakov rests in the ‘place,’ makowm, and sees a ladder, sulam, reaching from earth to heaven and angels ascending and descending on it. Then he sees Elohim standing above him. Elohim explains who He is and makes promises to Yakov. The next morning Yakov vows that if Elohim will give him bread to eat and clothes to wear, then Yehovah will be his Elohim and he will tithe all that he has.

In Yakov’s day, having bread to eat and clothes to wear meant having land, and flocks. Elohim began to provide the financial resources for Yakov to leave the security of Laban’s provision. We see in Portion Vayeitzei that Elohim can provide through means we may not understand. There was no reason for the stakes placed in front of the ewes to produce marked offspring, but there was a reason for Elohim to reward Yakov’s efforts.

We see similar responses from Elohim today. We need something, and we make an effort to provide what is needed, but the answer comes from somewhere else. Was our effort useless? Or did Elohim reward us, or provide what we needed, in a manner that we can see His hand if we are attentive?

Trust and Doubt

 “Trust in Yehovah with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5) One of the meanings we can derive from this counsel is that we should not rely on how we understand the world works, but to trust that Yehovah is in control and to look at what He is doing. We know that if we plant a radish seed, a radish plant will come up out of it. We plant, we water, fertilize and weed. But we don’t make it grow. Elohim does that. In the same way, Yakov did the work he could do, he made the stakes and put them in front of the ewes. But Elohim produced the results.

With some things, such as gardening, results are more predictable. With others, the results are not so much, but what is predictable is that Elohim makes certain promises and He keeps His promises. We may not understand how or why He does certain things, but we can trust that He is honorable and just. The New Testament Yakov cautions us, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask from Elohim, who gives to all freely and with no reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing. For the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, being driven by wind and being tossed; for do not let that man suppose that he will receive anything from Yehovah.” (Yakov 1:5-7)

We should develop faith in our Elohim. As we read about what He has done in the past, we can learn about His faithfulness and love. When we get to know Him, we can have faith that He will continue to do what He says He will do and will do so justly. We don’t have to understand how He works, only accept unequivocally that He does. The answer to the question asked at the beginning is, yes, we can actively take part in our own success, but we need to understand the increase comes from Elohim, or in other words, the outcome of the battle belongs to Him.

The Ladder

The last bit of our portion I would like to highlight from our Torah portion is the ladder Yakov saw. Yeshua told Nathanael, “Truly, truly, I say to you, From now on you will see Heaven opened, and "the angels of Elohim ascending and descending" on the Son of Man.” (John 1:51) Do we have any record that Nathanael ever saw what he was promised? No. But Yeshua makes a direct connection between himself and the ladder in our portion.

Perhaps Nathanael, and we, are pointed back to our portion so we can see that Yeshua is the conduit by which we communicate with Yehovah and by which the messengers of Elohim are given access to us. Yeshua said, “no man comes to the Father but through me.” (John 14:6)

Shalom, I hope you join me next week when we study portion vayishlach, Beresheit 32:4 – 36:43. Until then, stay hungry for Torah, and Elohim will open your eyes to see wonderful things from His word. Please leave your comments below, I welcome your thoughts.