Jacob listened to his father Isaac and to his mother and went toward Paddan-aram.

Parashat Vayetze

Jacob’s Ladder From Heaven

Then Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran.

Jacob woke up from his sleep and said, “Undoubtedly, Adonai is in this place—and I was unaware.”

Early in the morning Jacob got up and took the stone, which he had placed by his head, and set it up as a memorial stone and poured oil on top of it.

Then Jacob made a vow saying, “If God will be with me and watch over me on this way that I am going, and provide me food to eat and clothes to wear,

Jacob Loves Rachel

Then Jacob lifted up his feet and went to the land of the peoples of the east.

Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” “We’re from Haran,” they said.

Now when Jacob saw Rachel (the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother), Jacob stepped forward and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered the flock of Laban, his mother’s brother.

Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept.

Then Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s relative and that he was Rebekah’s son. So she ran and told her father.

Now when Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him, hugged and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Then he told Laban all these things.

Then Laban said to Jacob, “Should you, my relative, serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?”

Jacob was in love with Rachel, so he said, “Let me serve you for seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”

So Jacob worked for Rachel seven years, yet in his eyes it was like a few days, because of his love for her.

Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are completed, so I may go to her.”

So Jacob did; he also completed this one’s bridal week. Then he gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.

Jacob also went to Rachel and indeed loved Rachel more than Leah. So he served with him for yet another seven years.

When Rachel saw that she bore no children for Jacob, Rachel was jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, “Give me sons—if there are none, I’ll die!”

But Jacob became furious with Rachel and said, “Am I, instead of God, the one who withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”

Then she gave her maid-servant Bilhah to him for a wife, and Jacob went to her.

Bilhah became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Jacob.

Then Rachel’s female servant became pregnant again and gave birth to a second son for Jacob.

Now Leah saw that she stopped having children, so she took Zilpah her female servant and gave her to Jacob as a wife.

Then Zilpah, Leah’s female servant, gave birth to a son for Jacob.

Then Zilpah, Leah’s female servant, gave birth to a second son for Jacob.