Beginning

32 (Maftir) ^(31:55) Early in the morning Lavan got up, kissed his sons and daughters, and blessed them. Then Lavan left and returned to his own place. ^2 (1) Ya‘akov went on his way, and the angels of God met him. ^3 (2) When Ya‘akov saw them, he said, “This is God’s camp,” and called that place Machanayim [two camps].

Haftarah Vayetze: Hoshea (Hosea) 12:13(12)–14:10(9) (A); 11:7–12:12(11) (S)

B’rit Hadashah suggested reading for Parashah Vayetze: Yochanan (John) 1:43–51

Parashah 8: Vayishlach (He sent) 32:4(3) –36:43

^4 (3) Ya‘akov sent messengers ahead of him to ‘Esav his brother toward the land of Se‘ir, the country of Edom, ^5 (4) with these instructions: “Here is what you are to say to my lord ‘Esav: ‘Your servant Ya‘akov says, “I have been living with Lavan and have stayed until now. ^6 (5) I have cattle, donkeys and flocks, and male and female servants. I am sending to tell this news to my lord, in order to win your favor.” ’” ^7 (6) The messengers returned to Ya‘akov saying, “We went to your brother ‘Esav, and he is coming to meet you; with him are four hundred men.”

^8 (7) Ya‘akov became greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people, flocks, cattle and camels with him into two camps, ^9 (8) saying, “If ‘Esav comes to the one camp and attacks it, at least the camp that is left will escape.” ^10 (9) Then Ya‘akov said, “God of my father Avraham and God of my father Yitz’chak, Adonai, who told me, ‘Return to your country and your kinsmen, and I will do you good’: ^11 (10) I’m not worthy of all the love and faithfulness you have shown your servant, since I crossed the Yarden with only my staff. But now I have become two camps. ^12 (11) Please! Rescue me from my brother ‘Esav! I’m afraid of him, afraid he’ll come and attack me, without regard for mothers or children. ^13 (12) You said, ‘I will certainly do you good and make your descendants as numerous as the grains of sand by the sea, which are so many they can’t be counted.’”

(ii) ^14 (13) He stayed there that night; then he chose from among his possessions the following as a present for ‘Esav his brother: ^15 (14) two hundred female goats and twenty males, two hundred female sheep and twenty males, ^16 (15) thirty milk-camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten colts. ^17 (16) He turned them over to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Cross over in front of me, and keep a space between each drove and the next one.” ^18 (17) He instructed the servant in front, “When ‘Esav my brother meets you and asks you, ‘Whose servant are you? Where are you going? And whose animals are these?’ ^19 (18) then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Ya‘akov, and they are a present he has sent to my lord ‘Esav; and Ya‘akov himself is just behind us.’” ^20 (19) He also instructed the second servant, and the third, and all that followed the droves, “When you encounter ‘Esav, you are to speak to him in the same way, ^21 (20) and you are to add, ‘And there, just behind us, is your servant Ya‘akov.’” For he said, “I will appease him first with the present that goes ahead of me; then, after that, I will see him myself — and maybe he will be friendly toward me.” ^22 (21) So the present crossed over ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.

^23 (22) He got up that night, took his two wives, his two slave-girls, and his eleven children, and forded the Yabok. ^24 (23) He took them and sent them across the stream, then sent his possessions across; ^25 (24) and Ya‘akov was left alone. Then some man wrestled with him until daybreak. ^26 (25) When he saw that he did not defeat Ya‘akov, he struck Ya‘akov’s hip socket, so that his hip was dislocated while wrestling with him. ^27 (26) The man said, “Let me go, because it’s daybreak.” But Ya‘akov replied, “I won’t let you go unless you bless me.” ^28 (27) The man asked, “What is your name?” and he answered, “Ya‘akov.” ^29 (28) Then the man said, “From now on, you will no longer be called Ya‘akov, but Isra’el; because you have shown your strength to both God and men and have prevailed.” ^30 (29) Ya‘akov asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he answered, “Why are you asking about my name?” and blessed him there.

(iii) ^31 (30) Ya‘akov called the place P’ni-El [face of God], “Because I have seen God face to face, yet my life is spared.” ^32 (31) As the sun rose upon him he went on past P’ni-El, limping at the hip. ^33 (32) This is why, to this day, the people of Isra’el do not eat the thigh muscle that passes along the hip socket — because the man struck Ya‘akov’s hip at its socket.

33 Ya‘akov raised his eyes and looked out; and there was ‘Esav coming, and four hundred men with him. So Ya‘akov divided the children between Le’ah, Rachel and the two slave-girls, ² putting the slave-girls and their children first, Le’ah and her children second, and Rachel and Yosef last. ³ Then he himself passed on ahead of them and prostrated himself on the ground seven times before approaching his brother. ⁴ ‘Esav ran to meet him, hugged him, threw his arms around his neck and kissed him; and they wept. ⁵ Esav looked up; on seeing the women and children, he asked, “Who are these with you?” Ya‘akov answered, “The children God has graciously given to your servant.”

(iv) ⁶ Then the slave-girls approached with their children, and they prostrated themselves; ⁷ Le’ah too and her children approached and prostrated themselves; and last came Yosef and Rachel; and they prostrated themselves. ⁸ ‘Esav asked, “What was the meaning of this procession of droves I encountered?” and he answered, “It was to win my lord’s favor.” ⁹ ‘Esav replied, “I have plenty already; my brother, keep your possessions for yourself.” ¹⁰ Ya‘akov said, “No, please! If now I have won your favor, then accept my gift. Just seeing your face has been like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me. ¹¹ So please accept the gift I have brought you, for God has dealt kindly with me and I have enough.” Thus he urged him, until he accepted it.

¹² ‘Esav said, “Let’s break camp and get going. I’ll go first.” ¹³ Ya‘akov said to him, “My lord knows that the children are small, and the sheep and cattle suckling their young concern me, because if they overdrive them even one day, all the flocks will die. ¹⁴ Instead, please, let my lord go on ahead of his servant. I will travel more slowly, at the pace of the cattle ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Se‘ir.” ¹⁵ ‘Esav replied, “Then let me leave with you some of the people I have with me.” But Ya‘akov said, “There’s no need for my lord to be so kind to me.” ¹⁶ So ‘Esav left that day to return to Se‘ir. ¹⁷ Ya‘akov went on to Sukkot, where he built himself a house and put up shelters for his cattle. This is why the place is called Sukkot [shelters].

¹⁸ Having traveled from Paddan-Aram, Ya‘akov arrived safely at the city of Sh’khem, in Kena‘an, and set up camp near the city. ¹⁹ From the sons of Hamor Sh’khem’s father he bought for one hundred pieces of silver the parcel of land where he had pitched his tent. ²⁰ There he put up an altar, which he called El-Elohei-Yisra’el [God, the God of Isra’el].

34 (v) One time Dinah the daughter of Le’ah, whom she had borne to Ya‘akov, went out to visit the local girls; ² and Sh’khem the son of Hamor the Hivi, the local ruler, saw her, grabbed her, raped her and humiliated her. ³ But actually he was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Ya‘akov; he fell in love with the girl and tried to win her affection. ⁴ Sh’khem spoke with his father Hamor and said, “Get this girl for me; I want her to be my wife.”

⁵ When Ya‘akov heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter, his sons were with his livestock in the field; so Ya‘akov restrained himself until they came. ⁶ Hamor the father of Sh’khem went out to Ya‘akov to speak with him ⁷ just as Ya‘akov’s sons were coming in from the field. When they heard what had happened, the men were saddened and were very angry at the outrage this man had committed against Isra’el by raping Ya‘akov’s daughter, something that is simply not done. ⁸ But Hamor said to them, “My son Sh’khem’s heart is set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife; ⁹ and intermarry with us: give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. ¹⁰ You will live with us, and the land will be available to you — you’ll live, do business and acquire possessions here.”

¹¹ Then Sh’khem said to her father and brothers, “Only accept me, and I will give whatever you tell me. ¹² Ask as large a bride-price as you like, I’ll pay whatever you tell me. Just let me marry the girl.” ¹³ The sons of Ya‘akov answered Sh’khem and Hamor his father deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. ¹⁴ They said to them, “We can’t do it, because it would be a disgrace to give our sister to someone who hasn’t been circumcised. ¹⁵ Only on this condition will we consent to what you are asking: that you become like us by having every male among you get circumcised. ¹⁶ Then we’ll give our daughters to you, and we’ll take your daughters for ourselves, and we’ll live with you and become one people. ¹⁷ But if you won’t do as we say and get circumcised, then we’ll take our daughter and go away.” ¹⁸ What they said seemed fair to Hamor and Sh’khem the son of Hamor, ¹⁹ and the young man did not put off doing what was asked of him, even though he was the most respected member of his father’s family, because he so much wanted Ya‘akov’ s daughter.

²⁰ Hamor and Sh’khem his son came to the entrance of their city and spoke with its leading men: ²¹ “These people are peaceful toward us; therefore let them live in the land and do business in it; for, as you can see, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as wives for ourselves, and we’ll give them our daughters. ²² But the people will consent to live with us and become one people only on this condition: that every male among us gets circumcised, as they themselves are circumcised. ²³ Won’t their cattle, their possessions and all their animals be ours? Only let’s consent to do what they ask, and then they will live with us.” ²⁴ Everyone going out the city’s gate listened to Hamor and Sh’khem his son; so every male was circumcised, every one that went out the gate of the city.

²⁵ On the third day after the circumcision, when they were in pain, two of Ya‘akov’s sons, Shim‘on and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords, boldly descended on the city and slaughtered all the males. ²⁶ They killed Hamor and Sh’khem his son with their swords, took Dinah out of Sh’khem’s house, and left. ²⁷ Then the sons of Ya‘akov entered over the dead bodies of those who had been slaughtered and plundered the city in reprisal for defiling their sister. ²⁸ They took their flocks, cattle and donkeys, and everything else, whether in the city or in the field, ²⁹ everything they owned. Their children and wives they took captive, and they looted whatever was in the houses.

³⁰ But Ya‘akov said to Shim‘on and Levi, “You have caused me trouble by making me stink in the opinion of the local inhabitants, the Kena‘ani and the P’rizi. Since I don’t have many people, they’ll align themselves together against me and attack me; and I will be destroyed, I and my household.” ³¹ They replied, “Should we let our sister be treated like a whore?”