SUMMARY OF PARASHAT KI TISA

THE LAST DETAILS OF THE MISHKAN

God commands Moshe to take a population census of all adult males by collecting a silver half-shekel coin from each individual. The collected silver is melted and will become the bases that will support the beams of the Tabernacle. God instructs Moshe to make a copper fountain for the Tabernacle. Priests would use this fountain to wash their hands and feet before their service. God conveys to Moshe how to make the consecrated anointing oil. This oil, prepared with aromatic herbs and fine spices, is used to sanctify the Tabernacle, its utensils and also to consecrate Aharon and his sons as priests. The rest of the oil is set aside and would be used to anoint Kings and High Priests of future generations. God also transmitted to Moshe the formula to prepare the incense that was offered twice a day in the Tabernacle. It is forbidden to reproduce this recipe of anointing oil (shemen hamishcha) or incense (qetoret) for personal use. The Torah tells us that God inspires Betzalel with Divine wisdom and assigns him as the main craftsman of the Tabernacle and its utensils and artifacts. God also appoints Aholiab as his assistant. Finally, God instructs the Jewish people to observe Shabbat, as the eternal sign between Him and the Children of Israel.

THE SIN OF THE GOLDEN CALF

After God reveals Himself to the entire nation on Mount Sinai and transmits the Ten Commandments, Moshe ascends the mountain where he remains for forty days. On the mountain, Moshe learns the Torah and receives the Tablets of the Law. The Jews miscalculate the date of Moshe’s return, and when Moshe does not appear on the day they expect, the people become impatient and assume that Moshe is dead. They demand that Aharon make an idol to guide them. Aharon cooperates with the people to buy time until Moshe’s return, but despite his best efforts, an idol in the shape of a golden calf emerges from the flames. The next morning, people celebrate the new idol with acts of promiscuity. Upon learning this, Moshe prays to God, asking Him to forgive the sin of the Jews. God listens to Moshe’s prayer and decides not to annihilate the Jews. Moshe comes down with the Tablets, and when he sees the idolatrous feast, he breaks the Tablets of the Law. Moshe exhorts the tribe of Levi to punish the main offenders. 3,000 instigators are executed that day.

MOSHE ASKS FOR FORGIVENESS

Moshe again ascends Mount Sinai in an attempt to obtain full atonement for the sin of the golden calf. God tells Moshe that the Jews will continue to go to the Promised Land but that He will not guide them directly but through an “angel” (or intermediary). Moshe pitches his own tent outside the Israelite camp. This tent, Ohel Mo’ed, becomes the center of study and spirituality until the inauguration of the Tabernacle. Moshe asks God to forgive the people and reconsider leading them directly. God again accepts Moshe’s request, and the presence of God will be manifested exclusively to the people of Israel. Moshe asks God to understand His glory (that is, to understand God’s ways, for example, why sometimes the righteous suffer the same punishment as the wicked). God tells Moshe that he will never be able to understand God in a direct way.

THE NEW TABLETS

God instructed Moshe to carve new Tablets on which God would re-engrave the Ten Commandments. Moshe took the newly carved stones to Mount Sinai, where God revealed His glory to Moshe as He proclaimed His Thirteen Attributes of Forgiveness and Compassion (which we recite on the day that we invoke divine forgiveness: Yom Kippur). God established a covenant with Moshe, assuring him again that His presence would dwell with the Jewish people and thus granting His complete absolution.

ARRIVING IN THE PROMISED LAND…

God informed the Jewish people that He would expel the inhabitants of the land of Canaan and indicated that once they settled in Israel, they must destroy all traces of idolatry in the land and refrain from making alliances with idolaters. They were not to make cast images (like the golden calf) and must observe the three pilgrimage festivals (Pesach, Shabuot, and Sukkot). Jews were not to consume Chametz, the Egyptian bread, during Pesach, and in remembrance of the last of the 10 plagues, they must consecrate the first-born males and cattle to Divine service. He also indicated that Jews were not to cook meat along with milk.

LIGHT ON MOSHE’S FACE

Moshe descended from Mount Sinai with the second set of Tablets, and without him noticing, a luminescent light projected from his face. Aharon and the people were afraid to approach Moshe. Moshe wore a veil on his face, except when God spoke to him and when he taught God’s words to the people of Israel.



SUMMARY OF TETSAVE

MENORA

HaShem commands the Israelites to use the purest olive oil each day to kindle the Menora, the golden candelabrum inside the Tabernacle.

THE GARMENTS OF THE COHANIM

Moshe must consecrate Aharon and his sons as cohanim and dress them in special garments. The Tora explains how to make the High Priest’s Ephod, an elaborate garment resembling a vest or apron, upon which the Choshen rests. Skilled artisans weave the Ephod from threads of gold, tekhelet (violet), and scarlet wool, together with fine linen and intricate gold embroidery.

The Tora then describes the Choshen, the breastplate worn over the Ephod. This pectoral contains four rows of precious stones, three stones in each row. The artisans engrave the names of the Twelve Tribes of Israel on these stones and secure the Choshen to the Ephod with straps. The phrase urim ve-tumim (“light and truth”) appears in connection with the Choshen; for example, Yale University’s shield incorporates this biblical expression (see image above).

THE TEKHELET

The Tora then describes the me’il, a tekhelet (violet) tunic—according to the Sephardic tradition, tekhelet refers to violet rather than blue or light blue—adorned with gold bells and pomegranates. Next, the Tora details the tzitz, a golden headband worn on the forehead and engraved with the words “Consecrated to HaShem.”

The Tora also specifies the four garments worn by both the High Priest and the regular cohanim: tunics, turbans, sashes, and trousers.

CONSECRATION OF THE COHANIM

The Tora prescribes the ceremony for consecrating Aharon and his sons as priests. Moshe must bring them to the entrance of the Sanctuary, immerse them in a mikveh (ritual bath), and dress them in their priestly garments. He then offers several inaugural sacrifices. This ceremony lasts seven days and completes their consecration. The Tora also describes the procedure for consecrating future High Priests.

QORBAN HATAMID AND THE QETORET

HaShem commands the Israelites to offer two daily sacrifices without interruption: one lamb in the morning and another in the afternoon. These offerings must be brought in the Tabernacle every day, even on Shabbat and Yom Kippur.

The Tora then describes the qetoret, the incense offering burned on a small altar of pure gold inside the Sanctuary, near the Menora. The cohanim prepare and offer the qetoret on this altar twice each day.



Summary of Parashat Mishpatim

Last week we read the Ten Commandments, which are like a preview of the 613 commandments, that make up the National Constitution of the Jewish people. This week’s section contains 53 Mitzvot or precepts that directly or indirectly relate to the Ten Commandments, explain them, expand them and deepen their details.

The Parasha begins with the laws relating to the Israelite slave, his release after a maximum of six years of service, and the procedure to follow when a servant expresses his desire to remain in the service of his master. The Tora continues with the laws of a woman in a similar situation and her inalienable marital rights if her master becomes her husband. Then the Tora speaks of the punishment for murder, homicide, kidnapping, and human trafficking. The Tora then mentions the prohibition of physical or verbal abuse towards parents. And the penalties that are imposed on a person who injures or harms another. The Tora describes the punishment beating a pregnant woman and causes her to abort. The Tora then focuses on the responsibilities of an individual for damages caused to the property and possessions of another person; either when these damages have been done by himself, or by his animals, or by an act of negligence, for example, by leaving an open pit in the ground. When a person steals, he or she is obliged to pay the victim the capital plus punitive damages. Whoever causes a fire is liable for the damages caused by the fire that he left unextinguished. The Tora also spells out the responsibilities of an individual who accepts to watch over another persons possessions, or when renting them, or borrowing them.
The Tora mentions the prohibition and punishment for seducing a minor girl. The Tora prohibits sorcery, bestiality, and the offering of an idolatrous sacrifice. It reminds us the prohibition against oppressing a foreigner, a widow or an orphan, and encourages us to lend money to the poor without interest. It also mentions the prohibition of cursing a judge or a political leader. It also warns us against consuming meat that was not ritually slaughtered, or to offer an animal for a sacrificial slaughter before the animal is eight days old. Perjury and judicial corruption are strictly prohibited. The Tora reminds us the obligation to separate agricultural tithes and to consecrate the firstborn.
It also mentions the obligation to restore a lost animal to its owner and help him unload an overloaded animal. We must not lie or accept bribes.

Towards the end of this list of precepts the Tora mentions the Shemitah, just as we work for six days and on the seventh day we stop working, the land rests during the sabbatical year. It is forbidden to mention the name of pagan gods. And we should celebrate the three pilgrimage festivals, Pesach, Shabuot and Sukkot, visiting the Bet haMiqdash.
Finally the Torah indicates the prohibition of mixing meat with milk.

God assures the people that if they eradicate idolatry once they arrive in the Promised Land, they will be rewarded: the peoples who inhabit the land, will fall before them. God will bless their food and drinks and eliminate diseases from His people.

The Parasha concludes with an extremely important theme: the conclusion of the establishment of the covenant between God and the Jewish people. After Moshe transmits the Ten Commandments and the above mentioned laws, the Jewish people commit to enter into a covenant with God. During that night, Moshe writes down everything that God transmitted to him and reads it to the people. Next, he builds an altar that represents the Divine presence and twelve monuments that represent the tribes of Israel. Sacrifices are offered. Moshe takes the blood, pours half on the altar and sprinkles the other half on the people. The Eternal Covenant between God and Israel is sealed when the people pronounce the words: na’ase venishma “Everything that God has said we will do and obey”. Here and in this way Judaism is born! Moshe ascends to Mount Sinai where he will stay for forty days and forty nights, and will come down with the Tablets of the Law.



SUMMARY OF PARASHAT YITRO

The Advice of Yitro

Moshe’s father-in-law, Yitro, arrives at the Israelite camp in the desert and is informed by Moshe of the many miracles that God performed for the Jews in Egypt. Yitro offers sacrifices to God in gratitude and sees that Moshe is carrying the burden of judging the people and mediating in their disputes alone. Yitro suggests that Moshe establish a system of judges, selecting wise and just men, and delegate his responsibilities to them while only handling the most difficult cases. This would allow Moshe to spend more time teaching the Torah to the people. Moshe accepts Yitro’s suggestion and implements the judicial system before Yitro returns to his homeland.

The Proposal

Six weeks after leaving Egypt, the Hebrews arrive in the desert and camp at the foot of Mount Sinai. Moshe ascends the mountain and is told by God of a proposed pact between Him and Israel, where God will choose the Israelites as His protected people and the Jews will become a Kingdom of Priests and a Nation consecrated to God. Moshe conveys God’s proposal to the people, who agree, and they are told to prepare for the event by purifying and sanctifying themselves for three days. On the third day, thunder, lightning, and the sound of a shofar are heard from the top of the mountain, and Moshe leads the people there. God warns that only Moshe and Aharon should go up and reveals the Ten Commandments to all the people.

The Ten Commandments

  1. Accept God as the Supreme authority
  2. Do not believe in pagan gods or worship idols or images
  3. Do not carry/use God’s name in vain
  4. Observe the Shabbat
  5. Honor your parents
  6. Do not murder
  7. Do not commit adultery
  8. Do not steal
  9. Do not bear false testimony
  10. Do not covet the property of others

People Request Moshe’s Intermediation

Overwhelmed by the close encounter with God’s “voice,” the Israelites ask Moshe to serve as an intermediary between them and God. Moshe calms them down and agrees to be God’s spokesman.

No Images

God warns the people about making any images or visual representations of Him and reminds them that no image was seen when He revealed himself. The Parasha concludes with the command to erect a sacrificial altar made of stones, without using metal instruments or building steps on the ramp.

 
 

 



SUMMARY OF PARASHAT BO

EIGHTH PLAGUE

Moshe goes to meet Pharaoh and warns him that if he does not allow the Hebrew slaves to leave, Egypt will be devastated by a plague of locusts. After Moshe and Aharon leave the palace, Pharaoh’s officials try to convince him to let the Israelites go before Egypt is destroyed. Pharaoh calls Moshe and makes him an offer: allow the Jews to leave, but leave their children in Egypt. Moshe rejects the offer, and Pharaoh then refuses to set them free. Moshe extends his hand, and a plague of locusts falls on Egypt, consuming all the vegetation. Pharaoh asks Moshe to pray to God to eliminate the locusts and assures him that he will let the Jews go. Moshe prays, and the wind carries the locusts out of Egypt, but Pharaoh, having freed himself from the locusts, does not keep his word.

NINTH PLAGUE:

Darkness descends on Egypt. The Egyptians had to be in virtual isolation for three days since they couldn’t see each other’s faces. But the darkness did not affect the area where the Jews lived. Pharaoh calls Moshe back and offers him a new concession: free the Hebrews, men, women, and children, but leave their cattle in Egypt to ensure they return. Moshe rejects the offer, and at this point, Pharaoh expels Moshe from his presence and threatens him: “for the day you see my face again, you will die.” Moshe tells Pharaoh that one more plague will befall Egypt, after which Pharaoh will release them from slavery unconditionally.

REPARATIONS

God instructs Moshe that the Israelites ask their Egyptian neighbors for gold and silver objects as compensation or reparation that in those times was granted to a slave when he was released. The Egyptians quickly gave the Hebrews items of great value, intending for them to leave so that the plagues would end. Moshe warns Pharaoh that at midnight, God will put to death all the Egyptian firstborns, including Pharaoh’s son, the heir to the throne.

THE PESACH SACRIFICE

God dictates his first Mitzvah to the children of Israel: to officially consecrate and announce the beginning of the lunar month, Rosh Chodesh, thus establishing the future Hebrew calendar. God also instructs Moshe that the Jews must take a lamb to sacrifice, roast, and consume along with matzah and bitter herbs before leaving Egypt. With the lamb’s blood, the Jews should paint the lintels and doorposts of their homes, so when the last plague affects the Egyptian firstborn, the Jewish firstborn who are inside these residences marked with blood will be protected by God. HaShem also indicates Moshe that future generations should remember this day forever, celebrating the Pesach festival for seven days, during which they may not eat or possess leaven (chamets).

TENTH PLAGUE

At midnight on Nisan 15, a plague kills the Egyptian firstborn, but God protects the Jewish firstborn. Egypt is terrified because they think that the God of the Jews will cause the death of all Egyptians. Pharaoh wakes up and has Moshe brought in and pleads with him to take the Jewish slaves out of Egypt, thereby implicitly granting them their freedom. The Egyptian citizens also pressure the Hebrews to leave as soon as possible. The Jews prepared their provisions: unleavened bread made with non-fermented dough because they had to go fast, and they did not have time to let the dough rise to make ordinary bread. The Israelites leave Egypt at noon on Nisan 15.

FIRST COMMANDMENTS

God instructs the Hebrews to celebrate Pesach in the future by offering a sacrifice and consuming it similarly to what they did in Egypt. There are other commandments that God gives, all related to the miraculous salvation from the plague that caused the death of the firstborn. 1. To consecrate the Jewish firstborn to Divine service. 2. Matsa should be consumed on Pesach night. 3. Every year on Pesach night, parents will tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt to their children. 4. The firstborn of domestic animals will also be consecrated or redeemed if they are animals unfit for consumption. 5. Jewish men should wear Tefillin, or phylacteries, on their heads and arms, little leather boxes containing four texts that allude to Israel’s love for God, expressed in the liberation from Egypt.



SUMMARY OF PARASHAT SHEMOT

This week we start a new book: Shemot, “Names” or Exodus.

1. THE BIRTH OF MOSHE
The Tora begins by mentioning the names of Jacob’s sons and telling us that his descendants were prosperous, fruitful, and powerful in Egypt. But when a new dynasty arose, Pharaoh set out to weaken the Jews and impoverish them. First, by taxing them and giving them hard jobs. But no matter how much he oppressed them, the Jews continued to multiply and did not lose their power. Pharaoh then orders the midwives to kill all the newborn Hebrew children. These women, however, defied Pharaoh’s order and let the children live. Pharaoh called the midwives to punish them for not following his orders. The midwives replied that Hebrew women were self-sufficient in delivering their babies. God rewards the midwives for their bravery and fear of Heaven. Pharaoh then orders all his people to take part in the elimination of the Jewish children by throwing all the newborn males into the Nile. When Moshe (Moises) is born, his mother fears for his life, and she puts him in a waterproof basket and leaves the basket floating in the Nile. Pharaoh’s daughter, Batya, bathes in the Nile when she sees the child. She takes it and adopts it as her own. Miriam, Moshe’s sister, who is observing what is happening, offers to bring a Hebrew woman to breastfeed the child. Pharaoh’s daughter accepts her suggestion, and thus Yochebed, Moshe’s mother, raises her son until he grows up.

2. MOSHE MEETS HIS BROTHERS
Moshe lives in the Royal Place. Already an adult, Moshe leaves the palace and feels the suffering of his Jewish brothers. He sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, Moses kills the Egyptian and somehow, Pharaoh finds out. Moshe is forced to flee. He escapes to Midian and stays there for a time. He marries Tsipora, Yitro’s daughter, and has two sons, Guereshom and Eliezer.

3. GOD REMEMBERS HIS PROMISE
In Egypt, the situation of Jewish slaves is getting worse. The people cry out to God, and God takes into account the Covenant that He had made with their ancestors. Moshe is herding Yitro’s flocks in the desert when he sees a burning bush not consumed by its fire. When Moshe came closer to understanding what was happening, God spoke to him. God tells him that He has seen the suffering of the Israelites and has decided to liberate them from the Egyptians through Moshe. God gives Moshe instructions. He must gather the Jewish elders and inform them that God would rescue them from Egypt and bring them back to Israel. Then Moshe must speak to Pharaoh and ask him to let the Jews go out to serve God. However, God warns Moshe that Pharaoh will not agree to this request. But redemption will eventually happen after God punishes Egypt. God presents Moshe with three miraculous tests to perform before the Israelites, so they will believe God has sent him. Moshe says he is unfit for this challenging mission due to his inability to speak eloquently. God then assigns his brother Aharon to be his spokesperson.

4. MOSHE GOES TO EGYPT
Moshe takes his wife and his two sons and heads to Egypt. God specifies to Moshe what he should say to Pharaoh: “Israel is my firstborn son. Let my son go to serve Me. And if you refuse to free him, I will take your firstborn son.” Moshe meets Aaron, who had come from Egypt to meet him, and together they arrive in Egypt. They gather all the elders and present the evidence that God had sent them.

5. MISSION NOT ACCOMPLISHED
Moshe and Aharon go to Pharaoh’s palace and ask him to let the Jews go. Pharaoh mocks them and instructs his taskmasters to increase the workload of the Jewish slaves. The Jews could not meet the new demands of Pharaoh, and as a result, they were brutally beaten. Moses, afflicted and confused, turns to God: “Why have you caused more suffering to these people? And what have you sent me for? For since I have spoken to Pharaoh in Your name, the people are suffering more…. “. God reassures Moshe and replies that he will soon see what God will do with Pharaoh and that the Egyptian monarch will be forced to liberate the Jews.



SUMMARY OF PARASHAT VAYICHI

Parashat Vayichi (ויחי) which means “and he lived” refers to the last 17 years of the life of the patriarch Jacob , Ya’aqob, in Egypt.

1. JACOB’S LAST DAYS
When Jacob feels his life is coming to an end, he calls Yosef and makes him promise to bury him in Israel, and not in Egypt. Yosef agrees to his father’s request. When Jacob falls ill Yosef visits him, accompanied by his two sons Menashe and Ephraim. Jacob adopts Yosef’s sons, Ephraim and Menashe, as his own sons and gives them each one portion of his inheritance. Hence, instead of inheriting one single tribe like his brothers, Yosef will inherit two tribes. Yosef asks his father to bless his children. Jacob crosses his hands and places his right hand, with which he would bless the first-born, on the head of Ephraim, the younger of the two brothers. And he blesses them saying: “May the angel of HaShem who redeemed me from all evil bless these two lads, and may they be called by my name and by the name of my parents, Abraham and Isaac, and may they multiply in abundance upon the earth.” Yosef is concerned because he thinks that Jacob placed his right hand on Ephraim by mistake, and tries to place his father’s hand on Menashe. But Jacob refuses and tells him that he knows who the older son is, but “the younger brother will be greater than him, and his offspring shall be plentiful enough for nations.” Then Jacob blesses them saying that the people of Israel will bless one another saying: “May God bless you as Ephraim and Menashe.” This event, happened probably when Jacob just arrived to Egypt.

2. JACOB’S FINAL BLESSING
Jacob summons all of his sons and dedicates a personalized message, blessing or even criticism, based on the character, talents, future and potential of each one of them. Reuben is criticized for his impulsiveness and for having desecrated his father’s bed. Shimon and Levi are also reprimanded for their anger, which was expressed in the slaughter of Shechem’s men. Yehudah is blessed with monarchy and success in battle. Zebulun is blessed to be successful in his maritime trade endeavors. Jacob compares Isakhar to a strong donkey (the donkey was a respected animal in those days) that works tirelessly. Dan has the ability to judge. Gad will be brave in battle. Asher has the ability to produce abundant oil and market it. Naftali is blessed with the speed of a deer. Yosef is recognized for his charm, his suffering and his righteousness and receives a wide variety of blessings. Benjamin is finally to a ferocious wolf who fearlessly faces his enemies. Jacob also reiterates before all his children his request to be buried in Israel, in the Cave of Machpela in Hebron. After blessing his children Jacob dies at the age of 147.

3. THE FUNERAL
Egypt mourns seventy days for Jacob’s death. Yosef receives permission from Pharaoh to transfer Jacob’s body to Israel. A large funeral procession made up of all the elders of Egypt and all of Jacob’s family goes to Israel to bury Jacob.

4. FAMILY REUNITED
Then, back in Egypt, Yosef’s brothers fear that now, once Jacob is no longer alive, Yosef will take revenge on them for having sold him as a slave. But Yosef assures them that he does not hold a grudge against them. The family of Israel is finally united and at peace again.

5. YOSEF’S LAST WISH
Yosef lives to the age of 110. Before passing away, he tells his brothers that God will eventually lead them out of Egypt and return them to the Land of Israel. Yosef makes them promise that when the time comes, his remains should be taken with them to be buried in the land of Israel, as his father did.



SUMMARY OF PARASHAT VAYISHLACH

Jacob returns to the land of Israel after spending 20 years in the house of his uncle Laban, in the city of Haran (in southern Turkey). Arriving in Israel, Jacob sends emissaries to Esav, his brother, to notify him of his return. The messengers inform Jacob that Esav, who had sworn to kill Jacob for taking his birthright, is arriving with 400 (armed?) men. Jacob suspects the worst and strategically prepares. He divides his family in case Esav attacks him; he prays to God for his protection and sends Esav a generous gift, hundreds of animals, to try to appease him.

Jacob spends the night crossing the river and moving his family and property from one side to the other. Before crossing for the last time, he is confronted by an angel (or a man sent by God), who fights with him, and defeats him. Jacob acquires his new name, “Israel,” which means “the one who fights against who is stronger than him and prevails”.

Jacob and Esav finally meet. Jacob kneels 7 times before Esav, in the act of submission and as if asking for forgiveness, and treats him with the greatest possible honor and deference. The brothers eventually reconcile and greet each other warmly. Eisav invites Jacob to live with him, but Jacob very diplomatically declines the invitation.

Jacob travels to Sukkot, reaches Shechem, and purchases land near the city. His daughter Dina is kidnapped and raped by the crown prince of Shechem. Two of Jacob’s sons, Shimon and Levi, convince the inhabitants of Shechem to be circumcised. And then, taking advantage of his convalescence, they destroy the city and all the men in it.

Jacob leaves Shechem and goes to Bet-El. God reveals himself to Jacob and promises that he will inherit the land of his fathers. Jacob builds an altar. Rachel, his beloved wife, dies giving birth to her second son, Binyamin, and she is buried in a tomb near Bet Lechem. Jacob finally arrives in Hebron and meets his father, Isaac (his mother had already passed away), who dies at 180. The Parasha ends by mentioning the wives, children, and descendants of Esav, who founded the nation of Edom.



SUMMARY OF PARASHAT VAYETSE

Jacob leaves Beer-Sheba and heads to Haran, Syria. He is fleeing from his brother Esau, who sets out to kill him. He also goes to Haran with the intention of finding a wife in his mother’s hometown. Shortly after starting his long journey, Jacob had a beautiful dream when he arrived at Bethel: angels ascending and descending on a ladder. God promises Jacob His blessing and protection and guarantees that he and his descendants will inherit the land of Israel.

After several days, Jacob arrives in Haran and heads to the well of water. There, he meets a young woman who turns out to be his cousin, Rachel, and he falls in love with her. Rachel takes him to her home. Jacob is welcomed by his uncle Laban. They quickly reach an agreement: Jacob will work for Laban for seven years, and in return, Laban will allow him to marry his daughter. But when the wedding day arrives, Laban gives Jacob his daughter Leah instead of Rachel, something that Jacob only discovers the next day. How is it possible that Jacob did not recognize Leah? There are several explanations, but the simplest is that 1. Rachel and Leah were sisters, and they must have been very similar physically and in their voices. 2. Women in ancient times wore a very thick veil, like the burqa worn by women in Afghanistan. 3. Everything happened in the shadow of night. 4. Jacob did not expect it. Many commentators explain that Jacob was now a victim of a case of “identity theft” similar to what he had caused when he disguised himself as his brother Esau to receive his father Isaac’s blessing, who was blind. The similarities between these two episodes cannot be a mere coincidence.

Jacob had to work for another long period of time to marry Rachel. Before the giving of the Torah, there was no prohibition against marrying two sisters. Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah give birth to several sons for Jacob. Rachel was barren, but ultimately, she gave birth to a son named Joseph. Jacob now has eleven sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Joseph, and a daughter, Dinah. The birth of his twelfth son, Benjamin, will be mentioned only in next week’s Parasha. Each of his sons will establish one of the tribes of Israel. There is a very important difference between Ishmael’s sons and Jacob’s sons: we read a little earlier that Ishmael also had twelve sons, and each of those sons created a separate nation (shneim asar nesi’im le’umotam). Jacob, however, managed to have all his sons form 12 tribes of one people.

After working for Laban for many years, Jacob expresses his desire to return to the land of his fathers, Eretz Israel. But Laban convinces him to stay longer and offers to pay him with a portion of the flock so that Jacob can have his own inheritance. After a few years, Jacob’s flock miraculously increases, and our patriarch returns to his homeland without seeking Laban’s consent. He gathers his family and tells them that God revealed Himself to him in a dream, announcing that it was time to leave.

Jacob and his family practically flee without Laban’s knowledge. And when Laban finds out, he goes after Jacob with ill intentions. God reveals Himself to Laban and warns him not to harm Jacob. Laban reproaches Jacob for taking his daughters and grandchildren away. Jacob and Laban finally reconciled and made a peace treaty in Gal-ed. Jacob continues his journey, destined for the land of Canaan, and arrives in the city of Mahanaim. Jacob’s next challenge will be to confront his brother Esau, who had decided to kill him 20 years earlier.



SUMMARY OF PARASHAT TOLEDOT

HAVING A CHILD…. OR TWO…

Parashat Toledot tells us that our second patriarch, Isaac, prayed for his wife Ribka, who was barren, to conceive. God answers Isaac’s prayers, and Ribka conceives. She prophetically learns that she is pregnant with twins and that her children will become founders of two nations: “One will prevail over the other, and the older will serve the younger.” When she gives birth, the first baby to emerge is covered in hair. They called him Esau. The second is born clinging to his brother’s heel (‘eqeb), which is why they call him Ya’aqob.

LIVE THE DIFFERENCE!

The children become adults, and their lives follow different paths: Esav becomes a hunter, and Jacob “dwells in the tent,” spending more time in his house than in the field. The personalities of these twins were very different. These differences between Jacob and Esau remind us of an essential point in parenting: sometimes children have the same father, the same mother, the same genetic background, the same education, and yet they can have a completely different character – or sometimes opposite – one from the other. The Torah also tells us that Isaac loved Esav more, while Ribka loved Jacob.

PRESENT OR FUTURE?

One day, Esav returns from hunting and is exhausted. He finds Jacob making lentil stew and asks him to give it to him. Jacob offers it to him in exchange for Esau’s birthright. Esav accepts. Before he gives him his bowl of lentils, Jacob gives Esau bread. So that? So that once Esav was satisfied with the bread, he would have the opportunity to reconsider and not sell his birthright. But Esav didn’t care about tomorrow, and he was willing to sacrifice his future to enjoy the present a little more. Unlike Esav, Jacob represents the idea of making sacrifices in the present – studying, saving, and working hard – to ensure a better future.

ISAAC IN WAR

A famine strikes the land of Canaan, and Isaac moves his family to the land of Gerar, which was ruled by the Pelishtim king Abimelech. God gives Isaac strict instructions that he not go to the land of Egypt. Isaac is the only one of our patriarchs who never left the land of Israel. Isaac settles in Gerar. When the local men ask him about his beautiful wife, Ribqa Isaac tells them she is his sister. He did this out of fear that they would kill him to stay with his wife. Unlike what happened with Abraham, Abimelech discovers that Ribka is Isaac’s wife and criticizes Isaac for deceiving him. Once this issue is resolved, Isaac prospers financially in Gerar, but the Philistines envy his success, and Abimelech asks Isaac to leave. Isaac moves in and digs several wells nearby, finding water. The Pelishtim shepherds claim those wells and destroy them. Eventually, Isaac settles in Beer Sheba, and he and Abimelech make a non-aggression treaty.

TELL ME WHO YOU WILL MARRY, AND I WILL TELL YOU…. WHO WILL YOU BE…

We return to the children of Isaac and Ribka. Esau, going against everything his parents and grandparents wanted, marries two Hittite women, which would be the equivalent of marrying a non-Jewish woman in our day. His parents suffer greatly from Esav’s decision.

When Isaac was old, the time came to bless his children, which in those times was also the way of assigning who was going to be the spiritual leader to continue the path of Abraham. Isaac calls Esav and asks him to go hunting and prepare a meal for him so that Isaac can grant him this blessing and privilege before he dies. Ribka overhears this conversation and establishes a plan for Jacob to obtain this blessing: she will prepare the food, and Jacob brings it to Isaac and receives it in her place. Jacob dressed in Esav’s clothes and thus managed to prevent his father, Isaac, who was already blind, from being able to identify him. When Esav returns, he discovers that his brother has received his blessing, and he vows to kill him. Ribka makes a new plan to save Jacob: her son will move to her family’s home in Haran, Syria until Esav’s anger calms down.

Isaac bids farewell to Jacob, and, this time, consciously blesses him with the blessing of the land of Israel and the continuation of Abraham’s legacy.

ANOTHER SUMMARY

1. Isaac marries Rivka at age 40. The couple had to wait twenty years for HaShem to answer their prayers. Rivka conceives twins. Pregnancy is difficult. Because babies fight each other in her womb. God tells her that these 2 children in her womb are going to produce 2 nations. Esav is born first. And Jacob came out clinging to his heel. Over the years, Esav becomes “a skilled hunter, a man of the field”; while Jacob is “a man of his house”, a man of integrity. 

2. Isaac favors Esav; But Rivka loves Jacob. One day Esav returns exhausted and hungry from the field and exchanges his birthright for a plate of lentils. The Tora tells us that Esav did not care about the birthright. 

3. There is famine in the land of Canaan, Isaac heads south and reaches Gerar, the land of the Philistines. Isaac presents Rikva as his sister, fearing he will be killed by someone who lusts after her. Isaac works the land, rebuilds the wells dug by his father Abraham and reaps 100 times more than he planted. The Philistines envy him and destroy the water wells. But in the end Isaac enjoys some quiet years. 

4. Esav marries two Hittite women. Isaac is growing old and blind and everything indicates that he is in his last days. Isaac expresses his desire to bless Esav, that is, to declare him his heir, before dying. Esav goes hunting to prepare his father’s favorite food. In the meantime Rivka dresses Jacob in Esav’s clothing, covering him with skin so that Isaac would think that he is his brother and Jacob receives his father’s blessings: material abundance and dominion over his brother. When Esav returns and realizes the deception, he cries and declares that when his father dies, he will kill Jacob. 

5. Rivka fears for the life of Jacob and he flees from his parents’ house and goes to Haran with the purpose of finding a wife from the family of his mother Rivka, the extended family of Abraham. Esav marries a third wife to try ingratiating himself with his mother: Machalat, Ishmael’s daughter.