Study Desk

because I want you to swear by Adonai , God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not choose a wife for my son from among the women of the Kena‘ani, among whom I am living;

Here I am, standing by the spring, as the daughters of the townsfolk come out to draw water.

She answered, "I am the daughter of B'tu'el the son Milkah bore to Nachor,"

He said, "I am Avraham's servant.

My master made me swear, saying, ‘You are not to choose a wife for my son from among the women of the Kena‘ani, among whom I am living;

then, here I am, standing by the spring. I will say to one of the girls coming out to draw water, "Let me have a sip of water from your jug."

Adonai appeared to him that same night and said, "I am the God of Avraham your father. Don't be afraid, because I am with you; I will bless you and increase your descendants for the sake of my servant Avraham."

In the course of time, after Yitz'chak had grown old and his eyes dim, so that he couldn't see, he called ‘Esav his older son and said to him, "My son?" and he answered, "Here I am."

He went to his father and said, "My father?" He replied, "Here I am; who are you, my son?"

Ya‘akov said to his father, "I am ‘Esav your firstborn. I've done what you asked me to do. Get up now, sit down, eat the game, and then give me your blessing."

He asked, "Are you really my son ‘Esav?" And he replied, "I am."

Yitz'chak his father said to him, "Who are you?" and he answered, "I am your son, your firstborn, ‘Esav."

So ‘Esav went to Yishma‘el and took, in addition to the wives he already had, Machalat the daughter of Yishma‘el Avraham's son, the sister of N'vayot, to be his wife. Haftarah Tol'dot: Mal'akhi (Malachi) 1:1–2:7 B'rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Tol'dot: Romans 9:6–16; Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 11:20; 12:14–17 Ya‘akov went out from Be'er-Sheva and traveled toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed the night there, because the sun had set. He took a stone from the place, put it under his head and lay down there to sleep. He dreamt that there before him was a ladder resting on the ground with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of Adonai were going up and down on it. Then suddenly Adonai was standing there next to him; and he said, "I am Adonai , the God of Avraham your [grand]father and the God of Yitz'chak. The land on which you are lying I will give to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will be as numerous as the grains of dust on the earth. You will expand to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. By you and your descendants all the families of the earth will be blessed. Look, I am with you. I will guard you wherever you go, and I will bring you back into this land, because I won't leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Ya‘akov awoke from his sleep and said, "Truly, Adonai is in this place — and I didn't know it!" Then he became afraid and said, "This place is fearsome! This has to be the house of God! This is the gate of heaven!" Ya‘akov got up early in the morning, took the stone he had put under his head, set it up as a standing-stone, poured olive oil on its top and named the place Beit-El [house of God]; but the town had originally been called Luz. Ya‘akov took this vow: "If God will be with me and will guard me on this road that I am traveling, giving me bread to eat and clothes to wear, so that I return to my father's house in peace, then Adonai will be my God; and this stone, which I have set up as a standing-stone, will be God's house; and of everything you give me, I will faithfully return one-tenth to you."

Then suddenly Adonai was standing there next to him; and he said, "I am Adonai , the God of Avraham your [grand]father and the God of Yitz'chak. The land on which you are lying I will give to you and to your descendants.

Look, I am with you. I will guard you wherever you go, and I will bring you back into this land, because I won't leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

Ya‘akov took this vow: "If God will be with me and will guard me on this road that I am traveling, giving me bread to eat and clothes to wear,

She conceived again, gave birth to a son and said, "It is because Adonai has heard that I am unloved; therefore he has given me this son also." So she named him Shim‘on [hearing].

This made Ya‘akov angry at Rachel; he answered, "Am I in God's place? He's the one who is denying you children."

and Le'ah said, "How happy I am! Women will say I am happy!" and called him Asher [happy].

Then, in the dream, the angel of God said to me, ‘Ya‘akov!' and I replied, ‘Here I am.'