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Parasha #8: Vayishlach (וַיִּשְׁלַח)

Reading passages

Torah: Gen. 32:4-36:43    (Hebrew: פָּרָשַׁת וַיִּשְׁלַח)
Haftarah: Obadja 1:1-21

Summary

In Parashat Vayishlach Jacob prepares to meet his brother Esau after years apart, filled with anxiety and uncertainty about Esau’s intentions. As a strategic precaution, Jacob divides his family and possessions into two camps to minimize potential losses in case of an attack. During the night, Jacob wrestles with a mysterious angelic figure until dawn, earning the name Israel, which signifies his struggles with both divine and human beings and prevailing. The reunion with Esau is unexpectedly peaceful and marked by brotherly affection, contrasting sharply with the subsequent violent episode in Shechem. Jacob’s daughter, Dinah, is dishonored by Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite. In response, her brothers Simeon and Levi take bloody vengeance against the city of Shechem, killing all the males and taking the women and children captive. The portion also recounts the death of Rachel during the birth of her second son, Benjamin, and her burial on the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. The parasha concludes with the death of Isaac, who is buried by his sons Jacob and Esau, and a genealogical account of Esau’s descendants.

Related SHEBANQ queries

Verse	Query	Short description
Gen. 35:11	be fertile and be many	Command by God to Jacob after returning to Bethel.

Related Text-Fabric Notebooks

GitHub	NBviewer	Short description
hapax	hapax	find unique words (hapax legomena)

Hebcal

Additional details about Jewish calendar and holiday information, offering users a resource for tracking Hebrew dates, candle lighting times, and other relevant information in the Jewish calendar. Hebcal entry for parasha Vayishlach.