Bereishis
Book 1: Genesis

VAYEITZEI

Chapter 28

Verse 10: Yaakov left Beer Sheva and went toward Charan.

Verse 11: He reached the place and spent the night there because the sun had set. He took some of the stones of that place, and arranged them around his head, and lay down [to sleep] in that place.

Verse 12: He dreamed, and behold a ladder was set up on the earth and the top of it reached toward heaven; and behold angels of El-him were ascending and descending on it.

Verse 13: And behold Ad-noy stood above it, and said, "I am Ad-noy, G-d of Avraham, your father, and G-d of Yitzchok. The land upon which you are lying, I will give to you and to your descendants.

Verse 14: Your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth. You shall spread to the west, to the east, to the north and to the south. Through you shall be blessed all the families of the earth, and through your descendants.

Verse 15: Behold, I am with you, and I will guard you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not forsake you until I have done that which I have spoken to you."

Verse 16: Yaakov awoke from his sleep, and said, "In truth, Ad-noy is in this place, and I did not know it."

Verse 17: He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of El-him, and this is the gate of heaven."

Verse 18: Yaakov rose early in the morning and took the stone that he had placed at his head; and he set it as a monument, and poured oil on its top.

Verse 19: He named that place Beis Eil, but Luz was the original name of the city.

Verse 20: Yaakov made a vow, saying, "If El-him will be with me, and guards me on this path that I am going, and gives me bread to eat and clothing to wear;

Verse 21: And if I return in peace to my father's house, and Ad-noy will be my G-d;

Verse 22: [Then] this stone which I have set [as] a monument will become a House of G-d, and of all that You give, I will surely give a tenth to You.

Sheini (Second Aliyah)

Chapter 29

Verse 1: Yaakov [then] lifted his feet and went toward the land of the people of the East.

Verse 2: He looked and [saw] a well in the field; and behold there were three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for from that well the flocks were watered. There was a large stone over the mouth of the well.

Verse 3: When all the flocks were gathered, [the shepherds] would roll the stone from the well's mouth, and water the sheep. They would [then] return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.

Verse 4: Yaakov said to them, "My brothers, from where do you come?" They said, "We are from Charan."

Verse 5: He said to them, "Do you know Lavan, the son of Nachor?" They said, "We know him."

Verse 6: He said to them, "Is he doing well?" They said, "He is doing well. Behold Rochel, his daughter, is coming with the sheep."

Verse 7: He said to them, "The day is yet long, it is not yet time for the sheep to be gathered, water the sheep and go pasture them."

Verse 8: They said, "We cannot [do so] until all the flocks have gathered and [the shepherds] roll the stone from the mouth of the well. Then we can water the sheep."

Verse 9: While he was still speaking with them, Rochel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess.

Verse 10: When Yaakov saw Rochel, the daughter of Lavan, his mother's brother, with the sheep of Lavan, his mother's brother, he stepped near and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well. He then watered the sheep of Lavan, his mother's brother.

Verse 11: Yaakov kissed Rochel and cried in a loud voice.

Verse 12: Yaakov told Rochel that he was a relative of her father, that he was the son of Rivkah. She ran and told her father.

Verse 13: When Lavan heard the news of Yaakov, his sister's son, he ran to greet him. He embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. [Yaakov] told Lavan all that had happened.

Verse 14: Lavan said to him, "Nevertheless, you are my bone and flesh." [Yaakov] lived with him for a month.

Verse 15: Lavan said to Yaakov, "Just because you are my relative, must you work for me without pay? Tell me, [what should] your wages [be]?"

Verse 16: Lavan had two daughters. The name of the older one was Leah, and the name of the younger one was Rochel.

Verse 17: The eyes of Leah were tender. Rochel was of beautiful form and of beautiful appearance.

Sh'lishi (Third Aliyah)

Verse 18: Yaakov loved Rochel. and he said, "I will work for you seven years for Rochel, your younger daughter."

Verse 19: Lavan said, "Better that I give her to you than I should give her to another man. [Remain] living with me."

Verse 20: Yaakov worked seven years for Rochel, but they seemed to him like a few days, so much did he love her.

Verse 21: Yaakov said to Lavan, "Give me my wife, for my term is completed; and thus I will consummate the marriage with her."

Verse 22: Lavan gathered all the local people and he made a [wedding] feast.

Verse 23: When it was evening, he took Leah, his daughter, and brought her to him [Yaakov]. He consummated the marriage with her.

Verse 24: Lavan gave Zilpah, his servant to her, to Leah, his daughter as a handmaid.

Verse 25: When it was morning, behold it was Leah! He [Yaakov] said to Lavan, "What have you done to me? Did I not work with you for Rochel? Why did you deceive me?"

Verse 26: Lavan said, "It is not done so in our place, to give the younger [daughter in marriage] before the firstborn."

Verse 27: "Complete the [marriage] week for this one. We will then give you the other also--- in return for the work that you will do with me for another seven years."

Verse 28: Yaakov did so, and he completed the [marriage] week for this one [Leah]. He [Lavan] then gave Rochel, his daughter to him as a wife.

Verse 29: To his daughter, Rochel, Lavan gave his servant Bilhah, to be her handmaid.

Verse 30: He [Yaakov] also consummated his marriage with Rochel. He loved Rochel more than Leah, and he worked with [Lavan] another seven years.

Verse 31: Ad-noy saw that Leah was the hated one, and He opened her womb. Rochel remained barren.

Verse 32: Leah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuvein, as she said, "Ad-noy has seen my affliction; for now my husband will love me."

Verse 33: She conceived again and gave birth to a son. She said, "Since Ad-noy heard that I am the hated one, He also gave me this one," and she named him Shimon.

Verse 34: She conceived again and gave birth to a son. She said, "This time my husband will become attached to me, for I have born him three sons." He therefore named him Leivi.

Verse 35: She conceived again and gave birth to a son. She said, "This time I will praise Ad-noy." She therefore named him Yehudah. She then stopped giving birth.

Chapter 30

Verse 1: Rochel saw that she was not bearing children to Yaakov. Rochel became jealous of her sister, and she said to Yaakov, "Give me children; if not I am [considered] dead."

Verse 2: Yaakov became very angry with Rochel, and he said, "Am I in G-d's place? [It is He] who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb."

Verse 3: She said, "Here is my handmaid, Bilhah, consummate a marriage with her. Let her give birth upon my knees, and I too will have a son through her."

Verse 4: She gave him Bilhah, her handmaid, as a wife and Yaakov consummated the marriage with her.

Verse 5: Bilhah conceived and bore Yaakov a son.

Verse 6: Rochel said, "El-him has judged me. He has also heard my voice, and has given me a son." She therefore named him Don.

Verse 7: She conceived again, and Bilhah, Rochel's handmaid, bore a second son to Yaakov.

Verse 8: Rochel said, "With El-him's bonds, I have been joined to my sister, and I have also prevailed." She [therefore] called him Naftali.

Verse 9: Leah realized that she was no longer bearing children. She [therefore] took Zilpah, her handmaid, and gave her to Yaakov as a wife.

Verse 10: Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, bore Yaakov a son.

Verse 11: Leah said, "Unexpected success has come," and she named him Gad.

Verse 12: Zilpah, Leah's handmaid bore a second son to Yaakov.

Verse 13: Leah said, "It is in my good fortune that daughters [women] will consider me fortunate." She named him Asher.

Revi'i (Fourth Aliyah)

Verse 14: Reuvein went in the days of the wheat harvest, and found jasmine flowers in the field. He brought them to Leah, his mother. Rochel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's jasmine flowers."

Verse 15: She [Leah] said to her, "Isn't it enough that you took my husband? Would you also take my son's jasmine flowers?" Rochel said, "Therefore, he shall be with you tonight in exchange for your son's jasmine flowers."

Verse 16: Yaakov came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him. She said, "You will come to me, for I have hired you with my son's jasmine flowers," and he was with her that night.

Verse 17: El-him perceived Leah's [wish]. She conceived and bore [her] fifth son to Yaakov.

Verse 18: Leah said, "El-him has given me my reward because I gave my handmaid to my husband." She named him Yissachar.

Verse 19: Leah conceived again and bore [her] sixth son to Yaakov.

Verse 20: Leah said, "El-him has given a goodly portion. Now my husband will make his [main] home with me, for I have borne him six sons. She named him Zevulun.

Verse 21: Afterwards she gave birth to a daughter, and named her Deenah.

Verse 22: El-him remembered Rochel, and El-him perceived her [plight] and opened her womb.

Verse 23: She conceived and gave birth to a son. She said, "El-him has removed my shame."

Verse 24: She named him Yoseif, saying, "May Ad-noy add to me another son."

Verse 25: When Rochel had given birth to Yoseif, Yaakov said to Lavan, "Send me on my way, and I will go to my own place and to my homeland.

Verse 26: Give me [permission to take] my wives and my children, for whom I worked for you, and I will go; for you know my work that I did for you."

Verse 27: Lavan said to him, "If I have found favor in your eyes, I have divined that Ad-noy has blessed me because of you."

Chamishi (Fifth Aliyah)

Verse 28: He said, "Set your wage for me, and I will give it."

Verse 29: He [Yaakov] said to him, "You know how I worked for you, and how your livestock fared with me.

Verse 30: For the little you had before I came here has increased and has become a multitude. Ad-noy has blessed you with my coming. Now when will I also do something for my own house?"

Verse 31: He [Lavan] said, "What shall I give you?" Yaakov said, "Do not give me anything--- if you do this thing for me. I will continue to tend your flock and guard it.

Verse 32: I will go through all your flocks this day. I will remove from them every lamb that is speckled, or spotted, and every dark one among the sheep, and every goat that is spotted and speckled. That [kind] will be my wage.

Verse 33: My righteousness shall testify for me in the future when you go over my wage. Any goat which is not speckled or spotted, and any sheep that is [not] dark, shall be considered as stolen [if it is] in my possession."

Verse 34: Lavan said, "Agreed, may it be as you say."

Verse 35: That day he [Lavan] removed the he-goats that were ringed and spotted, and all the she-goats that were speckled and spotted, everyone that had white in it, and all the dark ones among the sheep; and he gave them to his sons.

Verse 36: He placed a three days journey between himself and Yaakov. Yaakov tended Lavan's remaining flocks.

Verse 37: Yaakov took rods of fresh poplar, hazel and chestnut [trees], and peeled white stripes in them by uncovering the white which is in the rods.

Verse 38: He set up the rods that he had peeled in the ducts in the watering troughs, where the sheep [ewes] came to drink facing the sheep [rams]; that they should become heated when they came to drink.

Verse 39: The sheep became heated [and mated] before the rods, and the sheep gave birth to ringed, speckled and spotted [lambs].

Verse 40: Yaakov separated the lambs. He set the faces of the sheep toward the ringed ones and all the dark ones; [he did so] with Lavan's flocks. He formed separate flocks of his own, and did not set them with Lavan's flocks.

Verse 41: When the stronger sheep were heated [to mate], Yaakov placed the rods before the sheep's eyes at the ducts, so they would be in heat among the rods.

Verse 42: But when the sheep were feeble, he did not place [the rods before them]. Thus the feeble ones were Lavan's, and the strong ones became the possession of Yaakov.

Verse 43: The man became tremendously prosperous. He had many flocks, female slaves and male slaves, camels and donkeys.

Chapter 31

Verse 1: He [Yaakov] heard the words of Lavan's sons [who were] saying, "Yaakov has taken all that belonged to our father. From that which was our father's, he made all this wealth."

Verse 2: Yaakov saw Lavan's face [demeanor] and it was not toward him as it was before.

Verse 3: Ad-noy said to Yaakov, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your birthplace, and I will be with you."

Verse 4: Yaakov sent and called Rochel and Leah to [come to] the field, to his flock.

Verse 5: He said to them, "I saw your father's face; it is not toward me as it was before, but the G-d of my father was with me.

Verse 6: You know that I served your father with all my strength.

Verse 7: Your father cheated me and changed my wage ten times; but El-him did not let him harm me.

Verse 8: If he would say, 'The speckled will be your wage,' then all the sheep gave birth to speckled ones. If he would say, 'Ringed ones will be your wage,' all the sheep gave birth to ringed ones.

Verse 9: Thus G-d delivered your father's livestock, and gave it to me.

Verse 10: At the time the sheep were in heat [to mate], I lifted my eyes, and in a dream I saw that the rams going upon the sheep were ringed, speckled and striped.

Verse 11: An angel of El-him said to me in a dream, 'Yaakov,' and I said, 'Here I am.'

Verse 12: He said, 'Lift up your eyes and see, all the rams going up on the sheep are ringed, speckled, and striped; for I have seen all that Lavan is doing to you.

Verse 13: I am the Almighty of Beis Eil, where you anointed a monument, where you made a vow to Me. Now arise and leave this land, and return to the land of your birthplace.' "

Verse 14: Rochel and Leah replied and said to him, "Do we still have a portion and an inheritance in our father's house?

Verse 15: Are we not considered by him as strangers? For he has sold us, and has completely consumed our money.

Verse 16: All the wealth that El-him rescued from our father belongs to us and our children. Now, whatever G-d has said to you, do it."

Shishi (Sixth Aliyah)

Verse 17: Yaakov rose and lifted his children and his wives upon the camels.

Verse 18: He led away all his livestock, and all his possessions that he had acquired, which he had purchased with his own livestock that he had acquired in Padan Aram, [in order] to come to Yitzchok, his father, to the land of Canaan.

Verse 19: Lavan [meanwhile] had gone to shear his sheep, and Rochel stole the idols that belonged to her father.

Verse 20: Yaakov fooled Lavan, the Aramean, by not telling him that he had fled.

Verse 21: He fled with all that he possessed. He set out and crossed the river, setting out in the direction of Mount Gilod.

Verse 22: Lavan was told on the third day that Yaakov had fled.

Verse 23: He took his brothers [kinsmen] with him, and pursued him a distance of seven days. He overtook him in Mount Gilod.

Verse 24: El-him appeared to Lavan the Aramean, in a dream that night, and said to him, "Guard yourself, that you do not speak to Yaakov either good or evil."

Verse 25: Lavan overtook Yaakov. Yaakov had set up his tents on the mountain, and Lavan and his brothers had set up on Mount Gilod.

Verse 26: Lavan said to Yaakov, "What have you done? You fooled me, and led my daughters away like prisoners of war.

Verse 27: Why did you flee so stealthily? You robbed me and did not tell me. I would have sent you away, with joy and with song, with drum and harp.

Verse 28: You did not let me kiss my [grand]sons and daughters. Now see how foolishly you acted.

Verse 29: It is within the power of my hand to harm you, but the G-d of your father spoke to me last night saying, 'Guard yourself not to speak to Yaakov either good or evil.'

Verse 30: Now you have gone for you yearned for your father's house, but why did you steal my gods?"

Verse 31: Yaakov replied and said to Lavan, "Because I was afraid, for I said you might forcibly take your daughters from me.

Verse 32: With whomsoever you find your gods, he shall not live. In the presence of our brethren, identify anything belonging to you that is here with me and take it back with you." Yaakov did not know that Rochel had stolen them.

Verse 33: Lavan came into Yaakov's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the tents of the two handmaids, but he found nothing. He left Leah's tent and came into Rochel's tent.

Verse 34: Rochel had taken the idols, and placed them in the camel's saddle-pillow, and sat upon them. Lavan searched the whole tent and found nothing.

Verse 35: She said to her father, "Let there not be anger in the eyes of my master that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me." He searched but did not find the idols.

Verse 36: Yaakov was angry and he argued with Lavan. Yaakov replied and said to Lavan, "What is my crime? What sin did I commit that you were in such hot pursuit of me?

Verse 37: When you searched all my goods, what did you find of all your household goods? Place it here in the presence of my brethren and your brethren, and let them decide between the two of us.

Verse 38: These twenty years that I was with you, your ewes and she-goats never miscarried, and I did not eat any rams of your flocks.

Verse 39: I never brought you a mutilated animal. I took the blame for it. You demanded compensation from my hand whether [an animal] was stolen from me by day or whether it was stolen from me by night.

Verse 40: I was consumed by the burning heat by day and ice at night. My sleep was taken from my eyes.

Verse 41: These twenty years that I have been in your house, I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your sheep, but you changed my wages ten times.

Verse 42: Had not the G-d of my father, the G-d of Avraham and the Fear of Yitzchok been with me, you would have sent me away empty-handed. My misery and the labor of my hands was seen by El-him, and He reprimanded you last night."

Shevi'i (Seventh Aliyah)

Verse 43: Lavan replied and said to Yaakov, "The daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the[se] flocks are my flocks. All that you see is mine. What can I do unto these, my daughters, today, or to their children that they have born.

Verse 44: Now come [therefore] let us make a pact, I and you. Let it be witness between me and you."

Verse 45: Yaakov took a boulder and raised it as a monument.

Verse 46: Yaakov said to his brethren, "Gather stones." They took stones and made a mound, and they ate on the mound.

Verse 47: Lavan called it Yegar Sohadusa, but Yaakov called it Galeid.

Verse 48: Lavan said, "This mound is witness between me and you this day." He therefore called its name Galeid.

Verse 49: And [he also called it] Mitzpah [Watchtower] because he said, "Ad-noy will watch between me and you, when we are concealed from each other['s sight].

Verse 50: If you afflict my daughters, or marry other wives in addition to my daughters, there may be no man with us, but see, El-him is witness between me and you."

Verse 51: Lavan said to Yaakov, "Here is this mound, and here is this monument that I have cast between me and you.

Verse 52: This mound is witness, and the monument is witness, that I will not cross over to you beyond this mound; and you are not to cross over to me beyond this mound and this monument for harmful purposes.

Verse 53: The G-d of Avraham and the god of Nachor, the god of their fathers will judge between us. Yaakov swore by the Fear of his father, Yitzchok.

Verse 54: Yaakov slaughtered an offering on the mountain, and invited his brethren to eat bread [a meal]. They ate bread and spent the night on the mountain.

Maftir

Chapter 32

Verse 1: Lavan rose early in the morning. He kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them. Lavan departed and returned to his place.

Verse 2: Yaakov went on his way, and the angels of El-him met him.

Verse 3: When Yaakov saw them, he said, "This is El-him's camp." He named the place Machanayim.

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