Commentaries on Weekly Torah Readings
VaYera Chayei Sarah Toldot VaYetzei
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VaYetzei (ויצא) – Genesis 28:10–32:2
by
Jon Thompson
Jacob obeyed the direction of his father Isaac and returned to the land of
Haran to look for a wife from Laban's family. Part of the reason Rebecca
wanted him sent out was to protect him from his brother Esau. Our portion
begins with “and Jacob went out”—“vayetzei Yaakov”
(ויצא יעקב).
We see an interesting pattern about family homes and leaving. Abraham left his father's home and went out to the place YHVH told him to go. He took his family with him when he left. When Isaac is ready for a bride, instead of him leaving, Abraham sent his servant to find a bride and bring her to Isaac. The specific instructions were that Isaac was not to return to Haran. When Rebecca returned to the land, Isaac brought her into his mother's tent and they lived in the land. All three wives were from the lineage of Abraham's father.
Now we see Jacob sent away to Haran, and he “went out from Beersheba,” alone and without taking much with him to go find a wife. Although finding a wife was the purpose of the journey, events didn't work out as smoothly or as quickly as when Abraham's servant went to find Rebecca. I suspect he stayed longer in Haran than either Rebecca or Isaac had envisioned.
Rabbinical commentary by Rashi notes that when a righteous person leaves a place there is a void. Perhaps you have encountered a similar occasion when someone who has the Ruach haKodesh (Holy Spirit) leaves a group. The group seems to feel the loss of fellowship. It's almost as if the person has taken their part of the Spirit with them.
We have discussed before that there is a sense that YHVH blesses each of us with a part of the overall puzzle that show His plan. When we get together and share our pieces, we all gain insight into what the whole plan looks like. Conversely, when someone who is righteous leaves he takes with him that part that he contributed. Although the knowledge he shared remains, something that is a part of the person is gone.
No doubt, when Jacob left Isaac's home, there was a void. Esau was a man of the field, and so probably stopped by periodically, Jacob was a man of the tents and was probably close–at–hand every day. Now that he was gone, they felt the loss. One of the saddest outcomes of this separation was that Rebecca never saw Jacob again.
Jacob no doubt heard the stories of how smoothly the search for Isaac's bride had gone. Isaac and Rebecca probably told the tale many times through the years. Although we often think of young Jacob boldly headed out on his way to Haran, he was not a young man. Estimates from various Rabbinical and Christian sources place his age between fifty–seven and seventy–seven years old when he left home.
We also learn in this portion one of the methods YHVH uses to communicate with His people—through dreams. In Jacob's dream, he saw a ladder that extended from the earth to the heavens. (Genesis 28:12–15) The term haShamayim (השמים) —the heavens, can refer to at least three places in the Bible. It can be the air around us, the sky above us, and space where the planets and stars are. We may not know which heaven the ladder went into or how long it was, but we know it went up. And we know that there were messengers of YHVH ascending and descending on it.
In the Brit Chadashah (New Testament), Yeshua tells Nathaniel that he will see the angels ascending and descending on the Son of man. (John 1:51) Since this is the only reference we have of such an occurrence, it seems that Yeshua was tying this incident to Himself. In this, we can see a picture that Yeshua is the Way for the earthly to ascend to YHVH and for the messengers of YHVH to descend to the earth.
This also correlates with Yeshua's statement that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life and no man comes to Father except by Him. (John 14:6) Whoever comes in another way is a thief and a robber (John 10:7, 8). Other ways, such as mediums and spirit conjurers come to kill, steal and destroy. When we enter by the Door, the Ruach haKodesh leads us into all Truth. Truth is the Word of YHVH, the Torah. Any way that promises entry into the presence of YHVH that doesn't lead along the path of Torah observance is designed to kill since transgression of the Torah is sin, and the wages of sin is death.
YHVH never says that mediums and other necromancers are not able to contact the spirit world. What He says is that He forbids it. One issue with the prohibition is that not all spirits are from YHVH. There are unclean spirits around as well. Attempting to enter the realm of the spirit by these other ways opens you to receive an unclean spirit. In the end though, the reason we don't use mediums is that their use is in violation of the Torah. The only proper way to enter is by the door, the living Door—Yeshua, and the written door—the Torah.
YHVH renews the covenant with Jacob that He made with Abraham and with Isaac. “I will give the land you are laying on to you and to your descendants.” (Genesis 28:13) If there was any question that Jacob was the heir to the covenant of the land, this revelation answered it. We may question the subterfuge that both Rebecca and Jacob used to obtain the blessing from Isaac, but it is clear that YHVH acknowledged that the covenant and the land belonged to Jacob and his descendants.
There are two cautions from later in the portion that I want to close with.
When Jacob left Laban's house, Rachael stole Laban's terraphim—his idols. (Genesis 31:19) Now the rabbis say that she took them so that Laban would stop being an idol worshipper, that her motives were pure. But if that was the case, she had seven days she could have disposed of them along the way before Laban arrived at the camp. There is no explanation in the text as to what she eventually did with them. We do know that Jacob's descendants degrade into idol worship repeatedly throughout the Scriptures.
We tread on dangerous ground when we try to take the idols of our past religions with us when we head out to the Land of Promise. Leave the idols behind; come out clean without packing the idolatrous practices you are seeking to leave behind. By bringing the idols, we place ourselves, those around us, and our descendants, in a precarious position.
Be cautious about what you say and what oaths you make. When Laban accosts
Jacob on the way back to Canaan and accuses him of stealing his daughters,
his flocks, his children, and his idols, Jacob responds with—“With whomever
you find your idols, let them die.”
(Genesis 31:32)
What would Laban have done if he had found the idols in Rachael's tent? By the oath Jacob made, Laban would have had the right to kill her. The sages say that Jacob's oath is the reason Rachael died prematurely giving birth to Benjamin. Jacob made the oath based on a belief that none of his family had taken the idols. He didn't know the idols were in his camp. But as Yeshua said, don't swear at all, but let your yes be yes and your no be no. (Matthew 5:37) We should be cautious about making oaths, even when we are certain we are correct.
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Toldot (תולדת) – Genesis 25:19–28:9
by
Jon Thompson
Esau is a blatant example of a wicked person.
He was a man of the world in every sense; he despised his birthright, then he manipulated the truth to gain what he wanted. He dishonored his parents and intentionally rebelled against his parents wise expectations of who would be an appropriate marriage partner. When he was unable to get what he wanted by deception and subterfuge, he resorted to begging, threats, and then he contrived a plan to murder his godly opponent.
The portion tells us that Esau was a man of the field and a cunning hunter, while Jacob was a man of the tents. Esau's heart was on earthly things and on his skill. Hunting is a skill, more so in the days before high–powered weapons. He manipulated Jacob with the meat he killed in the hunt. Jacob loved Esau because of the meat.
The field exemplifies freedom from the restraint of the tents, civilized society. Even today people like to get away from civilization and get “back to nature” in the fields. For a short time as a relief, there's nothing wrong with that. But to make it a way of life to shun civilized company and the Torah community, indicates a desire to be free of the constraints established in the Torah. Esau was such a man.
The Torah is the shadow of the birthright that Esau despised. The birthright—bekurah (בכורה), is the inheritance to which the first–born is entitled—the right to the double portion. YHVH passed over Esau and gave it as an inheritance to Jacob.
“When Moshe commanded us the Torah, as an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.
Thus YHVH became king in Jesh'urun, when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together.”
(Deuteronomy 33:4, 5)
Esau despised that birthright. The Hebrew word bazah (בזה) translated as “despised” in Genesis 25:34 means “to treat something with contempt as spoiled and no longer of value.” When we look at the wicked person today that's how they treat the Torah—with contempt—as if it has no value, and is spoiled. When something spoils, it stinks, and to the wicked, the righteousness of the Torah is a stench. But to the righteous, it is sweet like honey on their lips.
How sweet are Thy Words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (Psalm 119:103)
Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of food. The Torah does not indicate there is any remorse on Esau's part for having done so until Isaac is old and ready to give his blessing to his children. Then he tries to weasel himself into the blessing for the birthright that he flippantly sold to Jacob. He lies to Isaac, telling him that Jacob stole the birthright and the blessing.
Today those who treat the birthright of the Torah as spoiled want the blessings promised for those who guard and keep it. They want the cattle, gold and grain, but they continue to treat the Torah as if it is spoiled and stinking. They cry out for the blessing, just as Esau did, even though for their own worldly pleasures they sold off the right to those blessings. Then they lie and cry out that the righteous steal their rights.
How do we reconcile that Jacob, not Esau obtained the blessing when the Torah requires the first–born to receive the double portion?
“But he shall acknowledge the first–born, the son of the disliked, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the first issue of his strength; the right of the first–born is his.”
(Deuteronomy 21:17)
Isaac was no stranger to the concept of passing over the first–born in the flesh. He too was a second son. But Ishmael, Abraham's first–born son rebelled against YHVH, it is interesting to note that he was an archer, a skill akin to being a hunter. As a result, Ishmael lost the right of the first–born and YHVH gave it to Isaac. We see a similar situation with Esau and Jacob.
Followers of YHVH pursue righteousness. They guard, and recognize the value of the Torah as the Words of YHVH and His instructions for living in the path He has laid out for them. When they come into covenant with YHVH, they become Israel, YHVH's first–born. Rather than rebel against the Torah, they study it and strive to obey it.
People do rebellious things today because they know that YHVH hates them or has forbidden them. Esau was like people today who engage in pesha behavior involving earthly things. Their hearts and minds are on the things of the field, earthly things, not on the things of the Spirit, the things of YHVH.
We can learn from this portion that we need to be on guard—not to go astray after our own hearts and lusts. We should learn what YHVH instructs us to do, and what He says to avoid.
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Chayei Sarah (חיי שרה) – Genesis 23:1–25:18.
by
Jon Thompson
Have you ever been assigned a task you thought had little chance of success, or an assignment that you thought was wrong? In this portion we can see some insight for dealing with both issues. This portion also gives us some insight into the operation of the Ruach haKodesh (Holy Spirit) in the lives of those who follow YHVH.
When Abraham sent Eliezer to find a wife for Isaac, he made a curious comment about why the search would be successful. He said that an angel would go with him.
“YHVH before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you and make your journey successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my family and my father's house.” (Genesis 24:7)
Eliezer could have focused on the impossibility of finding the one girl chosen for Isaac from among the myriad of girls in the land. He could have focused on the long arduous journey ahead of him. But instead, he assumed he would arrive safely and find the girl; his only concern was that which was out of his hands. What if the girl won't come back with him?
The matter of the journey appears to be unimportant. The Torah tells nothing of it. Eliezer leaves Abraham, and he arrives at the city of Nahor. When Eliezer arrives, the narrative continues. He prays for a sign.
The sign he asks for is that the girl meant for Isaac will come out to where he sits and draw water from the community well. He further asks that she will allow him to drink of her water and that she will offer to water his ten camels. Rebecca does just what Eliezer prayed the chosen mate for Isaac would do. (Genesis 24:12–20)
From this, we may observe two thoughts. That there are angels who assist in certain matters, and that finding the right answer requires action and thought on our part. The angel didn't just give the whole matter to Eliezer, he came up with a sign, and then he meditated on that sign.
The sign Eliezer requested didn't require him to do anything but ask for a drink. He would know if she was the right girl if she fulfilled the rest of the sign. The sign left the fulfillment in YHVH's hands. Eliezer could not affect the outcome.
We can see that either the angel put the idea to ask for such a sign into
Eliezer's mind, or that Eliezer thought it would be an appropriate sign to
ask for. Whichever the case, Eliezer asked for it, and the angel put the events
in order to fulfill it. Either way would fulfill Abraham's prophecy that the
angel will “make your journey successful.“
(Genesis 24:7)
If we experienced a similar set of events today, we would probably attribute the inspiration to the leading of the Ruach haKodesh. I think it was the same for Eliezer. The Holy Spirit prompted him what to ask for. And having asked for the sign, YHVH gave it to him. Because Eliezer followed the leading of the Ruach haKodesh, he was not under the condemnation that James spoke of:
“You ask, and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order that you may spend on your lusts.” (James 4:3)
We also see the Ruach haKodesh working on Rebecca and her family. Remember Abraham came out from this family to follow YHVH Who they didn't worship. And now, some fifty years after Abraham left home, Eliezer comes to their house claiming that Abraham sent him.
Abraham apparently made an impression on his family members before he left. Or they knew what Abraham had been up to since he left, because when Eliezer mentioned it was an assignment of YHVH all disputation was laid to rest. If YHVH ordained the matter then there was nothing more to discuss. Bethuel and Laban answer with “the matter is from YHVH.” (Genesis 24:50) Of course they would give Rebecca to Isaac.
But they contested the question of when. The family wanted to wait ten months to a year before Rebecca left to go to Isaac. Eliezer would not wait. Perhaps for two reasons. Abraham was 135 years old. Eliezer wanted to ensure that Abraham would live to see his son wed. Time was of the essence. The other issue was the stress that Abraham would be feeling, not knowing if the search for Isaac's bride had succeeded.
From this, we can learn that when we have a task to do, we should do it to the best of our ability and complete it quickly. When we finish the task, we should let those who sent us know that we have completed it.
When we report that the task is completed, we take pressure off the one who assigned us. They may be anxious about the task, and we should not keep them waiting for the results. If we accept the assignment, we owe allegiance to the one who assigned us.
Perhaps we also learn that we have the responsibility to assess whether the task is honorable before we accept it. If it is, then we should carry it out with speed and efficiency. But what if the task is not honorable?
We are responsible for our actions regardless of what someone in authority tells us to do. Even in the military, a soldier is not obligated to carry out an unlawful order. We must however be careful when we try to determine if a task is legal and honorable. We may not understand all of the issues involved. What seems to us as unlawful assignment may be both legal and honorable.
Some assignments are clearly not lawful according to the instructions of YHVH. For instance, when Pharaoh told the two Hebrew midwives Puah and Shiphra to abort the baby boys as they emerged from the womb. They did not carry out the abominable assignment. They rebelled against the dishonorable and unlawful order. And YHVH blessed them for their obedience to His instructions, even though they disobeyed the orders of the Pharaoh. (See Exodus 1:15–21)
There are other times when there is confusion as to the legality of the orders. I think of the Israeli Defense Force soldiers who refuse to carry out their orders to evict the settlers from Jewish communities. Are they right in refusing? Or should they carry out their assignments? There is division over the answer to that and many other questions.
May we seek earnestly to find out what YHVH says about a matter and not allow what we see to sway us. Each of us will face questions that do not have clear answers. May we seek the guidance of the Ruach haKodesh and receive His view of whether the task is right. If it is, may we do, as Eliezer did, not focus on the difficulties of the task but on its timely completion.
If it is wrong, may we have courage as Puah and Shiphrah had and do what is right in YHVH's eyes. Regardless what others say, or what the consequences may be.
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VaYera (וארא) – Genesis 18:1–22:24.
by
Jon Thompson
The portion Vayera seems to have a straightforward beginning. YHVH and two other men appear to Abraham. He greets them and has his household prepare a meal for them. When they are finished, two of the men head for Sodom and YHVH remains behind to share with Abraham what they are going to do.
As you read the account, does it occur to you that this is unusual? Because it's the Bible, we sometimes lose our sense of wonder. YHVH the Creator and Sustainer, the King of all creation showed up on Abraham's doorstep. How many times has that happened to you or anyone you know? To add to the wonder of such an occurrence, this isn't the first time He has come to Abraham.
The last portion Lech Lecha ended with the account of YHVH visiting Abraham and promising him a son. (Genesis 17:16) He initiated the covenant of circumcision as a perpetual covenant with Abraham and his posterity. Now, a short time later, He appears to Abraham again. We know it is only a short time because Abraham is still the same age as he was in the previous portion, and YHVH renews the promise that Sarah will bear a son the next year. (Genesis 18:10)
Why does the King visit Abraham so often? We have at least a partial answer in this portion. In YHVH's conversation with the two men, He shares an important trait that He knew about Abraham.
“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of YHVH, to do justice and judgment;” (Genesis 18:19)
It also seems that part of the reason YHVH makes repeated visits to Abraham is because when He gives Abraham instructions, he follows through and carries them out. We see that Abraham obeyed the instruction to circumcise all the males in his household. (Genesis 17:23–27) Perhaps this initial cutting away of the males' foreskins, his included, was to prepare Abraham for the greater instruction of offering Isaac that we see in this portion.
Just as we don't usually receive monumental tasks to perform in the physical world without some preparation, it seems that perhaps YHVH prepares us for His work with smaller tasks before He gives us major ones. Abraham walks out an incremental ascent from leaving his father's house, famine in the land of promise, circumcising the males in his house, being circumcised at the age of ninety–nine, Sarah being kidnapped, waiting until he was 100 years old before his only son Isaac is born, and then being instructed to take Isaac and offer him on Moriah.
Through each step, Abraham was faithful in walking in the way—derech (דרך) that YHVH laid out for him. When Abimelech kidnaps Sarah, YHVH appears to him in a dream and tells him about Abraham. YHVH makes an interesting comment about Abraham, He says:
“Now then restore the man's wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you, and all that are yours.”
(Genesis 20:7)
With this information, we understand that the account of Abraham is more than just a story with moral lessons. We find out that YHVH considers Abraham a prophet. When we know that Abraham is a prophet we look more closely at his life to determine what prophetic insight we can gain.
Here are some things I see. YHVH calls Abraham out of his father's house. We all come from varying backgrounds. Our parents and teachers taught us what they believed was right. As we grow and study, we find at times that what they taught us may not have been correct. When we see error, we have two choices, we can remain in error, or we can choose to correct it.
According to tradition, Abraham's father Terah was an idol worshipper. When Abraham leaves his father's house, he leaves the idol worshipping behind along with everything that went along with it. He saw the error when YHVH came to him, and he chose to follow the Truth. We have the same opportunity, sometimes daily. We may not have a personal visit, but His Ruach HaKodesh can lead us, as it seems He led Abraham to leave Terah's home.
Some reach a point in their lives that Jeremiah described:
“The nations shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.” (Jeremiah 16:19)
When that happens, we have a choice to make. Abraham provides us a prophetic example to follow. We should choose to come out from our father's house and follow YHVH's instructions.
After Abraham left his father's home and he arrived in the Promised Land, there was a famine within a few years. We can learn that even when the events around us look bad, it is important for us to focus on what YHVH instructs us to do, not on what our circumstances are. Abraham doesn't complain, and he doesn't go back to his father's house. He does what is necessary to survive and when the time is right, he returns to the Promised Land.
We may see the same sequence of events in the return to the land of Israel in our day. I see at least some similarity between the expulsion and the return. I see also a shadow picture in two separate returns from Egypt. One famine drives Abraham out. He returns to the land with Jacob (Israel) as seed within him. Later, another famine drives Jacob and his family out, and they return en masse with Moshe.
It seems that we have seen the fulfillment of Abraham's return, but maybe we are still waiting for the massive return of all Israel foreshadowed by the exodus under Moshe's leadership.
Another shadow I see is the circumcision of the males. YHVH established the covenant of circumcision with Abraham, his household, and his descendants. (Genesis 17:11) When Israel entered the Promised Land under Joshua's leadership, one of the first duties they performed was to circumcise the males to roll away the reproach of Egypt. (Joshua 5:9) Moshe took them to the borders of the land, but Joshua brought them in.
The Torah, represented by Moshe, is the tool YHVH uses to bring us to knowledge of His ways. We decide whether to walk in it. When we do, He can take us through the desert and bring us to the land. But Joshua–Yehoshua (יהושוע), also the Hebrew name of the Messiah, leads us into the land once He circumcises us.
Moshe taught that circumcision is of the heart, and by his description, it appears that part of that circumcision is to cut off our stubbornness.
“Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is YHVH your Elohim's, the earth also, with all that is therein.
Only YHVH had a delight in your fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.
Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.” (Deuteronomy 10:14–16)
Paul expanded on the teaching of Moshe when he explained the circumcision of the heart to the saints in Rome.
“For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of Elohim.” (Romans 2:28, 29)
I think much of the Torah remains hidden as an exciting treasure for us to mine. As we draw nearer the end, I see that YHVH is opening more and more of His Word. I look forward every day to see what He will show us today that we haven't seen in the past. Sometimes I haven't seen it because I didn't look hard enough. Sometimes I was too stubborn to give up my preconceptions and accept His instructions. Sometimes it seems that up to this point it wasn't the time for me to see what lay hidden beyond my ability to understand.
Like Abraham, we go one step at a time. But we shouldn't stay behind when He urges us on. We need to keep walking forward from where we are to where YHVH wants us to be. In the confusion of life, we should be careful not to lose the wonder that the Creator and Sustainer of all things communicates with us through His written Word and through His Ruach HaKodesh.
May we each prepare out heart to receive all that YHVH has to show us. And when He does, may we be humble enough to let go of our treasured errors and accept His instructions and act on them.
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“Behold, the days are coming, says YHWH,
when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah
. . . I will put My law in their minds,
and write it on their hearts;
and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
Jeremiah 31:31,33b