Yaakov's request of God as he is about to leave Eretz Yisrael may point to the main challenge that he faces, and his success will serve as a model for later generations.
In this shiur, we will examine the nature of the place where Yaakov rests in the course of fleeing from Esav – Beit El, the House of God – through a review of our narrative...
In this shiur, we will attempt to understand the nature of the place where Yaakov rests in the course of fleeing from Esav – Beit El, the House of God – through a review of our narrative as well as other narratives in Sefer Bereishit and in different chapters from the Prophets.
In this lesson, we will examine the relationship between Lavan and Yaakov, in light of the overall picture of the relationship between the family of Nachor and the family of Avraham. As we shall see, there is a significant disconnect between them. We will try to explain the reason for this disconnect, and see how much is related to theological differences, as expressed by Lavan, as well as Bil’am.
The story of Yaakov’s love for Rachel, which occupies a central place in our parasha, is one of the most well-developed love stories in the Torah. In this shiur, we will focus on the significant early stages of the relationship, as depicted in the parasha.
In this shiur, we will study the argument between Lavan and Yaakov presented in the parasha, focusing on the religious element of the disagreement between them.
The Midrash and Rashi appear to have deliberated at length over the place that Beit-El occupies (or should occupy) in our consciousness. A literal reading of the parasha would seem to justify the actions of Yeravam ben-Nevat, who abandoned Jerusalem and built a new religious center for the nation in Beit-El.
