Torah Pearls #8 – Vayishlach (Genesis 32:4-36:43)

Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 63:12): When Esau kissed Jacob (Genesis 33:4), the dots over the word “vayishakeihu” indicate insincerity — Esau intended to bite him, but Jacob’s neck miraculously turned to marble, hurting Esau’s teeth.

I always thought Shechem seemed like an entitled rich boy.

Keith: “I think this is a Torah Pearl. Let’s move on.”

… 🤣

Scribal dots:
Genesis, 16:5; 18:9; 19:33; 33:4; 37:12. In Numbers, 3:39; 9:10; 21:30; 29:15; in Deuteronomy, 29:28.

Shalom, Do you see Lavan written down is Naval…?
The same name of the husband of Abigaïl…This name means a man vile, mad…
So outwardly the name Lavan (color white) means clean but reality was mad…. Lavan had double personality.
Best regards, bless you and your family

This is a major point, in contrasting the righteous from the wicked. Dinah was a 8 year old child. I have heard false teaching from both Jewish and Christians, that contradicts historical facts we can understand when we do the Math. This is why I started a FB page: Getting the Math Right. Yaakov was 75 when he left home as an unmarried man. Noah was 500 when he got married. The righteous were not quick to marry, nor did they have babies with underage women. Miriam [Virgin Mary] was not 14 when Gabriel announced the Holy Conception. She was old enough to travel by herself, without getting permission from her parents first. Moses was given a baby girl as a promised bride (from the Priest of Midian) but didn’t have children with her for over 20 – 30 years. Hadassah was 30, and Astages was 67, when she became Queen Esther. Nebukhadnetzar only had one Queen, Astages, [Darius the Mede] only had one Queen (before divorce and marrying Esther) and only had one child, a daughter from whom came Cyrus the Great. What has been suppressed and slandered, is the very culture that is supposed to be our standard of righteousness, and even the basic dignity of mankind.

Leviticus 18: 18

When you do the Math, Dinah was only 8 years old when Shechem took her into his house and defiled her. Then we have a good reason to understand the judgement, and why the men from surrounding cities did not attack Israel.

There is a never-ending quesion is distance between legalism and love. Calculating the benefit back and fro does not show a good relationship but this is so common between people. Torah’s not showing how many rules people should obey is not equal to no rules should be cared about.Love is all but not everyone understand the details behavior. This is a forever confuse God left for hunan.

Lev. 18:18 – you stopped one verse too short.

Interesting that the sum of digits (613) is 10

1. Yes always look forward to your podcast!
2. I have also heard of the scribal dots over ‘kiss’ being Esau’s teethmarks, ie: he was being hypocritical.
3. Rachel’s death:
In Gen 31:32, Jacob stated ‘whoever has Laban’s gods shall not live.’ In Gen 35:2, Jacob just told his household to ‘put away the strangest gods from among you.’ Just maybe Rachel didn’t!

Similar event in Judges 11:30-35, Jephthah vowed a vow… and later out comes his only daughter to greet him.

Blessing to y’all! 😃

This is a question for Nehemia, I hope you see this and can answer it. I always read the names because I think they’re important. Yehováh thought it important enough to include them, even if I don’t understand the meanings of each name (since I don’t know Hebrew…yet) I still read them in English. I have learned many things from reading them in English.

In Genesis 36 it lists the wives and descendants of Esau and the ‘dukes’, or ‘chiefs’, of Esau and that’s where it gets interesting.

Now, Esau had 3 wives. Right? His first 2 wives he took – in the same year! – from the Canaanites. Then when he heard his mother complain to Isaac about them and had Isaac send Jacob away to get a wife from the family she came from, he took a third wife, this time a daughter of Ishmael.

His first 2 wives (respectively) were Adah and Aholibamah and the third wife was Bashemath (daughter of Ishmael).

Aholibamah is listed in verse 2 as “…Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite.” Don’t you find it interesting that 2 women are listed in this geneology?

IF that’s a correct translation, it’s very interesting because in verses 40 & 41 it lists the chiefs of Esau and “Aholibamah’ is listed as a chief! A woman! Is this the SAME Aholibamah? Timna is also listed as a ‘chief’ and there is a Timna in Esau’s lineage listed – and it’s a woman, too. Am I seeing this correctly?

I would LOVE to hear you guys hash this one over!!

P.S. This is Terri, wife of Michael, son of Hangfat. 🙂

The text doesn’t say whether Jacob’s hip was dislocated anterior or posterior. Either was possible, with different after effects. In either case Jacob would not have been able to use the leg – at all. He might have scooted using one leg. Hopefully someone came back looking for him. Perhaps the angel put his hip back in to place. He would still be very sore and painful after. There is another option. His hip might have been subluxed (rather than fully dislocated). That’s when the ice cream scoop comes partially out of the cone, but not all the way out. That would have been painful, but Jacob could still limp, using a crutch.

It is so revealing that the “prosperity gospel” (spirit of Schechem) has been around ever since the incident with Dinah at Schechem.

Somethings never change… just the label.

Shalom.

Guys now where in the Torah does it say u can’t marry sisters???now it does say that a man is not to marry a woman and her daughter at the same time, because of jealously.

I was hoping that you would bring up what the age of Dinah could be. Since Yakov was with Lavan for 20 years, married 13 years of them with 13 children made, Dinah being the youngest, I am pretty sure that she had to be a baby. Unless of course they stayed at Sukkot for 10 or more years. What is your thoughts on this?

“I am also wondering why Jacob hid idols (v 35:4) and why his household would even have idols!”

This was after the plunder of Shechem. Jacob’s family now had all of the possessions of the people of Shechem (and had the women and children of Shechem, as well). So, I believe it is probably referring to things of theirs

“If she was seduced, as Nehemia suggests, why were her brothers on the warpath?”

It seems to me that it is a matter of honor, her’s and her family’s. Other places where this (root) word is used, it describes “humbling” a virgin. “Defiled” is later used to describe becoming or being made ceremonially unclean.

Thus, it seems that this can be read as an “honor killing”, but of the man and his family instead of the woman.

Great study – Intriguing that many ‘Christians’ have such a negative view of the Ten commandments, let alone 613. Do they not tend to lump all as one whole ‘law’ to be avoided as legalistic, yet, ‘generally’ approve of nine except Sabbath. Was not the Sabbath the test God gave Israel way before they received all ten at Sinai?

A couple questions:
When Isaac married Rebecca, he took her into his mother Sarah‘s tent. There was no marriage ceremony. That was not the custom, as Nehemia pointed out in the discussion on that portion of Scripture. But when Dinah was “violated”, had there already been established some ceremony?

If she was seduced, as Nehemia suggests, why were her brothers on the warpath? Hamor and Shechem offered the men of their city a good reason to endure the pain of circumcision: will not their “stuff” be ours? Jacob’s sons didn’t know this. It wasn’t even spoken until after they told them to be circumcised.

WOW! WHAT AN ILLUMINATING DISCUSSION!

when Jacob wrestled & limped, I listened to a teaching years ago that stated, that after Jacob wrestled , his walk changed, or his walk changed with Yehovah, just like his name

Thank you now I know where they get 613 more adding my God one of Yahs commands is not to add or subtract Deut 4:2, so simple if we take Gods word’s as they are! Not doing a EVE
Adding seems to be in our DNA, as she said do not touch the first sin was adding in my view

Hosea 12:3-5 He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God: Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us; Even the LORD God of hosts; the LORD is his memorial.

Certainly sounds like the “angel” or messenger he wrestled with was also the LORD God of hosts.

I am curious about why Jacob built himself a house at Succoth (Gen 33:17) when verses 13-14 seemed to imply that his children and livestock needed a slower pace than being “driven hard one day.” Was his intention to live at Succoth until they were no longer nursing?

I am also wondering why Jacob hid idols (v 35:4) and why his household would even have idols! When Rachel stole her father’s idols (31:19), Jacob didn’t know it (31:32).

The negatives we have here in this life come because of sin and it’s fallen affect upon this world we live in. It can be because of our direct sins or just the state of sin in the world. These negatives have a tendency to test us to see if we get bitter or focus rightly & get better by getting dominance over it. To blame God or others only serves to make us bitter & steals away from our learning to overcome (Israel-overcome with God). With God is the only true way we overcome in this world & in this life & all else becomes distractions & deceptions. We want perfection now (& of course our way) but truth is, perfection is only God’s time God’s way & we don’t always see or understand that & MUST rely on God’s wisdom. That is why the just live by faith, & why God doesn’t do things by our wants or ideas but does allows them for our best. This life now is very short compared to eternity & to have better there than to have now is wisest. It reminds me also of paul, who sought God three times but was told my grace IS sufficient for you. He received grace rather than his wants but God was in charge & knew better & he was ok with it, even to live out the rest of this life that way. This is why God allowed these things & also Israel to meet these hardships, to prevail & overcome & be the true priests of the Most High God not only in word but also a witness by deed, that they are of the One True God & that He alone is perfect, righteous & can & does save & deliver.

Keith’s “prophetic” analogy of Ya’akov and the “angel” to signify that Yisra’el would have a future of violence yet prevail, would make sense if Ya’akov were wrestling an adversary of Yisra’el. However, this is not the case and regardless whether one believes Ya’akov was wrestling God personally or one of God’s Messengers, Ya’akov is wrestling with an entity that ends up BLESSING him, not seeking his destruction. If one watches a MMA contest, they can see that after most fights, there are exchanges of honor between contestants. Many MMA folk hang out together before and after their bouts. In my opinion, this incident is alluding to something quite different than Yisra’el’s bloody “down and dirty” future.The confrontation MUST BE interpreted from it’s RESULTS, yes ? Clearly it was a TEST on many levels and I must ask, How was Ya’akov made stronger or more resolute by receiving a limp ? The limp only manifests when one WALKS. To have a bad hip and know that one’s WALK will be of a great distance requires a resolve that many men simply don’t possess. The limp becomes my catalyst for maintenance and further development of my CHARACTER. If I keep my limp in context, I will always remember that no matter how great I become, I have limitations. My limp becomes my friend. This thought keeps me studying. Shalom !

Shallom

How would one reconcile Genesis 32 : 31 with Leviticus 21 : 18 ?
Was Ya’aqob’s limp permanent or temporary ?

What a blessing this is! As Yom Teruah approaches i love to hear His promise – it is water to my thirst, it is food to my soul.

Jacob gives Esau gifts and exclaims his face is as the face of God. Perhaps this it Jacob giving back the 10th he had promised to give God, back at the beginning of his journey. If we do the math we can see how rich Jacob had become.

In reference to what the angel said to Jacob when asked his name it reminded me of what Yeshua said in the Four Gospels… “Gen. 32:29 “But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him.”
“And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.” Luke 18:19. The response seems to come from the same person or character. Just my opinion, not necessarily fact!

I am sorry but Keith is incorrect because what is talking about is “sIn” for sin is transgression of the torah, so you would have to know what are doing is wrong, and to stay in your wrong is what he is talking about, that is immortal sin, and deserves no part in the covenant so in essence we see no part of this throughout this portion or why would he get into the covenant in the first place. So what they were doing was acting upon there own ego, killing off that town.

the 2 dots is completely absurd, I am a believer in Yeshua, but those who choose come up with an interpretation like that is without evidence and trying to cook up evidence this is not investigating