In Vayetzei, Jacob departs from Beersheba and journeys toward Haran, a man fleeing from conflict yet unknowingly walking into divine encounter. As night descends upon the wilderness, he rests his head upon a stone and beholds in a dream a ladder stretching from earth to heaven, with angels ascending and descending upon it. Above the ladder stands the Lord, reaffirming the covenant first given to Abraham and Isaac: “I am Mar-Yah, God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac … and, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest” (Genesis 28:13,15). This vision transforms Jacob’s fear into faith; the place of solitude becomes Beth-El (Beit-Il), the House of God, a revelation that divine presence accompanies the pilgrim even in exile.
Jacob’s story unfolds as an account of endurance and faith amidst hardship. In the household of Laban, he learns patience, integrity, and reliance upon the unseen hand of providence. The deceiver becomes one refined by divine discipline, emerging as the patriarch of Israel, bearing the marks of grace received through struggle.
The Haftarah from Hosea reflects upon this same figure, using Jacob’s life as both a mirror and a warning to Israel. “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” (Hosea 12:3–4). The prophet recalls Jacob’s striving to call Israel to repentance—to return to the Alaha who once transformed the supplanter into a prince. The covenant remains unbroken, yet the people must rediscover the humility and devotion of their forefather.
In the New Covenant Scriptures, this mystery of divine encounter finds its ultimate fulfilment in Messiah. To Nathanael, who marvelled at His insight, Yeshua said, “Truly, truly, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” (John 1:51). The ladder of Jacob’s dream is revealed as a symbol of the Incarnation—God bridging heaven and earth in the person of His Son, that humanity might find communion with the Divine.
The Torah potion speaks to every pilgrim soul. Alaha meets us in the wilderness places of life, turns our uncertainty into vision, and our exile into encounter. Like Jacob, we are called to recognise the ladder of grace that spans our own struggles—the ever-living Messiah who unites heaven and earth—and to arise from our slumber with the same awe-filled confession: “Surely Mar-Yah is in this place, and I knew it not.”
(Matt.)