Chapter Previewהַקְדָּמָה
This aliyah begins with the story of the duda'im that Reuven brought from the field during the wheat harvest. Rochel asks Leah for some of the duda'im, leading to an agreement between the sisters regarding who would be with Yaakov Avinu that night. Hashem answers Leah's tefillos, and she gives birth to Yissachar and Zevulun, followed by a daughter, Dinah. The Torah then tells us that Hashem remembered Rochel, opening her womb, and she gave birth to Yosef Harazand.
Following the birth of Yosef, Yaakov knows that the time has come to return home to Eretz Yisrael. He approaches Lavan and requests permission to leave with his wives and children, reminding Lavan how faithfully he served him. Lavan acknowledges that Hashem has blessed his household solely in the zechus of Yaakov, leading into their negotiations over Yaakov's wages.
All introductions, summaries, and contextual notes are the editor's commentary and are not part of the original text.אַלע הַקְדָּמוֹת, סִכּוּמִים, און הערות זענען דעם רעדאַקטאָר'ס באַמערקונגען און זענען נישט קיין טייל פונעם אָריגינעלן טעקסט.
פָּסוּק א
Pasuk 1
וַיֵּלֶךְAnd wentרְאוּבֵןReuvenבִּימֵיin days ofקְצִירharvest ofחִטִּיםwheatוַיִּמְצָאand he foundדוּדָאִיםmandrakesבַּשָּׂדֶהin the fieldוַיָּבֵאand he broughtאֹתָםthemאֶלtoלֵאָהLeahאִמּוֹhis motherוַתֹּאמֶרAnd saidרָחֵלRachelאֶלtoלֵאָהLeahתְּנִיgiveנָאpleaseלִיto meמִדּוּדָאֵיfrom mandrakes ofבְּנֵךְ׃your son
פָּסוּק ב
Pasuk 2
וַתֹּאמֶרAnd she saidלָהּto herהַמְעַטIs it littleקַחְתֵּךְyour takingאֶת—אִישִׁיmy husbandוְלָקַחַתand to takeגַּםalsoאֶת—דּוּדָאֵיthe mandrakes ofבְּנִיmy sonוַתֹּאמֶרAnd she saidרָחֵלRachelלָכֵןthereforeיִשְׁכַּבhe shall lieעִמָּךְwith youהַלַּיְלָהtonightתַּחַתin exchange forדּוּדָאֵיthe mandrakes ofבְנֵךְ׃your son
פָּסוּק ג
Pasuk 3
וַיָּבֹאand cameיַעֲקֹבYaakovמִןfromהַשָּׂדֶהthe fieldבָּעֶרֶבin the eveningוַתֵּצֵאand went outלֵאָהLeahלִקְרָאתוֹto meet himוַתֹּאמֶרand she saidאֵלַיto meתָּבוֹאyou shall comeכִּיforשָׂכֹרhiringשְׂכַרְתִּיךָI have hired youבְּדוּדָאֵיwith the mandrakes ofבְּנִיmy sonוַיִּשְׁכַּבand he layעִמָּהּwith herבַּלַּיְלָהin the nightהוּא׃that
פָּסוּק ד
Pasuk 4
וַיִּשְׁמַעAnd listenedאֱלֹהִיםGodאֶלtoלֵאָהLeahוַתַּהַרand she conceivedוַתֵּלֶדand she boreלְיַעֲקֹבto Yaakovבֵּןa sonחֲמִישִׁי׃a fifth
פָּסוּק ה
Pasuk 5
וַתֹּאמֶרAnd saidלֵאָהLeahנָתַןhas givenאֱלֹהִיםGodשְׂכָרִיmy rewardאֲשֶׁרbecauseנָתַתִּיI gaveשִׁפְחָתִיmy maidservantלְאִישִׁיto my husbandוַתִּקְרָאand she calledשְׁמוֹhis nameיִשָּׂשכָר׃Issachar
פָּסוּק ו
Pasuk 6
וַתַּהַרand she conceivedעוֹדagainלֵאָהLeahוַתֵּלֶדand she boreבֵּןa sonשִׁשִּׁיa sixthלְּיַעֲקֹב׃to Yaakov
פָּסוּק ז
Pasuk 7
וַתֹּאמֶרand she saidלֵאָהLeahזְבָדַנִיendowed meאֱלֹהִיםGodאֹתִיwith meזֵבֶדan endowmentטוֹבgoodהַפַּעַםthis timeיִזְבְּלֵנִיwill dwell with meאִישִׁיmy husbandכִּיforיָלַדְתִּיI have borneלוֹto himשִׁשָּׁהsixבָנִיםsonsוַתִּקְרָאand she calledאֶת—שְׁמוֹhis nameזְבֻלוּן׃Zevulun
פָּסוּק ח
Pasuk 8
וְאַחַרand afterwardיָלְדָהshe boreבַּתa daughterוַתִּקְרָאand she calledאֶת—שְׁמָהּher nameדִּינָה׃Dinah
פָּסוּק ט
Pasuk 9
וַיִּזְכֹּרAnd rememberedאֱלֹהִיםGodאֶת—רָחֵלRachelוַיִּשְׁמַעand listenedאֵלֶיהָto herאֱלֹהִיםGodוַיִּפְתַּחand openedאֶת—רַחְמָהּ׃her womb
פָּסוּק י
Pasuk 10
וַתַּהַרand she conceivedוַתֵּלֶדand she boreבֵּןa sonוַתֹּאמֶרand she saidאָסַףhas gatheredאֱלֹהִיםGodאֶת—חֶרְפָּתִי׃my disgrace
פָּסוּק יא
Pasuk 11
וַתִּקְרָאAnd she calledאֶת—שְׁמוֹhis nameיוֹסֵףYosefלֵאמֹרsayingיֹסֵףMay addיְהוָהHASHEMלִיfor meבֵּןa sonאַחֵר׃another
פָּסוּק יב
Pasuk 12
וַיְהִיand it wasכַּאֲשֶׁרwhenיָלְדָהboreרָחֵלRachelאֶת—יוֹסֵףYosefוַיֹּאמֶרand saidיַעֲקֹבYaakovאֶלtoלָבָןLavanשַׁלְּחֵנִיsend meוְאֵלְכָהand I will goאֶלtoמְקוֹמִיmy placeוּלְאַרְצִי׃and to my land
פָּסוּק יג
Pasuk 13
תְּנָהgiveאֶת—נָשַׁיmy wivesוְאֶתand —יְלָדַיmy childrenאֲשֶׁרwhomעָבַדְתִּיI servedאֹתְךָyouבָּהֵןfor themוְאֵלֵכָהand I shall goכִּיforאַתָּהyouיָדַעְתָּknowאֶת—עֲבֹדָתִיmy serviceאֲשֶׁרthatעֲבַדְתִּיךָ׃I have served you
פָּסוּק יד
Pasuk 14
וַיֹּאמֶרAnd he saidאֵלָיוto himלָבָןLavanאִםIfנָאpleaseמָצָאתִיI have foundחֵןfavorבְּעֵינֶיךָin your eyesנִחַשְׁתִּיI have divinedוַיְבָרֲכֵנִיand Hashem blessed meיְהוָהHashemבִּגְלָלֶךָ׃for your sake
Chapter Summaryסִכּוּם
The aliyah records the birth of Leah's additional children, Yissachar, Zevulun, and Dinah, after the incident with the duda'im. Hashem then remembers Rochel, and she gives birth to Yosef. Recognizing that Yosef's birth signals the downfall of Eisav, Yaakov approaches Lavan to request leave to return to Eretz Yisrael with his family, prompting Lavan to admit that all his blessings came only because of Yaakov's presence.
לְמַעֲשֶׂהWhat To Take Home
Look at the chiddush Rashi brings on the pasuk regarding Rachel Imeinu: Hashem remembered Rachel, and the pasuk says "va-yishma eileha Elokim", Hashem listened to her. Rashi asks, what did Hashem hear? He heard her tefillah, but He also remembered that she gave over the simanim to her sister Leah. Rachel gave up the ultimate closeness to Yaakov Avinu out of pure rachmanus, so that her sister wouldn't be embarrassed. She waited for years in deep sorrow, yet she held onto her emunah and kept davening. When the time came, Hashem remembered that act of mesiras nefesh and answered her tefillos.
This is a major yesod in our daily avodah. Sometimes a person feels stuck in a nisayon, waiting and davening for a yeshuah, and lichoira it feels like nothing is changing. We think our tefillos or our small sacrifices go unnoticed. The Torah is telling us that not a single tears-filled tefillah or quiet concession goes in vain. When you hold your tongue during a machlokes, when you step back to protect someone else's kavod, or when you simply pour out your heart to Hashem in a quiet moment, Hashem remembers every single detail.
Take this with you today: identify one small opportunity to yield to another Yid or spare someone from feeling uncomfortable, even when you feel you are in the right. Do it purely for Hashem's sake, and trust that He hears every tefillah and remembers every hidden act of chessed.