November, 29th, 2025/9 Kislev, 5786
Who is Yaakov?
excerpted from a paper by Bernard Och (link below)
Structurally, the Jacob narrative (Genesis 25-35) moves along two distinct, dramatic lines: a horizontal one of human-profane activity and a vertical one of Divine-human encounter. In contrast to the Abraham cycle, where the profane and sacred are so closely intertwined as to be inseparable, here, with Jacob, they are experienced as two separate dimensions. Furthermore, in a quantitative sense, profane time now takes precedence over sacred time, as major segments of Jacob's life are played out with no reference whatsoever to Divine intervention or direction. And, yet, from a thematic perspective, the entire narrative draws its intensity from the sacred dimension of Divine-human encounter. God's revelations at Bethel (Genesis 28:11-22) and Penuel (Genesis 32:24-32) serve as the pillars upon which the entire narrative rests, and provide a theological gestalt which infuses the story with the concerns and fulfillments of Divine promise. These visitations disclose the stamp of God's purpose in history and the enigmatic way in which that purpose is often realized, in directions which run quite contrary to human expectation and manipulation.
https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA13977176&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=00225762&p=AONE&sw=w&userGroupName=nysl_oweb&isGeoAuthType=true&aty=geo
Entering the Dark Night of the Soul
וַיֵּצֵ֥א יַעֲקֹ֖ב מִבְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ חָרָֽנָה׃ וַיִּפְגַּ֨ע בַּמָּק֜וֹם וַיָּ֤לֶן שָׁם֙ כִּי־בָ֣א הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ וַיִּקַּח֙ מֵאַבְנֵ֣י הַמָּק֔וֹם וַיָּ֖שֶׂם מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֑יו וַיִּשְׁכַּ֖ב בַּמָּק֥וֹם הַהֽוּא׃
Yaakov went out from Be’er-Sheva and went toward Harran, and encountered a certain place.
He had to spend the night there, for the sun had come in.
He took one of the stones of the place
and set it at his head
and lay down in that place.
God Finds Jacob in the Dark
(י) וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם (בראשית כח, יא), בִּקֵּשׁ לַעֲבֹר נַעֲשָׂה הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ כְּמִין כּוֹתֶל לְפָנָיו. (בראשית כח, יא): כִּי בָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ, רַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי כִּיבָּא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהִשְׁקִיעַ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא גַּלְגַּל חַמָּה שֶׁלֹא בְּעוֹנָתָהּ בִּשְׁבִיל לְדַבֵּר עִם יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ בְּצִנְעָה, מָשָׁל לְאוֹהֲבוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ שֶׁבָּא אֶצְלוֹ לִפְרָקִים, אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ כִּיבּוּ אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת כִּיבּוּ אֶת הַפָּנָסִין שֶׁאֲנִי מְבַקֵּשׁ לְדַבֵּר עִם אוֹהֲבִי בְּצִנְעָה. כָּךְ הִשְׁקִיעַ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא גַּלְגַּל חַמָּה שֶׁלֹא בְּעוֹנָתָהּ בִּשְׁבִיל לְדַבֵּר עִם יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ בְּצִנְעָה. רַבִּי פִּינְחָס בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי חָנִין דְּצִפּוֹרִין אָמַר שָׁמַע קוֹלָן שֶׁל מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת אוֹמְרִים בָּא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בָּא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ, אֲתָא שִׁמְשָׁא, אֲתָא שִׁמְשָׁא. בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר יוֹסֵף (בראשית לז, ט): וְהִנֵּה הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְהַיָּרֵחַ, אָמַר יַעֲקֹב מִי גִּלָּה לוֹ שֶׁשְּׁמִי שֶׁמֶשׁ. אוֹתָן שְׁתֵּי שָׁעוֹת שֶׁהִשְׁקִיעַ לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חַמָּה בְּצֵאתוֹ מִבֵּית אָבִיו אֵימָתַי הֶחֱזִירָן, בַּחֲזִירָתוֹ לְבֵית אָבִיו, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (בראשית לב, לב): וַיִּזְרַח לוֹ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אַתְּ סִימָן לְבָנֶיךָ, מָה אַתָּה בְּצֵאתְךָ הִשְׁקַעְתִּי חַמָּה וּבַחֲזִירָתְךָ הֶחֱזַרְתִּי לְךָ גַּלְגַּל חַמָּה, כָּךְ בָּנֶיךָ בְּצֵאתָם (ירמיה טו, ט): אֻמְלְלָה יֹלֶדֶת הַשִּׁבְעָה, וּבַחֲזִירָתָן (מלאכי ג, כ): וְזָרְחָה לָכֶם יִרְאֵי שְׁמִי וגו'.
(10) “He encountered the place” – he sought to pass, but the entire world became a barrier of sorts before him.
“Because the sun had set” – the Rabbis say: “Because the sun had set” – it teaches that the Holy One blessed be He caused the orb of the sun to set not at its proper time, in order to speak with Jacob privately. This is analogous to a king’s friend who would come to him on occasion. The king said: ‘Extinguish the lamps, extinguish the lanterns, as I wish to speak with my friend privately.’ So, the Holy One blessed be He caused the orb of the sun to set not at its proper time, in order to speak with Jacob privately.
Rabbi Pinḥas said in the name of Rabbi Ḥanin of Tzippori: He heard the voices of the ministering angels saying: ‘The sun has arrived, the sun has arrived.’ When Joseph said: “Behold, the sun and the moon” (Genesis 37:9), Jacob said: ‘Who revealed to him that My name is “sun”?’
Those two hours that the Holy One blessed be He caused the orb of the sun to set when he left his father’s house, when did He restore them? It was when he returned to his father’s house. That is what is written: “The sun rose for him” (Genesis 32:32). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘You are a model for your descendants; just as you, when you departed, I caused the sun to set, and upon your return, I restored the orb of the sun for you, so, your descendants, upon their departure: “The one who bore seven is miserable…[her sun set while still day]” (Jeremiah 15:9), and upon their return: “But the [sun of righteousness] will shine for those who fear My name…”’ (Malachi 3:20).
Hitting Upon The Place
(א)ויפגע במקום. לֹא הִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב בְּאֵיזֶה מָקוֹם אֶלָּא בַּמָּקוֹם – הַנִּזְכָּר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר, הוּא הַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ וַיַּרְא אֶת הַמָּקוֹם מֵרָחֹק:
(1) ויפגע במקום AND HE LIGHTED UPON THE PLACE — Scripture does not mention which place, but by writing בַּמָקוֹם the place it refers to the place mentioned already in another passage, viz., Mount Moriah of which it is stated (Genesis 22:4) “And he saw the place (המקום) afar off”.
Stairway to Heaven
(יב) וַֽיַּחֲלֹ֗ם וְהִנֵּ֤ה סֻלָּם֙ מֻצָּ֣ב אַ֔רְצָה וְרֹאשׁ֖וֹ מַגִּ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמָ֑יְמָה וְהִנֵּה֙ מַלְאֲכֵ֣י אֱלֹהִ֔ים עֹלִ֥ים וְיֹרְדִ֖ים בּֽוֹ׃ (יג) וְהִנֵּ֨ה יהוה נִצָּ֣ב עָלָיו֮ וַיֹּאמַר֒ אֲנִ֣י יהוה אֱלֹהֵי֙ אַבְרָהָ֣ם אָבִ֔יךָ וֵאלֹהֵ֖י יִצְחָ֑ק הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אַתָּה֙ שֹׁכֵ֣ב עָלֶ֔יהָ לְךָ֥ אֶתְּנֶ֖נָּה וּלְזַרְעֶֽךָ׃
(12) He had a dream; a stairway was set on the ground and its top reached to the sky, and messengers of God were going up and down on it. (13) And standing beside him was יהוה, who said, “I am יהוה, the God of your father Abraham’s [house] and the God of Isaac’s [house]: the ground on which you are lying I will assign to you and to your offspring.
סֻלָּם (pl. סֻלָּמוֹת, also סֻלָּמִים) ladder (a hapax legomenon in the Bible, occurring Gen. 28:12). [Formed from סלל (= to lift up). cp. Arab. sullam (= ladder). Syr. סֶבַּלְתָּא and סֶמַּלְתָּא are Heb. loan words.] Derivative: סלם.
The Inverse of Babel
(ד) וַיֹּאמְר֞וּ הָ֣בָה ׀ נִבְנֶה־לָּ֣נוּ עִ֗יר וּמִגְדָּל֙ וְרֹאשׁ֣וֹ בַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְנַֽעֲשֶׂה־לָּ֖נוּ שֵׁ֑ם פֶּן־נָפ֖וּץ עַל־פְּנֵ֥י כׇל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
(4) And they said, “Come, let us build us a city, and a tower with its top in the sky, to make a name for ourselves; else we shall be scattered all over the world.”
Ladder Linking Heaven and Earth
(א)ודרך סלם להיות סמל, או על מספר מיני דרש הוא, וה"ר שלמה הספרדי אמר כי סלם רמז לנשמה העליונה, ומלאכי אלהים מחשבות החכמה, ויאמר ר"י כי טעם סולם שעלתה בו תפלתו, וירדה ישועתו מן השמים, ואלה המפרשים לא ראו נבואת זכריה ועמוס וירמיה, והטעם דרך משל, כי כל דבר לא יכחד מן השם, ודברי מטה תלוים בעליונים, וכאלו סלם ביניהן שיעלו המלאכים בו להודיע הדברים אחר שהתהלכו בארץ, ג"כ כתוב ומלאכים אחרים יורדים למלאות שליחות השם כדרך מלך עם משרתיו:
(1) [AND HE DREAMED, AND BEHOLD A LADDER SET UP ON THE EARTH.] Those who say that the ladder seen by Jacob refers to a statue, or that it refers to Sinai because it is numerically equivalent to it, are indulging in Midrash. Rabbi Solomon ibn Gabirol, the Spaniard, says that Jacob’s “ladder” alludes to man’s heavenly soul, and that “the angels of God” signify thoughts of wisdom. Rabbi Joshua explains the dream of the ladder to mean that Jacob’s prayers ascended the Heavens via the ladder and in response to his supplications salvation was sent down to him. These commentators have apparently not studied the prophecies of Zechariah, Amos and Jeremiah. The way to interpret Jacob’s dream is to view it as a parable. It teaches that nothing is hidden from God and that what happens below is contingent on the decree from above. There is thus, as it were, a ladder linking heaven and earth by which angels ascend to inform God what they have seen on earth after going over it. Scripture also states that other angels come down to fulfill God’s commands. The imagery presented is that of a king and his servants.
Genesis 28:12–15. Scholars have noted that the ladder in Jacob’s dream is most likely a ziggurat, a tower known from the temples of Mesopotamia. This “ladder” serves as a bridge between heaven and earth upon which angels ascend and descend—thus indicating the dialogic nature of communication between the two realms. Thus Jacob has begun a double journey: a dream journey toward increasing proximity to God parallels his physical wanderings across the horizontal plane of space. Jacob encounters his angels while traveling. The stations between home and exile have a corollary in the rungs between heaven and earth
Behold!
(א)וַיַּחֲלֹם וְהִנֵּה וְגוֹ׳. טַעַם אָמְרוֹ וְהִנֵּה: לֶהֱיוֹת שֶׁאֵין הַחֲלוֹם מֻחְלָט בִּבְחִינַת הַצֶּדֶק כִּי חֲלוֹמוֹת שָׁוְא הֵם, גַּם שֶׁעַל כָּל פָּנִים יִהְיֶה בָּהֶם תֶּבֶן כִּי הֵם בְּמַרְאֵה הַשִּׁעֲמוּם, לָזֶה אָמַר ״וְהִנֵּה״ – פֵּרוּשׁ כִּי הַדְּבָרִים בְּלֹא שִׁעֲמוּם וְדִמְיוֹנוֹת אֶלָּא כָּל דָּבָר נִגְלֶה אֶצְלוֹ וּמְבֹאָר כְּיוֹם יָאִיר, וְאֵין זֶה דּוֹמֶה לִשְׁאָר הַחֲלוֹמוֹת שֶׁרוֹאֶה דָּבָר וְאֵינוֹ מַחְלִיט בִּרְאִיָּתוֹ מַה שֶׁהוּא רוֹאֶה. וְלָזֶה תִּמְצָא שֶׁדִּקְדֵּק לוֹמַר בְּכָל פְּרָט וּפְרָט מֵהַנִּגְלֶה אֵלָיו בַּחֲלוֹם ״וְהִנֵּה״, גַּבֵּי רְאִיַּת הַסֻּלָּם אָמַר וְהִנֵּה סֻלָּם, גַּבֵּי רְאִיַּת הַמַּלְאָכִים אָמַר וְהִנֵּה מַלְאֲכֵי וְגוֹ׳, גַּבֵּי גִּלּוּי שְׁכִינָה אָמַר וְהִנֵּה יהוה, הַכַּוָּנָה בָּזֶה כִּי הָיְתָה נְבוּאָה מַמָּשׁ.
(1)ויחלום והנה סולם, And he dreamed that there was a ladder, etc. Inasmuch as many dreams contain matter without significance, the Torah added the word והנה to indicate that in this dream every detail appeared to Jacob as especially vivid and significant. He had total recall of everything he dreamed and referred to each detail later on. This is why the word והנה is repeated before every segment of the dream. The Torah thereby characterises the dream as a prophetic revelation.
Dust
וְהָיָ֤ה זַרְעֲךָ֙ כַּעֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֔רֶץ וּפָרַצְתָּ֛ יָ֥מָּה וָקֵ֖דְמָה וְצָפֹ֣נָה וָנֶ֑גְבָּה וְנִבְרְכ֥וּ בְךָ֛ כׇּל־מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הָאֲדָמָ֖ה וּבְזַרְעֶֽךָ׃ וְהִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י עִמָּ֗ךְ וּשְׁמַרְתִּ֙יךָ֙ בְּכֹ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־תֵּלֵ֔ךְ וַהֲשִׁ֣בֹתִ֔יךָ אֶל־הָאֲדָמָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את כִּ֚י לֹ֣א אֶֽעֱזׇבְךָ֔ עַ֚ד אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִם־עָשִׂ֔יתִי אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי לָֽךְ׃
Your seed will be like the dust of the earth;
you will burst forth, to the Sea, to the east, to the north, to the Negev.
All the clans of the soil will find blessing through you and through your seed! Here, I am with you;
I will watch over you wherever you go
and will bring you back to this ground;
indeed, I will not leave you
until I have done what I have spoken to you.
וַיִּיקַ֣ץ יַעֲקֹב֮ מִשְּׁנָתוֹ֒ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אָכֵן֙ יֵ֣שׁ יהוה בַּמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וְאָנֹכִ֖י לֹ֥א יָדָֽעְתִּי׃ וַיִּירָא֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר מַה־נּוֹרָ֖א הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה אֵ֣ין זֶ֗ה כִּ֚י אִם־בֵּ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְזֶ֖ה שַׁ֥עַר הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
Yaakov awoke from his sleep
and said:
Why,
YHWH is in this place,
and I, I did not know it! He was awestruck and said:
How awe-inspiring is this place!
This is none other than a house of God,
and that is the gate of heaven!
"And Jacob awoke out of his sleep, and he said, Surely Hashem is in this place; and I knew it not" (Beresheet 28:16). HE ASKS, It is a wonder that he did not conceive such great knowledge. HE ANSWERS, The meaning of "and I (Heb. anochi) knew it not" is similar to the meaning of the verse, "and I have not made supplications to Hashem" (I Shmuel 13:12). THAT IS, "I KNEW IT NOT" ARE WORDS OF UNION AND DEVOTION, AS ARE THE WORDS, "I HAVE NOT MADE SUPPLICATION." Jacob said, This was all revealed to me, though I have not attentively searched to know THE HOLY NAME Anochi ('I'), WHICH IS THE SHECHINAH, and come under the wings of the Shechinah to become a whole man.
Resources:
https://members.alephbeta.org/playlist/jacobs-ladder-meaning.
Jacob's journey is blessed at its outset with a dream and with a moment of awakening. In the dream God shows Jacob the stairway that connects the realms of Heaven and Earth and then gives him a promise. Through this blessing, we ourselves become that stairway, that connection, with our feet planted in the foundation of Earth and our crowns open to the expanse of Heaven. Through us the Divine flow pours down into the earthly realms. Through us the pleasure and miseries of earthly experience are offered up to The Divine Expanse.
When I become available to this flow, I am awakened to the most awesome and transformative truth. God was here all along and I didn't know it. THIS is none other than the House of God. THIS is the Gate of Heaven. This very moment and this place here where I stand is at once God's home and the doorway to all realms.
Our journey brings us the blessing of zeh - "This." In becoming fully present to this moment - Here and Now - the Presence of God is revealed.
• What are the barriers to our enjoying the blessing of zeh - Here and Now?
The verse literally reads, "Surely God was in this place and I, i did not know." The sense is "...and me, I didn't know." But the "I" (in Hebrew, Anochi, אנוכי) seems to be redundant. Unless, of course, you assume, as Jews have done for millennia, that God does not waste words.
The simple "extra I" (which the school of Kotzk identifies as ego or conceit) leads Pinchas Horowitz...to an important insight. "It is only possible for a person to attain that high rung of being able to say, 'Surely God is in this place,' when he or she has utterly eradicated all trace of ego from his or her personality, from his or her sense of self, and from his or her being. The phrase, 'I, i did not know,' must mean, 'my I - i did not know.'"
The beginning of true piety is not so easy," whispered the Kotzker. "You must subdue your ego and call yourself a liar. It could make you lonely and a little crazy. A crazy man about God. You understand me?"
"Yes, I think so. God was here all along, and the reason I didn't know it is because I was too busy paying attention to myself."
Religious life demands constant vigilance against the schemes of our egos (the little is) to supplant the Divine.
Rabbi Shefa Gold
Jacob's journey is blessed at its outset with a dream and with a moment of awakening. In the dream God shows Jacob the stairway that connects the realms of Heaven and Earth and then gives him a promise. Through this blessing we ourselves becomes that stairway, that connection, with our feet planted in the foundation of Earth and our crowns open to the expanse of Heaven. Through us the Divine flow pours down into the earthly realms, Through us the pleasure and miseries of earthly experience are offered up to The Divine Expanse.
Ellen Frankel
The Rabbi's explain: According to our Sages, the sulam, Jacob's ladder, (also translated as "stairway" or "ramp") was the stairway leading from the Temple altar to God. But others teach that it was Mount Sinai, since the numerical value of sulam equals "Sinai." Still others say that the ladder represents Jewish history, with its many ups and downs, and it is further taught that ladders represent an individual's life history: 'The Holy One of Blessing sits and makes ladders, raising one person and casting down another.'
Esther the Hidden One interjects: We need to remember that ladders lead not only from earth up to heaven but also from heaven down to earth. As we leap up to reach the bottom rung of the heavenly ladder, God lowers the ladder to meet our outstretched hand. And when we cannot grasp even that lowest rung, She-Who-Dwells-Within reaches down and meets us where we are.
Our Bubbies Offer: For centuries, Jewish women in Eastern Europe baked ladders into their hallahs for special occasions: for the meal just before Yom Kippur, so that our prayers for forgiveness should go up to Heaven; and for Shavuot, to remember how Moses climbed all the way up Mount Sinai to receive the Torah.
Jacob Makes a Deal
(יח) וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם יַעֲקֹ֜ב בַּבֹּ֗קֶר וַיִּקַּ֤ח אֶת־הָאֶ֙בֶן֙ אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֣ם מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֔יו וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֹתָ֖הּ מַצֵּבָ֑ה וַיִּצֹ֥ק שֶׁ֖מֶן עַל־רֹאשָֽׁהּ׃ (יט) וַיִּקְרָ֛א אֶת־שֵֽׁם־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא בֵּֽית־אֵ֑ל וְאוּלָ֛ם ל֥וּז שֵׁם־הָעִ֖יר לָרִאשֹׁנָֽה׃ (כ) וַיִּדַּ֥ר יַעֲקֹ֖ב נֶ֣דֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר אִם־יִהְיֶ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֜ים עִמָּדִ֗י וּשְׁמָרַ֙נִי֙ בַּדֶּ֤רֶךְ הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י הוֹלֵ֔ךְ וְנָֽתַן־לִ֥י לֶ֛חֶם לֶאֱכֹ֖ל וּבֶ֥גֶד לִלְבֹּֽשׁ׃ (כא) וְשַׁבְתִּ֥י בְשָׁל֖וֹם אֶל־בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑י וְהָיָ֧ה יהוה לִ֖י לֵאלֹהִֽים׃ (כב) וְהָאֶ֣בֶן הַזֹּ֗את אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֙מְתִּי֙ מַצֵּבָ֔ה יִהְיֶ֖ה בֵּ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֑ים וְכֹל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּתֶּן־לִ֔י עַשֵּׂ֖ר אֲעַשְּׂרֶ֥נּוּ לָֽךְ׃
(18) Early in the morning, Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. (19) He named that site Bethel; but previously the name of the city had been Luz. (20) Jacob then made a vow, saying, “If God remains with me, protecting me on this journey that I am making, and giving me bread to eat and clothing to wear, (21) and I return safe to my father’s house— יהוה shall be my God. (22) And this stone, which I have set up as a pillar, shall be God’s abode; and of all that You give me, I will set aside a tithe for You.”
Bookends
(א) וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם לָבָ֜ן בַּבֹּ֗קֶר וַיְנַשֵּׁ֧ק לְבָנָ֛יו וְלִבְנוֹתָ֖יו וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֶתְהֶ֑ם וַיֵּ֛לֶךְ וַיָּ֥שׇׁב לָבָ֖ן לִמְקֹמֽוֹ׃ (ב) וְיַעֲקֹ֖ב הָלַ֣ךְ לְדַרְכּ֑וֹ וַיִּפְגְּעוּ־ב֖וֹ מַלְאֲכֵ֥י אֱלֹהִֽים׃ (ג) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יַעֲקֹב֙ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר רָאָ֔ם מַחֲנֵ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים זֶ֑ה וַיִּקְרָ֛א שֵֽׁם־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא מַֽחֲנָֽיִם׃ {פ}
(1) Early in the morning, Laban kissed his sons and daughters and bade them good-by; then Laban left on his journey homeward. (2) Jacob went on his way, and messengers of God encountered him. (3) When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s camp.” So he named that place Mahanaim.
And the Sun Came up for Him
(לב) וַיִּֽזְרַֽח־ל֣וֹ הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר עָבַ֖ר אֶת־פְּנוּאֵ֑ל וְה֥וּא צֹלֵ֖עַ עַל־יְרֵכֽוֹ׃
(32) The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping on his hip.