Voices of WRJ: Vayeitzei

by Madi Hoesten This week’s Torah portion, Vayeitzei, begins with Jacob’s journey from Beersheba to Haran. On his way, he stops to rest for the night and dreams the famous vision of angels ascending and descending a ladder to heaven. It is here that Jacob becomes aware that God surrounds us everywhere, that any place is sacred if we allow God into it. He promises God that if He will help Jacob succeed on his journey then Adonai will become the God of Jacob’s household, as He was of his father’s. As Jacob travels he comes upon a well and several flocks of sheep. When he encounters the shepherds he learns that they are from Haran. They point out Rachel, who is the daughter of Laban, the man whom Jacob has traveled to find. Jacob falls instantly in love with Rachel and they proceed to her father’s house. In the ensuing lines we learn that Laban is a shrewd businessman, and that he also has an older daughter Leah, who is not nearly as attractive as Rachel. Jacob strikes a deal to work for Laban for seven years in exchange for the hand of the woman he loves, Rachel. When the term of employment ends, Laban makes a wedding feast and presents his daughter to Jacob. We learn, as Jacob does the following morning, that he has not wed Rachel, but rather Leah in her place. Jacob must work another seven years to earn Rachel. With each bride comes a maidservant: Zilpah for Leah, and Bilhah for Rachel. Now the text speaks about the births of the sons who will become the Tribes of Israel, Jacob’s offspring. These do not come easily. Leah conceives quickly and frequently, but continues to suffer from Jacob’s lack of attention and love. Rachel, who is adored by Jacob, is barren. Both servants are given to Jacob as surrogate mothers for their mistresses. Rachel eventually conceives Joseph, but not without resentment, bitterness, and bartering between the sisters. Jacob now asks Laban to release him from service, so that he may return with his families to his own land. Again, we have arguments, greed, and deception. Eventually, Jacob flees with his wives, children, and livestock. Laban follows three days later and has words with Jacob. In the end, a pact is made, peace is restored, and the men part amicably. As a modern woman, I cannot help but be somewhat horrified by the ideas and actions presented in this parashah. A man falls in love with a woman solely for her beauty. It is common knowledge that her less physically attractive sister will not wed without intervention by her father. The sisters squabble over their shared husband and express resentment over each other’s happiness. “Handmaids,” slaves, are bedded by Jacob to produce offspring that their mistresses will call their own. Yet: this is one of very few places in the Torah where women are actually named—incredibly, four of them. Even more amazing, their thoughts and feelings are given attention. Why are these four women, Rachel and Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah, so important?  As 21st century women we may question why the bearing of children is the measure of a woman’s worth, more so than her wit or her talent. It is because of the particular births described in this portion. According to the history of the Torah, these women are directly responsible for the existence of the Jewish people as we know it. The 12 tribes of Israel come from their loins. They are the past and the future of Judaism. Rachel and Leah, our Matriarchs. Their names constantly on our lips as we recite the Amidah, to this day one of the prayers most central to our worship as Reform Jews. We as Women of Reform Judaism have also been central to the future of Reform Judaism. Each of us, as a member of WRJ, is a modern-day matriarch. Whether mothers ourselves or not, we women of WRJ birthed and continue to nurture NFTY: our youth and our future. From Jean Wise May, who first conceived the idea of organized, temple-based youth groups, to the women of NFTS who created NFTY, and right through to today where we have established grants for young women to attend 6 Points Sci-Tech camp and recently gifted NFTY $75,000 for the development of new programming, we have always been there to support and nourish the growth of our shared NFTY-ite children, as any good mother would. Every sisterhood member should consider it both an honor and an obligation to help protect and preserve our Reform Jewish family. Investigate ways to educate your members about NFTY. Explore YES Fund fundraising opportunities that your sisterhood can engage in. Give generously yourself as often as possible. Send YES Fund cards and Uniongrams for every occasion. Visit our newly-designed website for more information. Madi Hoesten is the WRJ Southeast District President and a WRJ Board Member. She is a member of Congregation Kol Tikvah and resides in Coral Springs, FL.