Shabbat Parashat VaYeitzei

What Goes Around Comes Around

In last week's parasha, we became reacquainted with the story of Rivka and Yaakov's usurpation of Eisav's firstborn blessing. Mother and son conspired to trick Yitzhak into giving his blessing to the younger of his two twin sons, Yaakov. After having succeeded in this coup, Yaakov "runs away from home" to escape the murderous and vengeful wrath of his older brother - who had sworn to kill him for what he had done - at the behest of his now terrified mother. Rivka instructs Yaakov to flee to Haran, the home of her older brother Lavan, who we first met when Avraham's servant Eliezer went searching for a wife for Yitzhak. All these years later, Lavan has a home, flocks and family of his own - including two daughters named Leah and Rahel.  

Yaakov arrives in Haran and almost immediately encounters his cousin Rahel at the communal well (recall this literary motif from two weeks ago) with Lavan's flocks. Yaakov heroically rolls the well stone off the well by himself, waters Lavan's flocks and then embraces and kisses Rahel, breaking into tears. Rahel runs back home and returns with Lavan, who greets Yaakov and invites him home. After living with and working for Lavan for one month, Lavan asks him what he desires in exchange for his labor. Yaakov asks for Rahel's hand in marriage. Lavan stipulates that Yaakov will need to work for seven years in order to "earn" Rahel's hand and Yaakov takes the deal. At the end of the seven years, Yaakov comes to ask Lavan for Rahel and a wedding ensues, only the bride was LEAH...Yaakov had been fooled! He agreed to work yet another seven years in order to have Rahel as his wife as well. Read more online...

PRE-ORDER YOUR HANUKKAH CONCERT DVD (price increases to $25 on Dec 13)    

Every year our concerts are professionally recorded and edited by Realistically Fictional Productions. VTT offers this as a service to our families, and does not profit from the sale of DVDs. Pre-order your DVD and save $5. Orders on or after December 13th are $25.  (You can also pay by cash or cheque at the front office.) 

VTT'S OIL & APPLESAUCE COLLECTION IS SCANT!  

Thanks to donations from COSTCO, SAFEWAY & SUPERSTORE, we will be increasing our donation, but we are counting on our community to help! This is an EASY WAY to help those less fortunate make latkes for Hanukkah. Our Grade 6 students will happily collect donations from your vehicles over the next  two weeks. No need to park your car! 

 

GRADE 2 SOCK DRIVE CHESED PROJECT  

Our Grade 2 students are soliciting donations of NEW SOCKS to assist the non-profit Jewish Women's International to provide warm footwear to the homeless during the winter season.

Please deposit new socks in the sock collection box in the foyer.

Collection ends Friday, Dec 9. Todah Rabah!