Saadia · Bereshit 28
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- Bereshit 28:1
וַיִּקְרָא יִצְחָק אֶל-יַעֲקֹב וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתוֹ וַיְצַוֵּהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ לֹא-תִקַּח אִשָּׁה מִבְּנוֹת כְּנָעַן
. . .
And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and commanded him, and said to him: 'You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.
- Bereshit 28:2
קוּם לֵךְ פַּדֶּנָה אֲרָם בֵּיתָה בְתוּאֵל אֲבִי אִמֶּךָ וְקַח-לְךָ מִשָּׁם אִשָּׁה מִבְּנוֹת לָבָן אֲחִי אִמֶּךָ
. . .
Arise, go to Paddan-Aram, to the house of Bethuel your grandfather, and take for yourself from there a wife from the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother.
- Bereshit 28:3
וְאֵל שַׁדַּי יְבָרֵךְ אֹתְךָ וְיַפְרְךָ וְיַרְבֶּךָ וְהָיִיתָ לִקְהַל עַמִּים
. .
And the Sufficient Power shall bless you, and make you grow, and multiply you; and there shall be from you a host of nations.
- Bereshit 28:4
וְיִתֶּן-לְךָ אֶת-בִּרְכַּת אַבְרָהָם לְךָ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ אִתָּךְ--לְרִשְׁתְּךָ אֶת-אֶרֶץ מְגֻרֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר-נָתַן אֱלֹהִים לְאַבְרָהָם
. . .
And He shall give you the blessing of Abraham — to you and to your offspring with you — to possess the land of your dwelling, which God gave to Abraham.'
- Bereshit 28:5
וַיִּשְׁלַח יִצְחָק אֶת-יַעֲקֹב וַיֵּלֶךְ פַּדֶּנָה אֲרָם--אֶל-לָבָן בֶּן-בְּתוּאֵל הָאֲרַמִּי אֲחִי רִבְקָה אֵם יַעֲקֹב וְעֵשָׂו
. . . .
And Isaac sent Jacob; and he went to Paddan-Aram, to Laban the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.
- Bereshit 28:6
וַיַּרְא עֵשָׂו כִּי-בֵרַךְ יִצְחָק אֶת-יַעֲקֹב וְשִׁלַּח אֹתוֹ פַּדֶּנָה אֲרָם לָקַחַת-לוֹ מִשָּׁם אִשָּׁה בְּבָרְכוֹ אֹתוֹ--וַיְצַו עָלָיו לֵאמֹר לֹא-תִקַּח אִשָּׁה מִבְּנוֹת כְּנָעַן
. . . . .
And Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and had sent him to Paddan-Aram to take a wife for him from there — when he blessed him, and commanded him, saying: 'You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan';
- Bereshit 28:7
וַיִּשְׁמַע יַעֲקֹב אֶל-אָבִיו וְאֶל-אִמּוֹ וַיֵּלֶךְ פַּדֶּנָה אֲרָם
.
and that Jacob had accepted from his father and his mother, and had gone to Paddan-Aram.
- Bereshit 28:8
וַיַּרְא עֵשָׂו כִּי רָעוֹת בְּנוֹת כְּנָעַן בְּעֵינֵי יִצְחָק אָבִיו
. .
And when Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan were evil in the sight of Isaac his father,
- Bereshit 28:9
וַיֵּלֶךְ עֵשָׂו אֶל-יִשְׁמָעֵאל וַיִּקַּח אֶת-מָחֲלַת בַּת-יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן-אַבְרָהָם אֲחוֹת נְבָיוֹת עַל-נָשָׁיו--לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה
. . .
Esau went to Ishmael, and took Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael the son of Abraham, the sister of Nebayot, in addition to his wives — and she became his wife.
- Bereshit 28:10
וַיֵּצֵא יַעֲקֹב מִבְּאֵר שָׁבַע וַיֵּלֶךְ חָרָנָה
.
Then Jacob went out from Beer-Sheba, to go to Haran.
- Bereshit 28:11
וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם וַיָּלֶן שָׁם כִּי-בָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וַיִּקַּח מֵאַבְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם וַיָּשֶׂם מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו וַיִּשְׁכַּב בַּמָּקוֹם הַהוּא
. . . .
And he came to the special place, and lodged there — for the sun had set. And he took of the stones of the place, and made it a pillow, and slept there.
- Bereshit 28:12
וַיַּחֲלֹם וְהִנֵּה סֻלָּם מֻצָּב אַרְצָה וְרֹאשׁוֹ מַגִּיעַ הַשָּׁמָיְמָה וְהִנֵּה מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִים עֹלִים וְיֹרְדִים בּוֹ
. . . .
And he saw a dream — and behold, a ladder set upon the earth, and its top approaching the sky; and behold, the angels of God ascending and descending upon it.
- Bereshit 28:13
וְהִנֵּה יְהוָה נִצָּב עָלָיו וַיֹּאמַר אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אָבִיךָ וֵאלֹהֵי יִצְחָק הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה שֹׁכֵב עָלֶיהָ--לְךָ אֶתְּנֶנָּה וּלְזַרְעֶךָ
. . . . . . .
And behold, the light of God was standing before him, and He said: 'I am God, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land upon which you are sleeping — to you I shall give it, and to your offspring.
- Bereshit 28:14
וְהָיָה זַרְעֲךָ כַּעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ וּפָרַצְתָּ יָמָּה וָקֵדְמָה וְצָפֹנָה וָנֶגְבָּה וְנִבְרְכוּ בְךָ כָּל-מִשְׁפְּחֹת הָאֲדָמָה וּבְזַרְעֶךָ
. . .
And your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth; and you shall spread westward and eastward and northward and southward; and in you shall be blessed all the clans of the earth — and in your offspring.
- Bereshit 28:15
וְהִנֵּה אָנֹכִי עִמָּךְ וּשְׁמַרְתִּיךָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר-תֵּלֵךְ וַהֲשִׁבֹתִיךָ אֶל-הָאֲדָמָה הַזֹּאת כִּי לֹא אֶעֱזָבְךָ עַד אֲשֶׁר אִם-עָשִׂיתִי אֵת אֲשֶׁר-דִּבַּרְתִּי לָךְ
. . . . .
And behold, I am with you, and I shall keep you wherever you walk; and I shall bring you back to this land — I shall not leave you until I have done for you what I have spoken to you.'
- Bereshit 28:16
וַיִּיקַץ יַעֲקֹב מִשְּׁנָתוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר אָכֵן יֵשׁ יְהוָה בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וְאָנֹכִי לֹא יָדָעְתִּי
. . .
And Jacob awoke from his sleep, and said: 'Behold — the light of God is in this place, and I did not know.'
- Bereshit 28:17
וַיִּירָא וַיֹּאמַר מַה-נּוֹרָא הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה אֵין זֶה כִּי אִם-בֵּית אֱלֹהִים וְזֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם
. . .
And he was afraid, and said: 'How awesome is this place! And this is none but the house of God, and this is the gate of the sky.'
- Bereshit 28:18
וַיַּשְׁכֵּם יַעֲקֹב בַּבֹּקֶר וַיִּקַּח אֶת-הָאֶבֶן אֲשֶׁר-שָׂם מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו וַיָּשֶׂם אֹתָהּ מַצֵּבָה וַיִּצֹק שֶׁמֶן עַל-רֹאשָׁהּ
. . .
And Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone which he had made a pillow, and set it up as a pillar; and he poured oil upon its top.
- Bereshit 28:19
וַיִּקְרָא אֶת-שֵׁם-הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא בֵּית-אֵל וְאוּלָם לוּז שֵׁם-הָעִיר לָרִאשֹׁנָה
.
And he named that place Beth-El; and the name of the town had been Luz at first.
- Bereshit 28:20
וַיִּדַּר יַעֲקֹב נֶדֶר לֵאמֹר אִם-יִהְיֶה אֱלֹהִים עִמָּדִי וּשְׁמָרַנִי בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ וְנָתַן-לִי לֶחֶם לֶאֱכֹל וּבֶגֶד לִלְבֹּשׁ
. . .
And Jacob vowed a vow, and said: 'If God shall be with me, and keep me in this way which I am going, and grant me bread to eat and a garment to wear,
- Bereshit 28:21
וְשַׁבְתִּי בְשָׁלוֹם אֶל-בֵּית אָבִי וְהָיָה יְהוָה לִי לֵאלֹהִים
.
and I return in peace to my father's house — then God shall be my Patron;
- Bereshit 28:22
וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר-שַׂמְתִּי מַצֵּבָה--יִהְיֶה בֵּית אֱלֹהִים וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר תִּתֶּן-לִי עַשֵּׂר אֲעַשְּׂרֶנּוּ לָךְ
. . .
and this stone, which I have set up as a pillar, shall be for me the house of God; and of all that You grant me, I shall tithe to You.'
English is a working draft — author revising