Vayeitzei Audio Classes

The roots of Jewish anxiety. Look into your life and find the parsha therein.

“And Angels met him…”, the angels left the land of Israel, welcomed Yaakov and brought him home.

A five minute weekly Torah insight based on the wellsprings of Torah and Chassidut

Experience the gems of the Parshha with the classic commentaries, and a kabbalistic twist.

Yaakov left Be’er Sheva to get away from the need of a peace agreement with Avimelech. Why was he more concerned about the treaty then Avraham and Yitzchak?

A five minute weekly Torah thought based on the teachings of Chassidut.

Get a detailed overview of the weekly Torah portion sewn together with keen insights and timely life messages.

The verse reads: And Leah said, "God has given me a good portion. This time, my husband will live with me, for I have borne him six sons"; so she named him Zebulun.

An in depth presentation of Chassidic teachings on the weekly Parshah.

An advanced presentation of Chassidic teachings on the Parshah.

Every soul in the world asks itself: what am I doing here, why was I sent away from heaven?

A very short message on the parshah.

“Ufaratzta (you shall break through; spread out) to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. . .” Genesis 28:14. Explore the layers of meaning to this central verse.

We learn from our father Jacob an important lesson in when and how to forgo a personal religious stringency in the face of a greater obligation.

There are some moments in our lives when we are at peace with our inner, spiritual selves. The majority of our experiences are strenuous, often painful, and challenge us to overcome the negative urges of our psyche.

Jacob’s seventh son is Gad, a name that means “good luck” (Genesis 30:11). But do Jews really believe in luck?

Jacob has a vision which encapsulates the future of the Jewish people and climaxes with the promise of "Ufarazta" -- the power to spread forth, transcending all limitations.

Jewish people have three daily prayer services. The first is Shacharit (the morning prayer), then Minchah (the afternoon prayer), and finally Maariv (the evening prayer.) But from another perspective, one can argue that since the Jewish day begins at sundown, the first prayer is really the evening prayer. Does it make a difference if we view the order of the prayers as morning/afternoon/evening or as evening/morning/afternoon?

Study some of the highlights of the weekly Torah portion with insights from various commentaries.

On his journey leaving Israel, Jacob sleeps a night at Mount Moriah, where he has a special dream. Prior to retiring he surrounds himself with rocks, and the next morning he anoints oil on the monument of stone. Discover what is the point in all of this.

This fascinating exposition about Mother Leah reveals stunning details of her exquisite persona and the extraordinary power of (her) tears! See how her holy fervour becomes infectious; ultimately inspiring us all with intensified spiritual yearning.

The parsha of Vayeitzei contains 148 verses and the mnemonic for it are the words ‘chelki’ (my portion) and ‘machanayim’ (camps). Explore the coded message in the mnemonic and its connection to the general themes of the Parshah.

The three patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob all encountered the future site of the Beit Hamikdash, the Holy Temple. However the description of that location differed for each Patriarch. To Abraham it was a mountain, to Isaac a field, and to Jacob a house. This class will explore the significance of these differences and the relevance to our times. (Likutei Sichos vol. 15)

Jacob’s carefully planned marriage is the only wedding party ever documented in the Torah. It ended up becoming an epic matrimonial mix-up, which surprisingly continues to affect the way we do Jewish weddings today. According to the literal biblical narrative, the groom assumed he married his beloved bride, only to find out the very next morning that, in fact, he married her sister. What exactly transpired on that surreal evening, and how would it be possible for a groom not to know who he married? Discover fascinating details that shed a great deal of light on this otherwise enigmatic story.

This class explores the mystical meaning of nature’s most natural shape, the circle. The definition of time in light of Kabbalah is addressed and a new appreciation of Shabbat and its unique connection to our patriarch Jacob emerges.

At the tender age of 76, the “Perfect Patriarch” first experiences profound prophecy, and is motivated to articulate his desire to pursue and promulgate peace. Yet despite the seeming predictability of peace as an ideal, something about the entire narrative seems off. This insightful rumination opens with a straightforward analysis of the Scripture, yet swiftly develops into a sophisticated, and profoundly mystical presentation revealing a fascinating perspective on life, living and the purpose of our very existence. Jacob's journeys, and yearnings for peace demonstrate how we can all better achieve inner peace and self-actualization!

Judaism can't only be about our own spiritual growth—a lesson we from Yaakov and his sheep. (Based on Likkutei Sichos vol. 15 Vayeitzei, sicha 4)

A journey through the weekly Torah portion briefly explaining the text in plain English—based on the commentary of Rashi.