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The name of the Jewish people is derived from the naming of Judah, 4th son of Leah. She realized that she was supposed to only have three sons but had a 4th. So, she named his Judah, meaning, thanks to God.

Jacob learns how to defraud people from Lavan. He uses this knowledge to defend himself against Lavan. When he feels that he is in danger of becoming like Lavan he decides it is time to leave.

Lavan was a deceiver but not a liar. He would use words in a way that would confuse the person who was negotiating with him. Like when he switched Leah for Rachel. He agreed to let Jacob marry his daughter, he just didn’t say which one.

Jacob’s ladder has a lot of symbolism. One of the most significant is that it shows the rise and fall of nations. And it foretells that the Jewish nation will always exist.

Lavan pretends to be a friend of Jacob, but he is not. He does everything in his power to cheat Jacob & become wealthy in the process. As he is doing so, he claims it is for Jacob’s good.

The highlight of the month of Kislev is the festival of Hanukah. It is a celebration of the victory of the Hasmoneans against the Hellenists. They did not take action because they wanted to but because they had to. The is our way. When we see a clear & present danger, we act.

Isaac was blind to Esau’s faults. He didn’t see that Esau could not be the leader of the next generation. Rebecca was the realist in this matter. She knew that Jacob had the skills to be the leader.

Our enemies do not care if they benefit from their hatred. All they care about is attacking. We, on he other hand care about building and making the world a better place through hard work and keeping God’s Commandments.

Esau does not plan for the future. He wants what he wants, and he wants it now. Jacob thinks things through. He plans for the future by working today.

The key word for this week’s portion is jealousy. Esau is jealous of Jacob. He felt that he was tricked into giving up his birthright. The truth is that he would not have died if he had waited a little to get food. He blamed Jacob for his bad judgement.