๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐จ๐ญ, ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐จ๐ญ, ๐๐จ๐ฅ’๐๐จ๐ญ, ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐จ๐ฌ, ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฅ’๐๐จ๐ญ๐ก (ืชึผืึนืึฐืึนืชโ โ Hebrew for “generations” or “descendants,” the second word and the first distinctive word in the parashah) is the sixth weekly Torah portion (ืคึธึผืจึธืฉึธืืโ, parashah) in the annual cycle of Torah reading. The parashah tells of the conflict between Jacob and Esau, Isaac’s passing off his wife Rebekah as his sister, and Isaac’s blessing of his sons. It constitutes Genesis 25:19โ28:9. The parashah is made up of 5,426 Hebrew letters, 1,432 Hebrew words, 106 verses, and 173 lines in a Torah Scroll (ืกึตืคึถืจ ืชึผืึนืจึธืโ, Sefer Torah).
๐๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐:๐๐โ๐๐:๐
Reflection: When we read this weekโs Torah Portion we see a great deal of family dysfunction. We see Rebekah and Isaac choosing a child to favor, we see the division of brothers and we see Isaac repeating the same deceit as his father Abraham. The mistake Isaac repeated can be found in Genesis 26 when he lies and says Rebekah is his sister and not his wife due to fearing the men around him. In Genesis 20 we read that Abraham did this same thing while he and Sarah sojourned in Egypt. Maybe both Abraham and Isaac rationalized that they werenโt really lying since Sarah was Abrahamโs half sister and Rebekah was Isaacโs cousin but this generational pattern of dishonesty would be passed on to Jacob (Jacobโs name could be translated as trickster) which is why we will see him wrestling with Yahweh and receiving the new name Israel.
๐๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ง๐๐ข๐ค๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ข ๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ก. ๐ฝ๐๐๐ค๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ฃ๐๐ข๐ ๐ข๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ฎ.
Even the founding family of Israel had negative generational patterns that had to be broken. In every family both great or small there are negative patterns that we will repeat if we are not careful to examine our hearts and be honest with the next generation about our mistakes. In spite of the division and deceit Yahweh through his grace still made this family apart of his great plan for the Children of Israel and all humanity. May Yahwehโs Grace also reign in our families. Shalom!
๐ค๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ:
1. What generational patterns exist in your family?
2. What steps are you taking to continue the positive generational patterns in your family and what steps are you taking to end the negative generational patterns?
๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ญ๐๐ฉ: Pray about the negative generational patterns in your family and ask Yahweh to help them to stop with you.
๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐:
Listen to my further thoughts on this Torah portion especially as it relates to Rebecca and the birthright on The Practical Torah Podcast on Apple iTunes or or listen on YouTube
๐๐ฒ๐โ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธโ๐ ๐ง๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ต ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป!