The Book of Bereishit contains many of Judaism’s best-known narratives, and Parashat Vayeitzei is no exception. The parashah is named for Jacob’s departure from his parents’ house in Be-er Sheva, fleeing his brother Esau, from whom he has just stolen the birthright blessing. 

As Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks notes, “The decisive spiritual encounters of Jacob’s life…happen in liminal space (the space between, neither a starting point nor a destination), at a time when Jacob is at risk in both directions – where he comes from and where he is going to. Yet it is at these points of maximal vulnerability that he encounters God and finds the courage to continue despite all the hazards of the journey.” So too, much of our contemporary existence seems to take place in the liminal space, whether the lens is the use of AI, the post-October 7th reality, or climate change, to cite a few examples. 

Yet each of us is called to invoke Jacob, in our liturgy for those who connect to prayer (“Blessed are You who Redeemed Israel [Jacob]”), in our sense of gratitude (“Jew” comes from Judah, one of Jacob’s sons born in this week’s parashah), and in our ability to grow from the obstacles we face.  

What’s one way you’re answering the call to invoke Jacob in your service of the Jewish people?