This week's Torah selection continues the Jacob narrative. We read of the famous vision of Jacob's ladder. Most modern scholars conceive of the ladder as a Babylonian pyramid or ziggurat. Messengers of G-d could easily ascend and descend the steps of the pyramid. In the vision, G-d promises Jacob the land of Canaan and numerous descendants. Jacob is overwhelmed by his religious experience. The narrative explains the origins of the place-name "Beit El", meaning "House of G-d". The original name of the city, Luz, is associated with many rabbinic legends. Jacob promises he will be faithful to G-d if G-d protects him. Many of the commentators find Jacob's spiritual maturity to be lacking in this challenge to G-d. The sacred pillar is an important motif in this story.

The narrative of the Torah continues with the meeting of Jacob and Rachel. The well is covered with a heavy stone so the shepherds wait until an entire group has gathered together to water their flocks. Jacob demonstrates his physical prowess in removing the stone from the well. Jacob is united with his cousin Rachel and kisses her. He is introduced to his uncle Laban.

Jacob requests to work for seven years for his uncle in order to marry Rachel. Laban readily consents to the proposal. However, on the wedding night, Laban substitutes his older daughter Leah for Rachel. His uncle deceives the trickster Jacob! The Torah speaks of Leah as having "weak eyes". Commentators are uncertain whether this is a compliment or an insult. Jewish lore claims Leah's eyes were weak from crying as she thought she was destined to marry Esau, the older of the twins.

Laban asserts that Jacob may marry Rachel if he works an additional seven years. Jacob consents to the plan. Jacob is also given two concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah. Ironically, because Leah is the "hated wife", she is blessed with many children. Leah gives birth to four sons: Reuven, Shimon, Levi, and Yehudah. The names are associated with the Hebrew words for sight, hearing, joining, and praise.

Rachel demands that Jacob be intimate with the servant Bilhah so that she might have children through her. The tensions between Leah and Rachel perhaps result in the ban on two sisters' marriage to one husband. The two sons of Bilhah are Dan and Naftali, derived from the Hebrew words for "judging" and "wrestling". Leah then gives her servant Zilpah to Jacob. She gives birth to two sons, Gad and Asher, associated with the Hebrew terms for "fortune" and "happiness".

The episode of the mandrakes, an ancient aphrodisiac, shares the tensions between the sisters Rachel and Leah. Rachel allows Jacob to be intimate with Leah in exchange for the mandrakes of Leah's son, Reuven. Isaachar, associated with the Hebrew for "hire" is the child of this relationship. Leah then gives birth to Zevulon, deriving from the Hebrew "to dwell". Leah finally gives birth to the daughter Dinah. The story of Dinah is fictionalized in the best-selling novel, "The Red Tent", loosely based upon the Biblical text.

Rachel finally gives birth to a son, Joseph. Jacob requests to leave Laban's household. He finally asks for his payment for his years of service to Laban. Jacob asks for the sheep, which are spotted and speckled and black, and the goats, which are spotted and speckled. Jacob creates a plan to increase the streaked, speckled, and spotted offspring. His flocks increase rapidly.

Jacob decides it is time to leave Laban's household. A vision from G-d confirms this opinion. Jacob tells his wives that they will depart. Rachel steals her father's personal idols.

Laban pursues after the fleeing household of Jacob. He is angry about the theft of his household figurines. He searches for them without any success. Here, Rachel serves in the role of trickster. She has sat upon the figurines but tells her father she cannot get up because she is menstruating.

Finally, Laban consents to a peace treaty with Jacob. The stones symbolize the agreement of the two men. The place is known as the "pillar of witness", "yigar sahaduta" in Aramaic or "galed" in Hebrew. The two men depart from each other. Messengers from G-d meet Jacob. The place of meeting is called, "Mahanayim".