Vayishlach

Vayishlach or Vayishlah (וַיִּשְׁלַח‎—Hebrew for "and he sent," the first word of the parashah) is the eighth weekly Torah portion (פָּרָשָׁה‎, parashah) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. In the parashah, Jacob reconciles with Esau after wrestling with a "man." The prince Shechem rapes Dinah, whose brothers sack the city of Shechem in revenge. In the family's subsequent flight, Rachel gives birth to Benjamin and dies in childbirth.

The parashah constitutes Genesis 32:4–36:43. The parashah has the most verses of any weekly Torah portion in the Book of Genesis (Parashat Miketz has the most letters, Parashat Vayeira has the most words, and Parashat Noach has an equal number of verses as Parashat Vayishlach[1]). It is made up of 7,458 Hebrew letters, 1,976 Hebrew words, 153 verses, and 237 lines in a Torah Scroll (Sefer Torah). Jews read it the eighth Sabbath after Simchat Torah, in November or December.[2]

Jacob Wrestling with the Angel (1855 illustration by Gustave Doré)
  1. ^ "Torah Stats for Bereshit". Akhlah Inc. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  2. ^ "Parashat Vayishlach". Hebcal. Retrieved November 26, 2014.