סֻלָּם
Sulam
The ladder
וַיֵּצֵא
Torah Portion 7 of 12 · Bereshit (Genesis) 28:10–32:3
Parashat Vayetzei: the story, then the game.
Yaakov sleeps on a stone and dreams of a ladder. He reaches Haran, works for Lavan, builds a family with Rachel and Leah, and finally turns for home with everything he's earned.
Vayetzei: "And he went out"
The Story of Parashat Vayetzei
The gate of heaven
Yaakov leaves Be'er Sheva with nothing and sleeps on the ground with a stone at his head. He dreams of a ladder with angels going up and down on it, and hears the promise made to Avraham and Yitzchak. He wakes and says, "Surely Adonai is in this place, and I knew it not." He calls it the gate of heaven. He sets up the stone as a pillar, pours oil on it and makes a vow.
The stone on the well
At Charan he rolls a great stone from a well's mouth for Rachel and waters her father's sheep. He serves Lavan seven years for her, and they seem like a few days. In the morning after the wedding, it's Leah. He serves seven more for Rachel. Over those years eleven sons and a daughter are born.
Speckled and spotted
Lavan keeps changing the terms, so Yaakov peels rods by the watering troughs and his flock grows strong. When Lavan's face turns against him, he leaves in secret with his household. Lavan overtakes him, and they raise a heap of stones as witness at Gal-Ed. Yaakov goes on, and angels meet him at Machanayim.
Read in synagogues on Shabbat, November 21, 2026.
What You Play
The part of the story we focus on.
The game follows Yaakov's whole working life here, from a night on the stones to a household on the move.
שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם
The Gate of Heaven
Spend the night at Beit-El: the ladder, the pillar, the vow and the tithe.
Bereshit (Genesis) 28
הָאֶבֶן עַל פִּי הַבְּאֵר
The Stone on the Well
Roll the stone for Rachel, serve Lavan twice seven years, and see Leah and twelve children.
Bereshit (Genesis) 29–30
נָקֹד וְטָלוּא
Speckled and Spotted
Cut and peel the rods and breed the flock at the trough as Lavan's face changes.
Bereshit (Genesis) 30–31
גַּלְעֵד
The Heap of Witness
Flee with the household, face Lavan's search, raise the heap at Gal-Ed and meet the angels at Machanayim.
Bereshit (Genesis) 31–32
This portion at a glance
- The ladder at Beit El28:10–22
- Rachel at the well in Haran29:1–14
- Years of work for Lavan29:15–30:43
- Yaakov leaves, and Lavan pursues31:1–54
- Angels meet him at Machanayim32:2–3
Hebrew from Parashat Vayetzei
בֵּית־אֵל
Beit El
Bethel
רָחֵל
Rachel
Matriarch
לֵאָה
Leah
Matriarch
Talk about it
- Yaakov says Adonai was in this place and he knew it not. Where might that be true for you?
- Why does Yaakov need that promise right then, on the run?
- How does it feel when someone keeps changing the deal on you?
- Why raise a heap of stones instead of just agreeing?
About Parashat Vayetzei
What is Parashat Vayetzei about?
Yaakov's ladder at Beit El and his years in Haran. The name, וַיֵּצֵא, means "And he went out."
Where is Parashat Vayetzei in the Bible?
It runs from Bereshit 28:10 to Bereshit 32:3, which is Genesis 28:10–32:3 in an English Bible. It's portion 7 of the 12 in the book.
Can I play Parashat Vayetzei in Gan Eden?
Playable now in Gan Eden, free in your browser.
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