Genesis 28:10-32:2
“Ya’akov went out from Be’er-Sheva and traveled toward Haran” (Genesis 28:10).
Excerpt:
Jacob’s Sheep
In Genesis 31:1-13, Jacob has a dream in which Elohim shows him spotted and speckled rams that are bred with ewes. Because of the dream, Jacob sets up rods from different trees to encourage breeding in order to produce his own flock of sheep.
Shepherds used rods to guard and guide their sheep. The Hebrew word for ‘rods’ in this passage is maqqelah and signifies a ‘traveler’s staff’ or ‘war club’ that is cut from a tree. Some suggest that Jacob is using divining rods; however, he is only imitating what he saw in his dream. The rods are prophetic of Elohim revealing that He is in control of a greater plan for Jacob’s life and his sheep.
Jacob makes his rods from fresh-cut branches of almond, poplar, and plane trees. They are peeled and set upright in the watering troughs so the sheep could see them when they came for a drink. Since the bred when they were drinking, Jacob used only spotted rams for breeding. When the animals mated in the site of the rods, the webs birthed streaked and speckled lambs.
Jacob eventually took his large flock of spotted sheep back to Canaan. As an old man in the days of Joseph, he herded his flocks down to Egypt into northern Africa. From there the breed spread to Europe, specifically Spain, and eventually found its way to England and even to our little midwestern community as a distinct ‘unimproved’ breed of sheep.
Jacob Sheep, with impressive horns and unusual coloring, are small and hardy, economical to feed, and have few health problems. Stocking rates for Jacob Sheep are about six sheep per acre compared to about five per acre for larger breeds. These small, fine-boned sheep have no problems lambing in contrast with the ‘improved’ breeds that often need birthing assistance. The ewes are good mothers and often have twins and occasional triplets.
Selah
Jacob, a shepherd, loved a woman named ‘ewe. ’ He became the father of the 12 Tribes of Isra’el, a special breed of ‘sheep’ created for the Good Shepherd. Just as Jacob’s breed of sheep continue to exist today, so do the children of Isra’el.
“My sheep listen to my voice, I recognize them, they follow me, and I give them eternal life. They will absolutely never be destroyed, and no one will snatch them from my hands” (John 27-28).
For a complete copy of this Torah portion, the readings from the Prophets, gospels, letters, and study questions, please purchase Open My Eyes: Wonders of Torah.
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