Vayishlach

1) Early Travels in the Land
a) Encounter with Eisav and Settlement in Sukkot
b) Settlement in Shechem
c) Battle with Shechem

2) Travel to Beth-el, death of Devorah
3) Pillar of Beth-el, death of Rachel
4) Return to Yitzchak

5) Wrap-up genealogies
a) Lineage of Eisav
b) Lineage of Seir

6) Kings of Edom

Section 1 discusses two significant events, the encounter of Yaakov with his brother and the interaction between the Israelites and the city of Shechem. Appended to the end of the former episode is a note that Yaakov settled for some period of time (according to the Midrash, 18 month) immediately following in Sukkos.

What is the connection between the two events? In both cases, Yaakov's family is threatened by a hostile force. In the former, it is Eisav, who reacts to his brother returning to Canaan by appearing with a force of 400 men, while in the latter, it is Shechem, the Chivite prince, who violates the family unit by sexually abusing Yaakov's daughter, and thereby setting a precendent of Chivite lordshop over the Israelite family that must be opposed. In the former, the reaction to the threatening posture is conciliatory; in the latter, the reaction to the threatening action is belligerent. The Midrash strengthens the connection between the two, noting that it was because Yaakov hid Dinah from Eisav that she was assaulted by Shechem.

The rest of the sedra is devoted to a series of shorter episodes.

In section 2, HaShem reminds Yaakov to go to Beis El as per his vow. Once Yaakov arrives, he builds an altar. The last verse of the parsha tells of the death of the mysterious Devorah.

In section 3, HaShem changes Yaakov's name to Yisroel and promises to make him a great nation and to give him the land. Subsequently, Yaakov sets up a pillar in Beit El. The last few verses of the parsha tell of the death of Rachel. Sections 2 and 3 seem to be somewhat parallel.

Section 4 describes Yaakov returning to his father. Yitzchak is then "killed off", although chronologically he's alive until the middle of next week's sedra. The sedra in which this was done to Avraham was Chayei Sarah, the sedra we had described as being one of transition from Avraham to Yitzchak, but Yitzchak had all but left the story by the end of Toldos, so the mention of Yitzchak here is interesting, in that it does not so much mark the end of Yitzchak as a leading character, but rather the end of Yaakov as a leading character. This seems to make sense, in that Yitzchak's role is that of a transition between his father and son, and thus, Yitzchak's role can be considered to continue as long as Yaakov is still building off of the foundation passed on to him by his father.

Sections 5 and 6 also reflect this idea, in that, just as the story of Avraham could not become the story of Yitzchak until Yishmael was dealt with in a cursory manner, so, too, the story of Yitzchak could not become the story of Yaakov until Eisav was dealt with.

Section 5 tells of the family of Eisav, as well as the family of Se'ir, who is only mentioned for the sake of Eisav. Section 6 tells of the kings and chieftains that descended from Eisav.