This week's Torah portion, Vayishlach, opens as Jacob and his family return to Israel after a 20-year stay in Charan. Jacob’s brother Esau (who is still angry with him for "stealing" his blessings) is waiting poised to attack with an army of 400 men. Jacob prepares for the confrontation by sending Esau flattering gifts, praying to G-d and preparing for war. When their fateful encounter finally arrives, Esau unexpectedly expresses a newfound brotherly love and suggests that they travel on to Israel together. Jacob demurs and the two part ways.

A few months later, Jacob's daughter, Dinah, is abducted and violated by Shechem, the prince of a village near Jacob's lodging place. Jacob's sons are outraged at the offense. They tell the people of Shechem's town that they will be permitted to intermarry and do business with Jacob's family only if the males of the town are circumcised. On the third day after the circumcisions (when the people were most weakened from the procedure), Jacob's sons Simon and Levi enter the city, decimate the male population (whom they deemed collectively guilty) and save Dinah.             

Further along their journey back to Israel, Rachel dies in childbirth after delivering Benjamin. Jacob buries her in Bethlehem. The family finally reaches Israel, where Jacob is reunited with his father, Isaac. The portion concludes with Isaac's death at age 180 and a listing of the genealogy of Esau's descendents.