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"Jacob took from the stones of the place and he put them around his head, and lay down
in that place." Genesis 28:11
Stones appear in three incidents in this account but nowhere else
in the Book of Genesis. First, when Jacob went to sleep, he placed stones (plural)
around his head, but when he woke up after his dream he took the stone that he put around his head
(singular) and built it into an altar. (Genesis 28:18)
Then, when he arrived in Haran, Jacob walked through a field, which had a well covered by a large
stone - singular. (Genesis 29:2) The Torah describes the size of this stone by saying that the shepherds who
came to draw the water had to wait until enough of them arrived in order to roll the stone off the well. When Jacob
first saw the shepherdess Rachel, his future wife, he single handedly removed that huge stone and gave her sheep water to
drink.
Finally, after twenty years with Laban, where Jacob was tricked into working for Laban's daughters and
for his sheep, Jacob fled with his family and possessions towards the Holy Land. At the end of the angry exchange
between Jacob and Laban they both made a treaty, which was sealed by Jacob, first putting up a single stone
and afterwards ordering his men to gather stones (plural) to make a mound. (Genesis 31:45)
Why, in the first story, did the many stones become one large stone, in the second, the large stone remained
a large stone, and in the third story the structure started as a single stone, then was made into many stones? Keep in mind that the small stones represent hardness, cruelty and troubles. In fact, stoning to death
was one of the Biblical methods of execution. (Leviticus 24:23) By contrast, the large stone suggests firmness,
security and strong foundation.
The stones that Jacob gathered and put around his head represent his troubled life. (Fleeing
from Esau to save his own life, parting with the security of his family, having to sever his roots with his sheltered
background and travelling far away to a destination unknown to him.)
Yahveh showed Jacob in a dream that everything that happened to him was for a reason:
"Your children shall be as many as the dust of the earth, and you shall spread out
westwards, eastwards, northwards, and southwards; and the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you and your children."
Here is Yahveh's promise to Jacob, that he would become the father of the Chosen Nation. (All the stones
become one) Jacob recognized the symbolism, namely, that all his individual troubles would come together in a positive
way into a common purpose - the large foundation stone of the Israelite nation.
The process of Jacob’s troubles led him to the second large stone, the one that
blocked the well. When he saw Rachel from a distance moving towards the well, Jacob put the two together: Rachel
was the essential part of the ‘big plan’ that Yahveh had for him. To him, this big stone was not merely
a big stone. It was a link with the first big stone, which symbolized Yahveh's turning his troubles into
blessings, making him the father of Kingdom of Priests and Holy Nation. (Exodus 19:6) The coming together of Rachel
and the big stone assured him that he met the person who was to join with him in laying the foundations of
the Nation of Israel. Thus, when Jacob kissed Rachel, it was to confirm it and seal it.
Twenty years later, when Jacob made his treaty with Laban, he demonstrated this symbolism, but in reverse
order - 'looking back'.
Jacob demonstrated the symbolism of the stones in reverse ('looking back') when he made his treaty with Laban. First
he put up a single stone to represent his own progress towards becoming a foundation stone of the Israelites. Next, he
demonstrated to Laban how Yahveh enabled him to achieve it, despite Laban’s attempts to cheat him. He
did this by ordering his men to pile up many stones in a heap, and in doing so, showed that the troubles caused by Laban were
‘small stones’ - painful, hard and cruel, but in being detached from the big stone, no longer relevant
to Jacob’s own purpose in life.
What may be learned from the stones featured in these three incidents?
All of us go through difficult times in life. We find ourselves hit by problems and unpleasantness
(stones) from many directions. At times we may become discouraged and give up. However, when we look back over
these periods, we can see the benefit even though we would not wish to go through the pain a second time. Here is
the mark of maturity, of those who found stability and a true sense of purpose in life.
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