Yaakov’s journey to Charan did not require there to be a departure of his p’nimius from B’er Sheva; his inner focus and the attention of his mind could have remained there, as in the saying of the Baal Shem Tov: the place where a person’s will is directed that is where his entire presence is…
Jacob was fleeing from the wrath of his brother Esau and on his way to Charan he falls asleep. He has an incredible dream: a ladder reaching up from the earth to the heavens, with angels going up and down.
Presented for 9 Kislev, the day the Mitteler Rebbe was born and passed away.
When Leah, Jacob’s first wife, gives birth to her fourth son she names him Yehudah because, she says, “this time I will thank [Odeh] G-d.”
Esau and Jacob’s rivalry began even before they were born. The Torah relates that they began their struggle in their mother’s womb. At their birth, Jacob emerged holding on to Esau’s heel. Rashi explains that he was trying to emerge first so he could enjoy the status of the first-born.
The entire time Yaakov was in exile, he knew that it was not his place, per se, and he proceeded without any interruption, making his way to his true place. Thus, the verse states, “haloch halachta,” using a repetitive expression, indicating that Yaakov did not view his traveling as a one-way trip out of Charan, focusing only on his redemption from Lavan, but as a continual journey, a non-stop round-trip, serving G-d even while in exile [haloch] as a preparation for redemption [halachta].
The beginning of our parsha relates how Yaakov fled the wrath of his brother and travelled towards Charan. On the way there, he fell asleep and dreamt of a ladder situated on the earth and reaching into the heavens, with angels going up and down the ladder. In his dream, G-d promises him and his descendants the land upon which he was lying. He also promised him that his descendants would be as numerous as the dust of the earth and that the entire world will be blessed through Yaakov and his descendants.
One of the principal mandates of bitachon is to focus on Hashem and to realize His omnipotence in the world to the exclusion of all else1. Throughout our lives, this perspective is consistently challenged; our duty is to notice the conflict with bitachon, hopefully sooner than later, and then to surmount the challenge through strengthening our bitachon. We will focus on one of those challenges now.
This week’s Parsha is VaYeitzei. It is in this week’s Torah portion that the Jewish nation finally begins to take shape. Yaakov Avinu leaves his parents’ home and travels to the decadent and immoral Charan and specifically over there, he marries and the tribes of B’nei Yisroel are born.
Yaakov had been working for his father-in-law Lavan for 22 years. He endured the most harsh conditions; suffering greatly from Lavan’s duplicity and corruption. An angel of G-d appears to Yaakov in a dream and advises him to return to his homeland. The Torah then recounts how Yaakov left with all his family and possessions.
The entire time Yaakov was in exile, he knew that it was not his place, per se, and he proceeded without any interruption, making his way to his true place. Thus, the verse states, “haloch halachta,” using a repetitive expression, indicating that Yaakov did not view his traveling as a one-way trip out of Charan, focusing only on his redemption from Lavan, but as a continual journey, a non-stop round-trip, serving G-d even while in exile [haloch] as a preparation for redemption [halachta].
When a righteous person leaves Eretz Yisroel, he takes that holiness of Israel with him. The Tzaddik is a personification of the holiness that exists in the Land of Israel. Thus, Jacob did not really go down…
In the Daled Amos of the Rebbe there are different standards. Here one is not governed by the same laws of nature, nor is he restricted by physical impediments.
November 13, 2018