Parashat Vayeitzei

Rabbi’s Drosh

In Parashat Vayeitzei. one of the most poignant moments is when we read about our forefather Jacob dreaming of a ladder with angels ascending and descending it.

The concept of the ladder connecting heaven and earth found in this week’s Parasha has captured the imagination of artists, poets, scholars, and many others across different times and places.
It is a powerful metaphor and one which goes straight to the heart of what it means to be Jewish
As Jews, we are expected to bring light into the world and in order to this we have been given a clear mission. The Jewish mission is to take things which are of this world and elevate them spiritually by moving them up that metaphorical ladder.
There are so many everyday Jewish practices which turn things which are material into things that are holy.

On the face of it, these material or secular things things may not seem to be spiritual, but our actions can elevate them up that spiritual ladder.

For example:
- When we bless a piece of food, we elevate it!
- When we give money for Tzadaka, we elevate it!
- When we use an object for the sake of a Mitzvah, we elevate it!
- When we put our time into acts of loving-kindnesd, we elevate it!

Through our actions we can actually become the ladder which connects heaven and earth as we increase our Mitzvot and good deeds. All it requires is for us to take a moment and think, “Is there anything I can do in this situation to elevate myself, these objects, this place or the people around me?” and so often with very little effort, we can! It may be something as simple as warm smile or a kind word, or as sophisticated as bringing Torah learning to a place devoid of it.

However, a ladder is a two-way pathway. We also need to be careful not to desecrate the holy by making sacred things everyday or mundane. An ever-present example is the power of speech. This is a topic which has been a constant battle ground which our Sages have been concerned with throughout the years of Jewish scholarship. We have the power of speech which can be elevated with prayer, kind words, or meaningful teaching and learning. But we can also use the power of speech for speaking badly (lashon hara) and harming others. The choice is ours.

May we all be blessed with opportunities to draw holiness from above and bring it into our physical world and may Hashem bless us with eyes to see these opportunities and legs that run to take them!

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Friedler and Deb