Parsha Perspectives for Today (Vayeitze 5784/2023) - Initiative and Faith

good morning may good morning may good be a good day for cl should he yes please God a day in which the hostages are all returned home all of them in which our soldiers can go home after a sweeping Victory please God want to thank our paraa Siri sponsors for the year Becky and aiats and family a member of David grman Becky's father our learning is Leo nishmas David Ben manes we're very grateful to the cats family also this morning sponsored by g s in honor of rabud Boris kurzer our dear friends Rabbi and Mrs kurzer her dear aunt and uncle should be well and it is great to have them back we are in Pas V page 144 AR scroll Stone Kish and the Book of Bas continues to unfold the narrow of the introduction to our and Os our matriarchs and Patriarchs all that they went through and go through all that we're learning studying extracting extrapolating from them are Not Mere lessons of the past they're not not parts of history but rather they are instructions for our destiny they tell us what how we can live going forward they tell us about our lives now and going forward stay afterwards please we're going to complete the entire safe for tum as we do each and every weekend after every Shear 30 people stay we divide all to and finish it rather quickly and we continue to make available to you in the lobby Israeli Flags American flags put both on your car stand proudly as Patriots of America and Americans who support of course Israel the very opening of the begins leaves B he departs and he heads towards and we begin with the we've been learning this wonderful saer which we only have the first few Paras I don't know if more are out but they generously shared with me only through v through saer Braes the was the of the Mir in Brooklyn he has incredible insights really beautiful this I highly recommend it and I'm very grateful for it Rashi says Yakov departed Yakov went out why do we care why do we need to know what gate he left from where he departed from all we care about is he went why does it matter that he left all that should matter is where he went the most famous rashis on the Torah you all certainly know it this teaches that when a person leaves a place it has an impact when someone departs it makes an impact when a person when a righteous one is in the city that presence is felt they are the glory they are the righteousness they are the Splendor of the city but y when a person leaves when that righteous person leaves so with them departs the Splendor the righteousness the glow all those wonderful things asks why are we teaching this lesson specifically when the righteous person leaves did we neglect did we take for granted did we forget when the righteous person was present in the city what that meant the influence they had the difference that they made we're first noting and noticing their impact when they leave why not talk about it while they're there lived in how long how long gets the membership award how long was he a member in Bea 63 years 63 years that is a membership I don't you get one year free or something that's pretty good that's like going to yoga revu how many days in a row caral how many days in a row meni I mean in trouble I'm not leaving anyone out whatever the reward program is 63 years of living in Beva that is incredible longevity surely jakob's presence 63 years in the city of made a difference we wait after 63 years he retires he moves down to bokeh and that's when we say oo we're going to really miss him in t neck we're gonna really miss him in the five towns 63 years he says nobody said boo 63 years nobody noticed I live there 63 years I barely got a good chabas and now when he leaves sados oh we're gonna really miss you why don't we talk about it while he's there you could ask says more the there list several righteous people when they expired when they died when they left this world with them we lost a certain quality with them we lost certain exceptional We Lost Wisdom why do we talk about when they died the world was bereft when they died the world was lost of that quality it was absent there was a vacuum of that Mida why do we wait until they die to talk about what the world is missing why don't we say when they lived the world really had contact and access with this incredible quality says that the this new is going to be huge because had the said that the in the city is what makes the quality Roan let's say we talked about all 63 years yakob was there wow what a difference what an impact he made so you would have known that while he lived there he had an influence but you might not have know that when he left anyone noticed I might have come to the other conclusion that righteous person their righteousness was so potent so powerful so strong that even long after they left it could still be felt I wouldn't have known that once they left it was gone it was absent I would have concluded exactly the opposite that their powerful potent influence was so strong even after they left it was felt what's the Torah trying to tell us you know it's very sad to me as a i officiate a lot of funerals I attend a lot of funerals and more often than I'd like to admit I learn about hear about someone and I say I wish I knew this while they were alive how much I would have how many questions I would have wanted to ask how many stories I'd want to hear how much inspiration motivation I wish I would draw I wish I knew this about the person while they were alive it's only when we know that they're going to leave we lose the access and the opportunity that's what makes us appreciate take advantage while they're here the Torah is trying to communicate you have if there are righteous men and women who live in your city in your vicinity if they're Holocaust Survivors who zun and and their capacity to endure their resilience to rebuild take advantage of every moment because don't ever think that the rosem that the impact the influence that they make is so strong that you can always get it later even after they're gone you'll continue to draw from it know that when a sadic leaves either they leave because they've moved and migrated or they leave because they've we've lost them know that we've lost their influence once they leave then everyone says o we really miss them o something's missing o something's absent oh I wish why didn't we take advantage why didn't we come close why didn't we learn and listen that's what the Tor is teaching us here when a sadic leaves know that and why is Rashi teaching us that not only a piece of history that when yob left beeva after 63 years he won the lifetime membership award 63 straight years Yakov it's not just to teach us history it's to teach us in our time it's a par perspective for today look around there are amazing people and they won't always be here please God they'll make Aliah and they'll live in Israel and we'll follow them but maybe not to the same city or after 120 they're going to leave this world don't wait until it's too late because when it's s leaves a city it makes AOS don't wait until we lose that opportunity the and his wonderful also addresses this Rashi no when a sadic leaves listen to his Insight why didn't we teach this earlier aam a migrated and moved why don't we talk about aam when he left the city oh what a party they made a goodbye party because they felt his absence they knew they would miss him so when y moved moved they felt it why do we wait until Yakov to learn this lesson why do we wait until Yakov to draw and to teach this teaching who's the first person that we learn the first test that we're taught is move migrate pick up and leave why the Torah say and then they really missed aam because when AIC leaves it makes a why don't we talk about his also moved he migrated why don't we talk about when left when he moved to gr why don't we talk oh it made such a difference oh they missed him why do we wait until yov why was that R why was the impact of jakob's migration felt even more than listen to what says because the Torah is trying to teach us the opposite of what we would have thought counterintuitive have to be taught you know why because AB what was ab's personality abam was a great influencer aam had an enormous following online and offline he was a public speaker scholar and residence sought after flown around the world aam had his soap box and he got up and he preached and he taught ethical monotheism aam was a superstar everybody knew aam so aam would move it's obvious Irreplaceable everybody is replaceable everybody's replaceable but a Irreplaceable Superstar spokesperson transformational leader AR's Charisma it'd be obvious that if AB moved and migrated if he left you'd feel it you'd know it but what about Yakov what about Yakov what did Yakov do did Yakov had a popular podcast was Yakov on a soapbox preaching and teaching and daring was Yakov transforming the world with his Charisma yob was in is y he sat and he he was in the B medish from morning till night so you'll say he took up space in the B medish we didn't really hear from him much we didn't see him much he sat heed and he learned one should know that the protective element and quality the power of the K Yakov the Torah and the what it does for a community for a city that invisible seemingly invisible the person that was dis missed the person that just sat in the corner taking up space they're sitting and staging they're learning they're daving that is what is protecting the city the community and when they leave a you'll notice not only because you'll notice that their chair is empty at the cola Boker and the afternoon Cola and the night seder their chair is empty at the Shum and the learning not just because you'll notice their chair is empty and you're missing that person their called Torah their contribution to the symphony of Torah but because metaphysically the impact that they made through the righteousness that they had so aam left it's obvious that when he left you'd feel it but Yakov one might have thought this Meek quiet modest softspoken mmid who's going to really notice the answer is the community will notice when they see when they feel that he's no longer that he's no longer there retro actively offers another interpretation from here we learn that when a righteous person leaves it makes so what it means is that when the righteous person's in the city sometimes we fail to realize and recognize and appreciate just what kind of impact they're making we think they're modest and softspoken we don't feel their Charisma their leadership their name is not listen for their Monumental contribution and donation they're just sitting in the corner staging learning their righteousness they're just doing they come a little earlier they stay a little bit later they say a little more tum they just walk around with their tus and we don't even realize HRA Hoda Zea we don't even real realize the glory the Splendor the impact that it makes that's why it says it was only when they leave that the community the city gets a little darker you lose a little bit of that light it loses a little bit of that Radiance they don't know any other way they take it for granted we take it for granted we don't begin to appreciate what we have until it's missing until we go elsewhere we have an incredible Community amazingly diverse and truly extraordinary men and women and you know when people learn that and realize that and first appreciate that when they go elsewhere or when those people leave they leave because they move or they leave because we've lost them then people say wow you know there's something special there's something special it shouldn't have to take for that that's what happened for you understand is being Medic in the language it's when they leave what do you mean the rosam was created when they were here why is it that the makes the RH you hear the DI what should make the impact is while they live here not when they leave it makes an impact it's when they leave only now does it make an imp impact how impactful they were all along they were making an impact but nobody noticed we took it for granted it was simply a given it's only when they leave that now it makes an impact of just how impactful they were and that's why the language is the r it makes is just how impactful they were go on a little bit more but we're going to move on we're going to get past the first pk this week new commitment yeah us second soov left he left the city we don't just we're not just taught we're not just given his destination we're also given his departure and he encounters the place and he rests his head because the sun had set he takes the stones of the city of this place he puts it under his weary head he takes a schuff he puts his head down he puts his head down it's time for a nap it's time for a nap what is this m what's he doing he's taking a nap when we think of our most righteous people we think they never sleep when we learn about schedule and Ros schedule and this one's schedule and the other righteous person's schedule what are we taught what do the biography say superhuman they never slept we're introduced to yov and what's our introduction he says I got a with the I got a with my pillow with the shin sh I'm going to sleep that's yob sleep soash tells us this is g to come to my in and he's going to leave and he's not going to have a good sleep that's considered inhospitable now the sun was it set to set was it schedule to set set early God interfered with nature because he wanted yakob to go to sleep you take the daytime flight to Israel one o00 Miami T Aviv it's a rough flight why is it a rough flight because you fly from 1:00 and you land at 1:00 a.m. and you land right when you'd be going to sleep except that at 7 o'clock in the morning and you're supposed to be starting your day it's a rough I'm not asking anyone to have pity on anyone who gets to go on that flight I'm just saying it's a rough schedule so what do you do what do they do it's remarkable the new airplanes they serve you your meal and then they they press some magic button and the windows even if the shade is open it's pitch black and all of a sudden they dim the lights and it's now 2:00 the afternoon and it feels like the middle of the night you know what else makes it feel like the middle of the night couple glasses of wine an ambient a little uh no what's the vitamin you don't even need the prescription a little melatonin every Jew's got a whole Pharmacy on every all flight whatever you need it's a traveling CVS the whole flight so they do Theon says I want Yakov to sleep he hasn't slept in a long time he's got to sleep what will I do so we're going to we're going to make the windows dark it's going to feel dark why I understand on the Fly why they do that first of all the more asleep you are the less they have to take care of you and hear you and be bothered by you but why why do they I understand the Allah flight you're gonna land and you need some schuff Hashem had to make the sun set Hashem had to make yakob sleep what's going on over here a miracle you know what hem was modeling for us what kind of hospitality what kind of host he was Rashi quotes this rash it's later Oni says says yob is visiting in my house yob is under my care and I'm not gonna make a nice bed for him I'm not going to have the window shades for him I'm not going to set the thermostat for him I'm not going to have the machine with the white noise for him I'm not going to create the environment as perfect as I can for him to SCH that's what Yem does a miracle for yes Hashem interferes intervenes with nature to be the greatest to model for us the value of hospitality that's us what does it mean we're supposed to emulate imitate we're supposed to follow On's foot steps is that really possible a it says God is an all consuming God so how do you imitate how do you emulate we imitate hem not in his core character that we can't he's infinite and omnipotent how do we imitate Hashem by following his behavior hasem clothes the naked clothe the naked he visits the sick visit the sick he Comforts The mner Comfort the mner similarly learn here says hasem went to such an extent Hashem went to such a crazy extent that he interfered with the rules of nature to make the conditions as optimal as possible to offer the best Hospitality he could why did he do that so that you and I will follow those footsteps put in the effort make the conditions in your home as optimal as possible find out the dietary restrictions of your guests make them their favorite foods put the snacks in their room leave the extra water bottle leave your comfort zone and set the thermostat to their liking even though it'll cost you a few more shek with fpnl change the rules of nature to model that what does demand not be grateful I gave you a room be grateful I gave you a meal get what you get and you don't get upset K didn't say that he said you're under my care oh I'm going to make it dark I'm going to do the blackout Shades I've wonder how come nobody bought Tre Sim to America why did nobody bring Tri Sim you know in Israel the tri Sim the little rope and you now it's electric fancy schmancy but the rope that you lower the triim they black out shabas morning you wake up it's 11 o' in the morning you thought it was the middle of the night you missed all the Sho because it was Pitch Black in the how come no one bought T Sim to America I'm giving you the business 10% back to the Sho getri Sim to be hurricane approved bring him to America to Florida Texas the Panhandle I give I'm giving it to you I don't have time I off the head your business 10% back to the Sho says I made it optimal conditions that's what means he did that to teach us that's what it has to mean for us as well Rashi continues took from the stones of the place and he put them around his head why' he put it around his head as a little boundary a little barrier a little protection in case the wild animals would come in the middle of the night yakob would be a okay why because he put some Stones around his head what happened with these stones with these rocks they started to fight with one another this one said I want him to put his head on me this one said it's not fair I want him to put his head on me and they were arguing and debating and fighting and vying which one would be the one that the great Yakov would rest his head on who didn't say what in the world is the matter with you first of all Stones don't talk Stones don't have feelings he didn't say what's the matter with you what are you fighting about you get what you get you don't get upset whoever gets the luck of the draw Whoever has the masle that yob put to on them the rest of you be quiet he doesn't say that what didem do immediately combined them and integrated them into one stone that's why it says he took the stone the stone it began where did rash get this from how did Kaz know this they were bothered by a question that you've been fast asleep to what was the question the P begins is plural and then it ends by saying so which is it did he take the plural stones or the One Singular Stone Eli they concluded began a several Stones they had this fight this wrestling match Hashem combined them into one and then there was one says what was yov thinking an animal a wild animal is going to come attack him I have no idea what wild animal he was worried about a hyena a rhinoceros a lion a tiger a cheetah I have no idea what he was worried about a lizard an iguana whatever he was worried about whatever he was worried about the little three-inch Stone was not going to protect him what was going on what exactly was yov thinking do that ever bother you we've all learned this Rashi our whole lives but we don't stop to ask what exactly is yov thinking how is this going to protect him first of all why did he only put it around his head what about the rest of his body his legs his arms he was willing to give up his heart his lungs his liver he was willing to give up why only around his head yakob didn't have time to do more he couldn't build a fortress he couldn't build a shelter he didn't have time the sun was setting unexpectedly the sun was setting not on schedule he opened his app his sit app his my man and he said what's going on over here it's setting earlier than it's supposed to he didn't have time to build a fortress or a shelter all he had time to was to put these simple Stones around his head so he did the he could in that moment says a powerful lesson to be learned here and what is that lesson in life sometimes all we can do is in this moment maybe more is demanded of us maybe we would be better and smarter to do more but we can't we don't have the energy we don't have the time we don't have the resources this is what we can do this is the establ this is the initiative we can take and what Hashem wants us to do and feel is once we take our initiative once we do our part we let go and let God so you look and you say it's silly a bunch of stones around his head but yakob didn't feel that was silly yakob said if Hashem wants wild animals to harm me they could harm me even if I build a fortress if he wants to protect me he'll protect me even if I have nothing ah so why bother with these Stones because the lesson in life is that you have to do hisas I'm in the middle of my article for this week about this should we sit back and learn and say toim and tell the Army what are you doing come back to Yeshiva tell the hezar boys put down your gun go learn and everything's going to be okay that's not the way of the world that we live in that was not the way of the world when Yakov confronts asov he prepares in three ways for war diplomacy and throughout tanak DAV is a warrior with an army and Dav has generals Tanakh is filled with Jewish Kings they don't say put down the weapon go learn don't go to the doctor sit and say to him there is an extreme version and there maybe is a level of righteousness of people who could qualify but that is not the prescription for as a whole we're taught and told you have to balance and so anyone who thinks close the tum why bother we've got the greatest army most unparalleled IDF military superiority their resolve their tenacity their resilience they are absolutely incredible close the safer close the tum we've got the incredible Army is wrong that is not what we believe we believe that it is Hashem when a person's in surgery we Davin that the surgeon is successful we doin who is the one who will guide his hand Hashem so we don't say I got the best surgeon I got the best doctor I flew to the best hospital I got the doctor you can never get into everybody knows the Jackie Mason Shalom routine my my doctor is so good nobody could ever see him he's impossible you can't get in everybody knows what do we do you go to the best doctor on the planet and then you go to the waiting room during the surgery and you pour out your heart in the tum and it is the combination of the doctor's expertise of the doctor's years of experience of the doctor's qualifications being Guided by Theon it's that combination that brings the result and as anyone ever said never say thank you to the doctor because if you thank the doctor you might mistakenly believe that it's the Doctor Who Saved rather than Hashem that's not our is you say thank you to the doctor hasem chose that doctor to bring that healing we have to Daven for and endlessly thank our precious soldiers who put their lives on the line and who are theim of hem we are in awe and we have endless gratitude and will forever be in debt to them and there's not a contradiction between this hashkafa I have a lot more to say if I will ever get to this article for that's always been our way to indeed never fear putting our soldiers on a pedestal never fear being grateful toward them while at the same time recognizing who guides their hand who brings their success who protects our people it's Hashem you know who knows that best the soldiers that's why they're putting on those titas and asking for those to fill in and singing and dancing to you think those soldiers don't know it they're the ones teaching it to us follow their example lean in and ride their amuna it's absolutely extraordinary and that is this combination and you see it in our parure why am I bringing this up now because hopefully this will help me write the article if I speak it out giving you the little preview but because that's what the is saying it doesn't say yov said I'm just going to lie here let the hyenas and the Lions and the iguanas come Hashem wants to protect me he'll protect me what does yobu say we believe in something called hisas we believe in something called initiative I got to go to the doctor I've got to get ceramic vests I've got to have soldiers on a front I've got to put rocks around my head if it's cold out I got to put on a coat I want to know I'm not going to say anything specific do the people who are endorsing this amuna that we don't need do they get in the car and not put on a seat belt put on a seat belt why if Hashem wants you to live you'll live without needing a seat belt is putting on a seat Bel a lack of is there something wrong with wearing a seat belt there's something wrong with not wearing a seat belt because Hashem says I I invented the seat belt I taught you the Ingenuity I gave someone who's very wealthy right now the idea of the seat belt and use it and wear it because that's the you have to have also writes when he was running and fleeing from his son of Shalom who tries to kill him he did all the that he could and simultaneously in parallel at the exact same time it has never been a contradiction it has never been a source of confusion it has always been a Jewish way to do our and to have our and the two compliment and the two go hand in hand wrote a whole Capital to him about it I'm doing my but while I take up my effort while I do my initiative I'm also relying on you I'm also surrendering to you after the initiative and effort he could have gone to sleep with we have to do that combination I take my initiative and my effort and then I don't worry or Panic if I worry or panic I don't really believe in Hashem I put all my faith in my effort so I have to put my faith in my I have to take my effort and then I have to put my faith in Hashem and is that combination which is the winning combination it always was it's what yaku is exhibiting now with the Rocks around his head exhibited when he ran away it's what are exhibiting right now our precious soldiers who are prepared and are fighting a war on our behalf they're taking their initiative while simultaneously putting on their Titus and learning that DFI in the tank and wearing the fill and singing Because this is what we always have and what we always will believe we are not worried or confused by it whatsoever the back to Dr back to a piece by Dr Rashi also tells us a new question this year I never thought of it's the amazing thing about the para every year you could read it and every year you say I learned that a billion times but I never thought of that question I never thought of that answer that Insight the Rocks were all arguing each one said what I want the sadic to rest on me so hasem combined them all so that I would resolve the argument how' that resolve the argument jakob's head didn't get any bigger yacob's head was the same size and it would still only fit on whichever piece of this now combined Rock would be under his head how' you resolve the fight how' it resolve the argument it's a great question never thought of it before my you didn't solve the problem yakov's head's the same size so whichever Rock will have him resting on it will still be the only rock so the fact that you combined all the Rocks into one what did that solve listen to what answers you know what was accomplished when you combine them when rocks saw themselves as 12 separate rocks they were competing but when they be combined and unified when they were United and integrated into one I don't care that that part of me is that yakob is resting on why because it's all me it's all me when the left arm is hurt the right arm feels the pain when the right arm gets pleasure the left arm is grateful because when you're when you are united and integrated as one there's no more competition there's no more how come you're on you not me when it's on you it is on me that's how you're won that's how it's won and that's how works because you understand this is not some silly Gan kindergarten idea there were 12 rocks they were arguing and has made them one what was this medis really all about what's it telling and teaching us 20s something years ago when I was privileged to be installed as the rabbi of Bon synagogue great honor and privilege of my life I gave a and I spoke about this medish and what did I say which is essentially the theme and motto of our community what yakob was dreaming was what am I gon to do I'm gonna have 12 sons and they're goingon to be competing and comparing and fighting and arguing each one is going to think it as the Monopoly on the truth it's my hash it's my it's my it's my minion it's my way and showed him no the answer is combine them into one don't have 12 Breakaway shs 12 dinners 12 Boards of director 12 fundraisers 12 separate shs have one sh on one campus 12 Let each not feel it has to conform Let each feel that it doesn't have to conform to the other Don't force people to Forfeit who they are let them be 12 but let them be United and integrated let them be unified and combined Unity not uniformity diversity not divisiveness that is the motto that's why I spoke about it then that's what we still fight for and work on today that's what yakob was worried about yob is the first one yob is the because didn't have this problem you know why s said Chuck yal he's out so it was easy you didn't have to worry about it yal was just out and Y didn't worry about it you know why Yakov and it was in asov asov was out but yakob is now the first one to have this fear why because y sh he's got 12 sons and they're all legit they're all part of the Jewish Story part of the destiny and future but he's worried what's going to be they're not going to be talking to each other these 12 Breakaway shs one from the other competing not talking marginalizing disparaging judging criticizing arguing debating what's going to be each one is going to want me to rest my head on them what does that mean each one is going to claim to be to have a monopoly to be the only legitimate heir to my legacy each one wants me yov to rest my head on them because each one wants to say my my that is the only legitimate one that is the only true one that is the only real and righteous one so y has reason to fear right fast forward to T does he have reason to fear he has reason to fear but hasem reveals to him in his dream you know what the answer is combine them into one one one cl one and then it's not competing or comparing it's not judging or criticizing then it's then they're all working as one and they take joy and pride and they also feel the pain and hurt when the other and are we not seeing that we're seeing some breaches and breaks to it but don't focus on that don't talk about that don't give oxygen to that focus on how we've come together it's extraordinary how the walls have come crumbling down how segments of the community who you never imagine would feel the pain of the other are feeling unbearable pain for the other segments of the community never thought would step up and help are stepping up and helping are uniting together with this image and this vision of coming together as one and this is rr's answer ah how do you solve the problem yakov's head is the same size he's still only lying on the stone that's under him so the answer is yeah calls man that it's 12 separate Stones only the one that's under him gets to say I am the true heir to Yakov yakob is resting on me but once you combine them into one even though he's only resting on part of it he's really resting on all of it because they are one because they are one that's the answer says to how you can be no and he talks about not only no not only do you feel the pain of the other not only do you lift and carry the burden of the other when they go through a hard time the alar of K says which is harder to feel the pain of somebody else or to share in the Sim of someone else so he writes I've shared this many times he writes it's harder to share in the Sim of someone else you know why when someone's going through a hard time you know what you say thank God that's not me so let me at least help them I'll cook them a meal I'll drive them I'll write them a note I'll check in and visit them thank God that's not me let me at least help them but when someone has a SIM you know what you say one second why isn't that me I should be having a child my children should be getting married I should find my Basher I should have won the lottery should be me then it's much harder to be no say theim of soy writes and by the way I saw research that in fact modern psychology has caught up to what the Torah always knew and also endorses do you know how you can share in the joy and happiness of someone else when you see them as an extension of you when their success is not taking away from yours but their success is your success their Joy their breakthrough their achievement is yours that's why the gamar says everybody competes and gets jealous of others your children and your students you don't compete with if your child makes more money than you you say that's great they know more Torah than you that's fantastic they have more friends they're more popular than you that's amazing it's a really unhealthy person who is competing with their children why why is it that healthy people don't feel any competition with their own children because children are an extension of them their success their happiness it's all them I would argue the same thing is true in marriage I've seen marriages where there's a competition to husband and wife who is more Acclaim who's more appreciated who has more success that's revealing a crack in that marriage but if it's really a marriage in which you really come together nothing makes you happier than your spouse's success than people who praise them then their achievement and accomplishment because you're you're an extension of one another and that's what the par teaching that's what yakob ainu was learning before he sets out right we're at the point of the paraa yakob didn't get married yet he didn't start having these 12 children yet before he begins that process Hashem is already revealing to him in this dream that don't let them compete combine them when they are one then they will take pride in each other's success a the sadic is lying on that piece of our Rock no we're one now so if he's lying on you he's lying on me it's all of our combined success we're all together we're all as we're all as one we're all as one he goes honor of J is much more on this but I want to go Vitter and see more the our first of the day the and he says the following because the continues what is this m I didn't tell you I get that much further past the first I just said past the first what is what is what's the Mak where is he yob encountered the place which place could you be more generic more ambiguous more mysterious what is B what is this place that yakob encountered the Hees in that moment was anticipating he saw that there would be a there would be a destruction of the and there would be four Exiles that the Jewish people would live through it would not be smooth sailing it wasn't going to be all good times G to be a yob at the beginning of this Jewish Journey already prophesized he anticipated and he saw that were going to go through hard times there will be four Exiles there would be period of destructions there will be the war of T there'll be incredible anguish and grief 62 soldiers 240 hostages 1,200 murders and Yakov was paralyzed debilitated in all that pain he couldn't pray he couldn't DAV and nevertheless he gave himself got himself going and found the capacity to DAV and what was his what was hisob he daved in that place and what was his what was the place he was in you encounter someone going through a hard time hopefully we all know all people going through good times if someone's ever going through a difficult time and you ask them how are you doing or more accurately you ask them how are you doing today they might say I'm in a bad place I'm in a dark place why are they invoking the word place you're in the same place you always are at Starbucks at Sho at home what place are you talking about when you want to say I'm struggling I'm suffering I feel distant from Hashem I don't have the energy the hope the optimism the faith people will say I'm in a bad place I'm in a dark place why are they using that word Place says theob was in a bad place he saw and he understood there would beban there would be destruction and Devastation and loss and grief and sadness and Broken Dreams and he was in a bad place and what did he do from that bad place he found the will and the drive to DAV and what did he drive for what did he DAV for what he DAV for was that when CLA would be in a bad place that we too would find the capacity to DAV the bov says this is the you listening was worth coming today for this bem you ready said says later in sa the name of one of our's great essays and books you will seek you will desire to find Hashem from that place and you will find him when do we read this Tish of morning from there and you'll find him where's there where's the there said even when you're a place of sham sham means there not here here means I'm in a good place I'm in a happy place I'm in a holy Place where's there there is I'm in a bad place I'm in a dark place you're looking you're searching you know where you can find hem even when it's even when you say feels hopeless and helpless I'm in a dark place and that's what it wherever that will be what yov DAV for was that his children and his grandchildren he encountered the place and he davened whatever place my children and grandchildren will be in a good place a happy place a sad place a dark place whatever place they'll be in in life whatever they'll respond when someone says how are you doing today I'm in a good place I'm in a bad place whatever Place there'll be in the place that will always be able to DAV wherever our place that will'll always find Hashem we'll always find the will to be able that's what the says whatever place he will be in and that's what the KH of schin says the med tells with all of your heart all of your hearts sometimes we feel hem doesn't love me where is HEM how could this happen we're in a bad place we feel far away even when you feel far away don't be so far away from the we spoke about this I think last week or a few weeks ago we could add this to our list of when we see the word whenever we use the name of hem M what are we referring to m means the m is talking about when we are in a bad place far away from Hashem from Hashem Place Sal also speaks about this says the r also deals with the paradigmatic figure who found hashm despite his Transcendence is the prophet's prophetic Revelation took place not in the B mikdash nor in the land of Israel rather this is the word that the R Used where did's prophetic Revelation take place in a concentration camp in the midst of the bitter Babylonian exile where Al yet despite the fact that it was a time of acute Hester Pim the heavens opened up in saw the vision of when declared what we say in our doing comes fromel blessed is the glory of hem what word does he use MIM he was referring to the huge distance between hasem and his people yob similarly encountered Hashem in a time of travail penniless fleeing his brother on the road to Exile Yakov also perceived as you got to love it when the and the when they all say the same thing he's adding another can another element that from and coming from that dark place introduced when we say we can see the glory of even from where interpret the word continues the in the context of both in regard to and indicate that instituted the prayer based on the when a Inu Shak where was he standing and based on this p in which the word makum also appears they suggest yov instituted Mar the word Mak is the connotation of an appointment a date a randevu in a certain place at a certain time is a r with Hashem which ideally takes place at a specific time and at a specific place every day that's why the word MUM is used m means randu in time and in place should be a randu in time and place with hem that's why the Torah uses the word m for for Shak the Torah uses the word m for yov here for's B third third p he has a dream there's a ladder that's standing on the ground but it's facing the heavens dimbo and the angels are going up and going down we all know the angels are going in the wrong direction what is the image of this of this ladder so two ideas of Theos and then one idea from which will round us out and cover the first tenth of what I wanted to share with you so what does it mean that this ladder was rooted on the ground but stretched up to the heavens so the quotes teaches us what does it mean to be rooted on the ground the more rooted you are on the ground what does it mean to be rooted in the ground humility then if you want to go high spiritually you have to go low with modesty and humility the higher you think you are the harder it is to pierce the heavens if you want to pierce the heavens with only when you're can you be is not a beautiful if you want to experience so this is a good metric if somebody's struggling to connect to if they're struggling to connect to amuna if they're struggling to connect to spirituality the first place to check is am I practicing enough humility and modesty am I struggling with arrogance and envy because those are the obstacles that interfere with when you're then you could be but if you're not M if you don't have the humility then you can't be R you're gonna struggle to ascend to pierce the Heavens to be able to find hem the second idea that Mar quotes about this is the the great in the after says the following he says we live a life that's M you have to live in the physical world you have to live in the here and now that's relates to what we were talking about before the connection ofas andun initiative with faith you have to live you have to have an army you have to have soldiers they have to have weapons you have to go to the doctor you have to go to work you have to earn a living you have to live in the you have to be you have to live in the physical world you have to live in the here and now but while we live there while our lad is rooted there we also have to be we have to know what will bring success at work and in business what will be success in the courtroom the operating room and the boardroom what will be success in the battlefield only when it's it is that combination that has always been the formula of a yid the connection ofas and of initiative our effort but our faith and that says the is we have to connect all of that what does say says the following n Rashi tells us this sulam where was it ragav the feet of the latter were in B the Ros the head of the ladder was in so if the this is a long ladder the feet of the ladder are in B and the top of the ladder is in beel what does the ladder go over the slope of the ladder passes over and explains the ladder represents our effort to bridge Heaven and Earth M of the lad being rooted on the ground of the mitzah we do in this world reaching up to the heavens represents that the Mitzvah that we do in here and now in this world climb that ladder that Stairway to Heaven to reach Hashem and where does it stretch over to get there The KES because that's the window through which ouros Ascend so we create the angels with our Good Deeds that climb up that ladder and when we make mistakes when we fall short we bring the Angels down the ladder this Insight is given by countless commentators butach takes it one step further and listen to what he says he says since there were corporations and careers people have been trying to climb he doesn't say this this is my metaphor what word do we use in the vernacular we say trying to climb the corporate ladder what's the corporate ladder IBM they have ladders Microsoft they ladders corporations when you go to work corporate America Chase regener on they're ladders there's no ladders what's the corporate ladder it's a euphemism it means to go from an entry-level position to get to Senior Management to become a senior executive career advancement follows higher rungs on a ladder with the goal to climb higher and higher to have seniority to have power to make more money says Rach we don't believe in the corporate lad that is not the dream that Yakov had Rach draws our attention to one particular word in the Rashi what's the word in the Rashi shipo what does that mean a ladder never stands straight if you try to stand the ladder straight what's going to happen it will topple over and fall on your head and you deserve it because everybody knows you can't stand the ladder up straight what is necessary to make a ladder work a ladder has to lean against a wall a ladder has to be on a angle ship when one is standing on the ladder resting on a rung says stach listen to this unlike the corporate ladder when you climb it you're higher than others the latter that Yakov dreamt of is on an angle which means that whatever rung you're on you're not not higher or lower than anyone else all equally have the heavens above them and the earth below them every rung you look up you see shim every Rong you look down you see each Rong you look up and down and see the same thing and though the Rong represents advancement in a Direction Nobody is in fact higher nobody has more or less access to or connection with the heavens or the Earth every one of us say our stach is on our own rung we are on our own climb and looking in front or behind us will only distract us and divert us from our personal ambition and from pursuing our unique Mission don't climb a corporate ladder to get above others climb yakov's ladder on an angle where we all equally see the heavens above and the earth below and we're just trying to make progress we're just trying to go forward we each have a different job we each start out on a different rung on the ladder we each climbing in the same direction but we start on a different rung and each of us have to find where we're meant to be president Teddy Roosevelt once said comparison is the thief of Joy comparison is the thief of Joy don't look where else everyone else is on the ladder don't Rob yourself of the joy of your life just go forward just go on your way and that shipa the angle of this ladder makes all the difference here we just got started there's a lot more to say please stay remain for tum if you're not yet part of the para perspective WhatsApp group you're missing out on bonus Tor the para write up the schedule so join the paraa WhatsApp group so you can stay informed please stay now Forum please take flags on your way out we continue tomorrow 10 minutes of meaning and living with amuna