Rabbi Minkowicz Weekly Torah Lesson Parsha Vayeitzei 5781

welcome to this week's torah lesson this week's torah portion is pastors by yatse the question of the week is how can we merit the greatest blessings so in this week's torah portion we learn about yaakov leaving bereshova and going to kharan he's traveling and the sun starts to set so the torah tells us yaakov goes to sleep right there in that spot in his dream he dreams about angels going up and going down and then he sees hashem hashem gives him huge blessings he gives him the gift the land of israel he promises him that his offspring is going to be tremendous he also promises him he's going to take care of him he'll be safe he'll be able to come back home but the rebbe asks a very simple question yaakov where did he sleep he slept in a very very holy place in the place where the temple was going to be and the question is how is it that yaakov sleeps there not only that the torah says in that place he slept and we know for the 14 years that he was in yeshiva of shame and aver he hardly slept he maybe fell asleep but he didn't go to sleep he's in yeshiva learning when he was 20 years working at laban he didn't sleep he fell asleep but he didn't go to sleep how does yaakov go to sleep in such a holy place and there we explain something very powerful the difference between when you're sleeping when you're awake is that when you're awake either standing or you're sinning now when you're standing in your sitting you have your head is up high your body your feet are lower that means there's a level of hierarchy intellect emotions action etc what happens when you go to sleep you're lying flat what does that resemble spiritually that means that there's no hierarchy intellect emotions action it's all equal it's all the same on a spiritual level what does that mean that you're connected to the idea that really hashem is the one that created the world maintains the world and it's all about hashem and there is no hierarchy hashem is everything when you reach that level when hashem is everything then it's not sleeping in a negative way on the contrary by laying down you have to experience that really everything is one and because he lay down and he was able to experience that it's all hashem that's why he merited to see the angels going up and down to see hashem and to getting all those blessings so the answer to the question how can we merit the greatest blessings by living a life with no hierarchy realizing that everything is from god everything is about hashem we will merit the greatest blessings this week's torah lesson is dedicated to the memory of barak banari labe shalom and yosef and rahul baslipo may their souls be elevated by the torah we're studying in their memory have a great and blessed week for more information please see our website chabadswf.org thanks so much for joining us for this great powerful torah lesson