Va-yetse' (Gen 28:10-32:3)

Stairway to Heaven

            This week’s parasha, Va-yetse’, follows Jacob’s journey from his parent’s home in Beer-Sheba toward his uncle’s home in Haran. The recount of Jacob’s ladder is found at the beginning of the parasha, Genesis 28:10-22. Jacob stops to sleep for the night, resting his head on a stone. In his dream, he envisions a stairway up to the sky being used by angels of the L-rd. The L-rd stood beside him and told him that he was the G-d of his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac. He told Jacob that the ground he was laying on would be assigned to him and his offspring whose descendants would be as numerous as the dust of the earth. The people of the earth would bless themselves by his descendants, but most importantly Hashem was with him and would protect him wherever he went and would bring him back to that land.

            Jacob awakens and proclaimed that the L-rd was present in that place and that it was the gateway to Heaven. He sets the stone that he had used for a pillow as a pillar and pours oil on it. He names the site Bethel, or House of G-d. Jacob continues his journey and makes it to Laban’s home. He stays as a worker, eventually marrying Laban’s daughters Leah and Rachel.

            If you’ve read the parasha, you know that a lot happens between Jacob and Laban and between Leah, Rachel, and Jacob. However, I am just focusing on Jacob’s dream. I find dreams interesting, in general. To me, they are an expression of true thoughts and desires. When people want to know your goals and aspirations, they often ask, “What are your dreams?” Jacob’s dream itself is also quite profound. He sees a stairway. You could say life is like a ladder. Your destination may be just out of reach, but if you try to skip the necessary steps, or rungs, to get there, you could find yourself back at the beginning. Life experiences could be seen as the rungs. Good or bad, they make you stronger and more driven to keep climbing. Just like Jacob, our highest goal is the True World, Heaven. Living an obedient and meaningful live will give us the strength to keep climbing.