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דודאים Descending the Ladder

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דודאים Descending the Ladder PARSHAS VAYETZE 10 KISLEV 5773 | 24 NOVEMBER 2012 Parsha Perspectives RABBI BINYOMIN ADLER .amount of toil it takes ויחלם והנה סלם מצב ארצה וראשו מגיע We are often presented with situations in life which promise a shortcut to achieving השמימה והנה מלאכי אלקים עלים וירדים “And he dreamt, and behold! A ladder was set earthward and greatness. Despite the attractiveness of a quick, easy solution, nothing can replace its top reached heavenward; and behold! Angels of G-d were the lasting value achieved through hard ascending and descending on it.” (Genesis 28:12) work. With sustained efforts — and a little patience — the return on our n the way to his uncle Laban, Jacob encountered the future site of the Holy investments will be self-evident. Temple. While spending the night there, he dreamt of a ladder, extending Rabbi Adler can be reached at O [email protected] from Earth towards heaven, upon which angels of G-d ascended and descended. TThe Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 29:2) illustrates Jacob’s upwardly-spiritual focus relates that G-d showed Jacob angels through the way in which it records the from the kingdoms of Bavel, Medai, years of his life: “seven years, and forty, WORD of the WEEK Yavan, and Edom (Babylonia, Persia, and one hundred years: (Genesis 47:28). Greece, and Rome) ascending and The ascending order demonstrates that דודאים descending the ladder. G-d told Jacob to Jacob was constantly striving for higher ascend the ladder as well. Seeing Jacob’s spiritual levels and was never complacent “Reuben went out during the fear, G-d assured him that he would with his current situation.) דודאים wheat harvest and found ascend but would never descend. Jacob, Why didn’t Jacob ascend the ladder? however, did not believe G-d and did — dudaim in the field… (Genesis not ascend. The Midrash says that Jacob One reason Jacob refused to ascend the 30:14). This is usually translated as erred in his decision not to ascend the ladder was because doing so would have “mandrakes” (Targum, Ibn Ezra, ladder. G-d told him, “Had you trusted been tantamount to receiving spirituality Radak), a type of plant, an herb in Me and ascended, you would never on a silver platter. Such a gift was the belonging to the potato family. It have come down again. Now that you antithesis of Jacob’s modus operandi has a split root, resembling human did not trust in me, your children will be of earning spiritual growth through hard legs and leaves that resemble oppressed by the four kingdoms.” work and struggling in this world to arms. The plant was used as a achieve a more meaningful reward in the The Midrash can’t be understood literally next world. It is said that Rabbi Elijah of fertility potion, and hence its and contains elements which are beyond Vilna (the Vilna Gaon) was approached Hebrew name is related to the ,dod, meaning love — דוד our comprehension. One component, by angels who offered to study Torah with word however, may be understood in light him. Surprisingly, he rejected their offer. or beloved. In Song of Songs of a teaching in the Talmud that states Similar to Jacob, the great rabbi wished (7:14) it is described as a very that a person’s dreams reflect his daily to work hard at his Torah study and not fragrant plant, which would be an thoughts. Jacob was so preoccupied with to receive it as a gift. As the Talmud appropriate gift for one to give to spiritual growth that it extended to his teaches, the reward we will receive for his beloved. dreams as well. (Interestingly, the Torah a given action is commensurate with the HEY, I NEVER KNEW THAT! FOR DISCUSSION AROUND THE SHABBAT TABLE Table Talk s Jacob and his family left When Jacob agreed to work for seven years for the privilege of marrying Rachel, he A the home of Laban, Rachel knew that his future father-in-law Laban would have no qualms about deceiving him, stole some of her father’s idols, the and put great effort into trying to prevent that from happening. Nevertheless, when the day of the wedding arrived, Laban successfully fooled Jacob into marring Leah teraphim (Genesis 31:19). Rashi (Genesis 29:18-25). maintains that she did this in order If Jacob was, in fact, destined to marry both Rachel and Leah and establish the Twelve Tribes of Israel, why might it have been beneficial for this come about to stop her father from practicing (א through trickery? idolatry. Based on ancient texts The Torah relates (Genesis 29:20) that because of Jacob's great love for Rachel, excavated in Nuzi, it is apparent the seven years seemed to him like a period of only a few short days. Generally, we are waiting for things that we love and look forward to, our anxiety and that Sumerian society believed (בwhen impatience increase, making time seem to move slower, not faster. How, then, could time have seemed to pass quickly for Jacob while he was waiting for Rachel? that whoever was in possession of the teraphim was not only assured A QUESTION FOR THE RABBIS of success, but would, by common practice, inherit the household of s it permitted to hold the weddings of two sisters at the same time? The the teraphim. Laban was worried, I Mordechai (Moed Katan 8) maintains that a verse in our parshah requires therefore, that someone in Jacob’s one to wait for the end of the sheva brachos (the week-long celebration after a wedding) of one daughter until making the wedding for the next daughter. After family had the teraphim and would Laban agreed to let Jacob marry Rachel, he said, “Complete this week” (Genesis claim his inheritance. Rachel may 29:26), which is understood by the Jerusalem Talmud to mean the week of have stolen the teraphim not only celebration, because one should not “mix one joy with another” (Moed Katan 6a). to show that these idols could not Rabbi Moshe Feinstein however points out that this would only be true in the case protect themselves and certainly of one man, like Jacob, who is marrying two sisters, in which case his personal obligation to rejoice with one bride will interfere with his obligation to rejoice with could not protect their owners, his other bride. Nevertheless, Rabbi Moshe Isserless (Code of Jewish Law, Even but also to be able to claim a Haezer 62:2) does forbid holding the weddings of two sisters simultaneously, but legitimate right to Jacob being the for a different reason. Thus Rabbi Feinstein concludes that holding the wedding inheritor of Laban’s wealth (Leah ceremonies one after the other, providing the crowd disperses in between, or Bronner, Biblical Personalities and holding one before sundown and the other after nightfall, is permitted (Igros Moshe, Even Haezer 4:89). Archaeology, p.20). LOOK who made PARTNER! MYCHAL WARD , Kents Hill, ME (Partner #49,767) JAN MURPHY, Deltona, FL (#49,338) LARISA VAYSMAN, Cincinnati, OH (#49,305) Rabbi Eli Gewirtz, National Director ELAINE MEHLER, Englewood, NJ (#48,327) Mrs. Shoshana Schwartz, Editor Rabbi Mordechai Becher, Contributor JUDY YERUKHOVICH, Great Neck, NY (#47,946) For information call 800-STUDY-4-2 or email [email protected] SIGN UP TODAY: www.partnersintorah.org/signup OR CALL: 1-800-STUDY-4-2 Distributed in UK by Phone and Learn (PaL), a division of Partners in Torah MAKING PARTNER HAS NEVER BEEN THIS EASY! WWW.PHONEANDLEARN.ORG – 0800 055 3276 STUDY ANY JEWISH TOPIC OVER THE PHONE OR IN PERSON WITH A KNOWLEDGEABLE, CAREFULLY SELECTED PERSONAL TORAH TRAINER. to post comments on this parsha sheet, visit us at: partnersintorah.org/parsha-partner/vayetze5773#comments.
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