5779 - Congregation Shaarei Shamayim

: 08 January 2023

VAYECHI 5783 Lies Come in Colors

VAYECHI 5783

Lies Come in Colors

Lies matter. Just ask George Santos. His lies were not sweet little lies like telling someone after a speech that they did great when they were merely ordinary. No, these were really big lies. And he won election to Congress from Long Island and Queens NY, from a Democratic district using those lies. Santos created an elaborate autobiography. To quote the New York Times: He is the son of Brazilian immigrants, and the first openly gay Republican to win a House seat as a non-incumbent. By his account, he catapulted himself from a New York City public college to become a “seasoned Wall Street financier and investor” with a family-owned real estate portfolio of 13 properties and an animal rescue charity that saved more than 2,500 dogs and cats.

That narrative, however, was almost all a lie. He even disguised himself as a Jew, claiming his “Jewish grandparents” fled Europe during World War II—that they were Holocaust survivors! In fact, his grandparents were not Jewish—but Brazilian Catholic! As Mark Oppenheimer quipped in the New York Times: “It’s noteworthy that in many cases, claiming to be a Jew doesn’t seem to benefit, exactly—but having a whiff of Jewish heritage or ancestry does.”

Now, of course, political lying is nothing new. Sen. Elizabeth Warren lied about her indigenous ancestry and Sen. Richard Blumenthal lied about serving in Viet Nam. Al Gore said he discovered the Internet! And many, many more.

Lies have been with us forever. Who was the 1^st person to lie? The 1^st person—Adam! When confronted by Gd after he disobeyed and ate from the Tree of Knowledge, he takes it like a man. He lies and blames it on his wife!

And we’re left with the question: Why do people lie? Sometimes people lie to save themselves—like Jews who lied about being Jewish in trying to escape the Nazis! Politicians like George Santos spin the truth or lie to get and stay in power. And we Jews have seen time and again lies about us because of hatred—especially directed against us. You’ve all heard the lies that the Jews run the world, the banks, the media, Israel is an apartheid state, etc.

The Torah (Ex. 23:7) commands us Midvar shecker tirchak (Distance yourself from falsehood). Yet our tradition has it that sometimes we should lie. The Talmud (Yevamot 65b) teaches: “It is acceptable to be less than honest in order to preserve peace.” Furthermore, the Talmud reminds us that Gd Himself lied for the sake of peace (Genesis 18). Upon hearing she was to have a child, Sarah scoffed believing that both she and Abraham were just too old to have children. Yet, when Gd confronted Abraham regarding his wife’s lack of faith, He omitted Sarah’s quip about her husband being too old and only mentioned that Sarah believed she was too old. Why? For the sake of Shalom Bayit (peace in the home).

With this in mind, we can make sense of the end of our Torah portion where Joseph’s brothers sent him, literally, an unbelievable message after the death of their father Jacob. The brothers feared that Joseph would use the death of Jacob as an opportunity to “settle the score” and take revenge on them for selling him into slavery many years before. They tell Joseph that Jacob had ordered them to relate the following message (Gen. 50:16) to Joseph: Your father gave orders before his death saying, “Thus shall you say to Joseph: ‘Please, kindly forgive the spiteful deed of your brothers and their sin for they have done you evil.’”

But the Torah never tells us that Jacob instructed the brothers to deliver any such message. It was obviously a lie. Rashi excuses this lie as an act performed for the sake of peace.

In a Peanuts cartoon, Charlie Brown says to Linus, “We’re supposed to write home to our parents and tell them what a great time we’re having here at camp.”

Linus answers, “Even if we’re not? Isn’t that a lie?”

Charlie Brown explains, “Well, it’s sort of a white lie.”

To which Linus asks, “White lie? You mean lies come in colors?”

Yes, lies come in colors. In the Talmud (Ketubot 16b), Bet Shammai & Bet Hillel famously debate: Keytzad merakdin lifney hakalah (How does one dance before the bride)?” The debate asked: Should one lie and tell a bride she looks beautiful even if she doesn’t? Bet Hillel is of the view that regardless of how the bride appears, you should tell her she looks beautiful. Bet Shammai is concerned that by telling this white lie, you will transgress the command of mid’var sheker tirchak, distance yourself from falsehood. The Talmud rules in favor of Bet Hillel. It concludes, “One should shade the truth—even to tell a white lie—to spare the feelings of another.” And besides, what bride doesn’t look beautiful to her groom?

My friends, we are confronted with these kinds of situations all the time. Any parent holding his/her new-born child will tell you this baby is the most beautiful in the world. What do you say to that parent? “Of course she is!” What should we tell our children to say if they receive a gift they don’t want? Certainly, we should tell them to thank the giver and find some way to praise the gift—even if they must exaggerate.

Brutal honesty can be harsh. Shading the truth, or even telling a “white lie,” is appropriate as long as the aim is not self-serving, but simply to spare the feelings of another.

In the Uva l’Tziyon prayer after the weekday morning Amidah we say: Titeyn emet l’Yaakov (Attribute truth to Jacob)—that is, Jacob is the epitome of truth! But how can this be? Jacob deceived his father Isaac and stole his brother Esav’s blessing. However, Jacob had previously purchased the birth right from Esav. Jacob then merited receiving the blessing of Abraham—through Isaac—not Esav. Sometimes, in order to preserve a higher truth, one must act in a way that appears untruthful. Yes, kindness and peace takes precedence over truth at times, but only because kindness and peace can be a higher truth!

One more thing. Notice the Torah doesn’t say, “Do not lie.” It says, “Distance yourself from falsehood.” No other prohibition in the Torah has such language. Perhaps such a warning is necessary when it comes to lies. People tend to justify lying by either claiming it’s a “little white lie,” and no one is going to be hurt by it, or it’s such a “big lie” that no one is going to believe it! “No,” says the Torah, “big lie…little lie…don’t fall into the trap…stay away—unless it’s to protect the peace or someone’s feelings.”

And finally, one more reason people lie is because they don’t know they’re lying! Sometimes people will lie to themselves and convince themselves they’re telling the truth! You know who’s like that? You are, and so am I!

If you were to ask me: What is the greatest type of liar in this world? I would say people who lie to themselves. The Kotzker Rebbe teaches a wonderful insight from the commandment lo tignov (Thou shall not steal) from the 10 Commandments: “Thou shall not steal means thou shalt not steal from thyself.” In other words, don’t delude yourself!

We lie to ourselves so much. We lie about our children—who and what they really are. We lie to ourselves about our relationship with others. Often, in the heat of disagreements, we think the worst of people, being unable to see that usually we have a share of the blame. Truth be told, we are not as innocent and pure as we make ourselves out to be, just as we are not as bad as we sometimes think we are.

The Psalmist (15:2) speaks of doveyr emet bilvavo (speaking the truth in one’s heart). Know thyself, telling the truth to yourself, is the foundation for change and growth. And this is the lesson George Santos needs to learn above all else. Amen!

: 26 December 2022

CHANNUKAH 5783 What’s Your Chanukah Story?

CHANNUKAH 5783

What’s Your Chanukah Story?

Chanukah is the time for miracles. But how can we understand miracles in our technologically sophisticated age? Someone suggested that we imagine we were travelling, and our cell phone battery was on 10% and we misplaced our charger…and somehow, it lasted for 8 days! Now you can understand the miracle of Chanukah.

I have shared a variety of Chanukah stories with you over the years. What special Chanukah stories do you have to tell? To spark your memory, I’d like to share with you a unique story I once cut out from Parents Magazine. It’s not a story of miracles, but it has a special Chanukah message. It’s by Rina Friedman—a teacher in a Jewish Day School. She took her family out on the 1^st night of Chanukah to one of their favorite kosher restaurants. Let me read her account of what happened:

We were shown to a table, and we waited, and waited, and waited. We waved at every waiter who went by, but they all said the same thing: “We’ll be with you in just a moment.” But nobody came to take their order. After about 25 minutes of waiting, the kids were getting cranky, and so were their parents.

I noticed that all the attention seemed to be at the other end of the restaurant, in the party room. “I’m going over there,” I finally said in exasperation. “I want to know why they are getting served and why they all seem to be having a good time while we have to sit here waiting...”

My husband tried to stop me. He said: “No, let’s just leave. Obviously, Chanukah is not a good night to go to a restaurant. We’ll come back some other time.”

I shook him off, and said: “No, I don’t want to go home, because, if we do, I will have to make dinner, and I am in no mood to do that. Let me at least go and check out what is going on in that party room. Maybe I can find a spare waiter there.”

With a sigh, he let me go. Years of experience had taught him that when his wife makes up her mind, there’s no point arguing with her. [Some of you who are here today may have learned this same truth. Rina continues:]

I walked to the other side of the room and what a sight I saw! There were balloons and dreidels and menorahs everywhere. There were at least 50 people sitting at the different tables. There was a big sign on the wall that said: “Happy Chanukah! We are here to celebrate the Miracle!” Next to the sign was a big card, which everyone had signed.

You could feel the happiness in the room. I thought: “I know Chanukah is supposed to be a happy holiday, but isn’t this a little much?”

I just stood there and forgot all about my hunger, my impatience, as I watched one guest after another go up to the couple who were sitting at the head table, hug and kiss them, and give them a present. As I watched this outpouring of love, a feeling of envy filled my heart. “You know, it’s not fair…I will never have Chanukah party like this one, with so many people present…I don’t have this many relatives, and if I did, I would not invite most of them to a party, because we don’t get along with each other. Sure, I have my husband and my children, but I would give anything to have a family gathering like this…Why her and not me?”

A wild impulse entered her mind: “Why not go over and wish this woman a happy Chanukah? I could pretend to be part of the group. She’ll never know.”

She walked over to the head table and said to the wife: “You don’t know me, but I see how lovely your party is. I just wanted to come over and wish you a happy Chanukah.”

The woman looked at her and smiled, but she could tell by the way I looked into her eyes that something was not quite right. She put her arm around my shoulders and led me to a quiet corner and said: “I saw you staring at our party, and I could tell that you must be wondering what’s going on. Maybe you even wished that this was your party. Isn’t that so?”

“How could she possibly know that?” I wondered. She could feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

“I want to explain to you what this party is about,” she said, “and then you will see that you have nothing to be envious about—nothing at all.”

I looked at her in disbelief and thought, “What do you mean: Nothing to envy??? All these presents piled up high? All these people who obviously loved this woman? What is she talking about? What does she mean: I have nothing to envy?”

“Do you know what this party is for?” the woman asked. “The reason all these people are here is because this is a very special Chanukah for me. The…doctors told me a few months ago that I would never live to see it...I have almost no family. The guests you see here are the nurses and doctors who saved me from my heart attack. Over there is my private nurse, whom I have to have with me at all times. And over there [she pointed to the head table] is my husband—my teenage sweetheart. There’s also a dietician at the table, to make sure that I only eat what is on my diet. No latkes for me this year, I’m afraid.”

“Another reason why my husband is giving this party is because I probably won’t make it to next Chanukah. But he does not know that I know this. He thinks it is a secret, and I let him think so, so that he’ll not be upset.

As she said this, she gave me a look—as if they were conspirators. “Do you have a family, my dear?” she asked. Speechless, I raised a shaky finger and pointed to my husband and children.

“They look so sweet, so young, and so healthy. You see, my dear, you are so lucky. I hope that you know that.” And with that, the woman squeezed her hand, gave her a smile, straightened her shoulders, put on a smile, and made her way back to her party.

I just stood there with my eyes flowing with tears, and so embarrassed! How could I have forgotten what was really important and what was not? I had my health, a good family, a good home. And yet I was angry because the service in the restaurant was slow? I was envious because I thought that this woman had a bigger family than I did? I came back to my table a much wiser woman than when I left.

“What happened to you, darling?” her husband said. “I still have not been able to get anyone to serve us.”

“That’s alright,” she said. “No rush. It’s Chanukah. It’s a time for families to be together. The rest doesn’t matter.”

“You’re right,” her husband said, and he took her hand.

I looked at him with new love, then looked at my children. “Having them in my life is such a miracle. I’m truly blessed. Happy Chanukah, everybody,” she said. “Happy Chanukah.”

That’s the story from Parents’ Magazine. What does it mean? To me it means 2 things: 1^st, as we already know, and as my grandparents would say, abi gezunt (be healthy). If we have our health, what else matters? The problems in the office will still be there tomorrow. When you’re with your family—especially on Chanukah—put them aside. What we should wear to the upcoming wedding, or what present we should bring—these are problems? They’ll work themselves out, and in the long run they don’t really matter.

And secondly, if we have love in our hearts for family and friends…what else matters? So many of the things that bother us—that fill our hearts with anger and aggravation—don’t really matter.

The story of Chanukah is the miracle of the battle of a few Jews against the much greater forces of the Syrian Greeks. But we don’t celebrate the miracle of the fight, we celebrate the miracle of the light—how light prevailed over darkness, how the Chanukah lights filled the Temple—Gd’s home—with light for 8 days. If we allow the Chanukah lights in our homes to shine upon us and teach us this lesson of what’s truly important, then our lives will be a blessing—and who knows, we just might then have quite a story to tell. Amen!

: 18 December 2022

VAYEYSHEV 5783

VAYEYSHEV 5783

If Gd Knows What We Want, Why Pray?

There’s an old joke about an American Jew who comes to Jerusalem and prays his heart out at the Kotel—the Western Wall. Suddenly he hears the voice of Gd speaking to him, telling him how proud he is of all the good things he has done in his life. Gd then tells him He will grant him one request. The man thinks for a few moments about all the things he and his family could use, and then asks, quite unselfishly, “Please make peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.”

The voice responds, “You’re talking to a wall!”

When you pray, do your prayers seem to be landing on deaf ears, giving you the feeling that you’re talking to a wall? Have you prayed for something for years and it didn’t happen?

Well, that’s what seems to have happened to Joseph at least twice in our Torah portion. The 1^st time was when his brothers kidnapped him and sold him into slavery. The Torah (Gen. 37:24-27) tells us that the brothers put him in a pit while they sat down to eat and figure out what to do with him. Can you imagine hearing your brother screaming for help while you sit down to eat??

I imagine Joseph prayed for Gd to save him then…and prayed again throughout his journey to Egypt where he was sold to Potiphar. I imagine he continued to pray to be saved from servitude. When his master’s wife falsely accused him of attempted rape, I imagine he prayed again from jail to be set free.

Rabbi Shaul Rosenblatt, in an article on aish.com asks: There is an obvious question regarding prayer: If Gd is omniscient, then He surely knows what we want. And if he knows what we want, why do we need to ask him for it?

The question is even stronger than that. Not only does Gd know what we want, He knows what is best for us—what we need. And the 2 are often not the same. A person may want to win a fortune in the lottery. But how many lottery winners have found that the money has been more a curse than a blessing?

What would you prefer? What do you think is best for you? To win the lottery? Or, what Gd knows is best for you? If someone desperately wants to marry a certain person, but is infatuated and not seeing straight…if he were to pray to marry her and Gd were to listen and respond, he might end up in worse shape—in a painful and failed marriage with a broken home.

You know the adage, “Be careful what you pray for because Gd just might give it to you!” Sometimes the answer to our prayers includes things we don’t want—but actually need. It’s natural to pray for what we want because what we want looks like what’s best for us. But our vision is limited. Wouldn’t we be better off leaving that to Gd? So what would you prefer: What you think is best for you…or what Gd knows is best for you?

Also, sometimes Gd has a plan for your life and for the world and what you think is best may not fit that plan. Joseph needed to get down to Egypt—for himself and for the world. Joseph needed to be in prison to set in place his interpreting the dream of Pharoah’s butler who later would set up a meeting with Pharoah to interpret his dreams. This all led to Joseph becoming Prime Minister of Egypt and saving much of the world—including his family—from famine and starvation! And it started the events in motion that led to the family of Jacob becoming a nation—the People of Israel! Joseph thought he knew what he wanted when he prayed to Gd to free him, but Gd knew there were much better things for him right around the corner.

Our sages tell us Moses pleaded and prayed numerous times to Gd to allow him to enter the Promised Land—515 times! He didn’t ask to lead the people into the land, just to experience it—to reach the goal of his life’s work after 40 years as leader of the Jewish people. Then he could die content. But Gd had to tell him, “Enough! Don’t speak to Me anymore about this!” because if he had prayed just one more time, our Sages teach, Gd would have had to relent. Such is the power of prayer!

But why not allow Moses this one request? Because it was better for the people to have Joshua as their sole leader taking them into the land without Moses’ presence diminishing his leadership. Sometimes Gd’s answer must be, “No!”

In Kings II (20:1-6) the prophet Isaiah warned King Hezekiah he would soon die. This was a prophecy. Of course it had to come to pass. But according to the Talmud (Brachot 10a), the king dismissed him saying, “I have learned from the house of my father’s father (King David) that even if a sharp sword rests upon a person’s neck, he should NOT stop praying to Gd for mercy!” Hezekiah then prayed with all his heart and Gd granted him 15 more years to live. It seems prayer can be stronger than prophecy—even stronger than what Gd had intended.

So, if your prayers seem to be giving you the feeling that you’re talking to a wall, could it be because your prayers are perfunctory? You may recite the proper words at the proper time, but do you really mean the words while you’re saying them? King David teaches in the Ashrey prayer (Psalm 145): Karov Hashem l’chol korav (Gd is near to all who call upon Him) l’chol asher yikra-uhu v’emet (to all who call upon Him in truth). We can get close to Gd, but we’ve got to make the call.

How many of us have prayed that someone who was ill might live and then he/she died? There’s a story of a little girl who cried the familiar lament: “I prayed that my grandmother should get all better and she died. How could Gd be so cruel?”

Wisely her mother responded: “There are few deaths where no one prays for the one who is dying. Do you suppose that the gift of prayer was given to us in order that one may never die? Do you think Gd intended that we live on in growing infirmity, till at last we would pray for death to save ourselves from despair? Only Gd knows how to answer. Gd knows when to say, ‘No.’”

“I see,” the skeptic might say. “If she gets better, it is Gd helping her, and if she dies, it is Gd saying, ‘No.’ How convenient!”

And I would say to the skeptic, “Yes, to a certain extent this is correct. Our sincere prayers from the depths of our hearts can have a profound influence upon Gd’s decrees, but sometimes it is time for someone to die, even though we may still need him/her. Gd does not always give us what we ask for. He gives us what is needed!

Having said all this, we should be mindful of one more crucial element to getting what we ask for: we must not become too attached to the outcome. Once we pray to Gd and ask for what we want, we must, as the 12-step recovery slogan puts it, “Let go and let Gd.”

How many of us know of a couple who could not conceive a child and after many years of doctors and treatments finally decided to adopt? Then, not too long after the adoption, the woman became pregnant without any treatments. They simply let go and let Gd. This is a great spiritual truth: Do what you can to help your situation. Pray to Gd for help with all your heart, and then just let it go, give it to Gd to work out—you have done your part.

Sometimes Gd sends us on a detour or 2 towards our goals because He has other important things in mind for us to do along the way. This is what happened to Joseph, and this is what happens to us at times. But remember my friends, when our prayers don’t seem to be answered, Jewish tradition implores us, NEVER GIVE UP! As the Talmud urges: “If you pray and are not answered, pray again!” And as King Hezekiah suggests, “Even if the sword is on your neck, don’t stop praying!” To that let us all say, Amen!

: 11 December 2022

VAYISHLACH 5783

VAYISHLACH 5783

Is Antisemitism Inevitable?

In case you haven’t notice, Antisemitism has been in the news lately, big time—with Kanye West or Ye, and Dave Chappelle on Saturday Night Live. There was a lead article in the Jerusalem Post last week titled: “Has Antisemitism in the United States reached a tipping point?” Think about it. Israeli Jews, who are concerned every day about terrorist and rocket attacks, are now concerned about the safety of the Jews in America?

And there is reason for concern. Last year there were 2700 antisemitic attacks in the United States. That’s up 34% from the year before. New York City leads the country in attacks on Jews. New York City—the Jewish capital of America! And overall, the FBI points out that the Jewish Community was a target of more than half of all religious bias crimes last year. Of all religious based crimes, more than 50% were perpetrated against 3% of the population—Jews!

What’s going on here? Well, I’m no expert on antisemitism, but the Torah has a lot to say about this—especially in this week’s Torah portion. Jacob and Esav—the 2 rival brothers—finally confront each other after more than 20 years apart. The Torah (Gen. 33:4) tells us that as they met, “Esav ran to greet him [Jacob], embraced him, fell on his neck, and kissed him; then they wept.” Sounds good. No?

But Rashi explains that there are some who see this encounter differently. If you look over the word vayishakeyhu (and he kissed him), you’ll see in the Torah, dots on top of the word, which some say proves that the kiss was not sincere. He then tells us why. You must appreciate that Rashi lived during the Crusades where Jewish communities were pillaged, its Jews murdered and raped with impunity by the Crusaders in Europe on their way to liberate the Holy Land. Rashi experiencing all this, brings us the principle from the Sifri (B’ha-alotcha 69) that Esav soney et Yisrael (Esav hates Israel), and this hatred will always be with us. We see it manifest in history. The Sages saw Esav as representing Rome or Christianity, and Jacob representing the Jews. And we see the past 2,000 years filled with Christian antisemitism and persecution of Jews.

Every little Yeshiva boy is taught this principle when he studies this Rashi—that “Esav hates the Jewish people.” It’s instilled within us. I still remember as a child growing up in Brooklyn. My neighborhood was almost totally Jewish, but there was one church…and we were told to cross the street when passing that church for fear that one of the rowdy teens would beat us up. That’s how I and many others grew up.

And now—with all the antisemitism in the world—some see that there is reason to say that it’s true—that Christians hate Jews. But is it really true? Do they all hate us? A recent Pew Survey shows to the contrary—that Jews are the most admired religious group in America? Admired! Do you know that Jews have never been more powerful than here in America? An article from Commentary Magazine (Nov. 2021) tells us: “There is a disproportionate number of Jews in Congress, the business and financial communities, in science, technology and innovation.” Disregard the politics for a moment and listen to the list Jews who have been appointed by President Biden:

· Ron Klain, Chief of Staff

· Janet Yellin, Secretary of Treasury

· Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security

· Tony Blinken, Secretary of State

· Wendy Sherman, Deputy Secretary of State

· Merrick Brian Garland, Attorney General

· Jared Bernstein, Council of Economic Advisers

· Rochelle Walensky, Director of the CDC

· And Anne Neuberger, Rachel Levine, Jennifer Klein, Jessica Rosenworcel, Stephanie Pollack, Polly Trottenberg, Mira Resnick, Roberta Jacobson, Gary Gensler, Chanan Weissman, Thomas Nides, Deborah Lipstadt, and there are more!

They all hate us? No, no! My experience has shown that what I was taught in my youth in this Rashi is not so! The people I’ve met all around Atlanta—especially church people—don’t hate us. I have dear friends, Robert Josey and Linda Grist from different churches, come to greet me before every Jewish holiday. You may even see them in shul on the High Holydays or Passover. We have deep theological differences, but we respectfully share and discuss them.

And, more important, we have fundamental similarities. We both believe the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings—the Jewish Bible—are the word of Gd. We both believe in the coming of the Messiah. I have spoken in Robert’s mega church, Johnson’s Ferry Baptist Church, about the Jewish view on the Messiah, and this is how I ended my talk. Listen carefully: “When the Messiah comes, we will ALL run out to greet him and ask him one critical question: ‘Is this the 1^st time you’re coming, or the 2^nd?’” They roared in laughter.

Let me tell you, many of our Biblical commentators don’t agree with this opinion in Rashi. And we can see in our own lives that hatred for the Jew is not ingrained. The overwhelming majority of Christians do not hate us.

Yes, it’s true. The Torah verse (Lev. 19:18), V’ahavta l’reyacha kamocha (You shall love your neighbor as yourself), is interpreted to mean to provide unconditional love to your fellow Jew. We are to unconditionally love every Jew no matter what. And this unconditional love is not for everyone. It has to be earned.

But Rabbi Akiva in the Talmud (Avot 3:18) also tells us: Chaviv adam shenivra b’tzelem (Beloved is a human being who was created in the image of Gd). Everyone—Jew and non-Jew—is created by Gd! Every human being is an image of Gd! And so our Sages say in regard to the blessing that Isaac gave to Jacob (Gen. 27:29), Or’recha arur, umvarchecha baruch (They who curse you shall be cursed, and they who bless you shall be blessed), that every non-Jew who blesses the Jews shall be blessed. And there are plenty of them out there.

My friends, yes, let’s point out Jew hatred and every other kind of hate EVERY TIME it raises its ugly head. Let’s be VERY concerned about those who do NOT wish us well. But let’s embrace with a full heart all those who do! Amen!

: 04 December 2022

VAYEYTZEY 5783

VAYEYTZEY 5783

Why the Ladder in Jacob’s Dream?

Our Torah portion opens with Father Jacob fleeing—fleeing from his brother Esav who vowed to kill him because he stole Esav’s blessing from their father, fleeing to his mother’s family in Haran. When he lied down to rest at night, he had this amazing dream (Gen. 28:12-13) with a ladder planted firmly in the earth with its top reaching to Heaven, and with angels ascending and descending. Gd then appears to him and tells him that He will give him and his descendants the land of Canaan, the implication is that Jacob’s descendants will be a great people. That’s the dream.

The Midrash (Raba 68:12) tells us that the angels who were with Jacob in the land of Canaan—later to become Israel— ascended as he was leaving home, and the descending angels were to escort him away from home. It’s a comforting thought that Gd has His angels protecting us. But guardian angels are a subject for another time.

My question today is: What’s the significance of Jacob’s ladder in the dream? You might say from the text, it was so the angels could come up and down. Really? Rabbi David Forman, in his Parsha Podcast, asks the obvious question I never thought of: Do angels really need ladders to go from Heaven to earth and back? Obviously, the ladder is a symbol, a message. So, what’s the message of the ladder?

The answer has to do with the dreamer—Father Jacob. Jacob is truly the father of the Jewish people. We are called “the Children of Israel,” or “the People of Israel” after his holy name. What is the purpose of the People of Israel, what is its mission, its reason for being? It is to become a ladder that connects Heaven and earth, a vehicle that brings Gd into the world. How and when could it do that?

To appreciate this special mission, we have to look to a parallel story at the end of the parsha where Jacob again encounters 2 sets of angels—the angels that accompanied him away from home and the angels coming to welcome him home. Our Torah portion began with Jacob fleeing the land of Canaan, fleeing the wrath of his brother Esav—followed by the dream of the ladder. But now the circumstances of his return to Canaan are quite the opposite.

Jacob is not all alone in his return as he was when he left home. He has a family of children who would become the tribes of Israel. Jacob’s dream that he will become a great nation in the land of Canaan is happening now. The nation of Israel is being born. And when this happens, Jacob begins to become the ladder!

How? Not just because he’s becoming a nation, but because he’s actualizing in his life and in the life of his family something this nation actually needs to stand for. He’s beginning to bring Gdly values from Heaven down into this world and make them a reality.

A brave and noble Gdly thing is happening. Jacob, who once fled from his brother’s wrath, is coming now proactively to meet his brother in person. He doesn’t evade him as before. He seeks him out. He comes to meet him. As we see in next week’s parsha, Jacob embraces him. He kisses him. He does everything he can to reconcile with him.

Isn’t it interesting that at this very moment, Jacob just happens to meet up with angels—angels that are not just oblivious to him going up and down a ladder, but angels coming to meet him; angels that are not just in a dream, but in real life?

What changed? The angels haven’t changed. They probably were the same angels that were on that ladder in the dream. It was Jacob that has changed. His perspective has shifted. No longer is he asleep on the floor with angels ascending and descending in a dream. No, the dream is becoming real. The ladder isn’t imagined anymore. Jacob is becoming the ladder in real life! And so, the angels whose goal before was to climb the ladder, are meeting him now—face to face, eye to eye.

What does it mean to say Jacob has become a ladder in real life? The ladder is a conduit—the way Gd connects to earth. How does Gd connect to earth? The answer is…through human action. When we act Gdly, that is, courageously, kindly, compassionately, we bring Divine values into the world through our actions. Then we become a ladder to and from Gd. By embodying Gd’s will in our actions, we build a sheym, a Name for Gd in the world. We make a lasting mark for Gd here in our very tangible physical reality.

As the story continues in next week’s Torah reading, Jacob takes a fateful step. Laden with the children that will become the leaders of the people of Israel, he approaches his brother and seeks to make things right with him. That overture may seem small, but it’s the beginning of the journey for becoming the nation of Israel—the journey of bringing Gdly values into the real world.

Bringing Gdliness into this world sounds great. But what does it mean in practical terms? You may ask, “Could little old me really do that?” Yes, little old you can bring Gdliness into the world. It wasn’t that Jacob used miraculous powers or fasted for 40 days and nights. What he did, all of us can do. He tried to make peace with his brother. That’s something practical. Peace, kindness, compassion, honesty…these are Gdly values we can all uphold.

The challenge is that such opportunities don't always come knocking at our doors. So, Jacob doesn’t sit around waiting for opportunities to present themselves. He goes out of his way to send messages and gifts to his brother before he meets up with him. He tries to heal the damage.

This reminds me of something that happened once in a former synagogue on the High Holy Days. Someone noticed that the security guard that was hired had been standing on his feet all day long. So, he offered the guard a chair and was shocked by how grateful he was. He said, “In 5 years of doing this, no one ever thought to offer me a chair.” When he was offered some water, it really made his day.

This story is striking because it’s such an easy thing to do. Who wouldn’t do this simple act of kindness if asked? But sometimes these Gdly moments require us to follow the lead of Father Jacob and really keep our eyes open to where we are needed.

My friends, as we read of Father Jacob’s Gdly actions in reconciling with his brother, let’s ask ourselves, is there anyone in our lives we need to reconcile with? Jacob teaches us that life is too short. Light Jacob, let us not wait for opportunities to come knocking at our doors. Make the 1^st call and begin the process—even if you were the one that was wronged. And in the process, you will become a ladder bringing Gd into our world. Amen!

Sermon Archive

VAYECHI 5783 Lies Come in Colors

CHANNUKAH 5783 What’s Your Chanukah Story?

VAYEYSHEV 5783

VAYISHLACH 5783

VAYEYTZEY 5783

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