11-27-2025 Va’Yetzei

This coming Sabbath, November 29th, we study the  parashah called “Vayetzei.” You will find this weekly  section in the Book of Genesis 28:10-31:3. In it we read  about the first of Jacob’s dreams, a dream that contains  the famous vignette of Jacob’s ladder.  

As is typical of dreams, we see how Jacob’s subliminal  fears and fantasies merge into a unique reality. The  dream is about a strange ladder that the Bible describes  with the words “sulam mutzav artza v’rosho magia  ha’shamayima.” (meaning: “a ladder that is set firmly in the  earth with its top/head reaching toward the heavens.”) 

Our scholars and commentators have noted that the  ladder raises multiple questions. To what was it anchored;  how does a ladder planted in the earth extend into the  heavens without any anchor? Furthermore, although the  ladder went from earth to sky, those on it, the malachim  (meaning “messengers” or “angels”), seem to be going in  reverse order. That is, they were ascending and then  descending. What lessons is the text trying to teach us with this strange narrative or is this narrative only reflective  of Jacob’s subconscious?  

The interpretations of this strange dream are as numerous  as the stars in the heavens. One possible interpretation is  that Jacob’s ladder teaches us something about our  history and our sense of spirituality. Do the ladder’s rungs  represent phases of Jewish history? In many ways Jewish  history is a roller coaster, about beginning as simple  slaves and through much effort climbing the ladder of  history: from slavery to freedom. On a personal level  might his ladder be teaching us that all of us at times must climb out of personal moments of despair, at times when it  appears that we have lost control of our lives and find our  way to higher rungs of hope and personal renewal?  

Jewish history is not unidirectional. Like the angels in  Jacob’s dream, we have had our ups and downs, our high  points and our low points. In a like manner each of our  lives has its own ups and downs, moments of successes  and failures, moments when all seems dark and then through hard work and faith we come to a higher rung on  the ladder of life. 

From this perspective Jacob’s dream is more than merely  one man’s dream, but a parable teaching us that spirituality must be grounded in reality but filled with hope  and creativity. 

On a political level this is a lesson reminding us that as a  small people, just as on October 7, 2023, we cannot afford  to have our head in the clouds; that wishful thinking is  dangerous. On a personal level it reminds us not to be  afraid to see the beauty of tomorrow as long as we base  our hopes in facts.  

Might this dream be a warning that when good people on  both a collective and individual basis choose to ignore evil  then societies rise and fall on the ladder of history and  crises will ensue? Is Jacob’s dream a powerful lesson  both in political theory and personal psychology? Is it a  lesson that all of us need to learn over and over again? 

As we in the United States begin our Thanksgiving  celebration this week’s parashah reminds us that to enjoy  G-d’s blessings we must have our feet clearly planted in  reality and our hopes filled with heavenly ideals.