Yaakov's Dream

Jacob's Dream: David Coker

Yaakov had a vision of a ladder that extended from the earth to Heaven. He visualized an angel climbing it whom he recognized to be the sar [protective angel] of the Babylonian kingdom. [Our Sages depict each of the 70 nations as possessing its own sar. A nation's downfall is preceded by the downfall of its sar, its spiritual image in Heaven.] The angel ascended seventy rungs of the ladder. Yaakov then understood that his descendants were to stay in the Babylonian exile for seventy years. After the angel had reached the seventieth rung, he fell, and Jacob understood that after seventy years of exile, the Jews would be liberated from the yoke of the Babylonians.

Next, Yaakov perceived the protective angel of Media ascend the ladder. He mounted fifty-two rungs and fell. He understood as a result that the Median exile would end after 52 years.

He then saw the sar of Greece climb up 120 steps and plunge downwards, foreshadowing the length of the Greek exile.

Finally, Yaakov was shown the angel of Edom [our present exile] stepping up the ladder. He climbed higher and higher still, an apparently endless ascent into the very heavens. Jacob did not see him fall and was gripped by fear.

"Will this fourth exile be unending?" he asked Hashem.

"No" Hashem reassured him. "Even if the angel climbs as high as the stars, I Myself will take him down when the time comes!"

Yaakov heard the angels of the nations comment: "This Jacob will in the future dominate the world and subdue all the kingdoms. Let us kill him now!" But Hashem Himself appeared and stood above Jacob to protect him.

Then Yaakov was shown a new vision. In this vision, the ladder represented the ramp leading up to the altar of the future Bais Hamikdash. [The ramp was symbolized by a ladder, since the pleasant aroma of the korbanos rises to Heaven.] He perceived the kohanim, compared to angels, hurrying up and down the ramp of the mizbayach [altar], eagerly performing the avodah. Subsequently Jacob received a prophecy in which he foresaw that the Bais HaMikdash would go up in flames. He then saw the second Bais HaMikdash being built.

Yaakov was given yet another preview of the future: he had a vision of matan Torah, the pinnacle of Creation. The ladder symbolized Har Sinai, ablaze with flames that reached the heavens, and he foresaw that his descendants would stand at its foot to receive the Torah. In this vision, the angels represented Moshe and Aharon who would ascend Har Sinai, Aharon remaining on the mountain and Moshe going up to Heaven to receive the luchos [tablets] from Hashem.

Yaakov was given an additional prophecy. He was shown that the angels climbing upwards were the angels of Eretz Yisrael who had so far accompanied him on his journey. Now that he had reached the borders of the Holy Land, they returned to Heaven and new angels, destined to protect him outside Eretz Yisrael, descended. Suddenly all the angels vanished, and he beheld Hashem Himself who stood on guard above him, announcing: "I am the G-d of your father Avraham and the G-d of your father Yitzchak. The land upon which you lie will be yours and your descendants."

He then experienced a vision in which Hashem folded the whole land and placed it beneath his head just as someone folds a paper map. His head now rested on the land in its entirety. This was a symbol that Yaakov would be given ownership of Eretz Yisrael and that his descendants would conquer it with ease.

Hashem prophesied to him: "Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth. Just as earth is the foundation of the world, so will your children be the foundation of the world. The world will be blessed in the merit of your descendants. I shall guard you wherever you go, in Lavan's house and in Sh'chem."

Yaakov awoke and knew that his dream had been a prophetic one.

Source: "The Midrash Says"

The Frum Blogs: Do We Matter?

An interesting post at Emes Ve-Emunah:

"Do the Frum blogs have any effect on rabbinic leaders such as those on the Agudah Moetzes? The answer has now been given in a public forum at the Agudah convention. At a Thursday night session described in a blog that reported on it - the internet was attacked it seems with an anger heretofore unseen. As it pertains to Frum Blogs - here is the money quote:

The topic discussed was The Internet and confronting unprecedented challenges of modern technology. Its dangers that have affected our community young and old alike including the content on frum blogs that is harmful to our community. Someone told him that those in Washington are reading these blogs and they said you don't know what harm it is doing to us. It has changed the way we are being perceived."

To read the entire article: click here

Provocation #4

The deeply strained relationship between Pakistan and the United States appears to have taken yet another turn for the worse, in the aftermath of what Pakistan describes as an unprovoked pre-dawn attack on its forces by NATO aircraft across the Afghan border. At least 26 Pakistani military personnel, including two officers, were killed, and 14 others were wounded. Islamabad is strongly protesting the incident.

More at: Pakistan Halts NATO Supply Route

Perfect Double Rainbow

An amateur photographer was lucky enough to stumble across the arresting sight of a 'twin' rainbow reflected out of the sea. Phil Thompson, 57, took his photograph of the rare phenomenon from the jetty at the Bellarine Peninsula in Victoria, Australia.  Not only was the rainbow reflected in the sea, but it had a double seemingly emanating from the water at a different angle.

Source: Daily Mail

Provocation #3

North Korea threatens 'sea of fire'

North Korea has threatened to turn Seoul's presidential office into a "sea of fire," one day after South Korea conducted large-scale military drills near a front-line island attacked by North Korea last year.

The exercises marked the first anniversary of North Korea's artillery attack on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong that killed two marines and two civilians.

The North's military warned in a statement that "a similar sea of fire" may engulf Seoul's presidential Blue House if South Korean forces ever fire a single shot into North Korea's territory. The warning was carried by North Korean state media.

Source: The Australian

Provocation #2

Medvedev threatens to target U.S. missile shield in Europe if no deal is reached

MOSCOW — President Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday that Russia will target the American missile defense system in Europe with its missiles if Moscow cannot reach an agreement with Washington and NATO on how the system will be built and operated.

Medvedev, who is leading the ruling United Russia party to the polls in the country’s Dec. 4 parliamentary elections, accused the United States and its NATO allies of failing to negotiate with Russia in good faith, and he said Russia reserved the right to halt its arms control efforts.

Source: Washington Post

The Voice of Yaakov

"The voice is the voice of Yaako, but the hands are the hands of Eisav"  [Toldos 27:22]

"There are certain Jews", the Dubno Maggid once said, "who are the very personification of the words: "The voice is Yaakov's voice" as the way they pray and study conforms perfectly with all the pertinent halachos.

"Unfortunately," continued the Maggid, "their hands are Eisav's hands. For when it comes to the mitzvos of tzedakah or gemilus chasadim, these same Jews keep their hands tightly shut.

"It is vital for such individuals to know that one aspect of avodas Hashem without the other will not last."

Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

Yaakov's Tikkun

According to kabbalistic teachings, Yaakov corrected the spiritual damage caused by Adam's sin.

Therefore, just like Adam had been misled by the ingenious plot of the serpent, the correction of Adam's sin had to come through ingenious trickery - "Your brother came ingeniously and took your blessing" [Toldos 27:35]

Based on Likutei Sichos Lubavitcher Rebbe

Guarding Your Speech

The Baal Shem Tov taught:
Your soul is mixed with good and evil, in order that it should be free.
Therefore, when you speak holy words, they draw down new life from holiness, and when you speak evil words, they draw down new life from the root of evil and the Other Side. The latter causes you to do evil.
So everything in your life, whether for evil or for good, depends upon your speech.

Upon Me

"His mother said to him: My Son, let your curse be upon me" [Toldos 27:13]

Why, asked the Vilna Gaon, would Rivkah invite a curse upon herself? Why did she not simply say "He will not curse you, my son?"

Rivkah, answered the Gaon, was hinting to Yaakov that he would face three main forms of hardship in his life. These hardships are alluded to in the acronym of the word עָלַי [upon me] - Esav, Lavan and Yosef.

Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

Born Yesterday

HT: Yaak

A 30-year-old guy goes to Rav Chaim Kanievsky to receive a beracha [blessing] for a Shidduch [marriage partner]. Rav Chaim Shlit"a tells him, "Your Bashert [soul mate, intended partner] wasn't born yet. It should be with Beracha Vehatzlaha [blessing and success]"

The news hit the man hard and he left the house crying, asking himself why he has to wait so long for a Shidduch.

Two months later, he comes back to Rav Chaim Shlit"a and announces he's engaged to a Giyoret [female convert to Judaism] who had just converted a month earlier.

[Note: when a person converts to Judaism it is as if they are re-born.  They receive a new name , and even a new birthday - the day of the conversion]

Source: KikarHaShabat

Things to do today

Life is a Rollercoaster

The lower the descent, the higher the potential ascent.  Known in chassidus as: "Yerida l'tzorich Aliyah" - it is a descent purely for the purpose of ascent.

When your life takes a turn for the worse, know that this is the preparation for a future elevation.  It's the ricochet effect.  The harder you throw a ball down, the higher it will bounce back up.

People are tested all the time: know that is all it is:  a test.  Sometimes it may last for many years, sometimes just a few days.  The lower you have fallen, the higher you can potentially rise.  If you know this, then nothing should ever bother you again.

Deceptive Appearances

 

In Parshas Toldos we read about Eisav's deceptive acts towards his father, climaxing here at the end of the parsha, where he marries one of Yishmael's daughters in order to appear righteous in Yitzchak's eyes.

Rashi however comments that, in fact, "he added wickedness upon his wickedness, in that he did not divorce the first ones" [Toldos 28:9] i.e. just like he had married his first wives in an attempt to appear righteous, so too here "he added wickedness upon wickedness" marrying once again, this time to a member of Avraham's family in order to maintain his deceptive veil of righteousness.

In the following parsha, Vayeitzei, we read of another trickster, Lavan, who acted deceptively towards Yaakov. However, it could be argued that Eisav's deception towards his father represented a greater degree of moral corruption than the acts of Lavan, because Eisav actively promoted himself as a righteous person. Lavan, on the other hand, may have acted deceptively, but he did not scheme to find ways of proving his righteousness to others. He merely concealed his selfish and corrupt motives so Yaakov would not come to uncover his plans.

So, the Torah's description of Eisav here, at the end of parshas Toldos, comes to warn us of the moral corruption which was exemplified by Eisav. Here we are warned to steer clear of this lowly activity: promoting oneself as righteous while the truth is something very different indeed.

Based on Likutei Sichos Lubavitcher Rebbe

Perfect Timing

COUSINS Maya Gray and Isaac Bushell timed their grand entry into this world perfectly, right down to the minute.

Both were born at 7.55am on Saturday, in Peninsula Private Hospital, weighing almost exactly the same.

Mums Stacey Bushell, 32, and Kylie Liddicoat, 27, who are sisters-in-law, were amazed by the coincidences.

Both were second children for the women, and both came early, with Maya weighing in at 3.52kg, while Isaac was close behind at 3.49kg.

Midwife Judith Lane said she had been running between their neighbouring rooms during the births.

"As soon as Maya was born I raced into the other room and Isaac was just being placed on his mother's chest," Mrs Lane said.

"Occasionally babies are born at the same time, but for it to happen with cousins is amazing, it blew us away, it's a bit freaky."

Source: Herald Sun

Naturally Inclined

 

How could Yitzchak, our righteous patriarch, have a son whose very nature even in the womb was inclined towards idol worship? [see Rashi - Toldos 25:22]

G-d can either make a person's disposition naturally good or naturally bad. But, even if a person has a natural inclination to evil, that does not mean that he is evil per se, for he is given free choice. Rather, the reason why he was given such an inclination was to rise to the challenge and overcome it. Thus Eisav was given a natural tendency to evil so that he could excel in the Divine service of "quashing" the evil inclination.

Even though he failed in his task, we can nevertheless learn from Eisav that if a person has strong desires to do something bad, it means that he has been given the special Divine mission of overcoming his inclinations.

Based on Likutei Sichos Lubavitcher Rebbe

Rivkah's Candles

Art: Michoel Muchnik

In recent years the custom for girls to light Shabbos candles before they are married has re-emerged.  This is actually an ancient practice which is indicated by Rashi's comment to verse 67. 

Here we see that Rivkah lit candles before she was married, for only after Yitzchak had taken her into "the tent of Sarah his mother" and witnessed her Shabbos candles burning for the entire week, did he take her to be his wife.  In fact, it was primarily the observance of this mitzvah that proved to Yitzchak the suitability of Rivkah as a spouse, and a mother in Israel.

Based on Likutei Sichos Lubavicher Rebbe

Provocation

In the year King Moshiach is revealed, nations will be provoking one another...... [Yalkut Shimoni]

Barry learns the lingo

US President Barack Obama has entertained his Australian hosts by trying his hand at the local lingo at an official dinner.

Mr Obama told of speaking to American troops in Afghanistan who were mystified as to why their Australian counterparts were always talking about cheese.

It transpired the Aussies were just greeting them with "Cheers''.

"We may not always speak the same way or use the same words but I think it's pretty clear ... that we understand each other, we see the world in the same way,'' Mr Obama told the more than 600 dinner guests last night.

He told last night's parliamentary dinner hosted in his honour he'd had "a real chinwag'' with Julia Gillard.

"When Julia and I meet we listen to each other, we learn from each other. It's not just a lot of ear-bashing. That's a good one - ear-bashing. I can use that in Washington,'' Mr Obama said.

Read more: News.com