Trump's Shabbat Proclamation and America's Founding Promise
8 min read
Innovation is a hallmark of the human spirit. Innovators, the pioneers of new ideas, challenge the status quo and aim to improve upon it.
Each generation distinguishes itself through its introduction of new and improved innovations.
How many of us still use typewriters or record players? What once were amazing innovations fall out of fashion, eventually becoming obsolete. Such are the consequences of innovation. Yet even in today’s technological world, some things possess timeless staying power. Take, for example, the ladder—the subject of Jacob’s dream in this week’s Torah portion.
The Hebrew word for “ladder” is sulam. A permutation of the Hebrew letters of sulam uncovers a deep insight that explains the ladder’s lasting significance. By rearranging the letters of sulam—samech, lamed, mem—we reveal another word, semel, which means “symbol.” What is the symbolism of the ladder? This simplistic device for climbing up or down has not undergone a conceptual alteration since its inception.
Metaphorically, the Torah expands the simple function of the ladder to include imagery that bridges the gap between Heaven and Earth. Imagery assists the mind in perceiving that which the eye cannot see. It is a vehicle for conceptualizing the space in which the physical and spiritual realms interface. Through visual imagery, we can grasp the concept of a transition.
Life presents us with various transitions that challenge the status quo of our comfort levels. We may find ourselves at a crossroads, recognizing the need for change, but unsure of which road to take. We may feel unprepared and unequipped to navigate the unfamiliar journeys we face ahead. How do we best traverse the liminal space between where we are and where we would like to be? What are the best means to help us reach our desired goals and destinations? How do we combat the feelings of uncertainty and vulnerability that can confront us along the way, eclipsing the guiding light of faith?
When navigating an unknown terrain or transition, there are two choices: you can cross over it, by bridging the gap from point A to point B, or you can transcend it. Often, the image of a bridge is used to represent passing from one stage in life to the next. Yet, while we are changing our place, we are not necessarily being changed or changing ourselves. While remaining at the same altitude, we cannot transcend our present state of being or perspective.
In contrast, while ascending or descending a ladder rung by rung, we change our altitude incrementally. We are either moving up or down, never remaining static. Our vantage point either broadens as we ascend or constricts as we descend.
Rashi explains that the ascending angels represent those spiritual forces that accompany Jacob and the Jewish People while in our home- land—Eretz Yisrael. They must return heavenward when Jacob leaves the Holy Land, but they are replaced by other angelic forces better suited to safeguard the Jewish nation when dwelling outside of the land. Rashi’s explanation foretells our eventual merit to settle in Eretz Yisrael, the Land of Israel.
Jacob’s ladder also widens our perspectives on the power of prayer as a vehicle for navigating the transition between Heaven and Earth. Meaningful prayer creates a spiritual imprint. Such prayer leaves its impression upon the fabrics of both time and spiritual eternity. Our prayers are activated only to the degree that we are mindful and sincere. In Jacob’s dream, they are depicted as angelic forms rising. Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi explains that our prayers create accompanying angels, or energies, of varying strengths. The sincerity and sheer intent of each heart propels it to ascend the rungs of physicality. A prayer can pierce through the finite as it yearns and strives to reach the infinite realms.
In a similar vein, Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob said, “He who does one mitzvah gains himself one advocate, while he who commits one transgression acquires for himself one accuser.” This is understood as referring to creating spiritual advocates and accusers.
Technology does not run parallel to advancements in human behavior. Improvements in technology increase the speed, but not the quality, of human interactions. To our chagrin, technology fails to deliver solutions to eradicate emotional pain, abuse, hatred, or jealousy. Human development is eclipsed by technological development.
As human beings, we are a fusion of physical and spiritual characteristics. So much has been explored and documented pertaining to the physical components of our lives. The cognitive and spiritual worlds still have vast territories to be explored. The area of thought, for example, has great impact on the spiritual quality of life. Each of our thoughts produces an ongoing chain of positive and negative impressions. How we regard the so-called small details of daily life greatly impacts our broader life views.
Fifteen hundred years ago, Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani recognized that “we don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are.” How we interpret life’s details affects our response to them. It’s human nature to form reactions as a result of how we interpret what has been revealed to us. Yet so much significance on many levels remains unrevealed. Do we truly know why people act the way they do?
If we could accurately see and understand all of the details that form the entirety of an individual’s background, we might have a better platform from which to evaluate their behavior. With this in mind, how accurate and real are our perceptions of and responses to the people in our lives? We can only see what’s visible on the surface, and then it is only through the lens of our own biased perspectives. Although it’s human nature to give in to our instincts, it’s human greatness to act above our instincts.
The image of Jacob’s ladder holds the potential to be utilized as a device to chart and measure the progress and course of spiritual growth and development. Each rung either ascending or descending is a visual image that indicates where one’s spiritual altitude is at any given moment. As a mental cue, Jacob’s ladder can provide powerful assistance in developing cognitive and spiritual muscle. As physical resistance stimulates the body to build muscle, spiritual resistance promotes the development of inner strength and resilience. Raising the spiritual bar, symbolized by the rungs of Jacob’s ladder, can give one a visual image of where they are holding in terms of thoughts and reactions toward life’s daily challenges and provocations.
Does my choice of words in any given situation denigrate or elevate my place on the ladder? Am I ascending or descending through the way I have expressed myself to others? How do the relationships in my life affect the altitude of my attitude? Which way am I moving, up or down? Do my thoughts raise my altitude, thereby improving my attitude, or lower and diminish it?
Jacob’s ladder holds the potential to be updated into a spiritual GPS, actually calibrating the direction of our thoughts and actions. It can serve to chart our path, keep us on course, and help us reach our ultimate destination. It’s the oldest yet the newest app that’s out there. Ascending Jacob’s ladder can represent a lifetime of spiritual journeying.
In conclusion, Jacob’s dream of a ladder, firmly anchored on Earth and ascending to the Heavens, poses much upon which to contemplate. From the macro to the micro level, this ancient vision is a portal from the past to the present, and from the present to the future. Jacob’s ladder remains an enduring symbol of timeless relevance.
1. Visualize yourself climbing up or down a ladder. The ladder charts your personal growth. What rung do you see yourself on? Are you ascending or descending from the position you were on previously? Recognize that you are not static. You may be on a low rung, but ascending, or on a high rung, but descending. Would you rather be descending from a high rung or ascending from a low rung? Also, remember that if you slip down a rung, you can climb back up—or even go higher.
2. Throughout each day, assess where you are on your personal ladder in regard to thinking positively rather than negatively.
3. Be mindful of your responses to provocations or challenges. Visualize your reactions and outward behaviors as occupying a rung on the ladder. In what direction are you moving? How can you alter your direction if you are moving down?
