In Yacov’s dream there was a ladder.  This ladder has been used to symbolize ones growth in service of G-d.  This is because the nature of a ladder is to go up and down on it, and when one is working on oneself there is sure to be downs as well as ups.  The only thing we have to be sure of is that just as Yacov’s ladder reached up to the heavens, our ladder must as well.  If we keep our ladder on the ground than no matter how much we move on the rungs we will never go up.  Let’s strech our ladder up to the heights and go up as much as we can!!

When Yacov and Lavan parted ways the Torah teaches us an important lesson.  It says about Lavan that he “returned to his place” while in reference to Yacov the phraseology is “Yacov continued on his way”.  This can tell us how we are to behave.  Yacov the tzadik was constantly moving forward and growing as person in his service to G-d.  Lavan on the other hand like all rashaim was stagnant.  He refused to grow, even after spending the last 20 years with someone like Yacov it did not have an effect on him, as soon as the parted ways he returned to his place.  Let us try to always make strides and growth!!

In this week’s parsha Yacov leaves his parent’s home and goes to his uncle.  His brother Esav, who hated him, sent his son Elifaz to kill Yacov.  When Elifaz caught up to his uncle he was stuck. Being that he grew up with Yitzchok he couldnt kill, but he also felt that he needed to respect his father and do as he told him.  Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz asks us to look at this and realize how mixed up a person can be.  On the one hand he wants to do the great mitzva of honoring one’s parents, but he wants to fulfil it by murder!!!  Although we certainly do not have such convoluted thinking we may experience the same only to a lesser degree.  Let us try to be aware and to know when what we want is right and when it needs to be fine tuned!

The Torah tells us about different items that can become tamei (spiritualy impure) and ones that cannot.  A clay container that has a seal on it cannot become tamei.  The Chafetz Chaim points out a tremendous lesson we can learn from this.  When a person (being that a person is made from the ground one can be considered a clay vessel) puts a seal on his opening (his mouth) than he wont make it impure by speaking ill of others.  If however a person is not vigilant and careful to seal his mouth from improper speech he is certain to sully it. Let us be aware of the words we say and not speak ill of others and not hurt others with the words that come out of our mouths!!

The serpent of Eden was punished for getting Eve to sin.  His punishment was to eat dirt.  This may seem to be a blessing that his food will always be available to him.  This is indeed quite a punishment, HaShem is essentially telling the snake that He never wants to hear from him.  We cry to HaShem when we are lacking something as do all of His creations.  The snake though never needs to call out because he always has whatever he needs.  Let us pray that HaShem give us all that we need and then we can have it truly best!!!

When the Jews sent spies to Canaan they met the giants that lived there at that time.  When telling over their tale they said “we were as grasshoppers in our eyes, and so we were in their eyes”.  We can learn a very important lesson from this, a person is viewed how they view themselves.  More importantly than how others view us perhaps is how we ourselves view us.  If a person believes that they are a good person than that is they will behave.  If a person feels that they are a low no-good person than they will behave as such.  Let each of us recognize our inherent greatness and try to utilize it to it’s fullest!!!

During the creation of the world HaShem created the sun, moon and stars.  The Torah tells us that the purpose of these items is to be a sign if we are behaving properly.  The following posuk lists a secondary purpose, to give light.  It is incredible to note this, the sun which gives life to this planet through its light and heat! This would be because without us being aware of our flaws and working on ourselves to improve them there would be no reason for us to live hence the sun’s primary cause for existence is to make us aware, only then is there a reason for us to be here which brings us to the secondary reason.  Let us strive to make the sun’s secondary cause count!!

Esav came to Yacov and asked him for “some of that red food” Yacov told him he could have it but wanted his rights to be a priest of HaShem in return.  Esav responded with scorn and made the trade.  If we examine what occured here we may be able to apply it to ourselves unfortunately.  Esav saw a physical item that he wanted (he did not even know what it was (it was some lentil soup) and without a moments hesitation gave up his access to a higher spiritual level.  How often does this occur to us?  We trade some of our spirituality for a bit of physicality that we never enjoy as much as we think we will.  Lets try to be a little less like Esav and try to grow!!!

In this week’s Parsha Yitzchok digs multiple wells that the Plishtim kept filling with earth to stop them up.  Finally after many attempts he dug a well which the Plishtim did not fight with him over.  He called the well Rechovos which means wide as HaShem had widened his land (that now noone was fighting with him over his ownership of it) We all attempt to grow in our service of HaShem (dig wells) but the yetzer horah (plishtim) continually thwarts our efforts.  We must keep trying as did our forefather Yitzchok and we have faith that HaShem will make our efforts bear fruit and He will widen our range of service to Him just as He did for Yitzchok.

There is a posuk in Chumash which refering to the Jewish People says “you are children to HaShem”.  This carries tremendous ramifications.  Since we are all children to G-d we certainly cannot hate one another.  A father loves his children with a very powerful love and if someone would hate one of his kids he would have complaints on him.  No person likes when another person is upset at them and certainly we wouldnt want Hashem to be mad at us.  To that end it should be impossible for us to hate one another