Parshat Vayetzei; Genesis 28:10-32:3 By Rabbi Denise L. Eger
We are already in the month of Kislev, the month of Chanukah as we read this portion. The story of Jacob’s hurried departure from his home to escape the wrath of his brother Esau opens our Torah reading. Jacob has conspired with his mother, Rebekkah to receive Isaac’s blessing that was intended for the first born. Last week’s parasha, Toledot highlighted a number of times that Jacob usurped his brother’s position as first –born and the birthright. Thus following the strand that among the people Israel it is not the first born who rise to the position of covenantal inheritor but the second born.
Jacob on his way to Haran has an “A-ha” moment. He goes to sleep, has a vivid dream and in his dreams he has his own encounter with the Divine. He awakens and acknowledges the sanctity of not only the place that he is in physically but the place he is in spiritually and emotionally! We might call it a light bulb moment. When the light bulb goes on and we can see clearly—the connections that enliven and enrich our life. This is exactly what happens to Jacob. His dream of the ladder and the angels going up and down and God speaking directly to him brings Jacob into the covenant with our ancestors in his own unique way. Yes, he kind of understood his role from his father’s blessing –“May God give you of the dew of heavens and of the fatness of the earth and abundant grain and wine.” (Gen. 27:28) But it isn’t until Jacob awakens from his dream that he seems to understand the covenantal connection to God. After his dream, Jacob makes a vow to God, that as God has promised him protection and deliverance, Jacob if he returns safely to his father’s house will keep his loyalty to God and the covenant.
That light bulb moment of Jacob following his dream is what we need to pay attention to. Especially in dark times, in difficult moments. We need to seek out opportunities to make those very profound connections to the Divine and to the holy. We need to be open to the possibility that God still speaks to us even through the cacophony of our world.
In a concrete way, this month we have an opportunity to help further the divine connections in our world and create our own light bulb moments. It is no secret that our planet is warming. Global warming and its consequences have already made an impact in our lives through changing weather patterns and fierce storms. We must reduce the greenhouse gasses that are overheating our planet.
One way to help reduce green house gasses this Chanukah season is to join with others in the Jewish community to change out the standard light bulbs in your home or office and replace them with compact fluorescent light bulbs or CFLs. If every home in America changed just one light bulb to a CFL bulb it would be like removing 1.3 million cars from the roads! Now that understanding is truly a light bulb moment! When we can see the impact of our collective actions and seek to connect to a holier path of caring for our world.
Posted by Lee at November 27, 2006 09:21 AM
