03 Dec VAYETZEH: CONNECTING WITH HASHEM IN TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY

Parashat Vayetzeh begins
with Yaakov Avinu fleeing
from his home, as his brother,
Esav, was trying to kill
him. The Torah tells us:
Vayifgah Bamakom Vayalen
Sham Ki Va Hashemesh – “He
came upon a place, and he slept there, because
the sun set.” As he slept, Yaakov beheld the
famous dream of a ladder extending to the
heavens, with angels ascending and
descending the ladder.
When we read this pasuk, we get the
impression that Yaakov happened to arrive at
some random place, and it was getting late, so
he went to sleep. Rashi, however, brings from
earlier sources that there was so much more
going on.
First of all, this was not just a random
place. Vayifgah Bamakom means that Yaakov
arrived at the holiest place on earth – the site
where the Bet Ha’mikdash would be built
centuries later. Secondly, the sun did not just
set. Hashem made the sun set early, before it
was supposed to, because He wanted Yaakov
to sleep there, at this site, the site of the Bet
Ha’mikdash. It was here where Yaakov was to
behold his vision, and receive Hashem’s
prophecy guaranteeing him protection along

his journey, and promising that his descendants
would receive the Land of Israel.
We must ask, if there was so much going on,
if Hashem made it dark early so that Yaakov
would sleep at the most sacred place in the
world, then why does the pasuk make it seem
like this was all random? Why does the Torah
give us the impression that Yaakov just slept
where he happened to find himself when it got
dark?
The answer might be that the Torah is teaching
us that we can connect Hashem under all
circumstances, even during times of transition
and during periods of uncertainty.
Yaakov was now experiencing a time of
instability. He was running for his life. He
was older and still not married. He would
have to live with his crooked uncle. His entire
life was shaken up, and he did not know what
the future held for him. With all this
happening, he went to sleep along the road –
and right there, in that spot, at that moment,
he received prophecy. This shows us that we
do not have to wait until we have our lives
completely in order, with everything going
exactly as planned, in order to build our
relationship with Hashem. In fact, often, it is
specifically during times of fear, uncertainty
and instability that we are able to build a

stronger connection.
The Gemara teaches that Hashem
created our world with the letter Hay,
and the next world with the letter
Yud. This is indicated by the pasuk Ki
Be-Kah Hashem Tzur Olamim
(Yeshayahu 26:4), which means that
G-d created the “worlds” with the
Name Kah: one world with the letter
Yud, and the other with the letter
Hay. These two letters together in
gematria equal 15. This is the number
of steps that connected the two sections of the
outdoor area of the Bet Ha’mikdash, a higher
section and a lower section. And it was on
these steps that the Leviyim would sing their
praise to Hashem.
The symbolism of these 15 steps is very
powerful. They represent the point of
connection between yud and hay, between the
upper worlds and the lower worlds. It is
precisely on these steps, during the process of
transition from one stage to another, where we
sing praise to Hashem. When we face
instability and uncertainty, when we are
working to ascend, or, G-d forbid, when we
feel we are descending, we have an
opportunity to turn to Hashem and reinforce
our relationship with Him.

This is the message of the ladder in Yaakov’s
dream. The ladder, like the steps in the Bet
Ha’mikdash, symbolizes transition and
movement. During periods of uncertainty,
like Yaakov experienced, we can build our
connection to Hashem in an especially
meaningful way.
Vayifgah Bamakom. When we feel that our
lives are just random, that we are just in some
“place” without any direction, when we feel
lost, lonely, anxious, or nervous about the
future, we must remember that Hashem is
right here with us. He put us Bamakom, in
this precise spot where we find ourselves, for
a purpose. And is ready to take us by the hand
and lead us to the next stage, leading us along
the direction we need to go.