Page 340 - BERESHIT
P. 340
The Torah describes where Yaakov and Eisav resided. Eisav was at
‘home’ in the wild. He had no inner content to prevent his vagrant soul
from pasturing in foreign fields. Yaakov dwelled within the fabric and
folds of tents. He insulated himself from his brother’s influence by
learning in the tent of Torah.
A tent may be positioned on an open field, but it can be firmly secured
by means of stakes and ropes, withstanding strong winds and holding up
in bad weather. A tent also gives us the enclosure so vital to building one’s
interior and filling it with content.
We need to secure our homes from the society at large and the winds of
temptation by withdrawing into the tents of Torah, just as Yaakov took
advantage of his ‘tents’ of Torah to remove himself from the materialism
of this world and raise his spiritual levels of devotion.
