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Orchard of Delights
Afternoon Prayer; and Jacob, with this very prayer, established the
Evening Prayer.
In light of the obstacles inevitably impeding spiritual
advancement (discussed in the previous section), prayer is vital
to Jacob’s successfully completing his mission. Jacob’s prayers at
night represent his turning to God even in the midst of darkness and
uncertainty. Paradoxically, the very times we most need God’s help
are when depression, sadness, or feelings of futility make it hardest
for us to reach out to Him. That Jacob had the presence of mind
to turn to God when things got tough, serves as a precedent for his
descendants in every time and place.
£The Ladder in Jacob’s DreamThe Ladder in Jacob’s DreamThe Ladder in Jacob’s Dream the strength and spirit to draw closer to God. Optimally, we reach
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“And he dreamt and behold a ladder was set [firmly] in the earth
and its head reached the heavens, and behold, angels of God were
ascending and descending on it (Genesis 28:12). Jacob’s dream
contains the powerful image of angels ascending and descending
a ladder reaching to the heavens, a vision which has captured the
world’s imagination for millennia. The reason for this dream’s unique
power is beautifully alluded to by the permutation of the Hebrew
word for ladder (sulam; םלס). When permuted, these letters form the
Hebrew word for symbol (semel; למס). The ladder in Jacob’s dream
is so powerful a symbol because hidden in its very name is the entire
concept of symbolism!
The ladder anchored firmly in the earth with its top reaching the
heavens suggests both a philosophy of life and a holistic approach
to orienting one’s self in this world. We need to have both our feet
on the ground, firmly anchored in the realities of the world, and our
heads in the heavens, constantly reaching and striving to ascend to
higher levels of consciousness. Most people have a very difficult time
balancing this seemingly simple equation. Some tend to not only
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picture of all Jewish history to his own more immediate relationship
with his brother. When one ascends, the other descends.
££ £Awakening From Below – Awakening From Below – Awakening From Below – £Awakening From Below – Awakening From Below – Awakening From Below – £
Awakening From Above
Awakening From AboveAwakening From Above
The depiction of the angels as first ascending and then descending
alludes to yet another concept, referred to by Kabbalists and
Chassidut as “Awakening from Below.” In this process a human
being “arouses” him or herself, taking the initiative and mustering
God in this way; however, sometimes we run out of steam, fall into
the rut of complacency and boredom, or worse, into depression and
a sense of utter futility. At this point, if God did not lend a hand,
we might be stuck in the status quo for a long time or even become
mired in self-pity and self-destructive behavior. Precisely, at these
moments in our lives, God often shows his mercy by jump-starting
our spiritual cables, granting us an “Awakening from Above.” In
Jacob’s dream, the angels ascend first to indicate the ideal way to
approach God: by arousing ourselves from below. If we feel that we
are unable to motivate ourselves sufficiently, it behooves us to pray
to God to arouse us, at least initially. However, sometimes, God, in
His great mercy, does not wait for us to make the first move; rather,
He sends us unmistakable signs or messages that arouse us to new
levels of spiritual awareness.
The angels Jacob envisioned also symbolized the protective
angels assigned to each and every person and nation. Jacob’s dream
portrayed the broad expanse of Jewish history as evidenced by
the movement of the protective angels. Parenthetically, it should
be noted, that angels are spiritual energy forces existing in all the
created worlds. They help direct different aspects of creation and
are intrinsically bound up with the material world, as the Sages
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