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Orchard of Delights # Vayeishev
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stems from the same root as the Hebrew word describing the ladder
being “set” firmly in the earth. Jacob poured oil on the “head” of
the pillar, and the “head” of the ladder reached the heavens. Thus,
in anointing the pillar, Jacob rapidly transforms the dream symbols
into reality.
Finally, following the dream and Jacob’s initial reaction, the
Torah states, “And Jacob lifted up his feet and went towards the
land of the children of the east” (Genesis 29:1). Here we see Jacob
enthusiastically internalizing the dream, by symbolically “lifting up
his feet.” The dream has permeated Jacob’s entire being, from his
head, to his heart, and even to his feet.
Jacob’s ability to not only interpret dreams but to translate and
integrate their messages into his life is also proven by his ability to
“transform” the majority of Laban’s flocks. As was discussed above
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in the portion of Vayeitzei (“Transformations”), by internalizing the
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message of the ladder connecting earth and heaven, Jacob was able
to not only unite the physical and the spiritual, but to even transform
the physical by applying the spiritual to it.
Jacob’s dream and his ability to not only interpret it but to turn it
into a driving force in his life were inherited by Joseph. Perhaps that
is why Joseph so imprudently shared his dreams with his brothers
and his father. His enthusiasm overcame his sense of caution as he
knew that his dreams were vessels containing both prophecy and
blessing. Jacob “guarded the matter” for he knew intuitively that
his son’s dreams would be realized as his own had been.
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Shabbat, replete with all its trials and tribulations, nonetheless for
millennia the Jewish people have managed to transform the seventh
day into an island of true peace and tranquility. Every Shabbat we
express our longing for an era that will be eternally Shabbat, when
heaven and earth will no longer represent antithetical realities and
states of mind.
In the Zohar a tzaddik is referred to as “Shabbat.” This does not
mean that the tzaddik has an unrealistic, naïve, or escapist view of
reality; rather, this appellation connotes a certain inner peace the
tzaddik maintains when dealing with the never-ending barrage of
tests and turbulent fluctuations of life. Perhaps this was Jacob’s
and our greatest test – to embrace the challenges of this world while
maintaining an inner sense of peace and joy.
£The Dreams of Jacob – The Dreams of Jacob – The Dreams of Jacob –
££
the Dreams of Joseph
the Dreams of Joseph
the Dreams of Joseph
This portion begins with Joseph dreaming two dreams and ends with
him correctly interpreting two more dreams, the butler’s and the
baker’s. In the next portion, Joseph rises to power by interpreting
Pharaoh’s two dreams correctly. Where did Joseph receive the
wisdom and sensitivity to interpret dreams from?
In the portion’s second verse, Jacob’s special relationship with
Joseph is emphasized: “And these are the generations of Jacob, Joseph
was seventeen years old” (Genesis 37:2). Although Jacob had twelve
sons, the Torah only mentions Joseph by name to teach that Jacob
singled out Joseph for special treatment. The next verse explicitly
states the reason for his favoritism: “Now Israel loved Joseph more
than all his children because he was the son of his old age” (Genesis
37:3). No doubt this special treatment was also a reflection of Jacob’s
deep love for Rachel, his first love, whose oldest son was Joseph.
A mystical reading of the second verse proposes that this special
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