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February 13, 2012
Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away
Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Angelic Directions
By
Rabbi Meir Leibush Weiser
A celebrated 19th Century author, known as the "Malbim", offers a novel -- and enlightening -- explanation of the perplexing narrative of "Jacob's Ladder"
“And Jacob left Be'er Sheva and went toward
Charan. He chanced upon the place and spent the
night there, for the sun had set; and he took from the stones of the place, and he put them at his
head, and he lay down in that place.
And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was standing
earthward, with its head reaching to the heavens,
and, behold, angels from G-d were going up and
down upon it. And, behold, the Divine was standing
upon him …
… And Jacob awoke from his sleep and he said,
'In truth, the Lord is here in this place,
and I did not know.'”
— Genesis 28:10-13,16
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
The symbolism of "Jacob's Ladder" has always been a puzzling
one. It has no immediately apparent connection to the
narrative, nor to the prophetic promise of Divine protection
that follows it. What particular
message was Jacob
meant to learn from
this vision?
In answer, let us ask another question: One would expect "angels of G-d" to first descend from the heavens, and only afterward
— after completing the Divine mission for which they were
sent to earth — to go back up. Why did Jacob envision the opposite,
angels first "going up" and only afterward "going down"?
In Ethics of the Fathers, the Sages teach that each time a person fulfills
a mitzvah (religious duty), he creates a spiritual energy, an "angel." This
angel then ascends to Heaven and advocates on behalf of the
person who created it.
In response to this, the Divine sends other angels, heavenly
emissaries, down to earth. These guardian angels protect and
guide the person, and infuse his world with positive influences.
Thus, the ascending angels,
by their very essence, trigger
a cascade of blessing, Divine
energy flowing from above to
below; and in this way the person
himself, through his own
actions, creates the degree of
Divine Providence and protection that he receives.
This is what Jacob was being shown here: The angels going
up the ladder were those that he himself had created: his "mitzvah
angels," born of his righteous deeds, and his "Torah angels,"
born through his intensive religious training.
Ascending, these aroused
other angels, angels of Providence, to descend and protect him.
According to the Midrash,1 this ladder had four rungs.
Through sanctifying his interactions with all four levels of the
lower realm — inert matter, plant life, animals, and human beings
— Jacob drew Divine energy down through all four hierarchical
channels of the upper realms, known in Kabbalah11 as the
worlds of Atzilus (Emanations), Beriyah (Creation), Yetzirah
(Formation), and Asiyah (Action).
With this explanation in mind, an obscure Midrash suddenly
becomes clear. The Midrash says that the "angels from G-d
were going up and down," not " uponit" (Hebrew having no
gender-neutral pronoun), but " upon him, " on Jacob himself.
Jacob, through his deeds, regulates the Divine flow from above;
the angels go up and down on him, by him, and for him. He becomes
the ladder.
Now, having explained the symbolism of the ladder somewhat,
we may yet ask what was the purpose of sending Jacob this
message at this particular time.
The Torah's depiction of Jacob at this point is one of a
person afraid, afraid of many things: Afraid of his brother, he
flees the Holy Land … "and he went toward Charan." Afraid
of wild animals, "he took from the stones of the place, and he
put them at his head" for protection. And, afraid to travel in
the dark "for the sun had set," he sleeps out in the wild. The
objects of his fear span all four levels of creation, from humans
to animals to plants and inanimate objects.
With this vision, Jacob is shown that, by virtue of his
extreme righteousness, G-d will offer him protection at all
levels, a fitting prelude to Hashem's promise that follows: "…
And, behold, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever
you go …" (28:15).
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The brilliance of the Malbim --- finally accessible to all.
Since its publication almost a century and a half ago, the Torah commentary of Malbim has made a major contribution to our understanding of Torah thought. A master of textual analysis, Malbim examines the nuances and subtleties of every word of Torah, discovering layers of meaning and revealing important and profound ideas and concepts. However, the poetic and often cryptic style which characterizes much of his language makes translation extremely problematic and almost all of his works have therefore remained inaccessible to the English-speaking public.
In order to open this treasure trove of Jewish thought to the general public, Rabbi Reuven Subar, working closely with Rabbi Mendel Weinbach, dean of Jerusalem's Yeshivas Ohr Somayach, have crafted a series of essays based on the essentials of Malbim's commentary on Genesis.
In these essays we deepen our appreciation and awe for the Torah's infinite wisdom; we gain a new understanding of the connection between the Oral and Written law; and we are introduced to a masterful Torah giant whose genius, recognized even during his own time, becomes even more apparent in our own days.
© 2009, Mesorah Publications, Ltd.
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