Parshat Vayeitzei
by Rachel Rosenthal
If you asked any young Jewish child where God is in the world, chances are that you would get some variation of a single answer—God is everywhere. But that notion is called in question in this week’s parsha, Vayetzei. Jacob is fleeing from his brother, who wants to kill him, so he lies down to sleep on the side of the road. As he dreams, he has the famous vision of the angels climbing up and down the ladder that leads to heaven, and experiences his first prophecy. When Jacob awakens, he is surprised by what has happened, exclaiming, “God was in this place, and I did not know!”
This exclamation begs an important question—how can it be that Jacob, one of the great ancestors of our people, did not know that God was with him at all times? Commentators have tried to explain this problem away, claiming that Jacob didn’t realize that he was in a place that was holy enough for prophecy. However, it is Sforno who offers perhaps the most relatable explanation. It is not that Jacob did not realize that God was with him. It is that Jacob, in perhaps his lowest moment, does not believe that he is worthy of experiencing prophecy. He feels that he is too damaged to build a relationship with God, so he cannot help but be surprised when God appears to him.
In this way, we can all learn from Jacob’s experience. Often when we look at the world, we are struck by the extent to which is seems too damaged for God to possibly be dwelling among us. However, like Jacob, we need to summon the strength to believe that things can get better—and that we can make them thus. As we engage in the powerful and important work of fighting for justice, we must learn to look for sparks of the Divine in the world around us. Jacob, when he wakes, exclaims, “How awesome is this place!” May we all be granted the strength to create a world where one day, we can experience the awe of God’s presence all around us.
