I heard a beautiful thought this past Shabbas on Parshat Vayeitze which illuminates an important idea for ba’alei teshuva. The speaker didn’t know the original source for the idea, so I would love to know if anyone has heard this before and knows where it came from.
Towards the beginning of the Parsha we read about Yaakov’s dream of angels ascending a ladder to heaven.
Why did Hashem specifically choose a ladder as the symbol of the dream? When one is climbing a ladder, it is necessary to climb slowly and hit every rung. So too for us as we’re growing. It’s essential to take it slowly and reach each stage in our growth in its proper time.
Most of us have known ba’alei teshuva who dive into religious life, quickly throwing off all of their old habits and beliefs, and just as quickly jump back out of being frum. It’s necessary instead to take it slowly and methodically. In the book The Kiruv Files, co-authored by Rabbi Dovid Kaplan about his experience working in outreach at Ohr Somayach, he says when he sees a fresh ba’al teshuva sprouting payos, he threatens to yank them out if the person doesn’t cut them off himself. He notes that there is nothing wrong with having payos, as long as they are grown in the proper time when one’s internal behavior and knowledge have sincerely changed, not just his external mode of dress.
Sincere, internal growth is something that Hashem constantly expects of us, but He demands each change in its time. Remember, it was the slow and steady turtle that won the race, not the speedy hare.
That ladder concept was actually said for that weeks parsha by rebbitzen jungreis during her shuir at hineni..could it be possible someone heard it from her?
“Bob Miller – thanks for the lateral ladder info I think i’m gonna go with Yaakov Astor’s “downward escalator†where speed is a good thing…”
Daily, I progress to a higher state of confusion. (not Confucius, Yaakov)
JT — also keep in mind that timeless aphorism of Confucius (or was it Bob Dylan):
Always, if possible, seek the slow moving downward escalator over the fast-moving one clogged with holiday shoppers.
Bob Miller – thanks for the lateral ladder info I think i’m gonna go with Yaakov Astor’s “downward escalator” where speed is a good thing…
Gershon Seif- yeah, thanks for the middle of the mud comebacks on that middle post, great detox analogy.
All or nothing does work so much better as does quick and speedy or just forget about the whole slow ladder and use the Yaakov Astor’s “downward escalator”. Slow and Steady Spiritual Soaring is not a speed that my brain can accomodate.
Yaakov Astor- Perfectly profound “downward escalator” for the spiritual upward climbing analogy.Works so much better than the ladder especially for spiritual rock climbing and avoiding.Speed is of essence,as is the need to avoid tripping on the obstacles in transit. Just watch out for all those holiday shoppers with their purchases of plenty comin down at ya.The glitter and sparkle could be quite distracting and soo much fun this time of year.
Thanks everyone for the great thoughts!
I read the same idea in last weeks e-edition of Ateres HaShavua, the Parsha newletter from
Mesivta Ateres Yaakov
1170A William Street
Hewlett NY, 11557
http://www.AteresHaShavua.com
The idea was attributed to the Ksav Sofer, but as mentioned above in #3, others speak about it as well.
Didn’t Maybe you hear Reb Bob sing “May you build a ladder to the stars and climb on every rung…”?
Hmm. Bad link. Here it is again:
Link
http://www.aish.com/spirituality/growth/Growth_or_Death_Ethics_of_the_Fathers_113.asp
Jaded,
Who Exactly Is Supporting This Ladder?
Good question. Like the thinking behind it. IMO, it’s leaning against shamayim, i.e. it’s secured between two points: earth and heaven. If it weren’t really going into heaven you would have a Tower of Babel situation: going skyward, but bound to fall. If it weren’t secured in the ground you’d have a “feet falling out from under you problem.”
This ladder needs to be secured in two places, earth and heaven. Otherwise, it doesn’t work. You’ve got to be rooted in earthly reality, and your reach has to be heavenly reality (or unreality, or real reality, as the case may be).
Also, re: the life being a downward escalator, a metaphor I have used a lot. This year it struck me that that’s what the angels can be representing. The ones coming up from the ground are your efforts, your mitzvos, originating from you. The one’s coming down are the challenges heaven throws at us, to downward escalator. In this week’s parsha, Yaakov is told his name will be Yisrael, because he fought with angels and one. These are the downward-going angels, the divinely designed challenges each of us has. It’s real downward escalator, and if you’re not striving real heard to get up it you will be brought down.
Harsh reality, perhaps. But one that makes us work for our cornbread.
I’ve discussed it more here (be prepared for shameless self-promotion):
Growth or Death: Ethics of the Fathers 1:13
The proof is probably in the fact that if one were to poll kiruv professionals, and/or most of us here, we all know folks who took on too much too soon, and as a result, went back to their secular mode. Those aren’t the people we here about in kiruv success stories, of course.
Much of my early progress, such as it was, came from reacting to things I ran into in everyday life, such as blatantly stupid political and religious ideas that people held. It occurred to me over time that the alternatives to real Judaism were all phony.
Bob,
Regarding your #2 post above, I can trace my way back to being more Frum than I ever was to 1989, and, like you, no one took my hand and let me on the way except the hand of Hashem. I mean, even those who go through the traditional Kiruv route, of course, have Hashem to guide them this way, as He guides everything in this world. What I mean is, I didn’t go to any organization to say “help me, I want to be more Frum”, not because there were none (I’m sure there were, but there are more now), but I just did things on my own.
Marty
1. JT asked about ladder materials and metals. Aluminum alloy ladders are light and strong enough for the task, and affordable (try Home Depot or Lowe’s). But in wet outdoor environments it’s safer to go with wood or non-conductive reinforced plastic to prevent electrical shock during a storm. Jacob’s outdoor ladder was probably wood.
2. My Jewish progress has been mostly slow and non-methodical, punctuated by bursts of great enthusiasm and activity. I was never anyone’s outreach “project” except HaShem’s. Maybe this set of circumstances is not so rare.
Slow & steady is correct. For some people, it may work the other way, but most of us cannot do that. When you are ready to grow more by doing one more thing, you’ll know. It’s not like reading a corporate policy manual, and all the rules have to be followed immediately. However, the Torah DOES have to be followed, but I think Hashem understands that Baal Teshuvas take time to grow…
hey jaded- you did see my comment about the ladder being in the mud in that other thread, right?
There are so many different angles on that Jacobs ladder dream.
1) Gershon Seif actually alluded to R Wolbe’s mentioning of the ladder and steps being a necessity for teshuva : “Rav Shlomo Wolbe ztâ€l once said that we can learn from Yaakov’s ladder. It’s head was in the sky, and its feet were on the gound. And there were rungs to climb up. No jumping steps”.(see comment #17 on” Its Lonely in the Middle Post” )
2) A teacher’s good bye lesson in 8th grade included the theory that general spiritual life could be compared to the ladder and your either goin up or down like the angels there is no in limbo state of spirituality which is quite the disconcerting sort of statement cuz no one is actually always goin up with the spirituality so then by default your goin down .
3) Lets not forget that the angels were goin up first from the ground even though they originated in heaven ……..
4) Personally I think the most important question , aside from the need to do the climb slowly/steadily and try not to miss any rungs is Who Exactly Is Supporting This Ladder? What is it Leaning ON .YOu cant Climb a ladder thats spacing out in the middle of nowhere.Its bound to either sway to one side from the weight of the ambitious climber and eventually fall.You can still climb but there really is no point as its not pointing in the general direction you really wanted to head to.Be aware of the mud.
5)Also , What materials and metals is your ladder actually made of ? Is Tungsten- really strong and barely pliable/ Platinum- popular/ pliable/ expensive rust resistant/ Steel- durable not as popular Pink Gold – expensive/ pliable/ popular and pretty…..Can you mix metals for different rungs creating the all encompassing teshuva experience combining the material and the spiritual for a perfect balanced climb upwards?Anyway Happy Climbing !!!!
I never thought about the ladder in that way – thank you for writing about it and illuminating my day!
Michael,
I actually just read the same idea this past Shabbos. I’ll try to look in my library/ d’vrai Torah that I printed out from last week.
Great Post