A Message from Rabbi Bellows

December 1, 2024/30 Cheshvan 5785 

Greetings! 

On this coming Shabbat, we will read from the book of Genesis and learn about Jacob, who is running scared of his twin brother Esau. Tired from running, he lays down with a rock for a pillow, falls asleep, and has a life-changing dream. In this dream, he sees a ladder that stretches from the earth to the heavens, with the angels of God ascending and descending. In the dream, God is behind Jacob and says, “I am God, the God of your father Abraham and the God of your father Isaac. I will give to you and your seed the land where you are sleeping. And your seed will be as dust of the earth and spread in all directions, and through you will all the families on earth be blessed. I am with you and will guard you. I will not leave you… Then, Jacob wakes up and declares, “God was in this place, and I, I did not even know it.” (Gen. 28:16) 

Many of us can relate to Jacob–scared one moment, calm the next. It is the nature of our human existence to have “ups and downs,” and in this portion, God teaches us and reminds us that God is always with us. In this moment of fear and isolation, God reveals Godself to Jacob, and the ladder represents a connection between God and humanity. Sometimes, I define or experience God’s presence as moments of calm or wonderment. Or when I experience a sense of gratitude or when a moment of nervousness, anxiety, or anxiousness subsides. How might you feel the divine presence or sacredness in your own life? I am grateful for Jacob’s teaching, reminding us that we are never alone. 

Many Blessings,

Rabbi Bellows