Sunday, December 7, 2014

Vayishlach (2b): Elevated Possessions

In a previous post we explained that Yaakov explained to Eisav that he was impervious to all spiritual threats and had infused all of his possessions with unbridled holiness. Let's add another layer of depth to this idea.

The Ba'al HaTurim explains that the three modes of love for Hashem mentioned in Shema parallel the the Avos. בכל לבבך, בכל נפשך ובכל מאודך - With all of your heart, soul and 'Me'od'. It emerges that Yaakov personifies the mode of loving Hashem ובכל מאודך - with Me'od. Chazal give two interpretations of what this term means. The first is בכל מידה ומידה הוי מודה לו - praise and connect yourself to Hashem no matter what the situation. The second is that the word Me'od means possessions.

Rav Gedalya Schorr zy"a explained that these two ideas are not separate from one another. A person's possessions are his tools for interacting with the world around him, and different situations call for different approaches. If a person is able to keep to Chazal's first definition of ובכל מאודך, which is בכל מידה ומידה הוי מודה לו - he will automatically come to bring all of his possessions into a state of Kedushah. Loving Hashem in all situations comes to loving Him with all material possession.

This is the secret of Yaakov Avinu's declaration to Eisav. I have been with Lavan for so long, and yet I never ceased to be connected to the Almighty. Through that I fortefied myself and all that which I call my own.

Hashem should open our eyes to the opportunities to connect and become uplifted that are always present.

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