“He had a dream of a ladder - firmly planted in the ground - with its head reaching heavenwards, and angels were ascending and descending on it.” (Bereishit 28)
How naive we were. We thought civilization was getting wiser. We believed it to be moving up the ladder but, to our disbelief and absolute horror - it’s so very far down. As we thought it was rising, it was only, always, descending - far beneath the very ground - into a dark tunnel of terror. Can we dare, yet again, to have faith that the nations of the world would seek truth over libel, morality over malice? Can they still raise themselves up?
“Ascending and descending: How is it that they first ascend and only then descend?” Rashi answers, “The angels that accompany one in the Land of Israel, do not leave the Land. Those ones ascend to the heavens, and then the angels of the Diaspora descend to accompany him.”
Yaakov leaves the borders of Israel. The angels that protected him inside his beloved homeland are not the same ones that can protect him when he’s on the other side. It’s a different type of mission. It’s a different looking angel. For a Jew, the Diaspora is its own beast.
Over the fractured border, our precious angels await. Bring them home. Together, all of Am Yisrael sings this Shabbat, “B’shivtechem b’shalom, Malachei HaShalom…”. Hashem, return your angels of peace, in peace.
“Angels ascending and descending”
Angels born into this world to families made of goodness and gold. Barely any time has passed since they descended, yet, in battle, they ascend up already now - to the highest of places. We look heavenwards with a heavy, strained neck - trying to catch one last glimpse of their grace and their shine. They’ve left too soon, they’re moving too fast.
The Midrash Tanchuma sees different angels, “These are the guardian angels of the idolatrous nations… R’ Shmuel ben Nachman: Hashem showed Yaakov the angel of Bavel ascending 70 rungs …and descending, the angel of Media ascending…and descending…and the angel of Edom ascending the ladder. Yaakov…cried out in terror, ‘Perhaps Edom will never be compelled to descend?!’ Hashem replied, ‘Fear thou not, Yaakov, My servant, neither be dismayed, O Israel’, for even though you see him ascending…I will cast him down.” (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayetzei)
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Yaakov makes a deal with Hashem and is rewarded: “And I return in peace to my father's house, and Hashem will be for me a God” (Bereshit 28:21).
We make a deal with the devil, with faith that the outcome will be the same. Be’ezrat Hashem - He who fashions light and (also) creates darkness - will bring home our children and restore our homeland and all of its people. “Veshavu Banim LiGvulam”.
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Dedicated to the safety of our chayalim, the return of our captives and a refuah shleima for all. Written with continued Tefillot for the safe return of Daniel Shimon ben Sharon btoch sha'ar shvuyey Yisrael.
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