“Jacob then blessed all his sons by including all of them in the specific blessings he had rewarded each individual. After instructing them to bury him in the cave of...
Read MoreShabbat This Week
Subscribe to weekly Shabbat candle lighting times and Torah portion by email.
Weekly Goals
Truth is one of the pillars of the universe. It is only with truth that we are able to plow through life’s difficulties and navigate a harmonious path. Truth teaches us how to resolve conflicts, and how to navigate through moral issues. Sometimes our lives have so many trials and tribulations we feel the Almighty is unhappy with us. But trying to resolve conflicts is how we grow, and even great and holy people lived lives of conflict. Jacob especially, of the three patriarchs, was a magnet for conflicts. This has to do with the nature of his personality.
Jacob was the man of the Torah, a symbol of Truth. He went to study with Shem, Noah’s son, who had an academy of ethical monotheism. Jacob’s personality is built for wisdom and meaning; it’s what comes naturally to him. So why can’t Jacob live a life of peace and tranquility? Because true wisdom comes from resolving conflicts. This is where theoretical information becomes knowledge, wisdom and understanding.
You can read lots of marriage books, but until you are actually married, the information is only theoretical. You don’t understand the real challenges and don’t know how to apply the information you have.
We all want harmony and balance. Yet how much difficulty and conflict are we willing to endure to achieve it? Resolving conflicts, not avoiding or ignoring them, is the key to creating true harmony.
Sure, it would be easy to go on a mountaintop and meditate, and ignore all the problems of the world. You can achieve peace and nirvana. But the problems still exist. Once you’ve gotten some enlightenment from the mountaintop, come on down and try to apply your insights to see if they really hold water.
This week, look at your most obvious challenges and ask yourself if you’re trying to avoid and ignore them, or if you’re dealing with them. Take one small step. Do one thing to help resolve one of your conflicts, rather than just suffering with it.
Rabbi Menachem Weiman
