Hashem showed Yaakov a ladder whose bottom was resting on the ground, and its “head” reached until Shamayim. This is a message to Yaakov that his ladder in trying to achieve greatness starts with the lowly ground (הָצְרַא בָצֻּמ) but he should always realize that even in his lowest "הָצְרַא" (ground) moments, his head is still in Shamayim, since he has Bitachon that Hashem will help him improve and hit the Shamayim.
We have three messages of a “nothing” really being super high:
- הָמְיָמָשַּׁה ַﬠיִגַּמ וֹשׁאֹרְו הָצְרַא בָצֻּמ םָלֻּס A ladder that is on the ground but whose “head” reaches the sky
- ץֶרָאָה רַפֲﬠ dirt becoming: ָתְּצַרָפוּ (succeeding) all over the world
- A low zero stone, standing and having oil.
This is a major Aderaba message for us, to value, and not be M'vazeh ourselves and our Avoda. This is the opposite of Eisav, about whom it says: הָרֹכְבַּה תֶא וָשֵׂﬠ זֶבִיַּו דל הכ he despised the Bechora. He looks down and doesn’t appreciate.
And this is exactly Yaakov, which means: ֵﬠ ֶק ב a heel, i.e., the lowest, who will become “Yisroel” which means the highest, like a: רַשׂ (prince) or: ָתיִרָשׂ יִכּ טכ בל to triumph. All this was the perfect Chizuk for Yaakov, as he was running away from Eisav and heading for Lavan; from the “frying pan into the fire”, like it says in the Haggadah: ןָבָלְו לֹכַּה תֶא רוֹקֲﬠַל שֵׁקִּבּ Lavan tried to uproot us entirely.
The Ohr HaChaim says that Yaakov means a mode of failing or sadness. Just like every tiny goodness he does goes super high, so he will be Zoche to see goodness in all his difficulties in life. RSRH Zatzal says that the Avos have Geshmak in passing their many tests; not in being the best or being the winner, or in having this and having that.
Despite All the Pain in His Life, Deep Down, The Baal Bitachon Is Total Simcha
The Maharal says that through Nachum Ish Gam Zu’s saying “Gam Zu L'tovah”, the extreme bad becomes the extreme good. So despite all the pain in Yaakov Avinu’s life, he didn’t really care that much, because he knew that saying Gam Zu L'tovah creates the opposite. So when Yaakov said to Paroh that he had a hard life, it didn’t really bother him. For good reason he said: לֹכ יִל שֶׁי אי גל חלשיו I have EVERYTHING.
A Zman of Yerida Is At Least As Precious as During a Zman of Aliya
Some ask why aren’t the Malachim going first down and then up? (Rashi). We can suggest that the Malachim going “up” symbolizes Shteiging in Avodas Hashem, where they help you and guard you. A person must realize that despite the great Aliyos that he has in his life, he must also be aware that after being all the way “up there”, he is likely to fall afterwards. This can be very painful and disappointing.
Many people have complained to me about how they had Gevaldige Aliyos and suddenly they could fall hard. If you know beforehand that these Yeridos are to be expected, then it won’t hurt that much, and you also realize that serving Hashem during a Zman of Yerida is at least as precious as during a Zman of Aliya. Smart people can Davka Shteig tremendously Davka at a time of Yerida and they aren’t Nis'pael. This is a normal mode: םָקָו קיִדַּצ לוֹפִּי עַבֶשׁ משלי כד טז A Tzaddik falls seven times, and gets up!
And: ָכּל הָיִלַﬠ ˂ֶרוֹצְל הָדיִרְי ִהיא every Yerida is in order to give you an Aliya; i.e., it’s only a stepping stone for even more greatness! Have patience! The main thing is to always be an Oved, without getting too carried away with how well you are doing! The Yeridos are only Min HaShamayim to test you if you’ll get depressed and Mya'esh, or not. Have Bitachon in Ruchaniyus. And: ַחיִלְצַי ןָשְׁקַﬠָה the stubborn will be Matzliach!
When Rivka said: כז מו תֵח תוֹנְבּ יֵנְפִּמ יַיַּחְב יִתְּצ ַק “I am disgusted with my life because of the women of Cheis”, the letter: "ףוּק" was small. And when it says: הָּת ֹכּ ְבִלְו “Avraham cried for Sara”, the "ף ַכּ" was small. True, these people had evil and misfortune in their lives. But deep down, they were total Simcha, since: דיֵבָﬠ בַטְל אָנָמְחַר דיֵבָﬠְד יאַמ לָכּ Whatever Hashem does, is surely best. R' Chatzkel Levenstein Zatzal points out how Yaakov Avinu didn’t really get excited when he discovered: “ ִה הֵנִּהְוי הָאֵל א” that he married the wrong woman. The cruelest practical joke of the universe didn’t faze him despite his unending love for Rochel L'shem Shamayim.
If Your Bitachon Is Getting You Depressed, Angry, Or Impatient, Something Is Not Right
As much as I encourage having Bitachon in getting what you want, it’s not healthy to be a person who MUST get all he likes, or else he’s depressed and/or angry or impatient. He’s like an Oved Avoda Zara, Chas V’shalom, who even becomes violent against his own god! A family asked me about their child, who was lonely without siblings and he was in pain. Of course there is what to be said to console such a child. Yet, I told them that having some pain is not the “end of the world!” (And having such an attitude can be beneficial for the child).
STORY
The Chofetz Chaim has a Mashal about a Jew who was flogged by the antisemitic assistant of the Poritz who was an: אוֹ ֵה ִי ב ְשׂ ָר ֵא ל (one who loves Jews). When the Poritz found out what his assistant did, he hanged the assistant, and for every lash the Jew received, he was compensated with a priceless gold coin. The Jew was sad that he hadn’t received more lashes, because then he would have ended up with more money.
The Avos knew the unreal Maalos of Yissurim, and as a result they: לַלְכִבּ totally didn’t suffer the way you would think. They were all extremely Sameach B'chelko people, and the opposite of complaining. Aderaba: לֹכִּמ יִתְּנֹטָק םיִדָסֲחַה וישלח לב יא he is humbled from all of Hashem’s Chesed.
