The Ramban quotes a midrash that the malachim climbing the ladder were the heads of the nations who would, in the future, afflict the Yidden in the four exiles. The Torah says (28:13) עליו נצב 'ה והנה, "Behold Hashem was standing over him." Hashem stood there to protect Yaakov. Shach al HaTorah says that the first letters of עליו נצב 'ה, spell עני, poor (because 'ה is ה"הוי, which begins with the letter yud). It spells עני, poor, to tell us that if you are poor or are suffering in some other way, Hashem stands over you to help you.
Yaakov Avinu saw a ladder in his dream. It was set on the ground, and its head reached the heaven. The Baal HaTurim (28:12) writes, "This hints that when one is thrown to the ground for a moment, he will reach the heavens." So, one shouldn’t feel bad when he goes through a period of hardship because tremendous growth will come from it.
There was an astrologer who claimed he knew how to read the stars. The king trusted him and believed his predictions. But someone slandered the astrologer to the king, claiming that he makes things up and doesn’t really know anything at all. The king, convinced he was a fraud, ordered one of his strong soldiers to kill the astrologer. The king instructed the soldier, "When I give my signal, shoot him."
The soldier stood to the side and listened as the king spoke to the astrologer. The king said, "You claim to know everything, so let me ask you, how are things going with you now?" "Matters aren't good." He sensed there was a problem. "And when do you think you will die?" the king asked. "That I don’t know, but I do know that I will die three days before the king dies." The king became frightened. Instead of signaling the soldier to kill him, the king appointed that same soldier to protect the astrologer and become his personal bodyguard.
The astrologer realized that the situation he thought was a problem worked to his benefit because he now received royal protection. The moral of the story is that when we think we have issues, it’s very likely that the problems are the solution, and we will soon see how everything is for our good.
The next lesson is based on a Midrash from this week's parashah: It states (28:11) השמש בא כי שם וילן במקום ויפגע, "[Yaakov] arrived at the place and lodged there because the sun had set." The Midrash states, "Yaakov wanted to travel on, but the entire world became like a wall preventing him from traveling. בא כי השמש, Chazal say בא כי means כיבה (extinguish). Hashem had the sun set before its time." Rashi writes that the sun set early so that Yaakov would sleep there.
A wall prevented him from traveling on, and the world became dark. These factors seem to represent great troubles for Yaakov Avinu. Indeed, in his dream, he was shown the four galuyos, the four future exiles (see footnote). But there was a positive aspect to all of this. The Midrash says, "It is like when a king's friend comes to visit the king. The king says, 'Turn off the lights. I want to speak to him in privacy.' Similarly, Hashem turned off the lights to speak with Yaakov privately."
We discover that when there are difficult, dark times for Bnei Yisrael, it is a time of love; it isn't a time of distance. Hashem is calling us; He wants to speak to us privately.
In review, the sun teaches us (1) to recognize Hashem's greatness – the vastness and wonders of His creation, (2) the illumination that's in the Torah, (3) that even when hardships arrive, good times will come, (4) good is only recognized when it is preceded by the darkness, (5) even when hard times come, it is a time of love. Hashem tells the Jewish nation, "I want to speak with you privately." Hashem wants us to be close to Him, not distant.
