IN THE MIDRASH:
The years that יעקב אבינו spent in the house of לבן were difficult ones, both physically and spiritually. Physically, because of the hard work, and spiritually, because of the environment in which he was.
During his time there, יעקב strengthened himself by saying _______, especially the 15 פרקים of שיר המעלות.
QUESTION:
We could understand that saying תהלים was encouraging for יעקב.
But since his life there was so difficult, how was he able to _____, saying המעלות שיר?
ANSWER:
יעקב אבינו knew that there was a reason that Hashem caused him to be in לבן’s house, and that there was great benefit that he would ______ as a result of all that he endured there.
As the פסוק says: דד מְא ץ הָאִישׁ מְא וַיִפְר , the man became very, very wealthy.
Since יעקב saw the purpose for which he was there, he was able to sing even in the most difficult circumstances.
LIFE LESSON:
גלות is terrible, and we constantly ask Hashem to redeem us.
Yet, at the same time, when we realize that the __________ of this גלות and our עבודה here and now is to bring us to the ultimate ______, we are able to experience שמחה.
Further discussion:
Whose name includes the same letters as יעקב’s name, and was also able to see the גאולה even in the darkest moments of גלות? (See footnote 29 in the Sicha)
