Words of Wisdom for Shabbat - Va-Yetze

In this week's Torah Portion, Va-Yetze, Jacob is on his way from Beersheba to Haran. He spends the night in a "place" and dreams of a ladder which reaches from the ground to heaven. Angels are going up and down on the ladder, and Jacob, in his dream, receives a message from God.

In his book, Honey from the Rock, Rabbi Lawrence Kushner comments on the role of human Messengers - Messengers who might be you, me , or anyone.

"The Hebrew word for angel is malach. Which also means messenger. One who is sent.

Not cherubic creatures who adorn architecture, valentines, and fantasy. They can be anyone who is sent. Just as anyone who is sent can be an angel. It is required only that there be an errand. One message.
One angel never performs two missions just as two angels never go on one mission. (Genesis Rabba 50:2)...

There is one great difference between people chosen to be God's messengers and earthly messengers. While those on errands of this world almost always know that they are sent and where and why, people chosen to be messengers of the Most High rarely even know that they are His messengers. Unsuspecting and unaware. Consumed by their own plans and itineraries. Busy at work on their own schemes. God is already sending them somewhere else.

I do not know how many times in one's life one is also a messenger. But for everyone it is at least once. One to whom it is given to know that their errand is completed is blessed and rare. Not so for most of us.

Remember only that you are not always going where you are going for the reasons you think you are."

Shabbat Shalom - Rest and renew.