Thought for the Week

Shabbat Vayetzé/Finding Holiness in the Ordinary

Dear Members and Friends,  

With the longer autumn nights upon us, I have experienced the gift the seeing the sky grow lighter and the sun rise most mornings. I find this time of day to be quite beautiful, as the dark sky slowly lightens, the birds quietly greet the day, and the sunrise paints the clouds in stunning pinks and golds. The beauty of the natural world can easily inspire a sense of awe and spiritual attentiveness as the day begins.  

I generally find riding the Tube, sitting in traffic, or ensuring the pantry is stocked to feel less awe-inspiring, and the wonder of the early morning can quickly fade away into the less exciting tasks of everyday life. It is easy to feel weighed down or lost in the mundane, and we may need a moment of breathtaking clarity to reawaken our sense of awe.  

Our patriarch, Jacob, finds himself in such a situation in our Torah reading this week. Having stolen his older brother’s birthright inheritance and firstborn blessing, Jacob now flees to his uncle’s home. Along the way, he finds a quiet place to rest for the night, laying his head on a rock as a makeshift pillow. Jacob dreams of a ladder that stretches from earth to heaven, with angels traveling up and down. God speaks to him, promising him safety and repeating the promise of numerous offspring.  

When Jacob awakens, he says, ‘Surely God is in this place, and I did not know it. How awesome is this place.’ (Genesis 28:16-17)  

This is Jacob’s first interaction with God. Throughout his story, Jacob has been constantly doing: bargaining with his brother, planning with his mother, tricking his father, and then escaping; this is the first time he seems to pause and be present in the moment. In this presence of mind, he experiences the presence of God.  

It can be easy to become like Jacob, constantly moving from one thing to the next, and forget to notice the splendor and beauty around us. Jacob’s story reminds us that we must constantly look for the sacred within the mundane, noticing holiness in the ordinary: a meal we share with family, a phone call or text message from friend, the delightful crunch of autumn leaves, the blessing of a warm coat on a cold day. These moments need not be life-changing events, but rather, a chance to appreciate and wonder at the small things that make our lives so vibrant and rich.  

In the week ahead, let us cultivate awareness of the sacred within ordinary, and to notice, as Jacob does, that God is in fact, in this place.  

Shabbat shalom, 

Lily