JCast Network

Your Source for High Quality, Diverse On-Line Jewish Content

November 13, 2010

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.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Ronni Sims
Ronni has been a Jewish educator since Moses was in preschool (almost!). She has had the pleasure of teaching all age groups in a variety of formal and informal settings, as well as directing a Jewish Teacher Resource Center. While teaching in a Jewish Day School, Ronni coached an award-winning Odyssey of the Mind creative problem solving team.Ronni was an active participant in the former Conference on Alternatives in Jewish Education (CAJE), where she held leadership positions including Network Chair and Conference Co-Chair of CAJE 29 at Hofstra University. She currently teaches Hebrew at the Congregation Albert Religious School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Talmud teaches: “The Torah cannot be learned unless it is learned among friends.” Ronni views blogging on JCast as such a learning opportunity.
Latest posts by Ronni Sims (see all)
  • Home From Camp & Back to School - August 6, 2014
  • May Their Memory… - July 2, 2014
  • Starting Over, Starting Up, Reviewing and Re-thinking….Again! - June 6, 2014

Ronni Sims
Filed Under: Kfar HaMorim

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Ronni Sims
Ronni has been a Jewish educator since Moses was in preschool (almost!). She has had the pleasure of teaching all age groups in a variety of formal and informal settings, as well as directing a Jewish Teacher Resource Center. While teaching in a Jewish Day School, Ronni coached an award-winning Odyssey of the Mind creative problem solving team.Ronni was an active participant in the former Conference on Alternatives in Jewish Education (CAJE), where she held leadership positions including Network Chair and Conference Co-Chair of CAJE 29 at Hofstra University. She currently teaches Hebrew at the Congregation Albert Religious School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Talmud teaches: “The Torah cannot be learned unless it is learned among friends.” Ronni views blogging on JCast as such a learning opportunity.
Latest posts by Ronni Sims (see all)
  • Home From Camp & Back to School – August 6, 2014
  • May Their Memory… – July 2, 2014
  • Starting Over, Starting Up, Reviewing and Re-thinking….Again! – June 6, 2014

Podcasts

Amen Corner
Amen Corner
Behind The Ballot Box
Behind The Ballot Box
Daily Daf Differently
Daily Daf Differently
JCast Journey
JCast Journey
Kvetch
Kvetch
PopTorah
PopTorah
Sermons
Sermons
Shtender
Shtender
Smorgasbord
Smorgasbord
Taste Of Romemu
Taste Of Romemu
This Weeks Torah
This Weeks Torah
Tisch
Tisch
Two Minutes of Torah with Rabbi Danny
Two Minutes of Torah with Rabbi Danny

Retired Podcasts

Abba Camp
Abba Camp
Ask The Rabbi
Ask The Rabbi
Beyond Chelm
Beyond Chelm
Fallow Lab
Fallow Lab
From Dreams To Deeds
From Dreams To Deeds
Isabella Free Radio
Isabella Free Radio
Jewish Food For Thought
Jewish Food For Thought
Jewish Hour
Jewish Hour
Meet Me At The Tzomet
Meet Me At The Tzomet
NYC Jewish Tech Meetup
NYC Jewish Tech Meetup
Oy Vey! Isn’t A Strategy
Oy Vey! Isn’t A Strategy
Re-Arranged
Re-Arranged
Rega Shel Ivrit
Rega Shel Ivrit
Schmoozer
Schmoozer
Two Jews On Film
Two Jews On Film
Verse Per Verse
Verse Per Verse
WORD
WORD

Blogs

DiaTribe
DiaTribe
Eat Play Love
Eat Play Love
Fifth Child
Fifth Child
Honest To God
Honest To God
Ish Ben Partzi
Ish Ben Partzi
Kfar HaMorim
Kfar HaMorim
Parsha, Parsha, Parsha
Parsha, Parsha, Parsha
Torah Limericks
Torah Limericks

Contact Us

305 Riverside Drive, Suite 2C
New York, NY 10025
Phone: 785.579.9558
eMail: druskay@jcastnetwork.org
Facebook
Twitter

Search The Site

Donate

Copyright © 2026 · Education Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in