12.16.16
"Ants In Your Pants" and Shabbat Beineinu
12.17.16 Pre-Chanukah Program and Gift Donation
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The family drama continues. This week we read "Va'yeitzei". Jacob is fleeing from his home, because that's what you do after you steal the birthrite from your older brother (even if your mother told you to). As he makes his way through the unknown to the unknown he stops for the night. He sees a stone and thinks "that would make a great pillow". Not ony is it comfortable but it appears to also be a magical pillow. While Jacob sleeps he dreams of a ladder with angels going up and down (ding ding ding - they should be traveling down and up - afterall don't angels live in the heavens?). God appears and promises Jacob the same thing that was promised to Abrahm and to Isaac. He awakens and says "God is in this place and I didn't know." He names the place "Beit-El"/house of God and builds and altar thanking God.
What happens next is completely bizarre. Jacob starts listing the terms of his commitment to God. Paraphrasing; IF God is with me....IF God guards my coming and going...IF God gives me food and clothing...IF God makes sure I get home safely...
THEN...God will be my God.
Wow! Now that's "chutzpah"! Jacob has a very strong sense of himself (to say the least). He steals his brother's blessing, THE BLESSING, and makes his faith in God conditional. He places demands on God which is usually what God does to people.
And then...
God accepts the terms. Jacob's faith is solidified.
So...I started thinking.
What if, it's ok to make demands of God? What if we could create conditions for faith? What would yours be? What would you expect from God? What if God agreed to your terms? Would you give God your full faith?
Mekor Ha'Chayiim, Source of Life, as we move into Shabbat, let's think about the conditions of our faith and check in on our willingness to respond with full faith?.
Shabbat shalom,
Laurie
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