As you journey along your merry (or perhaps, miserable) way through life, you’ll find yourself having to navigate obstacles.
And they come in all forms; they could be a big ditch, an unexpected setback, something you have to overcome and navigate across. Other times it may be like a big mountain that looms up in front of you, an intimidating and scary task or responsibility.
A bridge will get you across a chasm; a ladder is necessary to climb up and get over a vertical obstacle.
While they accomplish similar goals, they have very different connotations. A bridge leaves one on the other side but at the same level, a ladder helps one reach a new height.
Our Torah portion this week tells of Jacob leaving home for a new frontier. He is embarking on a new chapter in his life, one that would prove pivotal not only for him but for future generations too.
Before he leaves the land of his birth, he stops on what would later become the Temple Mount. He lays down to sleep and has a dream of a ladder reaching from the earth to the heavens.
As with everything shared by the Torah, the Book of Divine Guidance and Instruction, there’s much symbolism and lessons embedded in this narrative.
As we go about our life we should consider our journey as one beginning on earth but heading upwards. Constantly on a path of growth and continuously elevating ourselves and those around us. While we may occasionally experience setbacks, our trajectory must be one of growth.
As someone wise once said, either I win or I learn. Even the challenges we face can and must be viewed as part of our upward progression.