When was the last time you climbed a ladder? Or for that matter climbed down a ladder. Ladders are used to reach a higher place and they are used to climb down into the depths.
Early on in this week’s Parsha, Yaakov has a dream in which he sees a ladder spanning from the ground to the heavens with angels going up and down. On a basic level, the ladder represents life. A person is either going up or down, but can never stay still in one place. If you are not climbing, then you are going down.
Rabbi Yissocher Frand gives a beautiful explanation for the metaphor of the ladder. He quotes the Baal Haturim (R. Jacob ben Asher 1269-1343) who notes that the Gematria (numerical equivalent) of the Hebrew word for ladder “סולם” is the same as the words for money “ממון“ and poverty “עוני“ – 136. Just as a ladder can take you up or down, so too wealth and poverty each have the ability to raise you up or to bring you down. A person can use their wealth to promote their own and their family’s spiritual growth. They can give charity to those in need and support community institutions. This will raise a person to a higher spiritual level. On the other hand, a person can use their money to indulge in all kinds of frivolous pursuits, many of which can be spiritually and/or physically harmful. It can take you down to the lowest depths. Similarly, poverty has the same characteristics. A person can be dragged down by poverty and it may cause someone to steal or fall into bad habits. On the other hand, a person who can accept their limited financial resources, can find happiness independent of the size of their bank account. As the Mishnah says “Who is Wealthy? – The one who rejoices in his portion”. By living a simpler life, they can lower their expectations and focus on spirituality and personal growth.
Rich or poor, it is up to us whether or not we will be brought down by our circumstances or whether we use the lot that Hashem has given us to climb to the highest heights.
Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Shaps and the JET Team
