ב"ה
THEMES of Featured Ascent Lights
Jacob teaches us to never rest upon our merits.
Jacob was a "man of purity" almost to the point of naivete. After twenty years of exile from home, sunk into the depths of physical reality - problems with wives, children, and livelihood, and surrounded by scoundrels - Jacob prepares to encounter his brother Esau who had threatened to kill him.
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Beginner
Jewish mystical masters see daily challenges as reflections of our own souls.
Jacob perceived Esau as a righteous person who was angry with him! "There must be some problematic issue within me," Jacob said to himself. Therefore, to open the discussion, he bowed seven times, indicating that he lowered himself seven levels to communicate with Esau in an appropriate way.
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Jacob sent the physical aspect of the angels to Esau but kept their spiritual potency with him, for when one goes out to challenge the world and make it a more spiritual place, one's spiritual entity must stay connected to G-d.
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An inspiring, transformational antidote to anger.
Each time that Jacob bowed, he provided to Esau one of his forces of holiness,
each of which neutralized an impure/tameh. After 7 bows, all the impurity
in Esau had been neutralized, and all that was left in Esau was one holy, godly
"26". Jacob thus succeeded not only in overpowering his brother, but in
returning him to "goodness".
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Intermediate
In his attempt to rectify his brother, Jacob lowered himself to Esau's level.
Jacob elevated Esau by bringing himself down to his level, automatically elevating him through their contact. Yes, Jacob had to lower himself, but through this he created a situation where Esau was elevated, changing forever the course of world and Jewish history.
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