VAYETZE 1994

In the Torah portion Vayaitzai we learn how Jacob has his dream of a ladder, resting on the ground rising up to heaven with angels going up and down. After Jacob wakes up from his dream he said, "How awesome is this place. This nothing more than the House of G-d and I knew it not." The rabbis ask what this phrase means.  "And surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not." What does it mean? Why would he even say that at that particular time? The rabbis comment, too, that perhaps we can understand this if we understand a verse from the Book of the Psalms where David says, "One thing I ask from G-d and that is that I will be able to dwell in the House of the Lord forever and ever." The rabbis all; comment, what is David saying? He is the king.  If he wants to stay in the House of the Lord all day he can stay in the House of the Lord all day. Why doesn't he just do it? Of course, the answer is that obviously David can stay in the House of the Lord all day, but that is not what he, as the king, is obliged to do. He has to solve the problems of the people. He has to understand the people. He has to travel and see everything going on in his kingdom. He cannot spend all day in the House of the Lord, but if he cannot spend all day in the House of the Lord, why does he even say, "one thing I ask", if it is an impossible thing? If he wants to stay all day in the House of the Lord he has to give up his kingship, but that is not what David meant. The rabbis say that it is important that when we do our daily routines that we see G-d in what we do, that we do our daily tasks with holiness, that we make sure that G-d's name is always sanctified because we do everything with honesty and sincerity and integrity and unless we do things with honesty and integrity and sincerity then G-d's name is not sanctified because G-d's house can be found everyplace. That is why it says, how awesome is this place. This is nothing more than the House of G-d. This is the gate of heaven." That is, of course, what Jacob was saying. He said surely there is G-d in this place and I did not know it. What he means by this is is that G-d can be found everyplace, even in the desolate place that he fell asleep in.  If we act in the proper and moral and decent way, if we bring G-d's light to all our activities then G-d will be seen there
 
and that is what David was really asking for, that everything he did he should do in a correct and honorable way so that people will say that truly this is the House of G-d, that truly David is acting in such a fashion that he is sanctifying G-d day in and day out.
That, too, should be our prayer, that whatever we do we should do in such a way that our honesty and integrity and sincerity shines through so that people will say that truly all our actions reflect G-d's presence. Let us all hope that we will live this way so that the Mashiach will come quickly in our day. Amen.