Welcome to the short, practical Lelamed Weekly Dvar and Daily Aliyah. As always, you can Order The Daily Aliyah <https://mosaicapress.com/product/the-daily-aliyah/> and receive your hard copy of these daily practical and relevant Torah thoughts (all proceeds go to Daily Giving), or join this Whatsapp group <https://chat.whatsapp.com/G35Ne4mpYsm3RLPDPnPSKC> to receive one per day. I hope you find this meaningful... _______________________________________________ On his journey to Charan, Yaakov sleeps and dreams of a ladder connecting Heaven and earth, with angels ascending and descending. In the dream, God promises Yaakov the land upon which he is sleeping. When he woke up, Yaakov “lifted his feet” and went on his way (29:1). Why does the Torah use such unnatural wording to narrate the continuation of Yaakov’s journey? Rashi quotes the Midrash that hearing the good news of God’s protection uplifted Yaakov’s mood and added a pep in his step. The Lekach Tov further explains that before his dream, Yaakov presumed that his journey was derailed due to his circumstances of having to run away from his brother’s fury. His dream confirmed that the totality of his experiences is, in truth, part of his adventure and the grand plan. The dream taught Yaakov and us an important lesson: Where we are is where we’re meant to be. Seize the present, lift your feet, and move forward! Shlomo Ressler _____________________________________________ Quotation of the week: “Stars can’t shine without darkness.”