Getting Our Priorities Straight

In this week's Torah portion, we are told about Jacob's priorities in life.

Since last week's portion, Jacob has had to deal with the wicked designs of his father-in-law (and uncle) Laban, and his brother Esau.

Now he begins to settle down. The Parsha tells us that "...Jacob built for himself a home, and for his cattle he built huts."

We could look at this very simplistically. He needed somewhere to live, not wanting to be homeless, so he built himself a home.

According to Chassidic tradition, however, this verse is more than a simple observation. It highlights Jacob’s approach to life. The mystical psyche of a Jew consists of two parts. There is the G-dly soul, the sensitive, Jacob, the spiritual part of each and every one of us. Then there is the animal soul, the material instinct, the "cattle." His animalistic, materialist tendencies, possessions, his physical self as limited by a materialistic outlook on life.

Jacob realized that he had to prioritize. He decided to establish a home - a permanent dwelling, a set of values for himself and his descendents. The rest - his material possessions, his cattle, could be placed on a lower level of importance. He made sure that his life would be based around values, truth and spirituality.

However, he did not abandon his material possessions. He built huts for them. They were a part of his life, he recognized that the physical world is here for us to use and elevate it, but he kept it in perspective. He did not allow the materialistic "realities" of daily life interfere with his true goals in this world.

The story is told of the person who opened a factory for manufacturing galoshes. Before long he was spending all of his time immersed in his new and flourishing business. When he came to visit his Rabbi, to ask for a blessing, the Sage told him "I've seen people put their feet into galoshes; but a head in galoshes...?"

We all live physical lives. We are involved in the realities of life. Yet we are charged with the mission of elevating the physical, using it as a means to an end rather than an end in itself. We do not need our heads in the galoshes as well!

Shabbat Shalom