My Most Favourite De...

My Most Favorite Devar Torah!

It was once asked what my favorite Dvar Torah was and I decided to post one I always remember - which is on this weeks parsha. I can't recall it fully and don't claim to know / understand its full depth ( a lot of kabbalistic ideas here), but it resonates within me, which is why I think it must be a favorite.

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In this weeks sedra, Yaakov leaves Israel (running from Esav) and is going to Canaan (looking for a wife).
You know the story - he lays down to sleep, has a dream about angels going up and down a ladder to heaven, and when he awakes, he finds that the 12 small stones he puts around his head to protect him, conglomerate into one big stone.

The verse says : (בראשית כח:טז)
וייקץ יעקב משנתו, ויאמר אכן יש ה' במקום הזה, ואנכי לא ידעתי


And Yaakov awakes from his sleep and says "Achein, yesh Hashem bamokom hazeh" - behold there is G-d in this place, "veAnochi lo yodaati" - and I did not know.

There are many things to say about this episode but this was one I had never seen/heard of before and haven't heard it since.

Reb Shimshon mi'Ostroplia says in Netzutzei Shimshon the following explanation:

The Kisay Hakovod - G-d's Throne of Glory, has four legs - each representing a different attribute, each represented by a different creation.

Yaakov previously understood there to be only 3 legs. Aryeh - a lion, Keruv - a cherub, an angel and Nesher - an eagle. When Yaacov was sleeping, he saw at the top of the ladder G-d's Throne. He saw the 3 legs Aryeh Keruv and Nesher, so when he awakes, he says אכן - A'ChaiN, if there is Aryeh, Kruv and Nesher, (the neumonic) "yesh Hashem bemakom hazeh", then there must be G-d in this place.

BUT he did not previously know of the fourth leg. The fourth leg has an image of Yaakov himself! Which is why he continues, and says but ואנכי לא ידעתי "ANoCheY, lo yodaati" but Areyeh, Nesher, Kruv and YAACOV - this, that I am the fourth side, this I did not know!

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Thinking about it now, I have no idea what it is really talking about, but it is one dvar Torah that I remember very clearly.