A Divine Presence

This week, Cincinnati got pretty cold. The weather experts say there’s a polar vortex moving through three quarters of the United States this week – well, I can tell. I’m bundling up on my walks to and from school, staying inside more than before, and using as many blankets as I can. Coffee serves a dual purpose in the morning now. I hold on to hugs for a few more seconds of body warmth sometimes…you get the point! “That’s great, Chelsea, but what does that have to do with the parsha?” you ask…

Parashat Vayetzei opens in the first few verses by telling us that Jacob stopped somewhere along his way to Haran from Beersheba. All we know about his sleeping situation is that he took a rock and put it under his head to sleep. Whether he had another shelter is an open question. Today’s weather, though, makes me think about how much weather and outside factors can influence our daily life – especially if we are exposed to the elements several hours a day.

Modern interpretations of this scene often depict our forefather sleeping outside, with an image of his staircase of angels dream above his head, resting on a stone. For many people, this stirs a powerful image of G!d’s presence – and in fact, so too for Jacob: “Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the L!rd is in this place, and I did not know it.'” What a thought! Especially as my semester ends, I easily get bogged down in the daily work and worrying, easily forgetting that G!d is always present. This verse reminded me this week to look for G!d all around me, regardless of the circumstances.

The rest of the parsha moves quickly through the story of Laban, Leah, Zilpah, Rachel, and Bilhah. Jacob meets his family and wives, works for Laban, marries, has many children, and leaves his father-in-law. These stories are dramatic and memorable, and I am reminded this week how quickly they seem to pass by in the text. G!d is present in these stories and relationships, too, paving the way for Jacob’s journey and setting up a reconciliation for Jacob’s relationship with Esau (which will continue next week).

How is G!d present in your life right now?