Quick VaYeitzei Thought
Rabbi Yudi Shmuelevitz told me the following in the name of his uncle, Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz. Vayeitzei is the only parsha which has no spaces in it. Vayeitzei tells the story of Yaakov Avinu and the tribulations he experienced. If one were to pause along the way one would feel sorry for the terrible situations Yaakov endured. But the end of the parsha is that he was the father of the twelve Shevatim. You need to look at the whole picture in order to appreciate that all is for the best, as all is from G-d. This is the lesson of the fact that this story is told without a pause. So too with our lives, we need to look at the big picture rather than the little pieces for things to make more sense.
2 Comments:
Perhaps the lesson is that when you're suffering, there are no breaks, that's all you can think about, it seems like it will never end.
Thing is, there was a lot of good stuff that happened to Yaakov in this parsha too. He married (four times!), fathered 12 children (plus the twins), became a very wealthy man, received Divine promises for himself and his offspring, merited prophecy on several occasions. So it's difficult to see the portion as a litany of Yaakov's woes.
I think what you're saying fits - there was good, but all the marrying and children were bittersweet (look at the reasons behind the names of the children, and the story behind the marriages).
I think what you said about suffering feeling like it has no break is wise. And the idea of in general lookng at the big picture.
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