The Ladder of Wealth

Jacob dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set earthward, and its top reached Heavenward. [Gen 28:12]

Jacob dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set earthward, and its top reached Heavenward. [Gen 28:12]A wooden ladder with ten identical rungs was leaning against the side of a house. The top rung looked down on the rungs below it - especially the lowest one.

"As you can see" boasted the top rung, "the owner of the house has set me above you because of my superiority."

A passer-by overheard and quickly turned the ladder upside-down. Now the former top rung could boast no longer. The new top rung, too, refrained from boasting - for fear that the same fate might befall it.

The ladder is a metaphor for money. In Hebrew the two words (ladder) סולם and (money) ממון are numerically equal.

Don't let wealth make you arrogant. Remember that the ladder of wealth can be turned upside down in a minute.

The ladder is "set earthward" - it looks to people as if their efforts at business or professions bring them wealth. But in reality, "its top reaches Heavenward" - it is G-d who decides whether a person will make money or lose it.

Source: from the writings of the Ben Ish Chai  from Shirat Devorah

Korach questioned the authority of Moshe Rabenu

When Korach questioned the authority of Moshe Rabenu he thought that he knew more then Moshe. We learn from this that if we have a question about something we are learning it is important to act from humility and admit that we do not understand, rather then thinking that we know better.

from the Shiur on Naaleh:
Parshat Korach: Well Grounded
Teacher: Mrs. Shira Smiles
Class: Parsha for Our Lives 5770

Hidden Truth

When a Talmud Hacham teaches a little boy Torah, he simplifies it in such a way that the boy will understand it. This does not mean that the simple Torah that he is teaching him is the whole truth, it is just that in order for him to understand it, the Talmud Hacham has to "hide" parts of it.
When Hashem, who is infinite, wants us to understand Torah concepts, Hashem simplifies things in such a way that we are able to absorb it. When we experience Hashem's truths, it is important for us to understand, that we are only seeing a small part of Hashem's truth.

From a Shiur on Naaleh:Seeking G-d Teacher: Rabbi Moshe Weinberger

Sometimes we feel like a great black cloud has lifted as we experience growth through the 12 steps, and that we know so much. We have to remember that we are only seeing a crumb of truth.

Humility brings Bitachon

If a person has doubts about Hashem, don't work on your doubt, work on your humility. Hashem says that a haughty person can not live in the same world with Hashem.  This means that a haughty person is in a black hole that causes doubts.  If a person is humble, they will see the greatness of this world and all of the good that Hashem created. Real humility means that you recognize your greatness, but you also recognize that it comes from Hashem.

from the Shiur:

Parshat Tazria & Metzora: Profound Purity

Teacher: Mrs. Shira Smiles Class: Parsha for Our Lives 5770

As I walk around looking like a new person (half the size), people stop me to make a fuss.  It is important to remember that it was not me.  I never could have lost this weight by myself, it is not me, it is only because Hashem helped me to find OA and become abstinent and stay that way.

The wisdom of the Torah is God's but no one can partake of it without a rebbe to serve it to him.

Though the wine belongs to the king, those who drink it are grateful nonetheless to the waiter and not to the king, as it says, "for Moshe placed his hands upon him"- the wisdom and greatness of Yehoshua are considered as if they were given by Moshe to Yehoshua, while in fact they came from God (Rashi -Bava Kamma 92b)

The lesson here is that since the wine previously mentioned belongs to the king, no one can possibly take any himself, rather one is dependent on the waiter to bring it from the wine cellar and serve him. So, too, the wisdom of the Torah is God's but no one can partake of it without a rebbe to serve it to him. Thus the rebbe is indispensable and one is indebted to him, the the wisdom is Hashem's. Reb Chaim's Discuourses (Reb Chaim Shmulevitz ztl) p 158

All to often we think that we can get where we need to go without guidance. We have to turn to our Rabbis for wisdom, in OA we have to turn to our sponsor. I see so many people who think that they know better then anyone else, and they wind up very far from where they want to be. We have to be humble, turn to our rebbi, and accept guidance.

Pesach is a time for humility.

From the Shiur
Pesach: Redemption through Faith
Teacher: Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller


Pesach is a time of humility. The Matzah is a bread without yeast. It is not puffed up. We have to try to conduct ourselves with humility while preparing for Pesach.

None of this I'm frummer then you because we keep more Chumras.