Spiritual Homing: Dorothy of Kansas and Jacob of Be'er Sheva (Vayetzei 5774)

Dorothy Costume Dress Sells for $480,000

When I was little this was the season for airing The Wizard of Oz on broadcast television (November or December in the late 1950s, early 1960s).  Dorothy's journey along the spiral-shaped yellow brick road both inspired my imagination and left me afraid of flying monkeys and apple-throwing trees for years to come. 

Spiritual journeys and life journeys are complicated like that -- both liberating and scary, celebrating the unique features of someplace new and longing for familiar comfort of "there's no place like home."  The archetype spiritual journey transforms our perspective even when do not change our physical location.  Or in Henry Miller's words, 'one's destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things." ("Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch, p. 26) 

This may be even more the case when the spiritual journey returns us precisely to the physical location from which we began. (Think Dorothy and the Kansas farmhouse.) This sentiment is amplified by T.S. Eliot, "the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."  (Little Gidding in "Four Quartets")  This also resonates with a reading of Jacob's journey in this week's Torah portion, Vayetzei (lit. "he went out") -- a journey guided by dreams and divine blessing.

After Jacob leaves the sheltered protection of his father’s house, Jacob finds himself on a physical and spiritual journey. Until this moment he has not encountered many obstacles in his life.  His journey begins in fear as he flees his brother's anger over Jacob's deception in obtaining their father's blessing. Nearly paralyzed by fear, however, Jacob encounters the divine promise of blessings and protection throughout his journey and beyond.  

But rather than receive this divine promise of blessing and protection with gratitude or relief Jacob asks for more. He asks “give me bread to eat and clothes to wear.” (Genesis 28:20)  It is a puzzling request.  Doesn't he believe that divine protection includes food and clothing?!?  And why does Jacob need to specify how food and clothing will be used? 

What other uses are there for food and clothing if not for nourishment and protection?  In an all-too material world there are plenty of other uses. Consider that at a recent auction pieces of royal wedding cakes sold for princely sums: Prince William and Kate Middleton's cake sold for $7,500 while Prince Charles and Princess Diana's cake sold for $1,375.  And the now faded blue gingham dress worn by Dorothy in the "Wizard of Oz" fetched $480,000.

Perhaps, Jacob fears his journey will take him toward places where materialism is celebrated and authenticity is depreciated. As my colleague Rabbi Naftali Reich writes, Jacob "prayed that in his encounter with materialism he should never lose sight of the true purpose of the material world. Bread is for eating, and clothes are for wearing. They are not to be valued for themselves and accumulated and hoarded until they become the very purpose of life. He prayed that he would return to his father’s house 'at peace' with himself, protected physically but also complete spiritually."  

For Jacob leaving Be'er Sheva, as for Dorothy "leaving" Kansas, this is a type of spiritual "homing" -- returning home after traveling far away.  Jacob, like Dorothy, seeks the strength to stay true to his home-values -- appreciating food for its capacity to nourish and clothing for its capacity to protect and keep warm.  He is asking for the wisdom to avoid distorting the value of material items.  

Another aspect of spiritual homing is that Jacob knows the divine promise of blessing is complete for himself, but is asking more for others.  When Jacob asks for food to eat and clothes to wear, he is not asking for himself but rather for those who are vulnerable and in need.  Perhaps, like Dorothy, Jacob's spiritual journey cannot be completed unless he works to help others fulfill their needs along the way.

May we each have enough wisdom and strength on our spiritual journeys to act in integrity with our values, to help others fulfill their needs, and to find our way safely home.