There are moments when life gently guides us forward, and moments when it pushes us out the door.
Parshas Vayeitzei begins with one of the most defining steps ever taken:
“Vayeitzei Yaakov” — “And Jacob went out” (Bereishis/Genesis 28:10).
He didn’t leave because he was ready.
He left because he had to.
Esav wanted to kill him. His parents told him to flee. And suddenly, the boy who grew up surrounded by holiness, warmth, and clarity was forced into a world of chaos, deception, and uncertainty.
Sound familiar?
We all face moments where we’re thrust out of our comfort zone:
A career change
A crisis
A loss
A move
A difficult transition
A new role we didn’t feel prepared for
For many of the people we serve in law enforcement, the military, public safety, and even within our own communities, the mission often begins not with confidence but with disruption.
And yet, this is exactly where greatness begins.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that Yaakov did not “run away.”
The Torah doesn’t say vayanus — he escaped.
It says vayeitzei — he went out.
A completely different message.
Yaakov’s departure wasn’t a retreat. It was a mission.
He wasn’t running from something; he was traveling toward something.
Sometimes the disruption in your life is not a breakdown; it's a deployment.
G-d closes one door only so you will walk through another, the one that leads to your purpose.
That night, sleeping on stones, Yaakov dreams of a ladder reaching to Heaven:
“A ladder standing on the ground, and its top reached the heavens.”
(Bereishis/Genesis 28:12).
The timing is everything.
He doesn’t see the ladder while he is still safe in his parents’ home.
He sees it only after he leaves, only once he's in motion, only when everything familiar disappears.
Why?
Because when life throws us into uncertainty, we are finally open enough to see the spiritual path that was there all along.
The ladder teaches us:
Your actions on earth reach Heaven
Every small step matters
G-d sends “angels” — help you didn’t expect — once you start moving.
But most of all:
The ladder appears only when you take the first step into the unknown.
Yaakov arrives in Charan — a corrupt, spiritually dark environment.
And yet, he builds:
A family
A nation
The foundations of the Jewish people
In the least ideal conditions.
This is one of the most powerful messages of the parsha:
You don’t need perfect conditions to pursue your mission. All you require is purpose, integrity, and the courage to begin.
This captures the core of the SoulLinks mission: bringing light to places where others might not even think light can reach.
Everyone experiences a Vayeitzei moment, when life forces you out of your comfort zone.
Maybe:
A job ended
A relationship shifted
A role changed
You were given responsibilities you didn’t expect
You were called to step up for others.
When you encounter those moments, it doesn’t mean you've been pushed off your path.
It means you’ve reached the next step in your purpose.
Your ladder may not be visible yet.
The angels may not have appeared.
The destination may not be clear.
But like Yaakov, your mission begins the moment you step forward.
When Yaakov wakes from his dream, he says:
“Indeed, G-d is in this place, and I did not know.”
(Bereishis/Genesis 28:16).
Sometimes the situations we fear the most become the moments when we find G-d, meaning, and purpose.
May this week empower each of us to walk into the unknown with strength, clarity, and courage, knowing that our steps are guided, our mission is meaningful, and our journey is never alone.