Make the Time to Build a Home
״….הפעם יזבלני אישי כי ילדתי לו ששה בנים ותקרא את שמו זבולון…״ – בראשית ל, כ
From now on, his principal residence (zevul) will be only with me, because I have as many sons as all his other wives combined. —Rashi
We similarly find that although Yaakov spent many years studying in the academies of Shem and Ever, yet his great years of success, when he became “extraordinarily and exceedingly prosperous (30:43)” – materially, and understandably, spiritually – were specifically when he was working and living with Lavan.
From here we see the unparalleled importance and value of a working person dedicating time in his day for Torah study. For the Torah, represented by Yaakov, does not have the “stability” of a permanent home, until it is hosted and accommodated in the busy schedule of the working person, Zevulun. The diligent Torah studies of those removed from worldly interaction do not have this promise of “tried and tested” stability. The strength and endurance of the Jews’ love for G-d and His Torah is revealed when a Jew who is occupied in worldly affairs nevertheless sets aside time for Torah study. Only then does the home that the Jew creates for G-d in this world pass the test of consistency and guarantee its permanence.
—Likutei Sichos vol. 30, pp. 137-140
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