Thus confident of G‑d’s protection, Jacob set out for Aram.
The Source of Confidence and Joy
וַיִּשָּׂא יַעֲקֹב רַגְלָיו וַיֵּלֶךְ אַרְצָה בְנֵי קֶדֶם:
(בראשית כט:א)
Light of foot, Jacob set out for the land of the people who lived to the east.
Genesis 29:1
Even though Jacob was on his way to enter a spiritually dangerous environment, his joy in fulfilling his Divine mission and trust in G‑d’s protection permeated his entire being, down to his feet.1 Following Jacob’s example, we can adopt the same joyful and confident attitude when we set out to tackle life’s numerous daily, mundane activities, even though they may not seem as spiritual. The key is to make sure beforehand that, like Jacob, we are properly nourished (by studying the Torah), properly clothed (by observing G‑d’s commandments), and properly focused on our goal (of making the world into G‑d’s home).2
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