Divrei Yechezkail Shraga: Vayeitzei: Raising Our Feet

The 6th of Kislev is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Yechezkel Shraga Lipshitz-Halberstam, the Stropkover Rebbe (1908-1994). Born in Stropkov, Czechoslovakia, to Rav Yissacher Dov Lifshitz of Ungvar. His paternal grandfather was Rav Rav Aryeh Leibush from Apta, the Yismach Tzadik, and his maternal grandfather was the Rebbe of Strpov, the Divrei Shalom, who was the son of the Divrei Yechezkel of Shinava, the eldest son of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz. Rav Yechezkel Shraga’s first public post was as Rav of Yablonka. After a few years there, he became dayan of Bergsas. During WW2, he was sent to Auschwitz, where his wife and five children perished. After the war, he moved to Eretz Yisrael. In 1954, upon the death of his uncle, Rav Menachem of Stropkov, and Rav Yechezkel was appointed Admor by the Sanz elders of Shinava and Stropkov. He authored Divrei Yechezkel.

“And Jacob lifted his feet.” This means that Jacob was able to raise even the lowest levels of service – the feet – into the heavenly realms. (Divrei Yechezkail Vayeitzei)

Application:
We often focus our efforts on the big things, the ‘important things’ that we do such as prayer, Mitzvot and Torah study. However, in order to begin to walk in the correct path, we must first learn to lift our feet and pay attention to the small things we do.