 |
| Jacob Meets Esau by Francesco Hayez |
This week’s Torah reading is the third weekly reading in what might be
called, ‘The Jacob Sequence.’ Once we
get into the patriarchal narratives in Genesis, there are several readings
where each patriarch, in turn, is the protagonist. Now we’re in the series dominated by the
third patriarch, Jacob. I looked back at
the assessments I gave you of Jacob’s character the last two weeks, and I
realised I have not been especially complimentary.
As I’ve said before,
all the patriarchs were flawed. That’s,
in a sense a part of the beauty and truth of Torah. It doesn’t whitewash the characters who are
supposed to be seen as the ‘heroes’ of the story. They weren’t perfect. But each was, in turn, the ‘Man of the Hour.’ Hashem takes such as are available, and
inspires them to greatness. Being
perfect is not a prerequisite for being a servant of G-d. And Jacob was no exception.
But if you read my
blog, then you saw my post from earlier this week where I wondered if I could
be given just a little slack. In the same
spirit, I’m ready to cut Jacob a little slack tonight.
Last week’s reading
began with Jacob having a dream, the so-called ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ dream. Troubled by his travails, he dreamt that
everything would turn out alright. It
gave him the courage to go on, the courage to do great things in Haran.
This week’s reading
begins with a nocturnal event, but it is not represented as a dream. Jacob spends the night wrestling with an
angel. Some of the Sages suggest that Jacob is actually wrestling with his own nature. At the end of this encounter, he
is given a new name, Israel. This name
can have a number of different meanings.
But the most verbatim is ‘He will strive with G-d.’ Our tradition reads this as a reflection that
the people Israel, taking its name from this patriarch, will make a calling of
serving G-d but never in a spirit of blind submission. Rather, the people who ultimately came to be
called ‘the Jews’ have made an eternal calling of struggling to understand and
agree with the Mind of G-d.
But the Rabbis don’t
think that Jacob had to struggle with his priorities. They look at him through a critical lens, and
they see him as being the worthier successor of his father’s legacy. Worthier than his older twin, Esau.
For example, look at
the encounter between the two brothers in this portion. Immediately after the night wrestling, Israel
has to survive an encounter with his twin whom he hasn’t seen in years. Esau is coming out to meet him in what is
clearly a military formation. Israel
cannot overpower his brother; he must somehow manage the encounter so that he
will survive and live to coexist with Esau in the land.
In that encounter,
Jacob sends forth a very generous tribute – a gift or a bribe – to his brother.
Esau does not want to accept it. He says “Yesh li rav,” meaning I
have plenty. Israel counters by begging
his brother to accept his tribute, telling him “Yesh li kol,” meaning I
have everything.
On the surface, it
might not look as if there’s much difference between I have plenty and I
have everything. But to Rashi, there’s
a big difference. He sees Esau’s
declaration as a boast, whilst Israel’s is a statement of contentment. Esau’s I have plenty means: “Who needs
your crummy gift??!” Israel’s response I
have everything means: “I am
satisfied with my lot.”
Our tradition has never
been one of asceticism. With few
exceptions, Jewish history has not known sects that eschew material pleasures. Our priests – and this may come as a surprise
to you – did not take vows of poverty as some, and only some, Catholic
priests do. And rabbis, the closest contemporary
parallel to the ancient priests, also do not.
That said, I recommend that any young Jew looking for a well-paying
career look anywhere but the rabbinate…
On the other hand, our
tradition has always recognised that the road to happiness is paved, in
part- with contentment with one’s lot. Mishnah
Avot asks: Mi ashir? Who is rich?
It provides the answer, and it isn’t The one with the yacht, the
showy decorator home, the Jaguar automobile and the seven-figure bank account. Rather, the answer is: Mi shesame’ach bechelko. The one who is happy with his lot. To be rich – in the only way that matters
– involves contentment with what one has achieved. Those who drip with expensive toys, are often
miserable in their lot. Perhaps it could
be said, usually. That’s not to
say that the wealthy have a monopoly on misery.
Plenty of poorer folk are also miserable. I suppose it can be said that it’s better to
be rich and miserable than poor and miserable.
But that distracts us from the whole point that we have an obligation
to be happy.
Israel was happy. Despite his travails – some of which being of
his own making – the sages saw him as being happy, as being contented. He was materially successful. But
that was not what he saw as bringing him his happiness. According to Tanna devei Eliyahu, a
midrashic text, Israel’s contentment was from his children. In his encounter with Esau, the older brother
looks at Israel’s children and asks: Who
are these? And Israel replies: The children, whom G-d has graciously
given to your servant. Our midrash
posits that it was from these children that Israel drew his contentment, not
from his material wealth. In this,
Israel had his priorities in order.
Jacob. He was flawed, like all of us. But he was great enough to become Israel. And he was imbued with so many positive traits
in the end, that he becomes the worthy successor of Abraham and Isaac. Shabbat Shalom.
No comments:
Post a Comment