Almost every Jew has seen representations of the Chagall
Windows. And every Jew who has managed
to travel to Israel, has probably made the mandatory stop at Hadassah Ein Kerem
Hospital in Jerusalem, to see the actual windows. Chagall’s stained glass creations, grace the
perimeter of the raised ceiling of the hospital’s chapel. When tourists visit, they usually wait for
and listen to the docent’s explanation of the history of the windows, and the
imagery thereon. Chagall, in carrying
out the commission from the hospital, illustrated in stained glass the
blessings that Jacob imparts to all his sons in this week’s Torah reading.
Last night, I talked
about the blessings Jacob conferred upon his two grandsons, the sons of Joseph. I talked about how we can take that he
deliberately blessed them in contravention of the law and custom concerning
birth order. But those were not the only
blessings Jacob confers in this week’s portion.
That was in the 48th chapter of Genesis. Immediately afterward in the narrative, in
Chapter 49, Jacob blesses all twelve of his sons.
This is important
business, this blessing of our children.
When our group in Southport gathers for Shabbat at the Levy home, we
seldom have multiple generations of one family present. We therefore just bless one another as
friends. We do it light-heartedly,
evoking smiles and laughter. Nothing
wrong with that. But when parents bless
their own children publicly, it is powerful.
It is definitely not just a rote ritual. In the synagogue in Clara’s moshav in
Israel, it is a very moving moment. At
the end of the Friday evening service, all the men whose children are present,
gather them around and bless them. It’s
according to the same script we use. But
there is a deeper dimension in the ritual that is easily discernable.
The ritual is
repeated after walking home from the synagogue.
The father of the house – in this case Clara’s father Vito may he rest
in peace – would individually bless each member of the household. This repetition wasn’t public but it
was moving nonetheless.
In this context, we
see that the blessing of children is serious business.
And the blessings
that Jacob imparts to his sons in this chapter, are nothing if not
serious. In fact, several of them seem
more like curses! For example, Reuben: Water-like impetuousity – you cannot be
foremost, because you mounted your father’s bed; then you desecrated him who
ascended my couch. And then, Simeon
and Levi. Accursed is their rage, for
it is intense, and their wrath for it is harsh.
And so on. A number of the
sons’ blessings, hardly sound like blessings.
They sound more like Jacob is dumping a pail of cold water known as reality,
over the sons’ heads.
But remember the drash about the
meaning of the Four Species? You know,
the four species that we carry and wave during the festival of Sukkot? (Come on, it wasn’t that long
ago…) I’ll refresh your memory. The lulav has taste but no smell,
symbolizing those who study Torah but do not possess good deeds. The hadass has good smell but no taste,
symbolizing those who possess good deeds but do not study Torah. The aravah has neither taste nor smell,
symbolizing those who lack both Torah and good deeds. The Etrog has good taste and good smell,
symbolizing those who have both Torah and good deeds. When we take them up together, we symbolize
that the people Israel is made up of individuals who possess different
qualities and who all, each in his own way, bless one another.
This drash doesn’t really tell the
whole story. Of course it is best
to possess both Torah and good deeds, and it is not desirable that one lack
both Torah and good deeds. But even the
one who is like the aravah, the willow, has a function and is able to bless
their fellow Jew. Even when a member of
the family does not live up to the aspirations we hold for them, they are not
to be discounted. As Mishnah Avot
reminds us: Who is wise? The one who learns from every one. Each one of us has something important to
share with others. For some, it’s in the
realm of Torah knowledge. For some, it’s
good deeds. For some, it’s both. And for some, outwardly lacking both, there
is a lesson on the importance of the two.
Each one of us has something unique
that we bring to the table. The
stereotyped Jewish parent aspires for each of his children to obtain a
profession that will give the child a generous income and elevate their
status. Therefore, a doctor is likely
the parent’s first choice. A lawyer
probably the second. An accountant,
third. And so on. But not every Jewish child is capable of, or
wants to obtain one of the professions from this narrow list. Most Jewish parents probably don’t aspire for
their children to grow up to be tradies.
But…as soon as the parent has an electrical malfunction in the house, they
will appreciate the child who became an electrician! Et cetera.
Even when our aspirations are not met, each one of our children –
whatever their life choices – will ultimately be in the position to bless the
parent in partial recompense to the blessing which flowed the other way.
In this context, we can see Jacob’s
blessings to his 12 sons, as something other than curses. Each one of them, and the tribe that springs
from his loins, will in the end bless the other siblings and their progeny as
they gel into the people Israel, a people with a mission among the peoples of
the world that transcends their meager numbers and meager possession of the
usual measures of greatness. And yet,
Israel does become a great nation.
We see proof of this even today, as our significance is way out of the
proportion that our numbers and power would imply.
With this in mind, we can read these
blessings differently. Not every child
is destined for leadership. But each has
a unique potential that can be identified and unleashed. Each member of the people Israel has a
blessing to impart to the rest. Let it be
our lifelong quest to identify, and unleash it.
Shabbat shalom.
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