The Returning Strength of Jacob

Parshas Vayeitzei

Posted on November 14, 2018 (5779) By Rabbi Berel Wein | Series: Rabbi Wein | Level: Beginner

 

Our father Jacob was a very strong and physically powerful person. We read of his physical prowess in his previous encounter with the shepherds of Haran and later of his wrestling match with the angel of Esav, at the river of Yaabok. His sons, though young in years, are also very powerful and strong physically and filled with self-confidence, without fear of confronting dangerous enemies. We will see that his two sons, Shimon and Levi, destroy the city of Shechem in their rage and sense of justified revenge for the behavior against their sister Dena. And according to Jewish legend, as quoted by Ramban in his commentary, Jacob engaged in many battles against hostile tribes after entering the Land of Israel.

And yet the overall picture of our father Jacob that emerges from the narrative recorded in the Torah is one of appeasement and an avoidance of confrontation at almost all costs. He allows both Lavan and Esav to threaten him and, in effect, he chooses to buy them off with words and gifts. There is little evidence of the true strength and power of Jacob in the Torah narrative itself. It is obvious that that there is a dual nature present in the portrait that the Torah describes regarding our father Jacob. And there is a profound lesson present in that purposeful presentation that the Torah has made for us to learn and follow.

We are all aware that the narrative regarding the lives and experiences of our patriarchs and matriarchs is meant to be instructive, as are all the events in Jewish history. During first and second Temple times, when the Jewish people had national sovereignty, they engaged in many wars and battles and were well known throughout the area as a fierce foe. As a matter of fact, Josephus records that the wars of the Jews were the most fearsome in the history of the Roman Legions.

However, after the destruction of the second Temple and the rise of Christianity and later Islam, the Jews became a persecuted minority and almost powerless in terms of physical strength. The entire history of the exile is how the Jewish people lived by their wits, with low profiles and with appeasement of their enemies. Since the exile has lasted for such a long time, this attitude and self-assessment became ingrained in the Jewish psyche. It is only when the depths of despair of the Jewish exile was reached through the Holocaust that the situation of Jewish self assessment and self assertion began to change.

The creation of the State of Israel is undoubtedly the catalyst for this change. The success of the Jewish State, far beyond even the wildest hopes of previous generations, has emboldened Jewish life throughout the world. It has enabled Jews to become publicly Jewish and observant even while holding high office in non-Jewish societies and countries. It is the time of the children of Jacob reasserting themselves in pride and strength. May it continue to embed itself in the brains and hearts of Jews.

 

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Berel Wein

 

 

 

Today Depends on Tomorrow

Parshas Vayeitzei

Posted on November 9, 2010 (5771) By Rabbi Berel Wein | Series: Rabbi Wein | Level: Beginner

The story of our father Yaakov, as portrayed in this week’s parsha, is certainly the harbinger of all of the Jewish story in the long centuries of our exile and dispersion. Yaakov arrives penniless and persecuted – a survivor from the ravages of the enmity and sword of Eisav. He is subjected to further humiliation and discrimination in the house of his erstwhile father-in-law and employer Lavan who exploits his talents and labor to the fullest.

In spite of this unfair treatment, Yaakov prospers and builds a family and future for himself. Yaakov’s success in the face of overwhelmingly negative circumstances only enrages Lavan and his sons and Yaakov is eventually forced to flee and return to the Land of Israel. Here, he will again encounter enmity and great challenges to the survival of his family and himself.

Through all of this tumult and danger Yaakov perseveres and succeeds in building a family that will develop into an eternal and holy nation. And this is pretty much the story of the Jewish people over its over three millennia of existence. No other people or group of immigrants has ever done so much for its host nation as have the Jews. Yet, in the main, their efforts and achievements have been unrewarded if not even resented.

This phenomenon of ingratitude is Lavan’s inheritance bequeathed in full measure to the non-Jewish world generally. The Jew may be elevated, exploited, rewarded or persecuted but rarely if ever is he truly appreciated. The world has a mental block against truly appreciating the role of the Jew in the progress of civilization. And in our current world, that mental block has been extended to focus mainly on the Jewish state of Israel.

The secret of Yaakov’s ability to overcome Lavan, and to succeed in preserving the heritage of Avaraham and Yitzchak, lies in his constant recollection of the great dream that he dreamt at the beginning of his sojourn in exile. G-d’s presence in the house of Yaakov was a palpable one. He always felt G-d’s presence over him and thus his vision of the long game that he was to play triumphed over the near-sighted short game that Lavan always played. Yaakov, who is aware and confident in G-d’s promise that “I will be with you,” realizes that reversals and even tragedies are still only temporary events in the march of Jewish history.

It is the constant recollection of his great vision and dream that fuels Yaakov’s strength and sense of purpose. Lavan’s vision from Heaven is merely a warning not to further harm Yaakov. But he lacks grander visions – no ladders that can ascend heavenward and no sense of eternity. In this respect Lavan and Eisav resemble each other acutely. They are all about “now” – the additional pot of lentils and labor that can be squeezed out of the weak and defenseless with no thought about the ultimate future and the consequences of their behavior. Yaakov states that “tomorrow I will come into my reward” – Jews are concerned about their ultimate tomorrow and not just their today. He who is concerned about tomorrow is also successful today.

Shabbat shalom.

Rabbi Berel Wein