Vayetze 5754
This weeks Parasha tells the story of the flight of Jacob and the experience that he had
on the way: "He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the
sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down
in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it
reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the
Lord stood beside him and said, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and
the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and
your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the
west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth
shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you
wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I
have done what I have promised you." Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said,
"Surely the Lord is in this place--and I did not know it!" And he was afraid,
and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and
this is the gate of heaven." This last verse reads,in the Hebrew, "ma nora
hamakom haze, eyn ze ki im beyt elohim, veze sha'ar hashama'yim." [Gen. 28:11:18 ]
Now, it is easy enough to think that Jacob was
impressed, but here we have more than just that. We may ask, precisely where was this
awesome place which Jacob, upon awakening, would call "the abode of God" and
"the gateway to heaven"? We ask, but the Torah is consistently indifferent -- it
won't answer. Rashi tries to help. He notes that grammatically the noun is accompanied by
a definite article: Ha-makom, literally "he came upon the place," and goes on to
suggest that it must be a place already mentioned by the Torah. Accordingly, Rashi
identifies "the palce" with the mountain upon which Abraham was ready to
sacrifice Isaac, since the word 'hamakom' appears in both verses (Gen. 22:4). Reflecting
rabbinic tradition throughout, Rashi then concludes (in Gen. 28:17) that indeed this spot
was the Temple Mount in Jerusalem which truly linked heaven and earth. In short, long
after the destruction of the second Temple, the rabbis deepened the sanctity of Jerusalem
and the Temple Mount by making them the locus of the two narratives in Genesis."
Khesed Avraham -- the "righteous act of Abraham" becomes also khalom ya'akov --
"the dream of Jacob."
However, they may have wronged the spirit of both stories, which is cast in the most
general terms. In the case of Jacob, about to go into exile, the force of the unspecified
place is to assure Jacob that God’s presence is not restricted to a single holy site
or even the entire promised land. God would accompany and protect him beyond the borders
back in Haran. The impulse to create a sacred piece of real estate ran counter to the
message that God is universally accessible. Closer to the spirit of Genesis is the lesson
taught by Rabban Gamliel not long after the Roman victory in 70 C.E.: "Why did God
choose to reveal Himself to Moses in a lowly burning bush? To make the point that there is
no place on earth which is devoid of God’s presence."
The Scriptures contain some 70different names for God, many of which we do not know and do
not pronounce; rabbinic literature adds another 90 or more and no one as yet has bothered
to tally the number added by Jewish mystics. Yet, maybe the most profound is the name that
we can pronounce and write, and the most pious announce to one and all -- it is 'hamakom'
-- you guessed it, 'the place!'
God is here perceived as the space in which the universe exists. God is neither outside
the world nor a resident within it; the world constitutes a part of God. Transcending both
gender and image, the conception expresses the grandeur and austerity of Jewish
monotheism. It has the capacity to do justice to a universe more than 15 billion years old
and still expanding.
We extend our sympathy to mourners in their moment of intense grief during the funeral and
the period of 'shiv'a.' The words we use to console the mourners are, "May the
All-encompassing One comfort you among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem -- hamakom
yenakhem etkhem betokh she'ar veley tzi'yon vyrushala'yim." The divine name that we
employ in this consolation is 'Hamakom.' The words stress that whatever the loss, the
bereaved are not alone. Others in Israel have also been afflicted. And God shares their
pain. No house of mourning, no place of suffering is without God’s presence. God
softens the anguish of a community joined by fate and faith.
The challenge of viewing God as 'Hamakom' is to recognize God in the ordinary and every
day. Our inclination to be awed only by the extraordinary dulls our senses to the miracles
that surround us. Let us look around us and recognize that this is the place, even as
father Jacob did. And may blessings and love flow from Hamakom, and fill all of us and all
of our important places.
Amen
5755
This week we read in the Torah the story of the flight of Jacob from his parent's home.
Ostensibly he goes to find a wife in Aram, but in fact, he must escape the danger of the
wrath of his brother Esau -- who feels that he had been cheated by Jacob twice. We don't
really know very much about Jacob -- or do we? The Torah tells us that he was "a
quiet man, living in tents." We know that he used to cook -- as we read that he
"cooked pottage; and Esau came from the field, and he was famished." We also
know that he wanted to be the "first son" -- so that he made a bargain with his
brother, who "sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of
lentils." We know that he listened to his mother and "pulled a trick" on
his father to receive the blessing Yitzkhak wanted to give to Esau. We know that he left
home with blessings -- and little else. The scion of a rich father and grandfather was
allowed to leave home and travle as a penniless fugitive. Does this picture engender great
pride in us for our third (and last) patriarch? We need to learn more about him!
The text of the Torah tells us that he came to a point in his flight when he was totally
exhausted. He took "of the stones of that place," and put them under his head
for his pillows, as he lay down in that place to sleep. He had to be very tired to fall
asleep on a pile of rocks -- and should have had nothing but discomfort and nightmares,
too. Instead, though, he had a dream -- nay, a vision: he saw "a ladder set up on the
earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and
descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of
Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, to you will I give
it, and to your seed; And your seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and you shall
spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south; and in you
and in your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with
you, and will keep you in all places where you go, and will bring you back to this land;
for I will not leave you, until I have done that about which I have spoken to you."
[Gen 28:12-16]
Would you not think that this experience, based on what we already know of Jacob, should
have made him feel very fortunate, and possibly even a little superior to those around
him? Yet, here we begin to see and understand what manner of man Jacob really is. The text
tells us, "then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, 'Surely the Lord is in this
place--and I did not know it!' And he was afraid, and said, 'How awesome is this place!
This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.'" [Gen
28:16,17] Certainly Jacob is properly impressed by his vision. His reaction, though, is a
total surprise to us.
Jacob could have gone on his way with a self satisfaction that borders on arrogance,
"God is with me and I cannot fail." Yet, instead we read his words, "If God
will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat,
and garment to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace; then shall
the Lord be my God..." [Gen 28:20,21] What kind of a reaction is this? God has
promised him possession of the entire land, and a large family, and fame and fortune that
will make him "a blessing" -- and all he asks is for is " bread to eat, and
garment to put on?"
The sages explain this by saying that the bread is Torah, God's teaching, as we read in
Proverbs (9:5), "Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mixed.
Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding." As for the
garment, the sages tell us that it is the Talit, the prayershawl, which is the mantle of
Mitzvot, the deeds that follow from the study of Torah. Thus we understand that Jacob
realizes that the promise of God is meaningless if his seed will not follow in the path of
his father Yitzkhak and his grandfather Abraham. Just as Solomon was to plead with God,
(Kings I 3:9) "Give therefore your servant an understanding heart to judge your
people, that I may discern between good and bad," so, also, Jacob is asking God to
keep him faithful and true to his roots in the midst of the people that he will come
across in his travels. He knows that none of them will share his faith, and he knows that
the temptation to conform will be great. With the "bread" of Torah and the
"garment" of mitzvot he is guaranteed to retain his identity -- and maybe he
knows intuitively God's reply to Solomon: "Because you have asked this, and have not
asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked
for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I now do according to your word.
Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind... I give you also what you have not asked,
both riches and honor all your life..." [I Kings 3:11-13]
So Jacob, the third patriarch, progenitor of Solomon and of his father David, shall
prosper in all he does.
Amen
5756
This week we read in the Torah about the "coming of age" of the third,
and in some ways the most important patriarch of the Children of Israel. The
reading begins in chapter 28, verse ten: "And Jacob went out from Beersheba,
and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and remained there
all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place,
and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed,
and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven;
and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the
Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham your father, and
the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, to you will I give it, and to your
seed; And your seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and you shall spread
abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south; and
in you and in your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And,
behold, I am with you, and will keep you in all places where you go, and will
bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you, until I have done that
about which I have spoken to you. And Jacob awoke from his sleep, and he said,
Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and
said, How awesome is this place! this is no other but the house of God, and
this is the gate of heaven." [Gen 28:10-17]
Jacob was well aware of his heritage. Later in the portion we read this week,
when he leaves his father in law’s household in haste and is confronted
by Laban in a possible hostile manner, Jacob says to him, "Except the God
of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely
you would have sent me away now empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor
of my hands, and rebuked you last night." [Gen 31:42] This name, "the
fear of Isaac," is obviously a reference to the Akeda, the binding of his
father by his grandfather upon the altar on Mount Moriah. If Jacob was aware
of this, he must have also known with a certainty that "grandpa" pronounced
the mountain a holy sight, "And Abraham called the name of that place Adonai-Yireh;
as it is said to this day, In the Mount of the Lord it shall be seen."
[Gen 22:14] However, the place where Yaakov goes to sleep for the night is not
at Mount Moriah – but rather a place called "Luz," which Jacob
renames "Beit El" after his night's experience We are left with two
questions: Why didn’t Jacob stop in the place where his grandfather offered
his father to God – and why was he so afraid of the place and found it
to be so awesome.
The sages of Judaism explained that Jacob was escaping from his enemy, Esau,
and did not have time to make a ‘detour’ to visit a shrine set up
by Abraham. None the less, he was beset by great sorrow because he missed visiting
that place – in the same way that generation upon generation of faithful
Jews lived in constant sorrow because they could not go and visit the temple
(which was built on Mount Moriah) and offer a sacrifice to God. The sages told
the Jews that Rabbi Yokhanan ben Zaka’i had ruled that "Gmilut Khassadim,"
the doing of acts of loving kindness, was the equivalent of offering sacrifices
in the temple – thus making possible Judaism's continuity after the temple
was destroyed. Jacob’s flight from his brother and his night at Luz gave
the sages another lesson to teach: Mount Moriah, and the Temple that stood upon
it, can "move" from place to place.
Abraham fixed "the place where God is seen" to be Mount Moriah. Jacob
knows this. Jacob misses Moriah and travels’ on to Luz. He goes to sleep
at night, and lo and behold, the place where he lays his head becomes "the
place where God is seen." Does this negate Abraham’s shrine? Not at
all! The sages declare that God moved the mountain to accomodate Jacob. Yes,
this is precisely and exactly the fulfillment of the saying, "If Mohammed
can’t come to the mountain – the mountain will come to Mohammed."
Only it is not Mohammed – it is Jacob for whom the mountain moves! The
sages teach many a lesson based upon this interpretation of the reaction of
Jacob to what he has seen. For one thing, there is a lesson about saving one’s
life.
Jacob is the first "Jew" who lived after the events of the Akeda –
and upon whom it wouldhave been incumbent to visit that place and worship there.
Yet he does not, because his life is in danger. The lesson we learn is that
"fulfilling one’s religious duty" is delayed when life is in
danger. The second lesson is that when we have "kavanah" – which
is purpose and devotion – we can "move mountains," which is to
say that we can do almost everything.
Now, once asleep, Jacob had a dream, which is described in the words, "And
he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached
to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it."
[Gen 28:12] The sages ask, "how was the ladder set up – straight up,
or on a slant?" They have an answer , to be sure -- and that is the reason
they ask. They say, if the ladder was straight, you would not be able to see
"angels" -- but only one angel, as the one on the bottom would hide
all the others. Therefore we must assume that the ladder was on a slant. The
sages view the ladder as a way for all mankind of ascending from the "physical"
to the spiritual life. What is this kind of a tool of ascent called? I hope
you guessed it! It is called "Torah!" Each rung on the ladder is a
higher level in Torah erudition and spiritual development. If the ladder is
straight, each rung directly above its predecessor, it reflects merely a higher
level, not a distinct one. Since they are all in the same line, on the same
plane, they are not different from one another—only higher, loftier. However,
if the ladder is on a slant, each rung is in its own plane. Each is distinct
from the preceding rung, not only in height, but also in position. It is as
if each rung has its own very special and unique position in space and time,
and consequently its own character. Likewise, as each one of us grows in knowledge
and fulfillment of Torah, we are spirituality elevated, and we become totally
new individuals.
Our sages tell us that if the previous generation can be likened to angels,
then we are like humans. If we view them as humans, then we are no more than
donkeys. As one grows spiritually, one becomes a new being. As one grows above
his peers, he becomes a new personality, one totally distinct from his previous
self. Nor is it simply a matter of quantity—the Torah scholar does not
just happens to know more, he has acquired a greater and more profound knowledge
of Torah, which has changed him and his total life experience. Therefore, he
is on a totally different plane than his counterpart, a position that the unlearned
person just does not comprehend.
Furthermore, when a ladder is standing straight, each rung "sees"
only the one rung just above it. It will therefore perceive a distinction between
two—one is on a higher level than the other. That may make a person complacent,
thinking that there is one challenge left to ‘learn," and why should
one bother. When a ladder is on a slant, however, the lower rung can see a whole
"staircase" of possibilities for reaching higher and higher -- and
with the road thus "mapped out" for him, he will begin an ascent of
discovery and growth. The Jew is challenged to study and appreciate the beauty
and profundity of Torah, to join all those who have mastered and excelled in
Torah throughout the ages. As one ascends the ladder of Torah and mitzvot, one
undergoes a transformation with each step. The very process is uplifting and
ennobling. Ashrey mi she’amal baTorah, happy are those who labor in Torah,
vyhi hashem menat khelkam – for the Lord shall be his portion. We are blessed
with patriarchs such as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – but their nobility is
only maintained by those who labor, even as they did, to do God’s will
and serve His purposes. Amen
5757
This week we read in the Torah about the "coming
of age" of the third, and in some ways the most important patriarch of
the Children of Israel. The reading begins in chapter 28, verse ten: "And
Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a
certain place, and remained there all night, because the sun was set; and he
took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down
in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth,
and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending
and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the
Lord God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac; the land on which you
lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed; And your seed shall be as the
dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west, and to the east,
and to the north, and to the south; and in you and in your seed shall all the
families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with you, and will keep
you in all places where you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I
will not leave you, until I have done that about which I have spoken to you.
And Jacob awoke from his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place;
and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How awesome is this place! this
is no other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." [Gen
28:10-17]
Jacob was well aware of his heritage. Later in the portion we read this week,
when he leaves his father in law's household in haste and is confronted by Laban
in a possible hostile manner, Jacob says to him, "Except the God of my
father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely
you would have sent me away now empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor
of my hands, and rebuked you last night." [Gen 31:42] This name, "the
fear of Isaac," is obviously a reference to the Akeda, the binding of his
father by his grandfather upon the altar on Mount Moriah. If Jacob was aware
of this, he must have also known with a certainty that "grandpa" pronounced
the mountain a holy sight, "And Abraham called the name of that place Adonai-Yireh;
as it is said to this day, In the Mount of the Lord it shall be seen."
[Gen 22:14] However, the place where Yaakov goes to sleep for the night is not
at Mount Moriah – but rather a place called "Luz," which Jacob
renames "Beit El" after his night's experience We are left with two
questions: Why didn't Jacob stop in the place where his grandfather offered
his father to God – and why was he so afraid of the place and found it
to be so awesome.
The sages of Judaism explained that Jacob was escaping from his enemy, Esau,
and did not have time to make a ‘detour' to visit a shrine set up by Abraham.
None the less, he was beset by great sorrow because he missed visiting that
place – in the same way that generation upon generation of faithful Jews
lived in constant sorrow because they could not go and visit the temple (which
was built on Mount Moriah) and offer a sacrifice to God. The sages told the
Jews that Rabbi Yokhanan ben Zaka'i had ruled that "Gmilut Khassadim,"
the doing of acts of loving kindness, was the equivalent of offering sacrifices
in the temple – thus making possible Judaism's continuity after the temple
was destroyed. Jacob's flight from his brother and his night at Luz gave the
sages another lesson to teach: Mount Moriah, and the Temple that stood upon
it, can "move" from place to place.
Abraham fixed "the place where God is seen" to be Mount Moriah. Jacob
knows this. Jacob misses Moriah and travels' on to Luz. He goes to sleep at
night, and lo and behold, the place where he lays his head becomes "the
place where God is seen." Does this negate Abraham's shrine? Not at all!
The sages declare that God moved the mountain to accomodate Jacob. Yes, this
is precisely and exactly the fulfillment of the saying, "If Mohammed can't
come to the mountain – the mountain will come to Mohammed." Only it
is not Mohammed – it is Jacob for whom the mountain moves! The sages teach
many a lesson based upon this interpretation of the reaction of Jacob to what
he has seen. For one thing, there is a lesson about saving one's life.
Jacob is the first "Jew" who lived after the events of the Akeda –
and upon whom it wouldhave been incumbent to visit that place and worship there.
Yet he does not, because his life is in danger. The lesson we learn is that
"fulfilling one's religious duty" is delayed when life is in danger.
The second lesson is that when we have "kavanah" – which is purpose
and devotion – we can "move mountains," which is to say that
we can do almost everything.
Now, once asleep, Jacob had a dream, which is described in the words, "And
he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached
to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it."
[Gen 28:12] The sages ask, "how was the ladder set up – straight up,
or on a slant?" They have an answer , to be sure -- and that is the reason
they ask. They say, if the ladder was straight, you would not be able to see
"angels" -- but only one angel, as the one on the bottom would hide
all the others. Therefore we must assume that the ladder was on a slant. The
sages view the ladder as a way for all mankind of ascending from the "physical"
to the spiritual life. What is this kind of a tool of ascent called? I hope
you guessed it! It is called "Torah!" Each rung on the ladder is a
higher level in Torah erudition and spiritual development. If the ladder is
straight, each rung directly above its predecessor, it reflects merely a higher
level, not a distinct one. Since they are all in the same line, on the same
plane, they are not different from one another—only higher, loftier. However,
if the ladder is on a slant, each rung is in its own plane. Each is distinct
from the preceding rung, not only in height, but also in position. It is as
if each rung has its own very special and unique position in space and time,
and consequently its own character. Likewise, as each one of us grows in knowledge
and fulfillment of Torah, we are spirituality elevated, and we become totally
new individuals.
Our sages tell us that if the previous generation can be likened to angels,
then we are like humans. If we view them as humans, then we are no more than
donkeys. As one grows spiritually, one becomes a new being. As one grows above
his peers, he becomes a new personality, one totally distinct from his previous
self. Nor is it simply a matter of quantity—the Torah scholar does not
just happens to know more, he has acquired a greater and more profound knowledge
of Torah, which has changed him and his total life experience. Therefore, he
is on a totally different plane than his counterpart, a position that the unlearned
person just does not comprehend.
Furthermore, when a ladder is standing straight, each rung "sees"
only the one rung just above it. It will therefore perceive a distinction between
two—one is on a higher level than the other. That may make a person complacent,
thinking that there is one challenge left to ‘learn," and why should
one bother. When a ladder is on a slant, however, the lower rung can see a whole
"staircase" of possibilities for reaching higher and higher -- and
with the road thus "mapped out" for him, he will begin an ascent of
discovery and growth. The Jew is challenged to study and appreciate the beauty
and profundity of Torah, to join all those who have mastered and excelled in
Torah throughout the ages. As one ascends the ladder of Torah and mitzvot, one
undergoes a transformation with each step. The very process is uplifting and
ennobling. Ashrey mi she'amal baTorah, happy are those who labor in Torah, vyhi
hashem menat khelkam – for the Lord shall be his portion. We are blessed
with patriarchs such as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – but their nobility is
only maintained by those who labor, even as they did, to do God's will and serve
His purposes.
Amen
5761
This week we read in the Torah about the “coming of age” of the third,
and in some ways the most important patriarch of the Children of Israel. The
reading is the portion of Va’yetze, which begins in chapter 28, verse ten:
“And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.” It is
interesting to note that we say we start the “story of Jacob” with
this portion, when much of what was essential to Jacob happened in last week’s
portion - Toldot - the portion of our patriarch Yitzkhak.
And why not? After all, are we not all the product of our home and our family?
Are we not fashioned by the experience we gain in the time that we spend under
the roof of our progenitors? When then do we become “our own person?”
The Torah tell us in the very name of this week’s portion: “Va’yetze”
– when we go out, when we strike out on our own.
Again I leave the torah to speak of a contemporary issue. We are celebrating
the second Shabbat in December, in the shadow of our neighbors’ decorated
homes for the season of their holiday, the birthday of their savior. The story
of the followers of the man Jesus of Nazareth is, like this week’s reading
about father Jacob, a story of departure from the ‘house of the father’
to a different life style and a different set of beliefs. Jacob escaped the
wrath of his brother. Jesus did not. It was his followers, in tragic circumstances,
with the seeming end of the time of faith at hand, and they had to leave –
not their home, not their father’s roof. They had to leave the envelope.
They had to find an alternative to the faith of Abraham that would not only
survive the Roman experience, but overcome it and conquer it. It is interesting
to look at the Jews who followed Jesus as rebels against Rome who, in the final
count, won the day and vanquished the enemy.
Jacob left his father’s house and moved in with Laban. Laban was an enemy
of everything Abraham and Yitzkhak held dear. He lived with Laban and married
his daughters, he worked for him and helped him to prosper. Yet all along he
knew and prepared for the day when he would have to separate himself from him.
The followers of Jesus were Jews in the beginning, and they were taken into
exile with the Jews to Rome. It was in Rome that they “left their father’s
home.” They began to change themselves to accommodate the Roman experience,
to streamline and make their ways more accepted by the masses. The primary articles
of faith of Judaism were given up: The unity of God was replaced by a trinity;
the invisibility of God was superceded by the teaching that Jesus was “God
in the flesh;” and the recognition of God’s sovereignty by accepting
the day He hallowed (Shabbat) as a universal day of rest was eventually changed
to celebrating “the Lord’s Day” on Sunday, the day of the resurrection.
That made Christianity different from Judaism, and unacceptable to Jews as a
continuing of the teachings of Jewish tradition. It also made it possible for
Rome to accept this “new” religion as the state religion. The holidays
of the Jews were jettisoned, and new holidays, actually tested and loved holidays
of the Roman empire, were fashioned as part of the new religion. Customs, such
as trees and beloved gift-giving saints were added to concepts that could never
be a part of the faith of Abraham. The “birthday” of God... Boggles
the mind! A true and complete departure. Let our neighbors enjoy their feasts,
and let us remember and never forget that ours is the teaching of Abraham, Yitzkhak
and Ya’akov, Moshe and David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. And so many,
many more. Prophets and Rabbis, sages and martyrs. All of them consecrated the
One God, Creator of the world and its Master. They lived and died within the
same departure, a departure that implied a return home, a return to the fold,
and a never ending faith in God’s ability to keep us under his ‘roof,’
his ever protecting canopy. It is this lesson that we must hold before our eyes
as we see our neighbors’ decorations. Not all that shines is the sun, and
not all that gives warmth is as bright as the sun. Let us rejoice in our heritage
and give thanks for God’s great love of His people Israel.
Amen
5762
This Shabbat we are celebrating the most American of
holidays - which, of course, originated in our Torah. The early American settlers
were quite often influenced by our Torah. In fact, they often thought of themselves
as "the new Israel"- if not politically and physically, at least spiritually.
The early American universities did not graduate students who failed a course
in basic Hebrew, and Ben Franklin suggested that the "great seal"
of the Republic should depict the children of Israel coming across the Red Sea
in the dry and the hosts of Pharaoh and his horses drowning in the returning
waters.
The people who came to settle in North America were all refugees, all came to
escape some form of persecution or another - political, pecuniary, or personal.
Soon after arriving at the blessed shores of this great and abundant land they
all learned first hand just how very fortunate they were. The land was good
and yielded its produce with great generosity. The land was new and society
was unencumbered by old traditions, old social orders, and old rivalries. The
currency of the new land was hard work, and opportunity beckoned equally to
all who were willing to heed its call and harness themselves to the task of
succeeding in their endeavors.
This week we read in the Torah the story of the "first immigrant"
who left his home to seek fame and fortune in a land of opportunity. "Then
Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the people of the east. And
he looked, and saw a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of
sheep lying by it; for from that well they watered the flocks; and a great stone
was upon the well's mouth." [Gen. 29:1,2] Ya'akov, our third patriarch,
arrived in this foreign place, unlike Abraham's servant who came to find a wife
for Yitzkhak, without his father riches. He had to rely on his wit, and he had
to make good. The text tells us that when he saw Rakhel he recognized her at
once as his ‘intended,' and he went into action, rolling the big stone
that covered the well, and giving water to his uncle Laban's sheep.
Acting in this manner he achieved a number of results. He showed initiative
and good will to Rakhel, finding favor with her. He also makes an impression
on his uncle, Laban, who is not a kind man or a generous man - but definitely
a practical man - who see the value of hosting a young man who is willing to
do hard labor to pay his way and earn his keep. Laban does not know at this
point that beside Jacob's good will, he is also blessed by God, and his every
step is blessed with success and an overabundance of results.
Likewise our land, the United States of America, and our people - a mixture
of people from the four corners of the world, all come together to work and
build a better life for all who care to join the great adventure of building
and supporting a land and creating a new and different kind of a nation, founded
on the principles enunciated in Torah: that all men are created equal, that
we have all one Father, as we see stated on one currency, "in God we Trust,"
and that consequently we are all brothers.
We find ourselves, after two hundred and twenty five years of national existence,
at war for our very survival - with an enemy whose ideals contradict our own,
whose faith demands total blind obedience and complete surrender of personal
identity. We have been attacked, and the enemy has declared his desire to see
us defeated and devastated and driven to conversion to his blind faith. The
enemy shall not succeed. We shall endure, we shall persevere, and we shall overcome.
We shall not be put down, and we shall not be defeated.
For we are the seed of Jacob, the man who came to a new land with nothing but
a strong back and a stronger ambition to make good. We are the decedents of
the pioneers who came to
America to find a haven from the folly of extreme religious fanatics who impose
their will and enslave the multitudes in the name of one god or another. We
are the people who have endured rough seas in steerage to arrive at the golden
shores and pick up and begin the struggle to create a life free of fear, free
of strife, free of bondage to any tyrant, local or foreign. Our banner, the
Stars and Stripes, is a symbol of the land of the free and the home of the brave
- and it shall fly over our land long after the last despot and the last holy
warrior is relegated to history books and fairy tales. This has been promised
to us by God Almighty Himself, in his revelation to Ya'akov at Beth El, "I
am with you, and will keep you in all places where you go, and will bring you
back to this land; for I will not leave you, until I have done that about which
I have spoken to you." [Gen 28:15]
Amen
Va'yetze 5763
This week's portion of the Torah actually continues
the story of father Jacob, to whom we were introduced last week. This week's
portion begins with the patriarch's flight of from his parent's home. Ostensibly
he goes to find a wife in Aram. In fact, he must depart hastily, without entourage
and without property of any kind – to escape the danger of the wrath of
his brother Esau – who feels that he had been cheated by Jacob twice. We
don't really know very much about Jacob -- or do we? The Torah tells us that
he was "a quiet man, living in tents." We know that he used to cook
-- as we read that he "cooked pottage; and Esau came from the field, and
he was famished." We also know that he wanted to be the "first son"
-- maybe prompted by his mother, Rivkah, who told him that she had had a prophecy
that he would be the one to inherit his father. That is why he made a bargain
with his brother, who "sold his birthright to Jacob." Then Jacob gave
Esau bread and pottage of lentils – a thick lentils soup. We have also
read in last week's portion Jacob listened to his mother and "pulled a
trick" on his old blind father to receive the blessing Yitzkhak wanted
to bestow upon his favorite son, Esau. We know that he left home with blessings
-- and little else. The scion of a rich father and grandfather was allowed to
leave home and travel as a penniless fugitive. Does this picture engender great
pride in us for our third patriarch? We need to learn more about him!
So, this week's Torah reading tells us the story of the flight of Jacob and
the experience that he had on the way: "He came to a certain place and
stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones
of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed
that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven;
and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood
beside him and said, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and
the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring;
and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread
abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all
the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know
that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back
to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised
you." Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is
in this place--and I did not know it!" And he was afraid, and said, "How
awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is
the gate of heaven." This last verse reads, in the Hebrew, "ma nora
hamakom haze, eyn ze ki im beyt elohim, veze sha'ar hashama'yim." [Gen.
28:11:18]
There are a number of important messages to the Jewish people in this very first
segment of the Torah reading. First, we are told that Jacob was a worth while
person – for if he was not, he would not have had angels about him, protecting
him from harm and leading him on the right path. Secondly, we learn about the
depth of Jacob's religious sensitivity. He knew and understood that what he
experienced was not merely a spooky dream about "scary spirits" without
a source, without a message for him. Immediately upon awaking he proclaimed
"Surely the Lord is in this place--and I did not know it! " - and
went about making amends, proclaiming, "How awesome is this place! This
is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."
Jacob recognized the holiness of the place – how much more so he must have
recognized and adored the holiness of Him whose presence made the place holy.
He understood at once that the ascending angels were his Canaan companions,
and the descending angels will travel on with him. Jacob had the maturity and
the presence of mind to create a covenant of his own with the God of his father
and his grandfather: "And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with
me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and
garment to put on, So that I come back to my father's house in peace; then shall
the Lord be my God; And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be
God's house; and of all that you shall give me I will surely give the tenth
to you." [ibid. 28:20-22]
Jacob then proceeds to Aram of the Two Rivers, where he meets and falls in love
with Rachel, accepts Laban's offer to work seven years to marry her, and is
then cheated on his wedding day, his beloved being replaced by her older and
less liked sister Leah. Jacob complains about his betrayal and is offered the
"perfect solution" – marry both sisters. Of course, there is
a price to pay! More years of servitude must be endured – years that seem
without end. Finally Jacob resolves that he must strike out on his own. The
portion ends as it began: Jacob in flight. There are a number of differences,
though - he is not traveling alone, he is not as young as he was when first
he left his father's camp, and above all, he is not unknown to us. He is the
father of eleven sons, master of a large retinue of women - wives and concubines,
servants and much livestock. Much of his life is still before him. He is yet
to resolve his differences with his brother Esau; he is still to return to his
father's grace and mother's love - but he is well on his way.
Amen
Vayetze 5764
This week we read
in the Torah about the "coming of age" of the third, and in some ways
the most important patriarch of the Children of Israel. The text begins, "And
Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a
certain place, and remained there all night, because the sun was set; and he
took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down
in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth,
and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending
and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the
Lord God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac; the land on which you
lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed; And your seed shall be as the
dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west, and to the east,
and to the north, and to the south; and in you and in your seed shall all the
families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with you, and will keep
you in all places where you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I
will not leave you, until I have done that about which I have spoken to you.
And Jacob awoke from his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place;
and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How awesome is this place! this
is no other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." [Gen
28:10-17]
Our sages asked a seemingly silly question: "The text says, ‘a ladder
set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven.' Was the ladder standing
straight, or was it at a slant?" You may think that this is a strange question
- but you know what I always teach: If they ask, its because they already have
a great answer to give us. Well, this is very true.
Our sages taught that the ladder was standing on a slant, the bottom resting
in Be'er Sheva with the top to Beyt El. Thus, the middle of the ladder coincided
with the future site of Bait Hamikdash, the holy Temple on mount Moriah. In
this manner one can see that God's protection stretches over the entire land,
from way down in the south to the area north of the place of where God appeared
to Abraham, which he called "behar adona'y yera'eh – the mountain
where God shall be seen."
Another sage asked, "why was the ladder slanted?" The message of the
angels ascending and descending would have been equally effective, he reasoned,
if the ladder had stood straight. While various reasons are suggested for the
ladder's specific position, this sage made a compelling observation which presents
a great lesson. We may think of Torah as a ladder, and view each rung on this
ladder as a "higher level" in Torah understanding – which leads
to a more profound spiritual development. When the rungs are straight, each
one directly above its predecessor, it reflects a higher level. It is like grading:
you begin on the first rung and rise rung by rung as you master verse after
verse, chapter after chapter. Since they are all in the same line, on the same
plane, they are not different from one another – only higher, loftier.
When a ladder is on a slant, however, each rung is in its own plane. Each is
distinct from the preceding rung, not only in height, but also in position.
It is as if each rung has its own unique position and character. Likewise, as
one masters the Torah and grows in spirituality, one becomes a totally new individual.
One is not the same person as he was previously. He distinguishes himself from
others who are not on his level. He cannot be compared to any individual who
is not on his level of Torah and mitzvot.
Still another argument suggests that when a ladder is standing straight, each
rung "sees" two rungs – the rung below and the one above it (except,
of course, for the first rung that only sees a rung above). It will therefore
perceive a distinction between the two – one is on a "higher"
or a "lower"level than the other. When a ladder is on a slant, however,
each rung cannot see anything either above or below it. One can see different
plains, some above, some below, all distinct. One can therefore appreciate the
beauty and profundity of Torah which is multi-faceted – and realize that
as one ascends the ladder of Torah he, too, shall undergo a transformation with
each step.
Jacob's ladder is a symbol of God's protection of His people, those who live
by His teaching, even as it is a symbol of His teaching, the Torah. Each word
that was transmitted by Him to our Fathers and to us, each mitzvah that we received,
is like an angel ascending and descending – keeping the dialogue between
us and our creator flowing, bringing us His blessing and the eternal message
of His love and grace.
Va’yetze 5765
The reading in the
Torah this week is the seventh portion of Beresheet, from 28:10 to 32:3. The
text continues the story of the patriarchs, telling us the events of the life
of Ya’akov after he leaves the compound of Yitzkhak and Rivkah.
Indeed, we can look at the life of Ya’akov as spanning four seasons: last
week we read of his childhood and youth in the tents of his father and in the
company of his mother. That life had its highs and lows. He had to compete with
his brother Esav, bargaining a birthright for a meal of red lentils, following
his mother’s direction to deceive and receive his father’s “blessing
of the first born.” Ya’akov did not have a chance to test his father’s
blessing as he was dispatched by his parents to find a wife in Aram of the Two
Rivers – and coincidentally escape his brother’s plans to kill him
as soon as Yitzkhak’s life comes to an end.
This week we read of the second season: coming of age in Laban’s home.
Before we arrive in Aram, however, we read of Ya’akov’s vision of
the ladder with the angels ascending and descending. God Almighty speaks to
Ya’akov and promises to shield and protect him on his travels. Ya’akov
awakes to realize that he has spent the night at “the gate of heaven”
[Genesis 28:17] – and he called the place Beyt El, the House of God.
Next we read of the first encounter between father Ya’askov and the beautiful,
outgoing Rakhel. The text tells us, “And Laban had two daughters; the
name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel,” [Ibid.
29:16] and the text describes the two, “Leah had weak eyes; but Rachel
was beautiful and well favored.” [Ibid. 29:17] The text continues and
tells us, “And Jacob loved Rachel” [Ibid. 29:18]
There is an old folk-tale that suggests that Rakhel and Leah were twins, just
like Ya’akov and Esav. It is also told that there was an agreement between
Rivkah and Lavan that their children will marry. Thus Esav, the first born,
was promised to Leah - and Ya’akov was to wed Rakhel, and indeed he fell
in love with her. It is also said that Leah’s ‘weak eyes’
were the result of years of crying about her proposed marriage to a “skillful
hunter, a man of the field” [Ibid. 25:27] – for fear that he would
treat her roughly. Ya’akov ends up married to both – and though
the Torah does not recommend the practice to coming generations, “Neither
shall you take a rival wife to her sister, to uncover her nakedness, beside
the other in her life time,” [Leviticus 18:18] – it did work well
for him.
Rakhel and Leah complemented each other rather well. One might almost say that
their qualities are usually combined by a single wife. One was mistress of the
home, and the other the object of love and desire. One was a natural ‘mother’
and the other an object of adoration, a beauty to admire and keep from the changes
that childbearing is sure to bring. Each, in turn, loved her man with devotion
and selflessness – and each was willing to do whatever was necessary to
please him.
Rakhel, to be sure, was special and unique to Ya’akov, “the love
of his life,” the outstanding personality that stood out in every crowd,
that knew how to handle situations frought with danger, as when her father was
looking for his household gods, which she hid under the rags she sat on when
he came to smite his son-in-law – but feared to do so without benefit
of the self same ‘gods’ to protect him in his scheme. Leah, mistress
of the household, mother of children, partner to her husband, was blessed with
a long and successful life in his company.
It is interesting to note how history played a trick on Ya’akov and his
two sisters-wives. The one that was barren for so long, is remembered as the
ultimate mother because of the words of the prophet Jeremiah: “Thus says
the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel
weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they
were not. Thus says the Lord; Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes
from tears; for your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord; and they shall come
again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope for your future, says the
Lord, that your children shall come again to their own border.” [Jer.
31:14-16] Rakhel becomes patron saint of all the children of Israel, the suffering
mother who lived yearning for children and died giving birth to the last of
Ya’akov’s sons.
As for Leah, she is not mentioned by the prophet. She is not a sentinel, nor
one to whom the generations will venerably turn to intercede with the God of
the Fathers. However, she received the reward wish-for by every loving wife
– to spend eternity at her husband’s side. It is Leah that is buried
in the Cave of Makhpelah, next to Avraham and Sara, Yitzkhak and Rivkah, and
her own life’s mate, father Ya’akov. Blessed is the man who is fortunate
enough to have even one wife as loving, caring, and empowering as the wives
of father Yisrael - each of them a woman of valor, of favor, and of the finest
qualities God meant to give man in a help-mate.
Amen
Shabbat shalom
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