After more than two decades away from home, Jacob has finally extricated himself from Laban and the comfortable, materialistic exile which his uncle created for him.He hears a Divine voice commanding him to go home, and Jacob’s plan is “to go back to my father’s house in peace.” So he sets out for Hebron, where Isaac had lived with Abraham (Genesis 35:37), and where the initial familial charge had been given.However, although Jacob takes his leave of Laban at the end of Vayetze in Chapter 31, it is only after stopping off at Seir, Succoth and Shechem for an extended stay, Beth El, Bethlehem, where he buries his beloved Rachel, and finally Migdal Eder that he finally return to his father’s home four chapters and many adventures later.What took him so long? What is the Bible teaching us in detailing this long delay?Jacob asked God to return him to his father’s house “in peace.” His early years were certainly not peaceful; the relationship with his twin brother Esau was tense, as was his relationship with his father because he felt unappreciated, unloved and guilty as a result of his deceptive masquerade to steal the birthright.Most significantly, Jacob was not at peace with himself and his God. Yes, Abraham had also been an aggressive fighter who came from behind to defeat four terrorist kings; and yes, the heir to the Abrahamic birthright would have to act courageously and even militantly to see to it that compassionate righteousness and just morality dominate the world order. But even though Esau had sold him the birthright for a bowl of lentil soup, hadn’t Jacob taken unfair advantage of his brother’s hunger? Would not compassionate righteousness have suggested that he give him the soup? And is it morally just to pretend to be someone else in order to deceive your own father into giving you a birthright?Although Rebekah had proven to Isaac that Jacob could utilize the hands of Esau to claim his rightful birthright, making use of those grasping hands can potentially strangle the Divine voice of Jacob, the wholehearted and scholarly image of God within. This is clearly what happens to him in Labanland, where he out-foxes the sly Laban himself. This is why the angel in his dream calls him back to his birthplace, reminds him of his earlier idealism, and returns him to his truest original self, the wholehearted dweller in tents.But Jacob must repent before he returns to his father; he must go to Seir, where he returns the blessing to Esau (whom he addresses as master and elder brother) (Gen. 33:11). Jacob must disgorge the Esauism and Labanism which has almost penetrated the essence of his being. He does this during the wrestling match within himself, and from which the image of God is returned to his innermost soul (33:10). Yes, he can and should achieve aggressive mastery over the powerful evil forces of Esau and the angel of Esau (Yisra-el), but with Yosher – moral integrity, for God wants righteousness: “Yashar-el.”He goes to Shechem, where – despite the rape of his daughter Dinah – he refuses to behave with duplicity toward the rapist and his father. Indeed, he roundly condemns Simeon and Levi for talking that city into circumcision only to kill them. Jacob is demonstrating that he has learned the importance of honest confrontation – of being “straight,” up front and not a “heel-sneak.”Jacob is forced to bury his beloved Rachel because she did not confront her father honestly. He should have pointed out that since her husband – and not her brothers – had secured Laban’s wealth in livestock, he, Jacob, deserved the household gods which represented the right of inheritance. Rachel also stooped to deception, and Jacob had sworn that whoever had stolen the gods deserved to die.Finally, Jacob realizes that his eldest son, Reuben, slept with his concubine Bilhah to demonstrate that as eldest son of the first wife Leah, he deserved the birthright rather than his younger brother Joseph, the firstborn son of Rachel. By favoring Joseph, Jacob had done to Reuben what his own father had done to him, and so he is finally able to appreciate and forgive Isaac’s favoritism. Simultaneously, he understands that his father can now forgive him just as he is forgiving Reuben. Now Jacob realizes that in setting patterns of behavior in his desire to be Esau, he was in no small way responsible for Reuben’s transgression.So Jacob is able to return to his father “in peace” after finally leaving the family tensions, jealousies and hatreds behind.The writer is the founder and chancellor of Ohr Torah Stone Colleges and Graduate Programs, and chief rabbi of Efrat.
Parasha Vayishlah: Honest confrontation
Jacob is able to return to his father “in peace” after finally leaving the family tensions, jealousies and hatreds behind.
After more than two decades away from home, Jacob has finally extricated himself from Laban and the comfortable, materialistic exile which his uncle created for him.He hears a Divine voice commanding him to go home, and Jacob’s plan is “to go back to my father’s house in peace.” So he sets out for Hebron, where Isaac had lived with Abraham (Genesis 35:37), and where the initial familial charge had been given.However, although Jacob takes his leave of Laban at the end of Vayetze in Chapter 31, it is only after stopping off at Seir, Succoth and Shechem for an extended stay, Beth El, Bethlehem, where he buries his beloved Rachel, and finally Migdal Eder that he finally return to his father’s home four chapters and many adventures later.What took him so long? What is the Bible teaching us in detailing this long delay?Jacob asked God to return him to his father’s house “in peace.” His early years were certainly not peaceful; the relationship with his twin brother Esau was tense, as was his relationship with his father because he felt unappreciated, unloved and guilty as a result of his deceptive masquerade to steal the birthright.Most significantly, Jacob was not at peace with himself and his God. Yes, Abraham had also been an aggressive fighter who came from behind to defeat four terrorist kings; and yes, the heir to the Abrahamic birthright would have to act courageously and even militantly to see to it that compassionate righteousness and just morality dominate the world order. But even though Esau had sold him the birthright for a bowl of lentil soup, hadn’t Jacob taken unfair advantage of his brother’s hunger? Would not compassionate righteousness have suggested that he give him the soup? And is it morally just to pretend to be someone else in order to deceive your own father into giving you a birthright?Although Rebekah had proven to Isaac that Jacob could utilize the hands of Esau to claim his rightful birthright, making use of those grasping hands can potentially strangle the Divine voice of Jacob, the wholehearted and scholarly image of God within. This is clearly what happens to him in Labanland, where he out-foxes the sly Laban himself. This is why the angel in his dream calls him back to his birthplace, reminds him of his earlier idealism, and returns him to his truest original self, the wholehearted dweller in tents.But Jacob must repent before he returns to his father; he must go to Seir, where he returns the blessing to Esau (whom he addresses as master and elder brother) (Gen. 33:11). Jacob must disgorge the Esauism and Labanism which has almost penetrated the essence of his being. He does this during the wrestling match within himself, and from which the image of God is returned to his innermost soul (33:10). Yes, he can and should achieve aggressive mastery over the powerful evil forces of Esau and the angel of Esau (Yisra-el), but with Yosher – moral integrity, for God wants righteousness: “Yashar-el.”He goes to Shechem, where – despite the rape of his daughter Dinah – he refuses to behave with duplicity toward the rapist and his father. Indeed, he roundly condemns Simeon and Levi for talking that city into circumcision only to kill them. Jacob is demonstrating that he has learned the importance of honest confrontation – of being “straight,” up front and not a “heel-sneak.”Jacob is forced to bury his beloved Rachel because she did not confront her father honestly. He should have pointed out that since her husband – and not her brothers – had secured Laban’s wealth in livestock, he, Jacob, deserved the household gods which represented the right of inheritance. Rachel also stooped to deception, and Jacob had sworn that whoever had stolen the gods deserved to die.Finally, Jacob realizes that his eldest son, Reuben, slept with his concubine Bilhah to demonstrate that as eldest son of the first wife Leah, he deserved the birthright rather than his younger brother Joseph, the firstborn son of Rachel. By favoring Joseph, Jacob had done to Reuben what his own father had done to him, and so he is finally able to appreciate and forgive Isaac’s favoritism. Simultaneously, he understands that his father can now forgive him just as he is forgiving Reuben. Now Jacob realizes that in setting patterns of behavior in his desire to be Esau, he was in no small way responsible for Reuben’s transgression.So Jacob is able to return to his father “in peace” after finally leaving the family tensions, jealousies and hatreds behind.The writer is the founder and chancellor of Ohr Torah Stone Colleges and Graduate Programs, and chief rabbi of Efrat.