And please, let's show our appreciation to our good friends and hosts at Prince of Peace by bringing packaged/canned food items to support the church's vital food pantry program. If we add our Jewish tzedakah to POP's Christian charity, it can help make South Jersey a better place!
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A lot happens in this week’s Torah portion, Va’yishlach (Genesis 32:4-36:43), which sees Jacob and Esau resolve their feud and make peace. Click it to read the parasha. Speaking of peacemaking, I have to share a short story from my other life – as 6th-7th-grade teacher at the South Jersey Hebrew Sunday School.
We’ve spent the past two classes talking about family feuds, both in the Bible and in our own lives. As we shared personal
stories, one boy said to another, “Can we stop our feud?” I knew these two had had conflicts for years and was fascinated to see what would happen next. “I guess,” the other boy said. “What’s the magic word?”
“Please?” the first boy said. “What’s the other magic word?” the second said.
A
pause, then the first boy said, “Sorry?” And that was it. I was fascinated and delighted to see that ancient stories can have an impact today. As for how long the peace lasts, we’ll have to see.
There is a lot of family conflict in the biblical narratives about the patriarchs and matriarchs: Sarah’s jealousy and mistreatment of Hagar; Jacob’s theft of Esau’s birthright;
Lavan’s tricking of Jacob into marrying Leah, the sister of the woman he really loved, Rachel; the subsequent jealousy between the sisters over infertility and their husband’s love.
And that’s just the beginning. Ahead, we have the conflict between Joseph and his brothers that leads to them selling him into slavery in Egypt – setting up the “Israelites’” (Jacob and his family) settlement in
Egypt, the people’s later enslavement, and then the Exodus.
But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, I want to highlight the story in this week’s portion. Jacob takes the lead to end the long estrangement between him and his brother. He sends Esau a message, saying he has become prosperous and “hopes to find favor” with his brother. He also prepares a gift of 550 head of
livestock – a substantial peace offering (compensation?) to the brother he defrauded years earlier. But Jacob also fears that Esau will still feel the same murderous rage.
When Esau arrives, he warmly embraces Jacob and suggests they travel together. Jacob, seemingly still fearful, makes a polite excuse and parts with him. The very different brothers don’t become best buds. But when their father
dies, they come together again to give Isaac a proper burial.
Now Jews and other Americans aren’t ready to “bury the hatchet” and end the divisions in our ranks. But we in Nafshenu can at least try to show respect and love towards those who made different choices at the polls last month. We can choose to be forces for peace and reconciliation, knowing that we are in this together for the long
run.
Best wishes and peace to you – Rabbi David Goodman
