Last Friday
night in Paris, a concert hall, and cafes, and outside a soccer stadium – six locations
in all, terrorist acting on orders for ISIS, killed more than 120 people. The
last time that many Parisians were killed occurred during WWII. Dozens were wounded, Paris went into immediate
lockdown. Its museums closed, the Eiffel Tower closed, yet people continue to
venture out where impromptu memorial sights sprung up. Something else happened throughout the rest
of the world. Various iconic landmarks were lit with the Red White and Blue of
the French Flag. Those iconic sights included the Empire State Building, The CN
Tower and even The Kotel (Wailing Wall) in Jerusalem. When the Naval Academy
ran out onto the football field to play Southern Methodist University, they ran
out with the Naval Academy flag as well as the French flag. The symbolism was
quite evident. France was not alone and won’t have to face the evil perpetrated
against it alone. The world would support France during this awful trauma. As I
have watched the news from Paris and the rest of the world and this story
continues to unfold, my children noticed that Israel offered to share any
intelligence it may have as French authorities continue to pursue the terrorist
at large. My children saw how quick the rest of the world offered its symbolic
support of France. They asked a simple question. While this heinous attack
occurred, Israel has been dealing with and continues to deal with the madness
of stabbings and attempted stabbings upon its citizenry. Yet so much of the
world, according to my children, remains silent about what Israel deals with on
a daily basis and as a result Israel is almost alone its fight against
terrorism.
This week we
read from Parsha VaYeitze. This week we read from Parshat VaYeitze. The focus
of the narrative is upon Yaakov. For the first time, Yaakov will find out what
it means to be alone in the world. He
has left his mother, Rivkah, and his father Yitzchak, for the first time. In
fleeing his brother Esav, Yaakov now embarks on a new phase of his life. For
the first time, but certainly not the last time, he will have to face being
alone. Yes, Yaakov will meet his future wives, his cousins Leah and Rachel. He
will work for his father in- law, Lavan, and he will have children. The
narrative will focus upon Yaakov life from young adulthood to becoming a
responsible father, earning a living and all the trials, tribulation, and
tensions of career and family. As Yaakov makes his way in life, hopefully he
will learn more about himself. With each event, with each adventure, Yaakov
has an opportunity to become better connected, better connected to himself, and
better connected to a covenant that his father bequeathed to him. Yet
throughout the narrative he will have to understand what it means to truly be
alone. At the beginning of the narrative he feels alone. By the end of the
narrative, he has formed a key relationship and as a result, will never feel
alone or abandoned again.
Yaakov acknowledges his loneliness at the
beginning of the Parsha. He doesn’t even feel connected to God. First God
speaks to Yaakov in the dream: Ani Adoshem Elohei Avraham Avicha, V’Elohei
Yitzchak HaAretz Asher Atah Shocheiv Aleha Lecha Etnenah U’LeZarecha – I am Hashem, God of Abraham your father and
God of Isaac; the ground upon which you are lying, to you will I give it and to
your descendants (28:13). In the dream, God offers Yaakov protection
wherever Yaakov goes. In a sense God volunteers to be Yaakov’s God as
well. When Yaakov wakes up from the
dream he still does not feel reassured: Im Yiheyeh Elohim Imadi
Ushmarani Baderech Hazeh Asher Anochi Holech v’Natan Li Lechem L’echol Uveged
Lilbosh, vShavti b’Shalom el Bet Avi v’Hayah Hashem Li Le’lohim. If God will be with me and will keep me in
this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothes to wear, so that
I come back to my father’s house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God. Im
Yiheyeh Elohim Imadi Ushmarani Baderech Hazeh Asher Anochi Holech v’Natan Li
Lechem L’echol Uveged Lilbosh, vShavti b’Shalom el Bet Avi v’Hayah Hashem Li
Le’lohim. If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will
give me bread to eat, and clothes to wear, so that I come back to my father’s
house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God. For Yaakov, being alone is a function of not
have what to eat, what to wear and mostly; being alone is feeling exiled from
his parents. After nearly twenty years,
as Yaakov has matured, is married, has children, and property, he wonders if it
is time to leave Lavan and his exile. VaYomer Adoshem el Yaakov Shuv el Eretz
Avotecha Ulmoladtecha V’Eheyeh Imach – And
Hashem said to Yaakov: “Return to the land of your fathers and to your native
land, and I will be with you (31:3). It took nearly two decades for Yaakov
to understand that even when he thought he was alone, he wasn’t truly alone.
The miracles of his life, his wives, his children, his economic success
indicated that God was involved and his God as well as Yaakov’s father’s God.
Yes, it may seem that Israel stands alone. Though
politicians and citizens who are the victims of such terrorist attacks can now
see things more through Israel’s eyes; there are those who still celebrate when
Israelis are murdered, and Israel is bombed. Yet Israel is not alone. Even when
it seems that other countries, other regions are still unable to link their experience
as a victim of terrorism with Israel’s experience, Israel is not alone. As ISIS continues to lash out against nations
that stand in the way of their achieving its stated goals, and celebrate the
loss of innocent lives as a necessary step in realizing those goals; hopefully
the world will eventually see which country, which people are the embodiment of
B’nai Yaakov, and which people are the embodiment of B’nai Esav, and B’nai
Lavan, the children of Esau and the children of Lavan.
Peace,
Rav Yitz
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