Contingency Planning

Vayishlach
Genesis 32:4 - 36:43

Précis: As he nears a return to his homeland, Jacob "sent" (vayishlach) messengers to Esau to ascertain Esau’s state of mind after their 20 year separation. While he awaits a reply, Jacob encounters an “adversary” (most assume an angel) with whom Jacob wrestles through the night. As dawn breaks, the adversary announces that Jacob’s name is to be changed to Israel – “He who wrestles with God.” On the following day, Esau approaches, and despite Jacob’s fears, there is a happy reunion.
     We then read the story of how a local prince rapes Dinah, Jacob’s daughter, and then asks to marry her. Jacob agrees on condition that all of the men of the city are circumcised. While the men are recovering, Jacob’s sons Simon and Levi attack the city and kill all of the inhabitants in revenge for the insult to their sister.
     Jacob soon travels to Beth-el (the site of his ladder dream), and on the way, Rachel gives birth to Benjamin and dies following her labor. Thereafter, Isaac’s death is noted, as is his burial by Esau and Jacob. The parasha ends with a genealogy of Esau and his descendants.

Genesis 32:4 “And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother to the field of Edom. And he commanded them, saying, ‘Thus shall you say unto my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob...’"

After 20 years, Jacob fearfully returns for a reunion with his twin brother Esau – with the person whom he deprived of the primary parental blessing. Fearful about Esau’s reactions, Jacob sends gifts and separates his people into two camps before the planned meeting. These actions are demonstrations of subservience and of defensive preparation.

According to Nachmanides, Jacob chose not to rely solely on God's protection. A hesitancy to place all of his faith in God is not a new mode of behavior for Jacob: last week, following a dream in which he was promised to be a great nation and to be returned safely, Jacob questioned whether God would actually provide the security he needed (Jacob says, essentially, “If God will provide protection, I will return and build an alter on this spot.” Gen 28:20). Jacob is a person who might be comfortable with Ronald Regan’s famous misquotation of a Russian proverb: “Trust, but verify.” On the eve of his reunion with Esau, Jacob took detailed, practical steps to protect himself and his family from anticipated dangers and the potential of reprisal.

What is the lesson for us? One might say that it is "God helps those who help themselves." Or perhaps it is the Boy Scout motto of “Be prepared!” There is a second level we might consider: Jacob was not assuming that the protection he had been provided in the past would continue. From this we can learn that we should never assume that because we prevailed in the past, that we will do well again in the future. The past is not always prologue.

Like Jacob, Executive Directors, other Jewish professionals, parents and every individual must plan for all eventualities. Such contingency planning may be exhausting or even depressing. Nevertheless, I believe that a lesson of this story is that such planning is necessary if we are to succeed in life.