Vayishlach
Genesis 32:4 - 36:43
Précis: As he
nears his 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.
Gen. 32:8 “Jacob
was greatly frightened; in his anxiety, he divided the people with him, and the
flocks and herds and camels, into two camps.”
Our Jewish texts teach us about the dangers of assuming
that others have an evil intent, and acting according to our assumption. Abraham assumes Pharaoh will steal Sarah
(Genesis 12:11−20) and endangers his wife by allowing her to be placed in
Pharaoh’s harem. Joseph’s brothers assume that he will exact revenge against
them after he reveals his true identity to them (Genesis 50:15−21). In this
parasha, Jacob assumes that Esau will attack him upon their reunion after a
twenty year separation, and takes elaborate steps to avoid that anticipated
outcome. However, Esau greets Jacob with warmth and tears.
Jacob had spent much of his life running away from his brother Esau
(who, after all, had threatened to kill him). Esau was a “man of the field” and
impulsive (e.g., the story or the red stew and the sale of his birthright). But
impulsive people live in the moment; they may forget their threats. Here, it
appears that Jacob suffers one of the punishments of the Torah’s Tochacha (“Admonition”) [“You shall flee though none pursues”
(Lev.26:17)].
I
ask a question: how frequently do we assume the worst in others, and take
actions accordingly? Do we separate
ourselves from others – fellow congregants, friends, or family members -
because we project our fears onto them and then assume that they will react in
a way which we assume will be difficult or dangerous or painful? Do we “flee”
without pursuit?
Facing
those whose reactions we fear takes strength. Jacob dithered, but eventually
had the courage to face Esau. Things turned out well. May the same be true with
each of us.
