Yayetze
Genesis 28:10-33:3
Précis: As Jacob travels towards the household of his uncle Laban, he dreams of a ladder (some translate it as a ramp) to heaven, with angels ascending and descending. He vows to build a great House for God on the spot. Jacob meets and falls in love with Laban’s younger daughter, Rachel. Laban agrees to the match, provided that Jacob works for him for seven years. Laban switches the older daughter, Leah, for Rachel; Jacob works an additional seven years for her hand. After the 14 years, Jacob works for Laban for an additional six, and acquires great wealth and flocks through shrewd husbandry. During the stay with Laban, most of the children of Jacob are born. At the conclusion of the parasha, after tense negotiations with Laban, Jacob leaves with his possessions and family.
Genesis 29:10 “And it happened when Jacob saw Rachel daughter of Laban his mother’s brother and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother that he stepped forward and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother.”
We are continually blessed by being part of a Torah commentary discussion stretching back more than 2,000 years. We hear the voices of the Mishnaic Sages, of Maimonides and Rashi, the other great rabbis of all ages, and we enter into a type of communion with them. Thus, it is usual practice in Torah study to state that “Rashi says” (and not “Rashi said") because we are, in effect, continuing a discussion.
The late 20th century provided us with another way of looking at the text which adds to our appreciation of its complexity and meaning: that of literary analysis. One of the leaders of this movement is Robert Alter, Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley. His earlier works, The Art of Biblical Narrative and The Art of Biblical Poetry have been followed by his own translation and commentary on the Torah, titled simply The Five Books of Moses.
This particular verse gives us an opportunity to consider how his analysis can enhance our understanding of the characters, and perhaps lead us to new insights. We can’t think of Jacob in isolation. First, while he was favored by his mother, his father favored his brother Esau (which certainly must have had an impact on him). His brother Esau has threatened his life. While he has earlier been described as a “dweller in tents” (Gen. 25:28), which is suggestive of a quiet, contemplative person, Alter notes that here we see a man of action, displaying a “Homeric” feat of rolling away a stone single-handedly, which the assembled shepherds had been unable to do together. He not only rolls the stone away – he waters the flocks.
Alter notes that the encounter of a maiden at a foreign well and the drawing of water tells us that we are witnesses to a betrothal scene (cf. Abraham’s servant with Rebecca, Jacob and Rachel, and Moses with Zipporah). A comparison of these scenes tells us much about Jacob’s character, particularly as the details contrast with Isaac’s scene.
Jacob is present; Isaac was represented by a surrogate. Jacob, and not the maiden, draws the water. Thus, these scenes show that Jacob is strikingly different than Isaac. Isaac is repeatedly shown in the text as a passive object of others’ actions (he is the intended sacrifice in the Akedah; a wife is procured for him; he is deceived in the matter of the blessing). Jacob is shown to be a man of action: he leaves his homeland, he finds a bride (two in fact), he becomes wealthy, he literally wrestles with God, he returns to his homeland and faces down his sibling fears.
What are we to make of the differences we have found? I would submit that the text is telling us that there is no one-size-fits-all way of living a good life, and no one path to ensuring that a heritage is passed safely to the next generation. Isaac and Jacob were equally responsible (and successful) for the transmittal of Abraham’s knowledge and belief. That they were so different from each other suggests that how tradition is transmitted is less important than the transmission itself. Alter’s approach adds to our “tool bag” of ways to understand our heritage and pass it forward to the next generation.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
The Dignity of Esau
Toledot
Genesis 25:19-28:9
Précis: The introductory phrase to this parasha is “These are the generations (“toledot”) of Isaac.” What follows is the birth of the twins, Esau and Jacob. Details of their childhood are omitted from the narrative; we know that Jacob was a quiet man and that Esau was a cunning hunter, that their mother Rebecca preferred Jacob, and that Isaac preferred Esau. We then have the story of the sale of the birthright by Esau to Jacob for a bowl of porridge. A famine takes place, and Isaac journeys to the land of the Philistines where he claims that his wife Rebecca is actually his sister (as Abraham did with Sarah in Lech Lecha) and again, the woman escapes unharmed. The story then turns to the “great deception” where Jacob pretends to be Esau in order to obtain the primary blessing from his father Isaac. Esau hates Jacob and threatens him; Rebecca urges Jacob to escape to her family in Haran, towards where he sets off at the conclusion of the parasha.
Genesis 25:34 "Jacob then gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate, he drank, he got up, he went his way..."
In this week's parasha, Esau, in a rush of activity, returns home from hunting and demands "red stuff" (stew) from his bother. Jacob agrees, in return for the hereditary birthright.
Here is a thought: was Esau the first person with ADHD? Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurological and developmental disorder with a wide range of symptoms, often characterized by impulsivity, the need for instant gratification, an inability to focus, and difficulty recognizing and appropriately reacting to social cues. This verse displays a similar characterization of Esau. He is impulsive, he cannot wait to have his hunger gratified. We have four, rapid-fire verbs in a row: he ate, he drank, he arose, he went his way. The verbs are suggestive in their physicality, and are characteristic of those who suffer from ADHD.
The rabbis claim that Esau was a person with serious character defects (incidentally, a charge often leveled at those with ADHD) and did not deserve the birthright. They opine that Esau's flaws justify Jacob’s trickery. On reflection, this may be unfair to Esau. After all, even at birth, Jacob tried to "steal" the first born status, by grasping at Esau's heel. Was this any fault of Esau's? Hardly. Esau was a good son, providing his farther with food, and is loved by his father (a man with serious father/son conflicts in his own past). Esau is distressed when he realizes that the birthright and blessing have been lost. Many years later, when the brothers reunite, he greets Jacob warmly, in a forgiving manner, despite Jacob's apparent hostility.
We have been slow to accept the reality of ADHD as a legitimate medical condition. All too often, we think of impulsivity or lack of attention as “kids being kids” or part of “normal growing up.” On the other hand, many of us have family members who face the challenge of ADHD and the continuing problems it poses throughout life. It is not something to be casually dismissed.
This parasha gives us an opportunity to consider this disability in a Jewish context. The text suggests that Isaac was aware of Esau’s infirmity when he tells Esau to “get your gear, your quiver, your bow…go into the field.…hunt for me…prepare it for me…and bring it to me.” (Gen. 27 2-4). Isaac provides specific, detailed instructions to his son, in a loving way, to help him succeed, which is exactly what parents of kids with ADHD are taught to do today.
Some of us, and some of our friends and family, seem to succeed easily. Others face steeper challenges. Jewish ethical tradition demands that we treat those with infirmities with care, and with dignity. This text is a reminder that we need to show compassion to those who do not easily achieve “normative” standards of success, and to continually seek ways to bring even hidden capabilities to the forefront within a Jewish context.
Genesis 25:19-28:9
Précis: The introductory phrase to this parasha is “These are the generations (“toledot”) of Isaac.” What follows is the birth of the twins, Esau and Jacob. Details of their childhood are omitted from the narrative; we know that Jacob was a quiet man and that Esau was a cunning hunter, that their mother Rebecca preferred Jacob, and that Isaac preferred Esau. We then have the story of the sale of the birthright by Esau to Jacob for a bowl of porridge. A famine takes place, and Isaac journeys to the land of the Philistines where he claims that his wife Rebecca is actually his sister (as Abraham did with Sarah in Lech Lecha) and again, the woman escapes unharmed. The story then turns to the “great deception” where Jacob pretends to be Esau in order to obtain the primary blessing from his father Isaac. Esau hates Jacob and threatens him; Rebecca urges Jacob to escape to her family in Haran, towards where he sets off at the conclusion of the parasha.
Genesis 25:34 "Jacob then gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate, he drank, he got up, he went his way..."
In this week's parasha, Esau, in a rush of activity, returns home from hunting and demands "red stuff" (stew) from his bother. Jacob agrees, in return for the hereditary birthright.
Here is a thought: was Esau the first person with ADHD? Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurological and developmental disorder with a wide range of symptoms, often characterized by impulsivity, the need for instant gratification, an inability to focus, and difficulty recognizing and appropriately reacting to social cues. This verse displays a similar characterization of Esau. He is impulsive, he cannot wait to have his hunger gratified. We have four, rapid-fire verbs in a row: he ate, he drank, he arose, he went his way. The verbs are suggestive in their physicality, and are characteristic of those who suffer from ADHD.
The rabbis claim that Esau was a person with serious character defects (incidentally, a charge often leveled at those with ADHD) and did not deserve the birthright. They opine that Esau's flaws justify Jacob’s trickery. On reflection, this may be unfair to Esau. After all, even at birth, Jacob tried to "steal" the first born status, by grasping at Esau's heel. Was this any fault of Esau's? Hardly. Esau was a good son, providing his farther with food, and is loved by his father (a man with serious father/son conflicts in his own past). Esau is distressed when he realizes that the birthright and blessing have been lost. Many years later, when the brothers reunite, he greets Jacob warmly, in a forgiving manner, despite Jacob's apparent hostility.
We have been slow to accept the reality of ADHD as a legitimate medical condition. All too often, we think of impulsivity or lack of attention as “kids being kids” or part of “normal growing up.” On the other hand, many of us have family members who face the challenge of ADHD and the continuing problems it poses throughout life. It is not something to be casually dismissed.
This parasha gives us an opportunity to consider this disability in a Jewish context. The text suggests that Isaac was aware of Esau’s infirmity when he tells Esau to “get your gear, your quiver, your bow…go into the field.…hunt for me…prepare it for me…and bring it to me.” (Gen. 27 2-4). Isaac provides specific, detailed instructions to his son, in a loving way, to help him succeed, which is exactly what parents of kids with ADHD are taught to do today.
Some of us, and some of our friends and family, seem to succeed easily. Others face steeper challenges. Jewish ethical tradition demands that we treat those with infirmities with care, and with dignity. This text is a reminder that we need to show compassion to those who do not easily achieve “normative” standards of success, and to continually seek ways to bring even hidden capabilities to the forefront within a Jewish context.
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