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In this
portion we read about how Yaakov leaves home in a hurry to escape
the wrath of his twin brother Esav whose birthright and blessing
he has taken. Like his father Yitzchak, Yaakov was also a mama's
boy and Rivka's favorite. He got into trouble because he really wanted
to have the position of first born while Esav sold his birthright
to Yaakov for a bowl of lentil soup showing how little he valued
it.
This
has given Yaakov a bad reputation of being a deceiver while he actually
was quite the opposite in his heart. The lesson that we can learn
from this story is that the things we do have both physical and spiritual
consequences. Yaakov obeyed his mother and even if it was for a good
reason, he still deceived his father by being an imposter. Later
Yaakov himself is deceived by his mother's brother, Lavan when his
wife Leah is the imposter, being forced to take the place of her
sister, Rachel for whom he worked for 7 years. Rachel stole the household
idols from her father and Yaakov swore that whoever stole them would
die, not knowing that his own beloved Rachel would suffer the consequences
of his words. What very strong lessons these are for us to learn
from! Be careful what we ask for or what we do, for the implications
can be very grave.
This
parashah also is prophetic speaking about the olam haba (the world
to come). Yaakov has a dream about angels going up and down a ladder.
It is a change of directions since generally the message comes from
up to down, from G-d to man. Some of our sages tell us that the steps
of the ladder represent the different stages which the nations of
the world will pass through in the plans of G-d but in the end the
only nation which will survive will be Israel. (All of the nations
will climb to reach their climax and then will fall to their destruction
due to their treatment of Israel!)
G-d
is also re-affirming His covenant to Yaakov which He has made with
Avraham and Yitzchak. His father's journey was very different from
Yaakov. Yitzchak never left home but his father's servant ,Eleazer
was sent to bring back a wife for him. Everything came easy for Yitzchak,
while Yaakov struggled for everything he had. He left the Promised
Land very poor which is rabbinic understanding is like being dead.
There are three things which our rabbis consider to be like death:
being poor, blind and deaf and having no children. Yaakov arrives
at Lavan's home as one who was dead. On the way, he has an encounter
with G-d. Our sages write that here at Beit-El or Luz where Yaakov
set up the standing stone, that this place (ha makom) is Moriyah;
the same spot that the akeda (the binding of Yitzchak) took place,
the same spot where the Temple would be built and we believe the
same spot where Yeshua was crucified. When "ha makom" is
used, it denotes that this place was well recognized.
Yaakov
prayed saying that if G-d would be with him and guard him on the
way, and provide food and clothing so that he would be able to return
home in peace, then he would build "a future Temple" (G-d's
house) and that he would give a tenth of everything he earned. Yaakov
as a foreigner in a strange land is learning to rely fully on G-d
for he literally has nothing. He went through many tests and experiences
but he saw G-d's Hand in all of it so that he was able to leave this
land and return spiritually wealthy, with eleven sons. The twelfth
son, Ben-Oni would be born on route when he loses Rachel, his beloved
in childbirth. It is like he himself dies again.
Here
we see the formation of Israel, the people of G-d who would carry
out the task that G-d has given to them. It is important at this
point to take note that being Jewish is not a race. From the beginning,
Avraham was a gentile from Ur. G-d made a covenant with him that
through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed. He had
a son, Ishmael because Sarah could not wait a fact that she lived
to regret. She gets rid of Ishmael removing him from being a bad
influence on her son, Yitzchak. Yitzchak needed to grow up as a prince
of Israel, removed from rivalry. However this created a hatred which
we see still today between Jew and Arab. The problem is far beyond
physical, territorial or political; it is spiritual; it is in the
soul of the people. Yaakov and Esav were twins; same mother, same
father. Esav was the eldest but Rivkah had a dream that there were
two nations in her womb and that the older would serve the younger.
So Yaakov becomes the father of the Jewish people and Esav becomes
the father of the Edomites who are gentile. What does this tell us?
It is G-d who chooses and who are we to tell Him otherwise. Rabbi
Shaul told us in Romans 9 that G-d has chosen us while we are in
the womb and that we have nothing to do with it.
Being
chosen doesn't guarantee a good or easy life. In fact, it means that
with this come responsibility. If G-d really chooses you, you will
realize that there is no escaping that fact. You simply need to respond
to Him. He in turn, opens and closes the doors. He chooses the direction
of our lives in spite of our own plans. Sometimes the way He chooses
is not the most comfortable for us but He wants us to depend fully
upon Him.
Korach
a Levite, who we will read about in Numbers 16:1ff has all the right
pedigree; he is a leader in his own right, an excellent politician,
and a good speaker and much more capable of being the High Priest
than Aharon the brother of Moses. If we were living at that time
in a democracy and had to vote, we certainly would have voted for
him over Aharon who said that the golden calf had jumped out of the
fire! However G-d chose Aharon to be the first Cohen haGadol. We
see the same situation when Samuel went to the home of Jesse to choose
a replacement for King Saul. He certainly would not have chosen little
David, the young shepherd boy over his tall strapping good looking
brothers. G-d however chooses us because He knows our heart. (I Samuel
16:1ff)
Yaakov
was selected before he was born. From the womb he was chosen to be
in the line to follow Avraham and Yitzchak. He did not go through
an easy time nor was he comfortable at any time on his journey from
and back to the Promised Land. He represents Israel in transition
today; many of us outside the land are preparing to return to join
those who already are in Israel. When we left Egypt, we left 600,000
men. If we include the men who were younger than 20 years old and
the women and children it would number around 2 million people, part
of whom are believed to be the erev rav (mixed multitude) who were
integrated and became part of Israel. We see Yaakov returning home
with all his family and many servants who were part of his household.
As
the story of our forefathers unfolds we can see the future of the
world unfolding before our eyes. It is not only historic, it is also
prophetic. The return of Yaakov to the Promised Land with the mixed
multitude points to a future day when we will all return to the land
with the coming of Messiah.
May
G-d add blessings to His Word!
Rabbi
Percy Johnson
Netanel
ben Yochanan
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[b lantn
©
2008 Use by Permission
Kehilat
She’ar Yashuv
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