Truth, on the one hand, and creativity, on the other faithfully testify
to the divine concealed within man. The evil inclination,
representative of the bestial, of the self- preservation system
within man, is designed to remind man that even if he is a god, his
godhood is limited by his enslavement to lesser gods. Ironically, few and far between are
the moments he is enveloped in godly light, and many and long are the hours he spends
enveloped by darkness stemming from his enslavement to these lesser gods.
Jacob, the chosen patriarch, is charged with
delving into the interiority of the human condition in order to set
up a system ruled by the divine laws and fundamental principles
within man. So that man is endowed with fangs and claws, the ability
to enter the ring and grapple with the lesser gods. Commencing at
this point in history, new players enter the ring. There are no
longer two realms: firstly, G-d's realm promulgating ideals --
comprising divine providence, promises and most crucially, plans
developed for man; and secondly the lower realm where truth has been
cast down from the heights of the supernal realm
to earth so that it can again erupt forth from within man. Instead there is
one arena: man, himself, not the world, becomes the central arena where G-d and men
grapple with one another.
This struggle determines the relationship
between heaven and earth. The new rules of the game do not attribute
the game's contributing factors to elements outside the human arena,
neither those above it nor those beyond its horizon. "For the matter
is very close to you, in your mouth and within your heart to do it,"
(Deut 31:14) for "it is not beyond reach [lit. distant from
you]"(Deut 30:11). Thus, man has complete control over everything,
including good and evil; everything is contingent upon what he
decides to say – his mouth, his heart
felt intentions, and his thoughtful decisions. Man, and only man,
decides. Even wonders and miracles, among other phenomena which seem to deny this
perception, stem from mans' choices.
"And Jacob took all these measures out of a deep sense of understanding so that he would
not require a miracle" (Or HaHaim); "He feared greatly and was distressed"(Gen 32:7):
He was afraid lest he be killed, and he was distressed that he might have to kill
others"(Rashi). For Jacob sensed that both options had been given to him and he was
responsible for pursuing them. This state gave rise to - "If Esau comes to one camp and
smites it, the other camp may yet escape" (Gen 32:9) – the birth of the alternative, a key
given to man; to be used for better or for worse, for a situation proffering several
alternatives is an open one. Man is no longer forced to choose one of two defined objects,
good or evil. His options are not closed off; his world is no longer narrow and delimited;
rather, man stands facing himself as he confronts every possible reality. There is no
longer an impossible reality. Man must search his deeds and find the solution, for it is
within him, neither external to nor beyond him.
"I am
unworthy of all the kindnesses and all the truth"
(Gen 32:11). Our conception
bypasses the commentators who attempt to define Jacob's sense of unworthiness and
determine what the source of it was. From whence stemmed Jacob's suspicion, they ask,
that he no longer merited the fulfillment of G-d's promise, a promise that had been made
explicitly to him several times in response to his own merit and that of his forefathers?
Perhaps my sins have caused this. What sins [did Jacob commit]? When did Jacob
manage to sin? If we examine the conflict arena, as we have described it, Jacob is not
referring to the conflict between two distinct entities whose relationship must be
examined, but rather to the two poles within one entity; Jacob's sense of unworthiness
stems from the arena of internal conflict where there is a never-ending battle between
truth and falsehood, good and evil, and who standing next to Jacob can proclaim that in
the end good and truth will out.
"Of all the
kindness and all the truth"(Gen 32:11) Jacob, who brought
truth down from the heavens, knew the web of difficulties inherent
in the distorted reality, suffused with falsehoods attributable to
self-interest, that truth was decreed to dwell within. Man can never
be certain that the evil urge and its temptations are not hiding
behind the truth, speaking in its name. Kindness, Abraham's trait,
successfully settled in this world. Even rogues and thieves are
capable of acts of kindess; see, for instance, the legendary figure
of Robin Hood, the English bandit, who robbed from the rich to feed
the poor. The Torah describes the favors of a woman who departs from
the straight and narrow path as "it is a kindness"(Lev 20:17, Rashi,
ad locum
, a disgrace).
Gevurah (might or strength),
the ability to relinquish one's soul for HaKadosh Baruch Hu, also
receives a place of honor in this world. Youth empowered by the
spirit throw away their lives with reckless abandon. Even those base
monstrous creatures belonging to the ranks of the homicidal Moslems,
the shihadim
, may their names be obliterated,
commit suicide in order to murder others.
Notwithstanding its immense success in
penetrating and finding a firm lodging place in mankinds' psyche,
only the truth belonging to Jacob fails to govern
mans' behavior. The truth's success manifests itself solely in its
ability to pester man causing pangs of conscience which introduce
into play an abundant variety of hesitations and doubts producing a
situation of Oy li me-Yotsri – Oy li me-yitstri
(Woe is to me from my Creator
- Woe is to me from my creatureliness [evil inclination or urge]). Truth, on the one hand,
succeeds in weakening the evil doer's resolve so that he is unsure whether he should
commit his evil deeds; however, on the other hand, it also "succeeds" in weakening the
resolve of the righteous individual in his pursuit of the paths of Hashem. Camouflaged by
humility and a persistent questioning of whether the deeds of the righteous are performed
"for the sake of the mitzvah" -- questioning that raise doubts concerning "who has
appointed you as our leader and savior"(cf. Ex 2:14 ), for there are others greater than
you -- truth undermines the resolve of the righteous individual, for the truly righteous
individual is prone to believing that all others are greater than himself.
Many have expressed astonishment at Jacob's excessive subservience in his dealings with
Esau -- calling Esau "my master," bowing many times and putting immense effort into
the encounter -- which seem to indicate his lack of complete confidence in G-d's
deliverance. In contrast, our Sages, of blessed memory, viewed Jacob's dealings with
Esau as a blueprint for how to interact with foreign monarchs: Do not become intimate
with the ruling authorities etc. (Cf. Avot 1:10)
Here too, the extensive contemplation and the multiple aspects of the matter relate to the
multifaceted, personal, internal reality. From herein stems the internal strength which
determines the entire external reality when the godly -- or G-d -- within man succeeds in
overcoming the temptations of the evil urge and adheres to the supernal deity. For this
reason: G-d referred to Jacob as e-l (G-d). Jacob struggled with the force of truth inside
him, with the power of G-d – whose seal is truth – within him, even with the kingdom of
heaven. From this point in history and on, a new man possessing powers capable of
dealing with the forces of nature connected to him and with whom he is connected, and
even capable of influencing heavenly decrees -- fulfilling the credo "that which a
righteous man decrees, HaKadosh Baruch Hu brings to fruition" -- is born. For "the
righteous man rules through his fear of Hashem".
"And a man
wrestled with him until the crack of dawn"
(Gen 32:25); "For you have
striven with beings divine and human [lit. G-d and men] and [by using the force of divine
truth] have prevailed"(Gen 32:29). When man triumphs and succeeds in governing
himself through the measure of truth, overcoming the temptations of the evil inclination,
he attains a level of divinity which no force in heaven or upon earth can withstand, as the
verse recounts "And Jacob came to Shalem (or read, 'And Jacob arrived whole or
perfect')" (Gen 33:18). Two points require further elucidation: How did the angel
manage to strain Jacob's hip socket to the point where he acquired a permanent limp?
Why did the vanquisher need the blessing of the vanquished?
Nahmanides considers the limp a symbol
(siman) of the injury caused to the Jewish people by "the
evil men of the nations." This injurious behavior recurs again and
again, in period after period, as the story of Jewish suffering
unfolds during the Jews' sojourn in the Diaspora. "This is the
Generation of Destruction (shemad)" to use the language of
our Sages, of blessed memory. In light of our understanding that
human beings through a process occurring within themselves, are the
principals in determining what happens to them -- as divine man is
not enslaved to external reality -- the injury done to righteous
people must be interpreted as relating to the internal conflict man
undergoes. This conflict may be summed up by the credo "Woe is to me
from my Creator - Woe is to me from my creatureliness [evil
inclination or urge]" or by the battle between the character traits
where some resolution between them is reached momentarily as
kindness overcomes truth in the never-ending tension prevailing
between them, gevurah
joins with
kindness, or some other arrangement is obtained.
Sticking up for the truth is a central component in creating strength;
however, doing so is also a major contributing factor to creating
tension between it and all the other traits. This tension opens up
the space for the divine worshipper's expression of his own
personality in terms of his relationship with reality surrounding
him. As well, it stimulates intellectual ferment and renewal, giving
rise to additional enthusiasm that creates new spiritual energies
and powers; all this under the sign of free choice expressing the colossal power of
the individual persona and its human and spiritual quality
.
This battle of the titans does not resolve itself without losses and damage. These
damages, it is important to note, may be classified as "passing blemishes;" injuries which
leave behind them a wealth of experience and leave the injured immunized in the face of
the trial to come. These battles operate under the credos of "go from strength to strength"
(Psalms 84:8), or "seven [times] will the righteous fall – and get up."(Proverbs 24:16)
They teach us that the road to perfection is full of pitfalls and traps that should be
bypassed for trials should not be sought out nor miracles relied upon. For this reason,
Jacob prayed requesting divine assistance. However bypassing these tribulations, as has
been noted, is not the certain road either for journeying through the maze cannot be
avoided if one wishes to reach the inner sanctum.
"I will not set you free, unless you bless
me"(Gen 32:27). This is the blessing of strength and completion
which the wrestler obtains by participating in the
religiously-mandated battle thrust upon him. Only this war brings
with it a blessing for the combatant, for both sides are under the
warrior's control. As the wise man commented upon the verse "when
you go forth to make war upon your enemies"(Deut 20:10): Go forth
from the minor war (the external one) to the major war (the war
against the evil inclination). The angel's blessing promises
victory in the internal wars.
This insight leads to an understanding that Jacob's confrontations' possess a dual
meaning. As soon as the parsha commences, when Jacob receives his messengers' reports
after they visit Esau's camp – "We came to your brother … and he is also coming to meet
you"(Gen 32:7) – Rashbam comments: "… and you have found favor in his eyes, as you
wished, and here he is; due to his joy at your coming and his love for you, he has come to
meet you with four hundred men in your honor". The other commentators, it should be
noted, do not agree with the Rashbam's positive take on the verse. However, the very
possibility of understanding the matter at hand in a variety of dissimilar and even
contradictory ways has intrinsic worth. For this teaches us that Jacob had sole control
over how the situation would unfold.
Jacob remains firm in his decision to give Esau
gifts so as not to remain indebted to him, and in order not to
accept favors creating dependency upon the giver and weakness in the
taker. One who hates gifts will live (Proverbs15:27). Taking
weakens. Giving strengthens. On the path to independence, "And Jacob
came to Shalem (or read, 'And Jacob arrived whole or complete')"(Gen
33:18): complete in body, for his limp had been healed; complete
financially, for giving the gifts made no dent in his fortune; with
his Torah knowledge intact - he did not forget what he had learned
while he sojourned in Laban's house. (Rashi, Shabbat
33b) Did Jacob really experience no financial loss after
giving these exceedingly generous gifts? From this we may learn that giving creates
additional wealth and power, and most importantly control.
"But they
replied: 'Should our sister be treated like a whore?'"
(Gen 34:31)
If Dinah's bothers were justified in their actions, why did Jacob rebuke them saying,
"You have brought trouble upon me"(Gen 34:30); "Cursed be their anger"(Gen 49:7).
Seemingly the Torah
relates with greater negativity to a whore than to a man who has
transgressed. The Torah does not refuse to accept transgressors'
Temple contributions made in order to offer sacrifices; Only the
profits of prostitution – "the fee of a whore or the pay of a dog
[male prostitute]"(Deut 23:19) – are rejected by the Torah. The
whore seemingly offers herself up to the public, and in so doing
loses her private persona and all her other claims to aspects of
being a human being, valuable for being wrought in the image of G-d.
The "pay of a dog" is also an offering that has lost its value as an
offering brought in lieu of the fat and the blood of the one
offering it; for, apparently, it is to be perceived as an
object
(its price, the value of a dog), as the animal's value, which is not
representative of the offering's owner for he most foolishly exchanged his offering for a
dog's value.
The Torah takes the descent of mans' spiritual values to the level where he is understood
to be a random object with great seriousness, viewing this act as a fundamental
transgression, which shakes the very foundations of divinity. Individual transgressions
may be judged one way or another, sometimes using the measure of strict judgment and
sometimes applying the measure of mercy. However, mercy cannot be applied to a crime
that uproots the divine basis from reality and exposes it to be an exclusively utilitarian
object. Seemingly, for this reason, the Germans, may their memory be erased, were
singled out for eternal disgrace because they intended to turn their victims into
anonymous objects, into numbers.
"You have brought trouble upon me."(Gen
34:30) "Cursed be their anger for it is fierce"(Gen 49:7)
Notwithstanding their apparently acceptable self-justification, Jacob
takes a very harsh stance toward Simeon's and Levi's actions. This is caused by the fact
that Jacob understands man to be an independent entity who does not weigh his actions in
the light of external conditions, but rather chooses to act in consonance with the absolute
values of his interior world. Jacob's lashes out in pain at his sons who became involved
in a brawl with street punks, notwithstanding their claim that the punks threw the first
punch, not them. For Jacob, the father, claims that this confrontation is beneath his sons'
dignity and not in keeping with the family's honor; it is inappropriate to descend to the
base level of the punks and enter into negotiations with them.
What should the brothers have done in keeping with Jacob's approach? Nahmanides
distinguishes between pin-point and collective punishment:
… for they had done violence to the men of the
city whom they had told in his presence, And we will dwell with
you, and we will become one people
. They
would have chosen to believe in G-d and trust their word, and perhaps they might
have returned to G-d and thus Simeon and Levi killed them without cause for the
people had done them no evil at all (Chavel, 1971, 419)
The city's inhabitants, as opposed to Shechem's men, should have been dealt with
mercifully. For the important men of the city, those close to the royal family, Hamor's
family, were wicked:
Jacob's sons wanted to take vengeance of them with a vengeful sword, and so
they killed the king and all the men of his city who were his subjects, obeying his
commands. The covenant represented by the circumcision of the inhabitants of
Shechem had no validity in the eyes of Jacob's sons for it was done to curry favor
with their master (Chavel, 1971, 419)
According to Nahmanides the brothers meted out justice measure for measure. Shechem
and his cohorts turned Dinah, daughter of Jacob, into a sexual object; the brothers in turn
tempted them into also becoming sexual objects, for they did not enter the covenant (a
partnership comprised of holiness and responsibility among the covenantal partners) with
HaKadosh Baruch Hu; rather, they perceived the enactment of the covenant to be a sterile
meaningless act.
In those days, at that time; today, it would also be appropriate to follow Jacob's sage
advice, dealing harshly, as his sons did, with those Arab leaders who fan the flames of
hatred and govern the masses of common people measure for measure.
Translated by
Rabbi Meshulam Gotlieb
www.MGtransEd.com
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