VAYISHLACH 32:4 - 36:43

 VAYISHLACH 32:4 - 36:43

This week's Parshah is Vayishlach.

Among other things we learn:

After 20 years Jacob returns to the Land.

He learns that Esau is approaching with 400 armed men.

Jacob prepares for war, prays, and sends Esau a large gift of livestock.

Jacob wrestles with an Angel who renames him "Yisrael".

Jacob and Esau meet; embrace and kiss, but part ways.

Jacob and his family settle in Shechem where Dinah is raped and Shimon and Levi take revenge.

Rachel dies while giving birth to Benjamin, and is buried in a roadside grave.

Esau's family is recounted in detail.

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 In the Parshah at 32:21 it seems that Jacob may be making an atonement, כפרה  to his brother Esau for the taking of the birthright and usurping the blessing of material wealth given to him by Isaac. 

כִּי-אָמַר אֲכַפְּרָה פָנָיו, בַּמִּנְחָה הַהֹלֶכֶת לְפָנָי, וְאַחֲרֵי-כֵן אֶרְאֶה פָנָיו, אוּלַי יִשָּׂא פָנָי

" …For he said, "I will atone his anger with the gift that is going before me, and afterwards I will see his face, perhaps he will favor me."

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In this week's Parshah at 32:25, we learn that our forefather Jacob was tough.  He wrestled with a mysterious being, perhaps an Angel, hung in there and finally succeeded, a lesson for us all.

 וַיִּוָּתֵר יַעֲקֹב, לְבַדּוֹ; וַיֵּאָבֵק אִישׁ עִמּ,  וֹ, עַד עֲלוֹת הַשָּׁחַר

“And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day”.

Why did a “man” wrestle with Jacob? 

What meaning does that wrestling match have for us today in terms of Jacob or the Jewish people or yourself?  

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 The 13^th century French Rabbi Chizkuni comments on 32:25 “...Jacob was left alone...”: 

Jacob should have had support from his family.  He should not have been left alone for this struggle.

If you are like most Jews and come from assimilated families, you will not have their support.  At the very best they will consider you to be quirky.  At the worst they will consider you certifiable.

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At 32:29 - 

The  mysterious Angel renames Jacob; he will be called Israel.  

וַיֹּאמֶר, לֹא יַעֲקֹב יֵאָמֵר עוֹד שִׁמְךָ--כִּי, אִם-יִשְׂרָאֵל:  כִּי-שָׂרִיתָ עִם-אֱלֹהִים וְעִם-אֲנָשִׁים, וַתּוּכָל

“Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, because you have dominion with God and with men, and you have overcome”.

I think an alternate translation should be considered.  One that considers the root of שָׂרִיתָ to stem from "prince":

"... for as a prince with God and with men, and you have prevailed.”

There will be Jews that have a  problem with this translation in that it comes from the King James Version of the Chumash.

I like a better translation.  One that is more meaningful:

We have learned that  the Children of Israel were given the name, יִשְׂרָאֵל. This name was given to Jacob by an Angel. It means “God prevails” and is the embodiment of our nation and of our people.

It is our identity.

 

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  At 33:3 Jacob bows down seven times and refers to himself as Esau’s servant.  This is tantamount to offering Esau back the birthright. 

And Jacob transfers over to Esau much of the material wealth accumulated while working for Lavan.

 וְהוּא, עָבַר לִפְנֵיהֶם; וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אַרְצָה שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים

“And he went ahead of them and prostrated himself to the ground seven times…”

A suzerain does not kowtow to an under lord.  The irony of this however, is that Esau is indifferent.  As told to us by Rabbi Yitz, indifference is Esau’s major character flaw.  In the sense of appeasement, he can take it or leave it.  Esau takes the gift of appeasement; the brothers embrace. Esau leaves, and each brother goes their separate ways.

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At 33:16-17 the brothers go their separate ways. Esau is said to have founded the nation of Edom. There were kings in Edom, descendants of Esau long before there were kings in Israel.

There has been a love/hate relation between the Edomites and the Israelites, probably starting from the get-go, 3,500 years ago. This may have lasted until today, but certainly was present in the time of the Hasmoneans .

As to how Hashem regards this relationship, one only has to go Devarim 2:4-6

where the Israelites under Moshe were refused entry to Edom and had to go around it without making war with them during the trek to the Land of Israel"

“… and charge the people as follows: You are about to pass through the territory of your kindred, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, so, be very careful not to engage in battle with them, for I will not give you even so much as a foot’s length of their land, since I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. You shall purchase food from them for money, so that you may eat; and you shall also buy water from them for money, so that you may drink”.

Hundreds of years later King David defeated the Edomites, and Edom became a vassal state of Israel. For centuries afterwards there was a lot of back and forth until the destruction of the first Temple.  

In 587 BCE, when the Kingdom of Judah was weakened and about to be defeated by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar, the Edomites entered Judah and may have helped plunder Jerusalem. In 167 BCE Judah Maccabee conquered Edom, and shortly thereafter John Hyrcanus forcedly converted the Edomites. Edom’s name became Idumea and from there emerged King Herod the Great, King of the Jews and possibly a descendant of Esau

In retrospect, a descendant of Esau became a ruler over Jacob, and we have come full circle. 

 

 

DECEPTION: an act or statement which misleads, hides the truth, or promotes a belief, concept, or idea that is not true…often done for personal gain or advantage.

At 33:14 we learn that Ya’akov misleads Esav about his plans to join him in Se’ir, and that the sons of Ya’akov dupe the citizens of Sh’khem into a mass circumcision – and then pillage the town in revenge for the rape of Dinah (34:13). 

No big deal so you say; what’s a little deception now and again?

But look at this list.  If you try not very hard you may begin to see a pattern emerging  :

a. Yitzhak is deceived by Ya’akov who is prompted and aided by Rivkah (Ch. 27).

b. Yitzhak is deceived by Rivkah, who claims that she wants to send Ya’akov away for marriage purposes (when it’s really to save his life – 27:46).

c. Lavan fools Ya’akov into marrying Leah before Rachel – thus getting her married off and gaining 7 more “free” years of labor from Ya’akov (29:23-27).

d. Rachel lies to her father about the idols she stole from his house (31:19).

e. Lavan manipulates Ya’akov’s wages “ten times” (31:41).

f. Ya’akov misleads Esav about his plans to join him in Se’ir (33:14).

g. The sons of Ya’akov dupe the citizens of Sh’khem into a mass circumcision – and then pillage the town in revenge for the rape of Dinah (34:13).

h. The brothers fool their father into thinking that Yoseph has been killed by an animal (37:31).

i. Tamar fools Yehuda into thinking that she is a *K’deshah* (38:14-15).

j. Potiphar’s wife lies to her husband, getting Yoseph thrown into the court jail (39:14-20).

k. Yoseph maintains his disguise with his brothers, not revealing their relationship until Yehuda's bold stand (44:18-34)

l. Yoseph (evidently) has his brothers lie to Pharaoh about their livelihood (46:33-34).

m. The brothers (apparently) lie to Yoseph about Ya’akov’s deathbed wishes (49:17).

What lies to we hear today?

Think about anti-Semitism or fake news, lies about Israel or Jews or about me and you.

I am reading a book entitled "The Samson Option" by Seymour M. Hersh. It concerns the building of a nuclear facility at Dimona.  From the get-go and still today,  deception and outright lying in Israel and abroad was very much the government's policy.

Related to deception is stealing.  Think about stealing the afikomen during the Passover Seder.

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At 33:18 Jacob arrived at the outskirts of the city of Shechem, where he purchased a plot of land.  Jacob's daughter, Dinah, ventured out into the city of Shechem where she was abducted , violated her and kept  hostage.

Dinah's two brothers, Simon and Levi, entered the city, killed all its male inhabitants, and liberated Dinah.  Jacob was displeased by this act, fearing reprisal from the neighboring Canaanites.

Jacob may have been unhappy with the course of action taken by his two sons, but personally took action against the Canaanites.  As recorded much later in the Chumash at 48:22 Jacob says to Joseph:

וַאֲנִי נָתַתִּי לְךָ, שְׁכֶם אַחַד--עַל-אַחֶיךָ:  אֲשֶׁר לָקַחְתִּי מִיַּד הָאֱמֹרִי, בְּחַרְבִּי וּבְקַשְׁתִּי

“And I have given you Shechem, one portion over your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow."

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PROCASTINATION

 

After the massacre of the townspeople of Shechem, after making a promise at least 20 years prior, Hashem once more reminds Jacob at 35:1 –

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל-יַעֲקֹב, קוּם עֲלֵה בֵית-אֵל וְשֶׁב-שָׁם; וַעֲשֵׂה-שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ--לָאֵלהַנִּרְאֶה אֵלֶיךָ, בְּבָרְחֲךָ מִפְּנֵי עֵשָׂו אָחִיךָ

“And God said to Jacob, Arise and go up to Beth el and dwell there, and make there an altar to the God Who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau."

Hashem must be long on patience.

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If you want Hashem’s protection, you better get rid of your foreign gods (35:2,4):

 וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֶל-בֵּיתוֹ, וְאֶל כָּל-אֲשֶׁר עִמּוֹ:  הָסִרוּ אֶת-אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר, אֲשֶׁר בְּתֹכְכֶם, וְהִטַּהֲרוּ, וְהַחֲלִיפוּ שִׂמְלֹתֵיכֶם.

"Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him: 'Put away the strange gods that are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your garments";

וַיִּתְּנוּ אֶל-יַעֲקֹב, אֵת כָּל-אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדָם, וְאֶת-הַנְּזָמִים, אֲשֶׁר בְּאָזְנֵיהֶם; וַיִּטְמֹן אֹתָם יַעֲקֹב, תַּחַת הָאֵלָה אֲשֶׁר עִם-שְׁכֶם

“And they gave unto Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hand, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth which was by Shechem”.

Why under a specific tree?  הָאֵלָה looks a lot like "the goddess".

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In the final Aliyah at 36:20 we learn something about a Canaanite king named Seir and Jacob’s brother Esau.  Seir was king over a mountain region immediately south of Israel, an area later called “Edom”.  Prior to his encounter with Jacob, Esau moved south to the Mountain of Seir.  The 400 men who rode with him were from that region.  At some point Esau had displaced Seir and ruled the region.

Seir eldest son was named Lotan was a leader in his own right.  Lotan had a sister.  Her name was Timna.  She was a noble woman and Clan Leader (36:22,40), and she was under the rule of Esau. 

The Talmud, Sanhedrin 99b, speaks about Menashe, a Judean king who ridiculed and trivialized the Torah, including the passages that refer to Esau’s genealogy and Timna. 

The Sages tell of the importance of the passages.  They relate that Timna wanted to convert, but was rejected by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  She then becomes a concubine to Esau’s son Eliphaz in order to have a relationship with the family, albeit a secondary one.  

Timna and Eliphaz have a son; he is Amalek our dire enemy.  The Sages conjecture that had Timna been accepted by the Patriarchs, history may have turned out differently.

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VAYETZE 28:10-32:3

  VAYETZE 28:10-32:3

      

                       

 

This week's Parshah is Vayeitze.

Among other things we learn:

Jacob journeys from Beersheva to Charan.

 On the way he dreams of a ladder connecting heaven and earth.

 Hashem appears to him and promises that the land upon which he lies will be given to his descendants.

 Jacob works for his uncle Laban who agrees to give him Rachel as a wife, but Jacob must work for seven years in order to get this prize.  On the wedding night the sisters pull a bait and switch, and Jacob ends up with Leah, and has to do an additional seven years of sheep herding

 Between Rachel, Leah and two handmaidens, Jacob fathers 13 children

 After 14 years plus an additional six, a prosperous Jacob and his family secretly leave Charan.

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 At 28:10-11 we learn:

“And Jacob left Beersheba, and he went to Haran”.

וַיֵּצֵא יַעֲקֹב, מִבְּאֵר שָׁבַע; וַיֵּלֶךְ, חָרָנָה

Beersheva served as the launch point for Jacob’s Father and Grandfather.  So when Jacob leaves Beersheva to go to Haran it is reminiscent of Lech Lecha at 12:1 - “And the Lord said to Abram, "Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's house….”

Reminiscent, but hardly the same; going to Haran is leaving the Land, leaving holiness. It reminds me of the time We went to Egypt and became slaves.

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­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­In the Parshah at 28:11, Jacob arrives at a place where he has a mystical experience in which he sees a ladder extending to heaven: 

“And he arrived at the place and lodged there because the sun had set, and he took from the stones of the place and put at his head, and he lay down in that place”.

וַיִּפְגַּ֨ע בַּמָּק֜וֹם וַיָּ֤לֶן שָׁם֙ כִּי־בָ֣א הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ וַיִּקַּח֙ מֵֽאַבְנֵ֣י הַמָּק֔וֹם וַיָּ֖שֶׂם מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֑יו וַיִּשְׁכַּ֖ב בַּמָּק֥וֹם הַהֽוּא

The word “place”, מָּק֔וֹם is used three times in this verse.  Perhaps it is another name for Hashem as used in the Passover Haggadah or maybe a reference to the location of the future Temple, a place where Hashem will show you.

יִּפְגַּע could be translated as “meet” or “encounter”; מָּקוֹם  could be understood as “God”.

Jacob had an encounter with Hashem.  On Shabbat we have a similar encounter.  Isn’t Torah great?

Then there is Led Zeppelin:  https://youtu.be/QkF3oxziUI4

 https://youtu.be/QkF3oxziUI4

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I took some liberties in re- interpreting a verse from part of Bereishis 28:11 -

 הַהוּא וַיִּקַּח מֵאַבְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם, וַיָּשֶׂם מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו; וַיִּשְׁכַּב, בַּמָּקוֹם

And he chose the  הַמָּקוֹם, from (other) the stones.

And he placed it under his head,

And he slept with that one, the הַמָּקוֹם

I see it as a marriage ceremony.

Selection: And he chose the  הַמָּקוֹם, from (other) the stones.

Joining: And he placed it under his head,

Marriage: And he slept with that one, the הַמָּקוֹם

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Some people are slow in fulfilling a vow, and need to be reminded. Jacob was one such person.

In the Parshah, after Jacob has his mysterious dream and Hashem’s promise, he erects a monument and makes a vow (28:21-22) –

“and this stone, which I have set up for a memorial, shall be God's house;”

  וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת, אֲשֶׁר-שַׂמְתִּי מַצֵּבָה--יִהְיֶה, בֵּית אֱלֹהִים

Did Jacob promise to build the Temple, the Mikdash?

“I will come back to my father's house in peace, and Hashem will be my God.”

וְשַׁבְתִּי בְשָׁלוֹם, אֶל-בֵּית אָבִי; וְהָיָה יְהוָה לִי, לֵאלֹהִים

Twenty years later Hashem reminds Jacob of his vow (31:13)

“I am the God of Beth el, where you anointed a monument, where you pronounced to Me a vow. Now, arise, go forth from this land and return to the land of your birth”.

אָנֹכִי הָאֵל, בֵּית-אֵל, אֲשֶׁר מָשַׁחְתָּ שָּׁם מַצֵּבָה, אֲשֶׁר נָדַרְתָּ לִּי שָׁם נֶדֶר; עַתָּה, קוּם צֵא מִן-הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת, וְשׁוּב, אֶל-אֶרֶץ מוֹלַדְתֶּךָ.ְ

Jacob is commanded to return to the land of his birth, an interesting twist on Lech Lecha.

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In this week's Parshah, the 4th Aliyah (30:14), Reuven finds a plant called the דודאים.

 Reuven gives it to Leah his Mother.  Rachel who is childless is desperate for this plant. The two women barter:  Leah trades the דודאים for the opportunity to sleep with Jacob. What is this plant?  What is going on here?  Did it work?

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We also find the דודאים in the Song of Songs 7:14 -

 הַדּוּדָאִים נָתְנוּ-רֵיחַ, וְעַל-פְּתָחֵינוּ כָּל-מְגָדִים--חֲדָשִׁים, גַּם-יְשָׁנִים; דּוֹדִי, צָפַנְתִּי לָךְ.

"The mandrakes have given forth fragrance. And on our doorways are all manner of sweet fruits, both new and old, which I have hidden away for you, my beloved."

Because mandrakes contain Hallucinogens, and the shape of their roots often resembles human figures, they have been associated with a variety of magical practices throughout history. 

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Rachel hiding idols,  Giovanni Battista Tiapolo, 1726-29

At 31:34, Rachel has hidden her father’s household idols that are called teraphim, תְּרָפִים.

וְרָחֵל לָקְחָה אֶת-הַתְּרָפִים, וַתְּשִׂמֵם בְּכַר הַגָּמָל

“Now Rachel had taken the teraphim, and put them in the saddle of the camel…”

What going on?  Did Rachel take the teraphim in order that Lavan not have idolatrous paraphernalia, or did she wanted to use them herself?

Five hundred years later we encounter teraphim again in 1 Samuel 19: Before he became king, David’s wife uses their large size teraphim as part of a ruse to protect David from King Saul’s soldiers  

Does this mean that there was a place for teraphim in every household?

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With all that is going on in Israel I lost sight of the 9th of November,  Krystal Nacht.

Shame on me. There are obvious similarities.

https://www.facebook.com/michael.jaron.754/videos/414627925414423/

The 9th of November is Kristallnacht. the Night of Broken Glass.

TOLDOT 25:19-28:-28:9

 TOLDOT 25:19-28:-28:9

  

: Simeon Solomon, 1863. © Victoria & Albert Museum.

     

In this week's Parshah we learn about the powerful spirituality of Isaac and Rebecca:

ַיֶּעְתַּ֨ר יִצְחָ֤ק לַֽיהֹוָה֙ לְנֹ֣כַח אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ כִּ֥י עֲקָרָ֖ה הִ֑וא

At 25:21 "Isaac pleaded (or prayed) to the Lord on behalf his wife because she was barren..."

And we learn at 25:22 when Rebecca became pregnant with twins they struggled within her, and she sought an answer from Hashem as to what was going on.

וַתֵּ֖לֶךְ לִדְר֥שׁ אֶת־יְהֹוָֽה

" And she went to demand of Hashem".

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In this week's parshah at 26:12, one of the things that intrigues me is that Isaac is a farmer, not only a herdsman, and he does alright for a tiller of the soil.

יב  וַיִּזְרַע יִצְחָק בָּאָרֶץ הַהִוא, וַיִּמְצָא בַּשָּׁנָה הַהִוא מֵאָה שְׁעָרִים; וַיְבָרְכֵהוּ, יְהוָה.

"And Isaac sowed in that land, and he found in that year a hundred fold, and the Lord blessed him".

His Philistine neighbors became jealous of his success.

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Where was Esau when Isaac needed him? Esau is touted as being a hunter, a man of the field for which he was very much loved by his passive father, Isaac.

But when Isaac is continuously being bullied, harassed and pushed around by his Philistine neighbors where was Esau?: The Philistines stopped up the wells that had been dug by Abraham (26:15); they force Isaac to move (26:16); he had to move once more because of a quarrel over water (26:22); and finally Isaac settles away from the Philistines and moves to Beersheva (26:23).

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The Parsha clearly illustrates that underground water is a property right that rests with the owners of the land. Wells are dug, stopped up and dug again. Isaac is not a land owner, but a sojourner who resides at the tender mercies of his Philistine host. Keep in mind that the Philistines are not native to the land, but acquired their property right by force of arms.

In modern times the right to well water is illustrated in the film “Lawrence of Arabia”. On a journey, Lawrence’s Bedouin guide is killed by Sherif Ali for drinking from the Sherif’s well without permission.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud1zpHW3ito

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Esau takes a 3rd wife, one of uncle Ishmael's daughters

In the Parsha at  26:35 Essau at age 40 marries two Hittite (Canaanite) women. Marrying these Canaanite women results in bitterness to  Rivkah and Jacob .

וַתִּהְיֶיןָ, מֹרַת רוּחַ, לְיִצְחָק, וּלְרִבְקָה

"And they were a bitterness to the spirit  of Isaac and to Rivkah.”

This negative emotion is similar to that expressed by Job (Iyov) at 7:11 -

גַּם-אֲנִי, לֹא אֶחֱשָׂךְ-פִּי
אֲדַבְּרָה, בְּצַר רוּחִי; אָשִׂיחָה, בְּמַר נַפְשִׁי.

“Neither will I restrain my mouth; I will speak with the anguish of my spirit, I will complain with the bitterness of my soul.”


On its face, It is difficult to see from the text how the two Canaanite brides would be any different than the two Aramean women that Jacob eventually married. They were all idol worshippers. Perhaps the difference is that Jacob's wives were family.

At 28:8-9, upon hearing of his parent's preferences for a suitable mate, Esau marries a daughter of Ishmael, in addition to the two Canaanite wives he already had.

וַיַּרְא עֵשָׂו, כִּי רָעוֹת בְּנוֹת כְּנָעַן, בְּעֵינֵי, יִצְחָק אָבִיו.

                      ...וַיֵּלֶךְ עֵשָׂו, אֶל-יִשְׁמָעֵאל; וַיִּקַּח אֶת-מָחֲלַת בַּת-יִשְׁמָעֵאל

"And Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan were displeasing to his father Isaac. So Esau went to Ishmael, and he took Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael..."

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Some of the negative stereotypes about Jews in regard to "Economic Anti-Semitism” or deception of gentiles may be found in the Parsha:

The “swindling” by the bookish brother Jacob of the birthright belonging to his manly brother Esau; the deception of Isaac by Rivka and Jacob in obtaining by trickery the material blessing earmarked for Esau.

Anti-Semitism is a hostility that prejudices or discriminates or demonizes against Jews. In support of his prejudice, the Anti-Semite marks Jews as carrying deviant racial characteristics. We Jews are characterized by the Anti-Semite as not only being partially bad, but totally bad by our inherent nature, that we have inborn incorrigible traits.

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REVISITING THINGS TURKISH: A LESSON IN LIFE

As a boy my favorite 5₵ candy bar was Bonomo’s Turkish Taffy. It was chewy and lasted a long time. I’ve since come to learn that Bonomo’s Turkish Taffy is neither Turkish nor taffy, but I’m good with that. For me it’s a lesson in life.

I also enjoy Turkish coffee, and the orange juice on Turkish Airlines in my opinion is the best in the world. But recently I have been given pause to reflect on things Turkish.

In the the Turkish language, the word for “Jew” is kazıkçı satıcı. OK you ask, so what’s the point? Well, I’ll tell you what’s the point: kazıkçı satıcı is inherent anti-Semitism. It is a permanent, essential, characteristic attribute of you and me. It is how the Turks regard us. Kazıkçı satıcı means “swindler or deceiver or trickster”…another lesson in life.

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In the Parshah, from 27:1 - 27:27 we are presented with infirmities associated with advancing years, a phenomenon not unfamiliar to many of us Olim:

Isaac although blind still has a sense of taste and is able to smell and hear. He sends Esau out to get some venison and to make a sweet stew that he very much hopes to enjoy

In the interim, Jacob tries to deceive Isaac. The old man's suspicions are aroused. He senses something odd about the voice of this son asking for a blessing. The boy is hairy like Esau and smells like Esau, but the voice is not quite right. What to do?


Deception, deceit, pathos, anger, fear and flight; this is a tale packed with emotion.

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Jacob could also have taken a wife from among the Canaanites as did Esau.

But Rebecca would have none of that:

 וַתֹּאמֶר רִבְקָה, אֶל-יִצְחָק, קַצְתִּי בְחַיַּי, מִפְּנֵי בְּנוֹת חֵת; אִם-לֹקֵחַ יַעֲקֹב אִשָּׁה מִבְּנוֹת-חֵת כָּאֵלֶּה, מִבְּנוֹת הָאָרֶץ--לָמָּה לִּי, חַיִּים.

At 27:46 -"And Rebecca said to Isaac, "I am disgusted with my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth like these, from the daughters of the land, of what use is life to me?"

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At 28:1-2 Jacob is told by his father to go to Aram, to his Great Uncle Bethuel, and there take a wife from among his Uncle Lavan's daughters. 

Hypothetically, Jacob had other choices:

1. He could have been told to go to his Uncle Ishmael's, and take a wife from among Uncle Ishmael’s daughters.

And remember that Ishmael had received a blessing from Hashem at 17:20 in which he would be fruitful, increase in numbers and be the father of 12 princes. As for Bethuel and his son Lavan there is no such blessing. On its face then, going to Ishmael seems the better deal for Jacob.

Speculation: If Jacob had found his soulmate in Uncle Ishmael’s house, and if Hagar turned out to be Pharaoh’s daughter as the Midrash says, then all kinds of good things could have happened.

2. He could have gone to Uncle Lot who had two perhaps available daughters,

3. And if Jacob was worried enough about Esau, he could have sought the protection of Avimelech.

Thank you for playing this What If game with me:

OK, I know: If my Grandmother had a beard she would be my Grandfather.

The obsession to marry only into one's own family, and to marry well calls into question among other things, Abraham's marriage to Keturah.  

What was that about?

In today's world, marrying outside the family brings into question assimilation and Jewish survival, Caroline Glick has an opinion on this issue:

https://youtu.be/Ui2WYWqvVDY?si=ADKH-1M60ZWZ6OUT

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Haftarah: Malachi 1:1-2:7

We know that there were problems with the Priesthood from the get-go.

Malachi picks up into their descent into oblivion somewhere along the way.

The consensus is that he prophesized during the Persian period. 

Malachi tells us that the Priests turned away from the correct path, corrupted their covenant, and offered blemished sacrifices.

What is Malachi's message for today?

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REVISITING ISHMAEL THROUGH THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS

Ishmael the Archer

On September 15, 2020 Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed a Peace Treaty called the Abraham Accords. This name hearkens back to Abraham, the father of Ishmael and Isaac, two brothers who are the progenitors of Islam and Judaism, the Muslim nations and the State of Israel.

THINGS THAT WE KNOW ABOUT ISHMAEL

• The name יִשְׁמָעֵֽאל Yishmaʿel means 'God will listen', suggesting that God fulfills His promises.
• He will love the wilderness and to hunt.
• Ishmael will not be domesticated. He will contend with his brethren.
• “…he dwelt in the wilderness, and he became an archer”.

Isaac, in contrast to his Father and to Ishmael, was a passive individual. In Hebrew his name is Yitzchak, יִצְחָק means “he will laugh”.  I think he was a pleasant person; perhaps he had a benevolent smile.  When he meets his future wife, he loves her.

When Abraham passed away both brothers cooperated in a spirit of peace, shared interest and respect.  At 25:9 -

וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אֹתוֹ יִצְחָק וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל, בָּנָיו, אֶל-מְעָרַת, הַמַּכְפֵּלָה

“And Isaac and Ishmael his [Abraham's] sons buried him [Abraham] in the cave of Machpelah,”

As promised by the Angel to Haggar (21:18) : Ishmael will father many children/  Ishmael had 12 sons, each a tribal leader. I take this as meaning that Ishmael will be the Father of the Arab people, much in the way that Jacob is the Father of the Jewish people.  They each had 12 Tribes.

 I think that when Ishmael spent his formative years under Abraham’s roof that he learned and accepted the concept of one God, the Creator.  His children learned from him just as did the children of Jacob.  I think Ishmael’s influence paved the way for Mohammed and for Muslims everywhere.

Jews and Muslims, if not exactly brothers, are surely cousins. The Abraham Accords brings about a time in which Jews and Muslims can live together in the spirit of peace.  We have shared interests and a shared heritage.  It leads to healing and makes for a better future.

However where there are Muslims that murder Jews as part of their credo, the thought of a Muslim- Jewish "kumbaya"  is called into question.