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Last year a survey was conducted of families to discover what children’s career aspirations were. Amongst five to eleven year olds, the most popular careers are now: sports star, pop star and actor. This contrasts significantly with the findings 25 years ago, which had teacher, banker and doctor at the top of the list. Our society has become obsessed with celebrities, they are always on the front page of the press, and they are lead items on radio and television broadcasts. With such a degree of prominence, it is little wonder that children aspire to be famous. The cult of reality television is also often blamed by many experts for this change in culture, as these programs present a ‘get famous quick’ path to fame and fortune. Many children assume they just have to sing in front of Simon Cowell to be handed a recording contract, pots of money and a paparazzi following.
At one point it seemed that Joseph was destined for a life of fame and fortune. At the very beginning of the Torah portion Joseph was having dreams where sheaves of corn bowed down to his sheaf, and where the sun, moon and eleven stars bowed down to him (Genesis 37:5-9). There was already a tension between Joseph and his brothers, because of their father Jacob having a favourite (Genesis 37:3), and these dreams only served to deepen the divide between the siblings. Things got so bad that the brothers decided to sell Joseph to Ishmaelite traders (Genesis 37:28), lying to their father that Joseph had been killed (Genesis 37:32).
At this lowest point, one might imagine that Joseph would have done anything to regain his former status, and at the very least elevate himself out of servitude. In Potiphar’s house Joseph was once again highly regarded, and Potiphar ‘made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand’ (Genesis 39:4). It seemed like Joseph’s stock was once again rising.
But then Mrs. Potiphar took a shine to Joseph: ‘And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me’ (Genesis 39:7). Now Joseph may have feared for his position if he did lie with his master’s wife, but he must also have feared for his position if he refused her. And despite his initial refusal, she proved to be persistent, asking him everyday to lie with her. Surely for Joseph it would have been easiest to acquiesce to his mistress’s demands, and continue to serve his master in the house. Successfully serving Potiphar and satisfying his wife, it is likely that his star would have continued to rise.
Ultimately, Potiphar’s wife grabbed hold of Joseph’s clothing (Genesis 39:12) and then claimed to her husband that Joseph had in fact tried to seduce her (Genesis 39:17). Once again Joseph found himself at rock bottom, as he was placed in prison by Potiphar (Genesis 39:20). And yet Joseph never gave up, he became the senior prisoner working with the keeper of the prisons and once again did not let adversity stand in his way.
Joseph provides an example of how one needs to keep persevering to reach to the top and attain ones dreams. There was no Egyptian reality television show to elevate him to superstardom and instead he had to rely on his God-given talents, hard work and a little bit of luck, being in the right place at the right time.
When we read the story of Joseph we read the story of someone who attained celebrity and stardom not through some quick fix, but with a lot of hard work and setbacks along the way. The arrogant boy was forced to become a man, and along the way he set an example for all of us to emulate; a far more important example than many of today’s so-called celebrities.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Two Minutes of Torah: Vayishlach (Genesis 33:1-20) - The Reinvention of Esau
In my childhood Darth Vader was in many ways the ultimate bad guy. George Lucas managed to create a villain who looked the part, sounded the part and even acted the part. He was the Emperor’s right-hand man, and as such he was involved in all the villainy which took place under the evil galactic Empire. And then, in ‘Return of the Jedi’, the final film in the original trilogy, Darth Vader redeemed himself. (I cannot believe that there is anyone who is reading this that has not seen the film, but in case you are in the category, skip down to the next paragraph). As Luke is being overpowered by the Emperor, Darth finds the ‘good’ which Luke sensed within him, and he emerges as the hero of the Trilogy, the one who ultimately defeated the Emperor. When the Star Wars prequels came out, over two decades after the original films, we gained further insight into why Darth Vader behaved the way he did, and why he ultimately redeemed himself.
When we look for our bad guy in the Bible, Esau would definitely be featuring in our ‘Top Ten’. From the moment of conception ‘the children struggled in her womb’ (Genesis 25:22), and there was enmity between Esau and Jacob, who would be the founders of two separate nations. The Rabbis developed an idea of Esau as the ultimate bad guy. On the one-hand he was the founder of Edom, which became associated with Rome, and the Romans, who destroyed the Second Temple, and ultimately with Christianity, the rival religion at the time of the Rabbis. The Talmudic Rabbis even referred to him as ‘the wicked Esau’ (Megillah 28a).
However, despite Jacob’s fears about a reunification with his brother in this week’s Torah portion, Esau’s behaviour appears to be anything but wicked, as the brothers are reunited. ‘Esau ran to greet him. He embraced him and, falling on his neck, he kissed him; and they wept’ (Genesis 33:4). This does not seem to be the behaviour of a man who was ‘wicked’. Esau even hoped to join with Jacob’s community, he requested: ‘Let us start on our journey, and I will proceed at your pace’ (Genesis 33:12). And, the two brothers even came together to bury their father Isaac (Genesis 35:29), the last time they were together.
It is true that Esau did at one point want to kill his brother, harbouring a grudge and claiming: ‘Let but the mourning period of my father come, and I will kill my brother Jacob’ (Genesis 27:41). However, we have to remember that this declaration came after Jacob had stolen the paternal blessing from his brother, causing the ‘wicked’ Esau to weep aloud (Genesis 27:38).
When we read this week’s Torah portion we see the relationship between Jacob and Esau in a completely different light, and we see Esau as a brother who, despite the wrongs done to him, is willing to forgive and attempt to rebuild the sibling relationship. There is a power in the moment when ‘he kissed him’ (Genesis 33:4). The text in the Torah has dots above it, which allowed for the Rabbis to interpret the deeper meaning of the text. In Genesis Rabbah 78:9, Rabbi Shimon ben Eleazar said that the dots demonstrate that Esau kissed him with all his heart. However, Rabbi Yannai taught that the dots symbolise the fact that Esau wished to bite Jacob.
Rabbi Yannai viewed Esau as a bad guy and was unable to alter his perspective, despite evidence to the contrary. He would probably have maintained that Darth Vader was still a bad guy, despite the fact that he ultimately redeemed himself, saving his son and contributing the downfall of the galactic Empire.
Esau often gets a bad press from the Rabbis, and especially as a result of his association with Edom, Rome and Christianity. But just as our relationship with Christianity has changed over the last fifty years, perhaps it is also time to change the way we view Esau. Maybe it is time for us to focus on Esau the man who was wronged by his brother, but provides us with an example of how family love can overcome sibling rivalry and tension. Esau may not be one of the Patriarchs, but as one of our ‘uncles’ we can learn a lot of lessons from him. We have to remember that underneath Darth Vader’s mask it was always Anakin Skywalker.
When we look for our bad guy in the Bible, Esau would definitely be featuring in our ‘Top Ten’. From the moment of conception ‘the children struggled in her womb’ (Genesis 25:22), and there was enmity between Esau and Jacob, who would be the founders of two separate nations. The Rabbis developed an idea of Esau as the ultimate bad guy. On the one-hand he was the founder of Edom, which became associated with Rome, and the Romans, who destroyed the Second Temple, and ultimately with Christianity, the rival religion at the time of the Rabbis. The Talmudic Rabbis even referred to him as ‘the wicked Esau’ (Megillah 28a).
However, despite Jacob’s fears about a reunification with his brother in this week’s Torah portion, Esau’s behaviour appears to be anything but wicked, as the brothers are reunited. ‘Esau ran to greet him. He embraced him and, falling on his neck, he kissed him; and they wept’ (Genesis 33:4). This does not seem to be the behaviour of a man who was ‘wicked’. Esau even hoped to join with Jacob’s community, he requested: ‘Let us start on our journey, and I will proceed at your pace’ (Genesis 33:12). And, the two brothers even came together to bury their father Isaac (Genesis 35:29), the last time they were together.
It is true that Esau did at one point want to kill his brother, harbouring a grudge and claiming: ‘Let but the mourning period of my father come, and I will kill my brother Jacob’ (Genesis 27:41). However, we have to remember that this declaration came after Jacob had stolen the paternal blessing from his brother, causing the ‘wicked’ Esau to weep aloud (Genesis 27:38).
When we read this week’s Torah portion we see the relationship between Jacob and Esau in a completely different light, and we see Esau as a brother who, despite the wrongs done to him, is willing to forgive and attempt to rebuild the sibling relationship. There is a power in the moment when ‘he kissed him’ (Genesis 33:4). The text in the Torah has dots above it, which allowed for the Rabbis to interpret the deeper meaning of the text. In Genesis Rabbah 78:9, Rabbi Shimon ben Eleazar said that the dots demonstrate that Esau kissed him with all his heart. However, Rabbi Yannai taught that the dots symbolise the fact that Esau wished to bite Jacob.
Rabbi Yannai viewed Esau as a bad guy and was unable to alter his perspective, despite evidence to the contrary. He would probably have maintained that Darth Vader was still a bad guy, despite the fact that he ultimately redeemed himself, saving his son and contributing the downfall of the galactic Empire.
Esau often gets a bad press from the Rabbis, and especially as a result of his association with Edom, Rome and Christianity. But just as our relationship with Christianity has changed over the last fifty years, perhaps it is also time to change the way we view Esau. Maybe it is time for us to focus on Esau the man who was wronged by his brother, but provides us with an example of how family love can overcome sibling rivalry and tension. Esau may not be one of the Patriarchs, but as one of our ‘uncles’ we can learn a lot of lessons from him. We have to remember that underneath Darth Vader’s mask it was always Anakin Skywalker.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Torah for Today - Why we should wear the poppy
(This article was originally published in the Jewish News on the 11th November 2010)
At this time of year, as we approach Remembrance Sunday, poppies can be seen everywhere. It becomes a part of the uniform for everyone involved in public life and appearing on the media. And across the country many people will not leave the house without first affixing a poppy to their lapel. There is something very compelling about the way in which this campaign unites British society as we remember those people who gave their lives to protect this country and the values Britain upholds.
On the 11th November 1918, The Great War, as it was then known, came to an end as the armistice between Germany and the Allies came into effect. This moment marked the end of a war which had raged for over four years and claimed millions of lives on battlefields across Europe. In the fields of Northern France and Flanders after the guns had fallen silent there was a barren wasteland, on which the poppy was one of the only plants growing.
The wearing of a poppy is usually traced back to two poems. The Canadian military doctor, John McCrae wrote the famous poem In Flanders Field, which contained the moving line: ‘We shall not sleep, though poppies grow in Flanders fields’. In response to that poem the American Moira Michael wrote We Shall Keep the Faith, in which she committed: ‘And now the torch and poppy red we wear in honor of our dead’.
As Jews we are well aware of the importance of remembering. In the Tanach, the verb for remember, zachor, appears 169 times. We are constantly being commanded by God to remember. We are told to ‘remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt’, ‘remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy’, and ‘remember the days of old’. We know the importance of memory, and when we participate in the ceremony and symbols of Remembrance Day we participate in the national memory, we remember together with all other members of British society.
In the Shulhan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 367, we are told that we should bury the non-Jewish dead, and comfort their mourners, so that we follow the ways of peace. Even then the responsa literature recognised that we did not live in an exclusively Jewish society, and that within this context we have an obligation to all members of society. In this situation, we mourn together with the members of the society in which we live. On Remembrance Day all of British society is united in mourning regardless of religion, and the poppy is an outward symbol of this.
If one were looking for reasons to be concerned about wearing the poppy, one might want to consider it in the context of the laws of hukkat ha-goi (laws or customs of the gentiles). The interpretation of Vayikra 20:23 ‘And you shall not walk in the manners of the nation’ means that we are forbidden from following customs which are associated with idolatrous practices or form a part of non-Jewish religious ritual. However, the poppy is a symbol which has no religious context, it is a national symbol, and as such it is not prohibited by this law.
During this time of year I am proud to wear my poppy as a member of British society and as a member of the British Jewish community. When I wear the poppy I think about the millions of men and women who gave their lives defending Britain and the values which Britain represents. I think about the fact that I am privileged to be a Jew in a society where I am free to practice my religion, and I remember that this is a privilege which has been defended and fought for by others who came before me, the vast majority of whom were not Jewish, but their sacrifice has given me, and others, religious freedom. And I am proud of the Jewish servicemen and women who stood shoulder to shoulder with all other members of British society answering the call to defend Britain and making the ultimate sacrifice.
At this time of year, as we approach Remembrance Sunday, poppies can be seen everywhere. It becomes a part of the uniform for everyone involved in public life and appearing on the media. And across the country many people will not leave the house without first affixing a poppy to their lapel. There is something very compelling about the way in which this campaign unites British society as we remember those people who gave their lives to protect this country and the values Britain upholds.
On the 11th November 1918, The Great War, as it was then known, came to an end as the armistice between Germany and the Allies came into effect. This moment marked the end of a war which had raged for over four years and claimed millions of lives on battlefields across Europe. In the fields of Northern France and Flanders after the guns had fallen silent there was a barren wasteland, on which the poppy was one of the only plants growing.
The wearing of a poppy is usually traced back to two poems. The Canadian military doctor, John McCrae wrote the famous poem In Flanders Field, which contained the moving line: ‘We shall not sleep, though poppies grow in Flanders fields’. In response to that poem the American Moira Michael wrote We Shall Keep the Faith, in which she committed: ‘And now the torch and poppy red we wear in honor of our dead’.
As Jews we are well aware of the importance of remembering. In the Tanach, the verb for remember, zachor, appears 169 times. We are constantly being commanded by God to remember. We are told to ‘remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt’, ‘remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy’, and ‘remember the days of old’. We know the importance of memory, and when we participate in the ceremony and symbols of Remembrance Day we participate in the national memory, we remember together with all other members of British society.
In the Shulhan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 367, we are told that we should bury the non-Jewish dead, and comfort their mourners, so that we follow the ways of peace. Even then the responsa literature recognised that we did not live in an exclusively Jewish society, and that within this context we have an obligation to all members of society. In this situation, we mourn together with the members of the society in which we live. On Remembrance Day all of British society is united in mourning regardless of religion, and the poppy is an outward symbol of this.
If one were looking for reasons to be concerned about wearing the poppy, one might want to consider it in the context of the laws of hukkat ha-goi (laws or customs of the gentiles). The interpretation of Vayikra 20:23 ‘And you shall not walk in the manners of the nation’ means that we are forbidden from following customs which are associated with idolatrous practices or form a part of non-Jewish religious ritual. However, the poppy is a symbol which has no religious context, it is a national symbol, and as such it is not prohibited by this law.
During this time of year I am proud to wear my poppy as a member of British society and as a member of the British Jewish community. When I wear the poppy I think about the millions of men and women who gave their lives defending Britain and the values which Britain represents. I think about the fact that I am privileged to be a Jew in a society where I am free to practice my religion, and I remember that this is a privilege which has been defended and fought for by others who came before me, the vast majority of whom were not Jewish, but their sacrifice has given me, and others, religious freedom. And I am proud of the Jewish servicemen and women who stood shoulder to shoulder with all other members of British society answering the call to defend Britain and making the ultimate sacrifice.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Two Minutes of Torah: Vayetze (Genesis 29:12-30) - God help the mister...
One of the rituals which I really enjoy at the Jewish wedding is the bedeken ceremony. Before the bride and groom come to the chuppah (marriage canopy) they have a private moment (sometimes with family or friends) where the groom checks that it is the correct woman under the veil. I appreciate being a part of this quiet and intimate moment between bride and groom, before they are surrounded by their community. Whenever I officiate at that ritual there is always a giggle when I ask the groom to check that it is the correct bride under the veil. There is something almost ridiculous about assuming that a veil could completely hide the identity of a person, and lead to a mistaken marriage.
The origin most often cited for this wonderful ritual is this week’s Torah Portion, when our Patriarch Jacob managed to make the mistake of marrying the wrong woman.
The love between Jacob and Rachel is beautiful in the way that it is described. After seeing her at the well, we read that he ‘kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice and wept’ (Genesis 29:11). There was a powerful connection between the two of them from the very beginning. And after striking the deal with Laban to work for seven years, to earn Rachel’s hand in marriage, we read ‘Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days, because of the love he had for her’ (Genesis 29:20).
Everything appears to be pointing towards the happy ending of Jacob and Rachel marrying and beginning a family together, when Laban intervenes, and on the night of the marriage brings the older sister Leah to Jacob, tricking him into marrying the wrong woman. Somehow the veil was thick enough because Jacob only realised his mistake the following morning, when he challenged Laban: ‘why did you deceive me?’ (Genesis 29:25).
In terms of Jacob this may seem to be an appropriate punishment. After all, Jacob is the same person who tricked his father into believing he was his brother Esau, and thus fraudulently gained his father’s blessing. He pretended to be his sibling to gain the blessing, and now he has been tricked into marrying the wrong sibling. It is also worth considering that Rebecca, who was the orchestrator of Isaac’s deception, as she told Jacob ‘your curse, my son, be upon me’ (Genesis 27:13) is Laban’s sister; these two siblings seem quite similar in their willingness to deceive others.
With Esau and Jacob we saw competition between siblings, with Laban and Rebecca we saw siblings who were willing to deceive those around them, but with Leah and Rachel we have a completely different model of the sibling relationship.
Rachel had found the man of her dreams, Jacob was the man she wanted to marry, ‘she ran and told her father’ (Genesis 29:12) after meeting him. And Jacob reciprocated in his love for her. The text does not tell us what happened between Rachel and Leah when Laban came to them and told them that it would be inappropriate for the younger sister to marry before her elder. We have no account of Rachel breaking down in tears, we read nowhere of the sisters arguing with their father; all we have is the fact that Laban ‘took his daughter Leah and brought her to him [Jacob]’ (Genesis 29:23).
For Leah to have been able to deceive Jacob until the morning, so that he thought he had married Rachel, a veil would not have been sufficient (as bedeken always proves). She must have been able to behave in the same way as her sister; she would have needed to know secrets about the relationship and their interactions. Rachel must have been complicit in helping Leah to trick Jacob. Rachel was willing to lose the man she loved to save Leah the embarrassment of seeing her younger sister get married first.
For most of the book of Genesis we have very challenging sibling relationships beginning with Cain and Abel. But here, when we have sisters, we see a different way for siblings to treat each other. We see a love between siblings which is absent elsewhere. Leah and Rachel do not fall into the trap of sibling rivalry; they offer a model of sisterly love.
The origin most often cited for this wonderful ritual is this week’s Torah Portion, when our Patriarch Jacob managed to make the mistake of marrying the wrong woman.
The love between Jacob and Rachel is beautiful in the way that it is described. After seeing her at the well, we read that he ‘kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice and wept’ (Genesis 29:11). There was a powerful connection between the two of them from the very beginning. And after striking the deal with Laban to work for seven years, to earn Rachel’s hand in marriage, we read ‘Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days, because of the love he had for her’ (Genesis 29:20).
Everything appears to be pointing towards the happy ending of Jacob and Rachel marrying and beginning a family together, when Laban intervenes, and on the night of the marriage brings the older sister Leah to Jacob, tricking him into marrying the wrong woman. Somehow the veil was thick enough because Jacob only realised his mistake the following morning, when he challenged Laban: ‘why did you deceive me?’ (Genesis 29:25).
In terms of Jacob this may seem to be an appropriate punishment. After all, Jacob is the same person who tricked his father into believing he was his brother Esau, and thus fraudulently gained his father’s blessing. He pretended to be his sibling to gain the blessing, and now he has been tricked into marrying the wrong sibling. It is also worth considering that Rebecca, who was the orchestrator of Isaac’s deception, as she told Jacob ‘your curse, my son, be upon me’ (Genesis 27:13) is Laban’s sister; these two siblings seem quite similar in their willingness to deceive others.
With Esau and Jacob we saw competition between siblings, with Laban and Rebecca we saw siblings who were willing to deceive those around them, but with Leah and Rachel we have a completely different model of the sibling relationship.
Rachel had found the man of her dreams, Jacob was the man she wanted to marry, ‘she ran and told her father’ (Genesis 29:12) after meeting him. And Jacob reciprocated in his love for her. The text does not tell us what happened between Rachel and Leah when Laban came to them and told them that it would be inappropriate for the younger sister to marry before her elder. We have no account of Rachel breaking down in tears, we read nowhere of the sisters arguing with their father; all we have is the fact that Laban ‘took his daughter Leah and brought her to him [Jacob]’ (Genesis 29:23).
For Leah to have been able to deceive Jacob until the morning, so that he thought he had married Rachel, a veil would not have been sufficient (as bedeken always proves). She must have been able to behave in the same way as her sister; she would have needed to know secrets about the relationship and their interactions. Rachel must have been complicit in helping Leah to trick Jacob. Rachel was willing to lose the man she loved to save Leah the embarrassment of seeing her younger sister get married first.
For most of the book of Genesis we have very challenging sibling relationships beginning with Cain and Abel. But here, when we have sisters, we see a different way for siblings to treat each other. We see a love between siblings which is absent elsewhere. Leah and Rachel do not fall into the trap of sibling rivalry; they offer a model of sisterly love.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Two Minutes of Torah: Toldot (Genesis 26:12-29) - The Rebound Patriarch
In one of my earlier jobs, my arrival coincided with the Chief Executive moving on to take on new challenges in another sector. There was a great deal of disappointment surrounding this man’s departure as he was highly respected within the community, and had really helped to elevate the organisation within the community. In the couple of weeks in which we overlapped I found him to be an impressive orator, very charismatic and generally a good guy. His successor really did have ‘big shoes to fill’. And in many ways it is not surprising that this new CEO’s tenure was rather short-lived, as the organisation failed to adjust to a new man at the helm. In relationship terms he was a ‘rebound Chief Executive’ and paved the way for a new person to come in and establish themselves as the longer term successor.
Following a larger than life personality can be a daunting challenge, and often the immediate successor is doomed to failure as their predecessor’s shadow looms large. This happens in business, it happens in relationships and I would suggest it also happens in the Torah.
Isaac is our rebound Patriarch, sandwiched as he is between Abraham and Jacob. Abraham is the person with whom God first made the covenant, and Jacob is the man who becomes Israel, after whom we are named. Isaac sits in between the two and holds on to the baton for only a few chapters before passing it on to his son.
This week our Torah portion begins with the birth of Esau and Jacob, and it concludes with Isaac’s blessing of Jacob as his successor in God’s covenant. Isaac only has one section in which he is the centre of attention, and not the son of Abraham or the father of Jacob. And yet in these few verses he offers us an important lesson in contrast to either his father or his son.
According to the text Isaac was a successful farmer: ‘he sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And Adonai blessed him, and the man became rich’ (Genesis 26:12-13). However, his success created envy amongst the Philistines, and they blocked up the wells which had been dug by Abraham’s servants (Genesis 26:14-15). Isaac was faced with a difficult choice: he could have fought to reassert his claim over the land and the wells; Avimelech, the king, even acknowledged ‘you are mightier than we’ (Genesis 26:16). But instead Isaac chose the path of peace, and simply moved his flock and his family to new pastures.
However, despite his continued success in the well digging business, the locals were still resistant towards him, and ‘the herdsmen of Gerar strove with Isaac’s herdsmen’ (Genesis 26:20), disputing the ownership of the wells. This was not the end of Isaac’s struggle, and for a third time he dug wells, and for a third time the locals challenged him, and caused trouble. And yet, rather than fight, each time Isaac simply moved his community and looked for a new place to establish himself and his family.
Finally, he was able to dig a well, which he named Rehovot, and there was no fighting or strife with the locals, and Isaac declared ‘now Adonai has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land’ (Genesis 26:22).
One could view Isaac as weak, lacking the stomach for a fight or to stand up against a local bully. However, the benefit of his strategy is present in the text. Following his successful resettlement, God appears to him and offers him a blessing (Genesis 26:24). This blessing is followed by the return of King Avimelech, the man who had first requested Isaac to uproot and leave. This time there is no suggestion of a fight, and instead Avimelech requests ‘let us make a covenant with you’ (Genesis 26:28). Isaac’s approach yields a peace treaty with his former rival, and concludes with a feast, where the two were able to eat and drink together (Genesis 26:30).
Isaac’s story is not as exciting as that of either Abraham or Jacob; it lacks the action and the excitement of our other Patriarchs. But Isaac, in his own quiet way, as our middle Patriarch, offers a path which brought blessings and peace.
Throughout his life Isaac faced challenges from within his family and from outside. But throughout his life he found ways to build bridges and avoid conflict. He did not fight, not because he was weak, but because he possessed an inner strength. It took bravery and courage to survive the Akedah at the start of his life, and it took bravery and courage to uproot his family each time. And in the end, this rebound Patriarch’s bravery and courage were rewarded with the ultimate blessing of peace.
Following a larger than life personality can be a daunting challenge, and often the immediate successor is doomed to failure as their predecessor’s shadow looms large. This happens in business, it happens in relationships and I would suggest it also happens in the Torah.
Isaac is our rebound Patriarch, sandwiched as he is between Abraham and Jacob. Abraham is the person with whom God first made the covenant, and Jacob is the man who becomes Israel, after whom we are named. Isaac sits in between the two and holds on to the baton for only a few chapters before passing it on to his son.
This week our Torah portion begins with the birth of Esau and Jacob, and it concludes with Isaac’s blessing of Jacob as his successor in God’s covenant. Isaac only has one section in which he is the centre of attention, and not the son of Abraham or the father of Jacob. And yet in these few verses he offers us an important lesson in contrast to either his father or his son.
According to the text Isaac was a successful farmer: ‘he sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And Adonai blessed him, and the man became rich’ (Genesis 26:12-13). However, his success created envy amongst the Philistines, and they blocked up the wells which had been dug by Abraham’s servants (Genesis 26:14-15). Isaac was faced with a difficult choice: he could have fought to reassert his claim over the land and the wells; Avimelech, the king, even acknowledged ‘you are mightier than we’ (Genesis 26:16). But instead Isaac chose the path of peace, and simply moved his flock and his family to new pastures.
However, despite his continued success in the well digging business, the locals were still resistant towards him, and ‘the herdsmen of Gerar strove with Isaac’s herdsmen’ (Genesis 26:20), disputing the ownership of the wells. This was not the end of Isaac’s struggle, and for a third time he dug wells, and for a third time the locals challenged him, and caused trouble. And yet, rather than fight, each time Isaac simply moved his community and looked for a new place to establish himself and his family.
Finally, he was able to dig a well, which he named Rehovot, and there was no fighting or strife with the locals, and Isaac declared ‘now Adonai has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land’ (Genesis 26:22).
One could view Isaac as weak, lacking the stomach for a fight or to stand up against a local bully. However, the benefit of his strategy is present in the text. Following his successful resettlement, God appears to him and offers him a blessing (Genesis 26:24). This blessing is followed by the return of King Avimelech, the man who had first requested Isaac to uproot and leave. This time there is no suggestion of a fight, and instead Avimelech requests ‘let us make a covenant with you’ (Genesis 26:28). Isaac’s approach yields a peace treaty with his former rival, and concludes with a feast, where the two were able to eat and drink together (Genesis 26:30).
Isaac’s story is not as exciting as that of either Abraham or Jacob; it lacks the action and the excitement of our other Patriarchs. But Isaac, in his own quiet way, as our middle Patriarch, offers a path which brought blessings and peace.
Throughout his life Isaac faced challenges from within his family and from outside. But throughout his life he found ways to build bridges and avoid conflict. He did not fight, not because he was weak, but because he possessed an inner strength. It took bravery and courage to survive the Akedah at the start of his life, and it took bravery and courage to uproot his family each time. And in the end, this rebound Patriarch’s bravery and courage were rewarded with the ultimate blessing of peace.
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