in
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d
the
section
torah portion

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46

November 22 • 2018

jn

True Brotherly Love

T

his week’s portion begins with
Often lost in the hustle
Jacob preparing to see
and bustle of the narrative is
his brother Esau after
the reality that in addition
20+ years apart. As you’ll
to being a man who played
recall, after stealing Isaac’s
favorites with his wives and
blessing intended for Esau,
children and who had some
Jacob fled in order to avoid
shady dealings with his uncle
Esau’s wrath. Now, a few
Laban, Jacob was a terrible
wives, a dozen children and
brother. We could argue that
Rabbi
massive amounts of prop-
it was his preordained des-
Dan Horwitz
erty later, Jacob finally has
tiny. God’s plan for him was
to deal with his past, as he
to
steal both Esau’s birthright
Parshat
learns that Esau is coming
and
blessing. Ultimately, I can’t
Vayishlach:
toward his camp with 400
help
but struggle with the fact
Genesis
men (seemingly to attack).
that
we’re
the descendants of
32:4-36:43;
Jacob sends gifts ahead
someone who would treat his
Obadiah
hoping to quell Esau’s anger
own brother so poorly. With
1:1-21.
and then takes precautions
such a poor role model, is it
by dividing his camp in
any surprise that Jacob’s sons
two — hoping that if one half is
eventually have such hatred for their
attacked, the other will have time to
brother Joseph (Jacob’s favorite) that
escape.
they sell him into slavery?
The night before his meeting with
How do our actions change —
Esau, we find the famous story of
specifically as they relate to how we
Jacob wrestling with an angel. After
treat others — if we can really begin
Jacob emerges victorious, the angel
to see ourselves as reflections of the
changes his name from Jacob to
Divine? Are we modeling how to
“Israel” (hence we’re the “Children
treat others for those who observe
of Israel”).
our conduct?
The next morning, Jacob and Esau
Even if one doesn’t believe in God
finally meet; and to Jacob’s surprise,
in the traditional sense (or at all),
Esau is full of love for him.
can we change how we look at other
In response, Jacob says to his
human beings in order to see each
brother: “To see your face is like
individual as unique, beautiful and
seeing the face of God.”
worthy of our love?
How do we deal with this state-
This Shabbat, let’s examine how
ment? Jacob had literally just wres-
we treat others, committing to see
tled with an angel the night before!
the innate beauty and special energy
You’d think that this kind of state-
that every human being possesses.
ment would have been reserved for
Let’s bring particular energy and
the Divine Being he encountered
attention to our familial relation-
rather than for his human brother.
ships. And let’s approach all of our
We learn in the Torah that human-
relationships and interactions from
kind was created in God’s image.
a place of love and warmth, as if
Perhaps Jacob’s encounter with the
every human interaction is truly one
angel, juxtaposed with his reunion
between us and the Divine. ■
with Esau, revealed to him just
Rabbi Dan Horwitz is the founding director of
how similar we really are to Divine
The Well.
beings?