"Vayishlach Yaakov." "Yaakov was sent out": after Esav. One more parasha that begins, like last week's, with an unprecedented move by Ya'akov, and ends with a description of Esav's family, this time his family's history. The Midrash goes on and on about how G-d, seemingly in reprimand, says to Yaakov: "this one (Esav) was going on his way and you have to send out after him?" Why does he go out after him? Why does the parasha need us to know so much about Esav's life history? The Mei Hashiloach, the holy Ishbitzer, tells us that the midrash is not reprimanding, rather it is showing Yaakov's mesirut nefesh (self-sacrifice): he knows the dangers of reaching out to his brother, but cannot help himself because the good that will come of this is so much greater. But what good? Even the Mei Hashiloach will not expound.
Let us go back to the beginning. Listen to the Midrash Tanchuma: "and if you should ask: 'Why did G-d create the Yetzer Hara, the evil inclination?' To this G-d answers: 'Who made it evil? Not I! Do you not see a child when he is young? Is he evil? Not right away. You made it evil.'".
Our sages tell us that Esav is the dark side, the evil inclination itself. The Pri Tzaddik tells us that Esav and his family are remnants of the great chaos within which the world was created after thousands of worlds of chaos were created and destroyed. However cosmic or down to earth you wish to see this, Esav represents that unbridled chaotic inclination that leads to…well, that will depend on Yaakov, and how he meets him. The Ramban tells us Yaakov prepared to meet Esav in three ways: he prepared for war, he prayed, and he sent him a gift. To me this is the ultimate war. Esav was "blessed" by Yitzchak his father to live by the sword. Evil, the dark side, our inclination for all that is unholy, thrives on struggle. But Yaakov says no, here is a gift. Let us, with great effort, stop the struggle for a moment, and share. "Vayishlach Yaakov" "Yaakov sent out": sent out in challenge, in pleading, and perhaps, most deeply, in peace. For what? Even the Midrash is not sure, but I trust the Ishbitzer that it is something so good.
And he gets it. For Esav comes with his most terrifying army, and, as the Midrash tells us, with the strength of the law, the halacha. Esav should, must, hate Yaakov. But, Rebbe Shimon (who I believe is the ultimate authority in inner understandings) insists, Esav's heart is completely opened: he kisses and hugs Yaakov.
Let us remember the month that this parasha always comes to us in: the month of Kislev, the month of Chanuka. As the Sefer Yetzira teaches, it is the month of sleep (perchance to dream): the only month where the meeting of these two brothers, these two opposing energies, can take place, the month where a candle can take the place of darkness and include that place of darkness in itself in order to become light. The month of our dreams. You see, the deepest thing that can happen for us is when that side of us that we sometimes fight against, our "yetzer hara", comes to terms with our "yetzer hatov": with the side struggling for tikun, for goodness, for love, for G-d. If somehow the chaos in us which never lets us rest could, for a moment, maybe forever, embrace our holy paths- in that moment the candle would consume the darkness and that darkness would be transformed. Isn't that our ultimate dream? Bear with me a moment longer, as we return once again to the beginning, to the source of all "vayishlachs", of all "sendings out": "Vayeshalchehu": the sending out of Adam and Eve from Gan Eden. Why did G-d send them out, why did G-d send us out? Perhaps for war, perhaps to struggle with that part of the world that drove us to be exiled. For sure this is part of our path. And for prayer: for who does not yearn for Gan Eden? But perhaps the deepest reason for sending us out was in order for our souls to finally encompass our dark side, to finally shine the light into our chaos, and to allow that family of Esav - the whole history of chaos and seeming destruction - to embrace us, and to become a deep part of our Torah. "And the saviors will rise up on the mountain of Tzion, to judge the mountain of Esav, and G-d will have the kingship." "And G-d will be king of all the land; on that day G-d will be One and G-d¹s name will be One."
Rav Raz Hartman
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Rav Raz Hartman, born to Israeli parents, grew up in Southern California. He was attending U.S.C., majoring in Music Peformance, when he met Rav Natan Greenberg. That meeting eventually result in Raz's coming to the Bat Ayin Yeshiva, where he studied for six years and was given Semichah in 2003. He is married to Leah, and they live, with their three children, in Nachla'ot, Jerusalem. Raz serves as Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo, and founder of the v'Ani Tefillah minyan. He has produced several albums of Jewish music. |