Ephraim provokes the Almighty to anger by bitter disobedience, for when the prophet rebukes Ephraim for being a cheat and an idol-worshipper, Ephraim cynically excuses himself by saying:
'Did our father Yaakov not have to flee to the fields of Aram? Did he not cheat his brother Esav, and therefore have to run for his life? And see, God must have agreed that Yaakov pulled off a scam with that whole goatskin ruse, for the Lord paid Yaakov back measure for measure: uncle Lavan pulled a sister-for-sister switch and forced Israel to serve to obtain his wife, and then to do it all again for another seven years. So you see, it's a family thing, cheating. Yaakov did it. Lavan did it. So what do you want from us?'
So begins our Haftarah (Hoshea 12:13 ), as the Malbim explains it. Our rabbis tell us that the attribute, par excellence, of Yaakov Avinu is an unswerving allegiance to truth. And yet, last week, we saw Esav seemingly justifiably accuse Yaakov of using an underhanded trick to rob Esav of the blessings of the birthright. Of course, chazal paint a different picture (see my "Toldot: Mother Rivka's Call to Arms"): the blessings belonged to Yaakov and Esav was the true con-man, being totally undeserving of Yitzchak's blessings.
But it appears that the Ephraim of the future was not the only one fooled by Yaakov. "And behold, the angels of the Lord were going up and down on it [bo]." ( Genesis 28:12) Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yanai argued about the meaning of bo. One said that the angels went up and down the ladder. The other rabbi said that they went up and down Yaakov himself. They were judging his good and bad points, and began to jostle him to cause him harm, accusing him thus: 'Here he comes to the most holy spot on earth, after our Lord miraculously made the sun set early, in order that Yaakov stay specifically here tonight, that the two of them have a prophetic meeting. And what does the insensitive lout do? He goes to sleep! Come, let's harm him and show him a lesson.' (Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 68:18 )
Again, of course, chazal tell us that things were not as they seemed. Yaakov slept that night, but he deserved that rest, for he had not slept during the preceding fourteen years that he had been studying Torah in the yeshiva of Shem and Ever (Rashi 28:11). And even this was no ordinary sleep, but a deeply prophetic tete-a-tete with God Himself, in which Yaakov received assurances of a close, personal relationship with the Almighty, as well as prophetic dreams of all of Jewish history (Midrash Rabbah 68:20-21).
It seems that Yaakov's challenge in life was to remain the Ish Emet, the man of truth, despite all the trials and tribulations of Galut, of Vayetze. Despite having to deal with the Esavs and Lavans of this world, Yaakov was to remain true in all his dealings, despite appearances. And he did.
Another example: "And Yaakov said to Lavan: 'Give me my woman, that I may come unto her.'" (Genesis 29:21) Rashi comments: "The biggest boor wouldn't speak that way to his future father-in-law. But it was to give birth to the Twelve Tribes of Israel that he spoke thus." Nothing with Jacob is as it seems, as with historical Israel. Maasei Avot siman l'banim. As with our forefathers, so it is with us.
We, too, live in a world where we seem to be no different than other nations, with a country and government, etc. And even when we were without these aspects of nationhood, but were in exile, as a nation of peasants, farmers, merchants, professionals, etc., we were still, beneath the surface, not merely "simple" (Genesis 25:27) Yaakov, but lofty Israel, with the mission of being Israel in this world, and of being true to that ideal.
Unfortunately, we have fallen quite short of that mission. We have been sucked into a big lie. Despite the promise to this nation of the land of Israel, we have bought the lie that Ishmael deserves a portion in it. Worse, we have continued the Oslo "Peace" lie, which has only furthered the interests of terrorists and brought us rivers of shed Jewish blood. We continue to treat barbarians as civilized human beings, who will have elections and law and order and normal diplomacy.
Even as the truth of the Disengagement becomes more and more evident - that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon robbed thousands of their homes and livelihoods, and thereby only benefited terrorists and brought the Egyptian army right up to our borders - we allow the rape of Gush Katif to continue. And the government has gotten away with persecuting "refusenik" soldiers. Regular soldiers were jailed, officers were stripped of their ranks, and Hesdernikim were thrown out of yeshiva and told that they had to do three years of service in non-combat roles, in order to degrade them.
Instead of facing up to the failure of the leftist model of relations with the Arabs, we continue to follow the model, building separation walls, as if we Jews will be living in Miami Beach and the barbaric "palace Indians" will be off thousands of miles away in some reservation in the Dakotas. What we ought to be doing is saving a lot of time, money and blood by building a short wall around each one of these Arab towns of Tulkarm, Jenin, etc. to starve out the terrorists in a siege and eventually disarm them, and rule in this land as Israel was meant to do.
And as we eventually will have to do. Because the Ish Emet knows, deep down, that there will be no peaceful living with these barbarians.
One last story of what it has meant to descend this slippery slope of leftist lies. In a few weeks, we will read parshat Veyechi, in which the funeral of Yaakov is described. This story is from Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz and related by Rabbi Reuven Kaminetsky.
The Gemara relates that as the procession that left Egypt neared the burial grounds of the Machpelah Cave in Hevron, Uncle Esav showed up, blocking it. "I still have my share in this cave. Yaakov buried Leah here, and as there is only one more plot still available, I claim it for myself. Go bury my brother elsewhere."
The brothers were in a quandary. They dispatched the swift-footed Naftali to run to Canaan and get the deed to the Machpelah, which showed that Esav had relinquished the birth-right, and with it, any portion in the Machpelah Cave. But as they waited for Naftali to return, and as the brothers debated with Uncle Esav, Chushim, the deaf son of Dan, entered into the debate. "What goes on here? Why is the funeral not proceeding?"
"Uncle Esav here is causing trouble and holding things up," he was told.
"What? That troublemaker is still causing father Yaakov grief?" And with that, Chushim raised his staff and struck Uncle Esav such a blow that it knocked off his head, which rolled into the mouth of the cave, giving the troublemaker his portion of the Machpelah, after a fashion.
Rabbi Kaminetsky explains: Why is it that only Chushim rose up to silence dear, old Uncle Esav, and not one of the other brothers? It was because they became sucked into Esav's arguments. The more they legitimized them by even bothering to answer the unfounded charges, the more they distanced themselves from the essence of the problem. But Chushim was deaf and didn't hear all the preceding blather. All he knew was that evil Uncle Esav was up to his old tricks, making trouble for father Yaakov, the Forefather of Truth, the B'chir Sheb'Avot. And Chushim knew what had to be done.
And that is why we should stop this charade, recognize the truth of our situation, call a terrorist a terrorist, and wake up from our deep slumber . For only then will sleeping Yaakov become, truly, Israel.
'Did our father Yaakov not have to flee to the fields of Aram? Did he not cheat his brother Esav, and therefore have to run for his life? And see, God must have agreed that Yaakov pulled off a scam with that whole goatskin ruse, for the Lord paid Yaakov back measure for measure: uncle Lavan pulled a sister-for-sister switch and forced Israel to serve to obtain his wife, and then to do it all again for another seven years. So you see, it's a family thing, cheating. Yaakov did it. Lavan did it. So what do you want from us?'
So begins our Haftarah (Hoshea 12:13 ), as the Malbim explains it. Our rabbis tell us that the attribute, par excellence, of Yaakov Avinu is an unswerving allegiance to truth. And yet, last week, we saw Esav seemingly justifiably accuse Yaakov of using an underhanded trick to rob Esav of the blessings of the birthright. Of course, chazal paint a different picture (see my "Toldot: Mother Rivka's Call to Arms"): the blessings belonged to Yaakov and Esav was the true con-man, being totally undeserving of Yitzchak's blessings.
But it appears that the Ephraim of the future was not the only one fooled by Yaakov. "And behold, the angels of the Lord were going up and down on it [bo]." ( Genesis 28:12) Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yanai argued about the meaning of bo. One said that the angels went up and down the ladder. The other rabbi said that they went up and down Yaakov himself. They were judging his good and bad points, and began to jostle him to cause him harm, accusing him thus: 'Here he comes to the most holy spot on earth, after our Lord miraculously made the sun set early, in order that Yaakov stay specifically here tonight, that the two of them have a prophetic meeting. And what does the insensitive lout do? He goes to sleep! Come, let's harm him and show him a lesson.' (Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 68:18 )
Again, of course, chazal tell us that things were not as they seemed. Yaakov slept that night, but he deserved that rest, for he had not slept during the preceding fourteen years that he had been studying Torah in the yeshiva of Shem and Ever (Rashi 28:11). And even this was no ordinary sleep, but a deeply prophetic tete-a-tete with God Himself, in which Yaakov received assurances of a close, personal relationship with the Almighty, as well as prophetic dreams of all of Jewish history (Midrash Rabbah 68:20-21).
It seems that Yaakov's challenge in life was to remain the Ish Emet, the man of truth, despite all the trials and tribulations of Galut, of Vayetze. Despite having to deal with the Esavs and Lavans of this world, Yaakov was to remain true in all his dealings, despite appearances. And he did.
Another example: "And Yaakov said to Lavan: 'Give me my woman, that I may come unto her.'" (Genesis 29:21) Rashi comments: "The biggest boor wouldn't speak that way to his future father-in-law. But it was to give birth to the Twelve Tribes of Israel that he spoke thus." Nothing with Jacob is as it seems, as with historical Israel. Maasei Avot siman l'banim. As with our forefathers, so it is with us.
We, too, live in a world where we seem to be no different than other nations, with a country and government, etc. And even when we were without these aspects of nationhood, but were in exile, as a nation of peasants, farmers, merchants, professionals, etc., we were still, beneath the surface, not merely "simple" (Genesis 25:27) Yaakov, but lofty Israel, with the mission of being Israel in this world, and of being true to that ideal.
Unfortunately, we have fallen quite short of that mission. We have been sucked into a big lie. Despite the promise to this nation of the land of Israel, we have bought the lie that Ishmael deserves a portion in it. Worse, we have continued the Oslo "Peace" lie, which has only furthered the interests of terrorists and brought us rivers of shed Jewish blood. We continue to treat barbarians as civilized human beings, who will have elections and law and order and normal diplomacy.
Even as the truth of the Disengagement becomes more and more evident - that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon robbed thousands of their homes and livelihoods, and thereby only benefited terrorists and brought the Egyptian army right up to our borders - we allow the rape of Gush Katif to continue. And the government has gotten away with persecuting "refusenik" soldiers. Regular soldiers were jailed, officers were stripped of their ranks, and Hesdernikim were thrown out of yeshiva and told that they had to do three years of service in non-combat roles, in order to degrade them.
Instead of facing up to the failure of the leftist model of relations with the Arabs, we continue to follow the model, building separation walls, as if we Jews will be living in Miami Beach and the barbaric "palace Indians" will be off thousands of miles away in some reservation in the Dakotas. What we ought to be doing is saving a lot of time, money and blood by building a short wall around each one of these Arab towns of Tulkarm, Jenin, etc. to starve out the terrorists in a siege and eventually disarm them, and rule in this land as Israel was meant to do.
And as we eventually will have to do. Because the Ish Emet knows, deep down, that there will be no peaceful living with these barbarians.
One last story of what it has meant to descend this slippery slope of leftist lies. In a few weeks, we will read parshat Veyechi, in which the funeral of Yaakov is described. This story is from Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz and related by Rabbi Reuven Kaminetsky.
The Gemara relates that as the procession that left Egypt neared the burial grounds of the Machpelah Cave in Hevron, Uncle Esav showed up, blocking it. "I still have my share in this cave. Yaakov buried Leah here, and as there is only one more plot still available, I claim it for myself. Go bury my brother elsewhere."
The brothers were in a quandary. They dispatched the swift-footed Naftali to run to Canaan and get the deed to the Machpelah, which showed that Esav had relinquished the birth-right, and with it, any portion in the Machpelah Cave. But as they waited for Naftali to return, and as the brothers debated with Uncle Esav, Chushim, the deaf son of Dan, entered into the debate. "What goes on here? Why is the funeral not proceeding?"
"Uncle Esav here is causing trouble and holding things up," he was told.
"What? That troublemaker is still causing father Yaakov grief?" And with that, Chushim raised his staff and struck Uncle Esav such a blow that it knocked off his head, which rolled into the mouth of the cave, giving the troublemaker his portion of the Machpelah, after a fashion.
Rabbi Kaminetsky explains: Why is it that only Chushim rose up to silence dear, old Uncle Esav, and not one of the other brothers? It was because they became sucked into Esav's arguments. The more they legitimized them by even bothering to answer the unfounded charges, the more they distanced themselves from the essence of the problem. But Chushim was deaf and didn't hear all the preceding blather. All he knew was that evil Uncle Esav was up to his old tricks, making trouble for father Yaakov, the Forefather of Truth, the B'chir Sheb'Avot. And Chushim knew what had to be done.
And that is why we should stop this charade, recognize the truth of our situation, call a terrorist a terrorist, and wake up from our deep slumber . For only then will sleeping Yaakov become, truly, Israel.