Jacob [Ya'akov] was given two names, Jacob being the first. That name was given to him because "his hand was grasping the heel [akev] of Esau." (Genesis 25:26) Esau, as well, related to that name when he said, "Is he not rightly called Ya'akov? He has deceived me twice; he took my birthright, and now he has taken my blessing." (27:36) Later on, when Jacob struggled with Esau's angelic prince and vanquished him, that angel said, "No longer will your name be spoken of as Ya'akov, but as Yisrael, for you have contended with G-d[ly beings] and with men, and you have won." (32:29)
Rashi comments: "I.e., it will no longer be said that the blessings came to you through deceit and trickery, but, rather, with nobility and openness, and, in the end, G-d will reveal Himself to you in Bet El and change your name, and there He will bless you and I, too, will be there and will concede them to you."
Indeed, when Jacob arrives in Bet El, G-d appears to him and blesses him: "G-d said to him. 'Your name is Ya'akov. No longer will your name be Ya'akov, but Yisrael will be your name;' and He named him Yisrael." (35:10) Rashi defines Yisrael as "a word denoting a prince and a leader."
Indeed, there are two aspects to the Jewish People, the aspect of Jacob and the aspect of Israel. When we are in the exile, humiliated, with the specialness and destiny of Israel not visible for all to see, we are called Ya'akov, from the root akev, meaning "heel". Yet when we are redeemed and return to the Land, we then have the aspect of Yisrael.
Today, our country is called "the State of Israel". Our sages said, "'No longer will your name be Ya'akov, but Yisrael will be your name': It is not that the name Jacob has been erased. Rather, Israel is the main name and Jacob is secondary." (Berachot 13a)
In this regard, we say in our morning prayers, "We are the community of Jacob, Your firstborn, whom You did name Israel and Yeshurun, because of Your love for him and Your delight in him."
Today, "how fortunate we are, how good our portion, how pleasant our lot, how fine our inheritance," that we are privileged to be living in a country called Israel, as G-d promised us, "no longer will your name be Ya'akov, but Yisrael will be your name." As Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook said, "The State of Israel is the foundation of G-d's throne on earth." (Orot 106. Rabbi Kook passed away over a decade before the State's creation.) Through the Jewish state, G-d's kingdom is more and more being revealed in the world, and it will continue to be so until all mankind recognizes that HaShem, the G-d of Israel, is King, and His kingdom rules over all.
We are emerging from an exile in which we had the aspect of an akev, a heel, and we are now standing erect, head held high, with the aspect of Yisrael, whose letters form the acronym Li Rosh - "me at the head". Yet, we are not yet standing fully erect. In the State of Israel, a clarification process and a struggle over the fabric of the state is still going on. Some people have a worldview that says that the Jewish people should be like all other peoples and the State of Israel should be like all other nations. They, therefore, long to be culturally like all the nations, in education and regarding the governmental and legal realm. Yet, the result is a blurring of Jewish identity and a distancing from their roots and from tradition. This, in turn, leads to a moral decline, and a lowering of the nation's stature and its worth in both our own eyes and in the eyes of our Arab neighbors and all the nations of the world.
We have become "USA", an Unidentified State among Arabs. With no identity, there is no purpose, and with no purpose, there is no vision, and "where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint...." (Proverbs 29:18)
We have to study, recognize and explain what our historic national vision is. That vision was previously expressed to Abraham: "I will make you a great nation, and you shall be for a blessing. All the families of the earth shall be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:2-3) It was expressed to Jacob: "All the families of the earth shall be blessed through you and through your seed." (28:14) It was expressed to Moses, "Now if you obey Me and keep My covenant, you shall be My special treasure among all nations, even though all the world is Mine. You will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation to me." (Exodus 19:5-6) We must recognize that Israel is not like all the nations. Israel is a light unto the nations, as we say in our holiday prayers, "You chose us from amongst all nations, You loved us and wanted us."
We have to learn what is the special value of the Jewish people and of the State of Israel. If we know our identify and our task, then the nations, as well, including our immediate neighbors, will know our identity and our task and will make peace with us. The State of Israel is not just a refuge for the Jewish people, but a lighthouse that serves to shower light upon the nations of the world. The day is not far off when the words of the prophet will be fulfilled:
"Many peoples shall go and say: 'Come! Let us go up to the mountain of the L-rd, to the house of the G-d of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the L-rd from Jerusalem." (Isaiah 2:3)
Rashi comments: "I.e., it will no longer be said that the blessings came to you through deceit and trickery, but, rather, with nobility and openness, and, in the end, G-d will reveal Himself to you in Bet El and change your name, and there He will bless you and I, too, will be there and will concede them to you."
Indeed, when Jacob arrives in Bet El, G-d appears to him and blesses him: "G-d said to him. 'Your name is Ya'akov. No longer will your name be Ya'akov, but Yisrael will be your name;' and He named him Yisrael." (35:10) Rashi defines Yisrael as "a word denoting a prince and a leader."
Indeed, there are two aspects to the Jewish People, the aspect of Jacob and the aspect of Israel. When we are in the exile, humiliated, with the specialness and destiny of Israel not visible for all to see, we are called Ya'akov, from the root akev, meaning "heel". Yet when we are redeemed and return to the Land, we then have the aspect of Yisrael.
Today, our country is called "the State of Israel". Our sages said, "'No longer will your name be Ya'akov, but Yisrael will be your name': It is not that the name Jacob has been erased. Rather, Israel is the main name and Jacob is secondary." (Berachot 13a)
In this regard, we say in our morning prayers, "We are the community of Jacob, Your firstborn, whom You did name Israel and Yeshurun, because of Your love for him and Your delight in him."
Today, "how fortunate we are, how good our portion, how pleasant our lot, how fine our inheritance," that we are privileged to be living in a country called Israel, as G-d promised us, "no longer will your name be Ya'akov, but Yisrael will be your name." As Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook said, "The State of Israel is the foundation of G-d's throne on earth." (Orot 106. Rabbi Kook passed away over a decade before the State's creation.) Through the Jewish state, G-d's kingdom is more and more being revealed in the world, and it will continue to be so until all mankind recognizes that HaShem, the G-d of Israel, is King, and His kingdom rules over all.
We are emerging from an exile in which we had the aspect of an akev, a heel, and we are now standing erect, head held high, with the aspect of Yisrael, whose letters form the acronym Li Rosh - "me at the head". Yet, we are not yet standing fully erect. In the State of Israel, a clarification process and a struggle over the fabric of the state is still going on. Some people have a worldview that says that the Jewish people should be like all other peoples and the State of Israel should be like all other nations. They, therefore, long to be culturally like all the nations, in education and regarding the governmental and legal realm. Yet, the result is a blurring of Jewish identity and a distancing from their roots and from tradition. This, in turn, leads to a moral decline, and a lowering of the nation's stature and its worth in both our own eyes and in the eyes of our Arab neighbors and all the nations of the world.
We have become "USA", an Unidentified State among Arabs. With no identity, there is no purpose, and with no purpose, there is no vision, and "where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint...." (Proverbs 29:18)
We have to study, recognize and explain what our historic national vision is. That vision was previously expressed to Abraham: "I will make you a great nation, and you shall be for a blessing. All the families of the earth shall be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:2-3) It was expressed to Jacob: "All the families of the earth shall be blessed through you and through your seed." (28:14) It was expressed to Moses, "Now if you obey Me and keep My covenant, you shall be My special treasure among all nations, even though all the world is Mine. You will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation to me." (Exodus 19:5-6) We must recognize that Israel is not like all the nations. Israel is a light unto the nations, as we say in our holiday prayers, "You chose us from amongst all nations, You loved us and wanted us."
We have to learn what is the special value of the Jewish people and of the State of Israel. If we know our identify and our task, then the nations, as well, including our immediate neighbors, will know our identity and our task and will make peace with us. The State of Israel is not just a refuge for the Jewish people, but a lighthouse that serves to shower light upon the nations of the world. The day is not far off when the words of the prophet will be fulfilled:
"Many peoples shall go and say: 'Come! Let us go up to the mountain of the L-rd, to the house of the G-d of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the L-rd from Jerusalem." (Isaiah 2:3)