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Vayishlach- How Hashem wants us to act
For this year’s Parsha Lesson I will be applying the lesson that can be derived from the Dvar Torah to the world as we know it today.
Background
At the beginning of this week’s parsha, we read about our forefather Yakov’s encounter with his brother Eisav on the way back to Eretz Yisroel from Charan (where he had gone to get married). Yakov knew that his brother Eisav harbored a deep hatred for him and therefore prepared himself and his family for their meeting.
The first thing Yakov did was send ahead messengers to ascertain what frame of mind Eisav was in and try in some way to appease him before they would meet up. The messengers brought back a chilling report that Eisav was headed towards Yakov with a massive army, determined to wipe out Yakov and his young family.
Yakov prepared himself and his family for this showdown in the following ways:
- Yakov davened to Hashem and pleaded with Hashem to help him, watch over him and to not allow Eisav to do any harm to himself or his family.
- Yakov sent ahead an enormous gift of many different types of cattle in an effort to appease Eisav.
- And finally, Yakov divided up his family into two different camps in order to ensure that at least one of the camps will have an opportunity to run away if a battle breaks out.
When the meeting does occur, Hashem miraculously turned around the heart of Eisav and inspired an unprecedented, and never to be repeated, feeling of love from Eisav to Yakov and the potential crises was averted with Yakov and his family moving on without incident.
The Ramban explains that the Torah relates to us this narrative in order to convey to us that Hashem will save those that are loyal and faithful to Him- even from forces that are much more powerful. Additionally, this story instructs us for the future that just as Yakov did not rely on his righteousness and put in whatever efforts he could to ensure his salvation, so too should we, the Jewish nation, do our utmost in order to save ourselves when we encounter threats from the nations of the world.
Question
Why didn’t Yakov have faith and security in Hashem and trust that all would be ok? Why did Yakov feel the need to prepare in the ways that he did? Did Yakov not realize that all is in the hands of Hashem and that all would be well?
What was the point of Yakov putting in all of these efforts- when Yakov knew good and well that Hashem would save those that are loyal to him from any threats they may encounter!? Yakov should have focused on davening to Hashem, Yakov should have focused on strengthening his family in their observance of the commands and will of Hashem and Yakov should have redoubled his own and his family’s efforts in the study of Torah.
Why would Yakov ‘waste his time expending efforts, energy and focus on how to deal with Eisav by employing such means and not focus exclusively on what would really make a difference- his standing in the eyes of Hashem?
Answer
Yakov understood that Hashem putting him into such a situation means that the will of Hashem at that time was for Yakov to proceed with preparing himself both spiritually AND with conventional means, in dealing with Eisav. Yakov understood that Hashem does not want man to sit and ONLY focus on their spiritual status when dealing with the challenges of this world.
Of course Yakov understood that Hashem runs the world and that Hashem is in charge and at the end of the day whether or not Yakov is safe from Eisav will be determined by the will of Hashem. And of course Yakov understood, good and well, that his spiritual standing was therefore of primary importance in heading into such an encounter. But Yakov also understood that Hashem put Man into a natural and physical world with a natural means of dealing with things and a natural course of action in order to accomplish any given goal, and Hashem wants Man to act in accordance with those natural rules of the world! Hashem’s will is that Man should proceed with wisdom in protecting themselves from harm and in order to be successful.
Yakov’s response of employing natural means to deal with the threat of his brother Eisav was not an absence of his focusing in on what was truly important, but rather it was borne of his having tremendous clarity as to what Hashem demanded of him in the moment! And it is thus the lesson for all time: Hashem wants us to proceed in dealing with the challenges and opportunities that we encounter in a way which will be most prudent and successful, according to the natural occurrences of the world.
Lesson for our world
When one encounters challenges in life one must bear in mind this lesson of Yakov- Hashem wants the person to proceed with wisdom and insight to successfully and properly address those challenges in accordance with the natural rules of the world. Without a person being righteous and attending to their spiritual well-being, the person may not merit the assistance from Heaven which will make all of the difference between the success or failures of their efforts, but righteousness alone is not enough. For people to say that in any given situation the proper approach one should take is to ONLY focus on davening to Hashem and in doing teshuva, that would seem to not be the proper way of the Torah.
Hashem put man into this physical world for a purpose and that purpose is for us to grapple with the physical world, in accordance with the Torah and our intellect and common sense, and in the process of this exercise- man grows and develops into a better person, one who is closer to Hashem. Such corporeal means are not a ‘waste of time’ and an ‘annoyance’, rather, they are the purpose of man being put into a physical world and necessary for one’s development!
A Rebbi of mine was once asked by a student- what lesson is Hashem sending me for making me lose so much money on a certain investment? My Rebbi responded- that you should be more careful with your money!
The starting point is to realize that Hashem is in charge of the world and that everything is up to Him, but then we must also realize what it is that Hashem demands of us. By employing natural means to live properly, safely and successfully we will be fulfilling Hashem’s will and thereby develop ourselves into more uplifted and refined people who are closer to Hashem.
Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos,
Rabbi Eli Meir Kramer
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