Vayishlach 1980

The difference between being a religious person and a zealot is the difference between Yaakov and Esau.  In every generation we have to learn this lesson.  A truly religious man knows that he is limited.  He knows that although he has peak experiences he must still live in the real world.  He knows that his knowledge is limited.  He knows that he has glimmerings of the truth but he can't command the ultimate whole truth because his knowledge is limited. In Judaism Abraham is associated with kindness.  Isaac with fear worship, and Jacob with truth. Why should Jacob be associated with truth?  After all, he swindled his brother out of blessing.  He obtained his birthright.  He played around with Laban.  The reason Jacob is associated with truth is because he recognized the great truth that he was limited, that he couldn't grasp the whole truth all the time.  That's why he's distinct from Abraham when his name was changed from Yaakov to Israel he still retained the name of Yaakov.  He couldn't always be Israel.  Israel implies total victory over men and G-d.  It implies perfect truth.  If he would be Israel always there would be no more growth.  Israel knew that he was only Israel at time.  He was still Yaakov.  This explains how he could bow down to his brother, Esau, eight times.  After all, Esau had seme truth, too.  Esau, on the other hand, thought he had the perfect truth.  That's why he could be violent.  He had all the right on his side.  The Rabbis say the trouble with Esau was that he was superfrum.  He worried about whether or not you should tithe salt or straw.  He was concerned with straw, what was beneath men, and salt, what was added to man.  He was so sure he was right he had no trouble forcing his will on others.  Actually, according to Judaism, we force people to do very little.  There are almost no punishments meted out by man.  We say there's a G-d who'll take care of those who break his commandments.  You can even have certain cases which are defined as murder in Jewish law and there is no punishment.  It's not our business to impose our will on others. The Esaus of all generations are so sure they're right that they feel that they can use force, they don't need democratic norms, etc.  They can use trickery to get their way.  Zealots think they have the whole truth.  I remember talking to Communists in my student days who justified what Stalin had done because he had the truth.  Also, Khomeini is not a madman or lunatic.  He thinks he's got total truth.  He has himself confused with G-d.  That's why we Jews don't like to mention G-d's name often.  We shouldn't get confused with G-d.  We don't have total truth, that's why we have to be tolerant.  In Gemora there are always many arguments.
No Rabbi’s always, always right. Yaakov stands for truth. Truth in Heber Emes. If Letters turned around spells twins.  We always have to be careful because the twin of Yaakov is Esau. We must always guard against zealotry.  We don't all know truth.
Story about two Jews, Jake and Moshe, who come to West Texas.  Can't find jobs.  Told that they would be paid $100 for each Indian scalp.  They have to earn a living.  They never saw an Indian.  Went looking, walked to N.M., finally tired, go to sleep.  Jake wakes up.  He feels an arrow pointed at throat.  He looks around and sees that he's surrounded by thousands of Indians.  He nudges his partner and says, "Moshe, Moshe, wake up.  We're millionaires." Whole truth is not grasped by any of us.