Vayishlach 1990

In the Torah portion Vayishlach we learn how Yaacov returns to the land of Israel
and how he confronts his brother Esau.  He learns that his brother Esau is coming
to meet him with 400 men.  He is terrifies.  He prays to G-d, he sends a present
as a peace offering to Esau, and he prepares for war.  We learn how he divides
his camp into two, how he transfers them across the River Yabok, and then he
goes back to fetch a few things.  He is there alone, the Torah says, and an unknown
assailant wrestles with him until dawn.  At dawn the unknown assailant asks to
be released but Jacob said he would not release him unless he would bless him.
He then blessed him and he said, that "your name shall no longer be Jacob but
Israel because you have wrestled with G-d and with men and you have overcome".
In the course, though, of this battle Jacob's hollow of his thigh was moved and
to this very day we remember that by not eating the sciatica nerve.  Jacob, though,
ended up limping.  The next day he met his brother and they were reconciled.
After that we learn how Jacob came Sholaim, whole, to the city of Schem, which is in the land of Canaan.  The rabbis say that Yaacov really had an encounter with the guardian angel of Esau, and he wrestled with him all night.  At the end of that time it was as if G-d, Himself, had changed his name.  That's why it says "and you wrestled with G-d and with man and you have overcome".
We learn that in keypoints of Yaacov's life G-d had appeared to him.  He appeared to Jacob every time he was in danger.  The first time He appeared to him was when he was fleeing from his brother's wrath to the land of Mesopotamia and G-d appeared to him in Beth El, and Jacob had that wonderful vision of angels ascending and descending.  He was assured that G-d was with him and he would not have to worry.  He would make it safe to the house of Laban and G-d would protect him there.
The second time G-d appeared to him was when Jacob had a dream of one sheep mounting another.  Jacob was in danger of losing his Jewishness.  He was in danger of

just becoming a materialistic creature, and G-d told him it was time to leave Mesopotamia.
The third time G-d appeared to him was in the guise of the guardian angel of Esau and his name was changed.  There is a fourth time that is mentioned in this Torah portion which again G-d appears to him only this time G-d changes his name. G-d changes his name or He confirms that his name has now been changed, and He says that "you will not be called Jacob anymore but Israel will be your name and He called his name Israel".  The question can be asked, why is it that G-d had to change his name again?  His name had already been changed.  What's more, what danger was Jacob in at this particular time?  This incident occurs right after we learn about the rape of Dena.  After Yaacov reconciles with his brother it says, "And Jacob came Sholaim to the city of Schem".  Now how could he have come Sholaim, whole, to the city of Schem?  He had lost most of his wealth by giving such a tremendous present to his brother.  He had engaged in a struggle and ended up lame.  He had also given up hopes of settling in certain areas because those areas were now reserved for his brother.  How could we say that he was whole?  He was not whole, but Jacob, to his own mind, was whole because he had confronted all the problems that were thrown at him and he had overcome them. Here was the boy who had been taught to study in the tents.  He was a spiritual creature.  He really did not understand much about the world, but here when he went out in the world he was able to deal with the world.  He was able to gain the physical experience that was necessary in order to combat the wiles of Laban and to overcome the hatred of his brother.  Yes, he was whole now.  He was both a spiritual and a physical creature.  He had overcome his deficiencies.  He was a whole person and, because of that, he decided that he would not go see his father in Chevron.  Instead he went to Schem because he probably decided that

his children had to get a different kind of education than he had gotten.  His father had seen to it that he got a good education steeped in Jewish values in the tent, but he had not really prepared him for the world because Yitzchak, himself, was not a very worldly person.  So Yaacov probably wanted to distance his children from the influence of his father Yitzchak.  It was not until another year or two that he saw him.  Altogether Jacob was away 22 years from his father, but his did not work.  He decided that he would settle his children among the Canaanites and that he would teach them at home and maintain their values that way, but they quickly succumbed to the values of the people around them.  Dena was seized by Schem, the son of Chamor, the heir apparent to the city of Schem and raped.  Then later he was taken with her and wanted to marry her.  When the brothers heard about it they were incensed, especially Shimon and Levi.  They devised a plan in order to seek vengeance and to rescue their sister.  They told the people of Schem that they would not intermarry with them until they became circumcised.  Then when all of them were circumcised on the third day and they were weak the brothers came in and annihilated the whole city.  Jacob was aghast. How could they have done such a thing?  They justified it by saying that "This thing should not be done according to the laws of the Canaanites."  Schem had done a bad thing and he should have been turned over to the brothers together with Dena, but, instead, the city did not turn him over.  Therefore, according to the laws of the Canaanites everyone there was liable for the death penalty. They were only acting in accordance with the laws of the Canaanites.  Jacob was doubly aghast.  How could his children act according to the values of this people? He wanted them to learn how to be physically strong.  He wanted them to learn how to take care of themselves, but to violate these basic Jewish values.  How could his children have done such a thing?  Then it says G-d appeared to him and told him to get out of that place.  "Go to Beth El where I appeared to you

first" and He told Jacob that they had to cleanse themselves from what they
had just done.  Jacob ordered his children to take all these strange gods that they had
seized from the city and all these ideas and bury them in Schem.  They should
travel to Beth El.  There G-d appeared to Jacob and He told him about his change
of name because Jacob was in great danger.  He might have been Scholaim.  He
had the correct values as his bedrock and upon them he was able to add the ways
of the world and how to get along in the world, but his children were in grave
danger.  There was danger that his children would no longer be Jews because their
basic values were not Jewish values anymore.
Unfortunately, there are many people even today who feel the same way.  They
feel that since they are Jewish their children will be Jewish.  Since they know
what correct Jewish values are their children will, but then they send their
children to all sorts of other schools and do not give them a Jewish education.
They expect that they are going to remain Jews.  They are not going to remain
Jews.  Even if they are halachically Jews their values are no longer Jewish,
their values are no longer Jewish, and within a generation or two they will completely
assimilate.  The children of Jacob were in grave danger.  They were not Scholaim.
Jacob then knew that he had to go back to his father, that his father's system
was best. First they have to be grounded in Jewish values.  It is not important
if they have the great skills to make it in the world.  That they can get later
on.  Unfortunately, Jews today do not realize that.  They are afraid their children
are not going to get into Harvard and Yale and all sorts of secular school options
and they neglect their Jewish education.  They neglect the very values that make
Jews Jews.  Jacob had to make sure that that did not happen.  Yes, it might be
that Yitzchak was too other-worldly.  It might be that he may not have understood
the world completely but his values are the correct values.  Even today in Israel
we see that many people are shocked that young Israelis are doing things that

Jews never did before.  They wonder what's going on here, what's happening here. Yes, we wanted to build a proud Jewish people who could protect themselves and their people, who could make contributions to all the sciences and the arts, but we did not want them to do this at the expense of basic Jewish values.  In America there was never any juvenile delinquency among the Jews to speak of. There was never any wife beating.  There was never any drug addiction, alcohol addiction and now it has come to the fore.  Now there is such a thing.  These things exist today because basic Jewish values have not been inculcated in our children, the values of the mind, the importance of learning, the importance of study, the importance of responsibility to family and friends, the importance of loyalty, the importance of making sure that your family comes even before your peer group.  These values have not been inculcated in our young people. We assume that if our young people associate with other people that we will take care of the Jewish values in the home.  The home is not good enough to do so, especially today where people have so many other obligations.  We need to have a strong Jewish school environment.  We must make sure that our children go to day schools, and if they cannot go to day schools at least they should go to a strong Talmud Torah program.  Jewish values are essential if Jews are to remain as Jews.
I am reminded of the story they tell about Gorbachev who came to this country. As he was visiting one town a little girl came up to him and said, "See these newborn puppies.  These are communist puppies.  Would you like to pet them?" Gorbachev petted the puppies and was very pleased.  The next day when he met Bush he told him he wanted to take him with him to meet a little girl.  When Bush came with him to meet the little girl the little girl came to him and said, "Mr. President, would you like to pet these democracy puppies?"  Gorbachev looked at the girl and said, "What's going on?  Yesterday you said they were communist

puppies."  She said, "I know, but today they opened their eyes."  It is important that we open our eyes, that we realize the most important thing we can give our child is a good Jewish education.  That will make sure they have character. That will make sure they will be able to withstand the blandishments of the world. That will make sure that they are imbued with the Jewish ideals of study and the life of the mind and that they will be good parents and good husbands and good wives.  The most important thing are the values that we give our children. The skills they can get later on, but we must make sure that they are grounded in the studies of our people.  If they are, they will continue to bring joy and naches to us and continue Judaism in the future so that the Mashiach will come. Amen.