For the Jewish World this has been a tough week. The terror attack in a Jerusalem Synagogue shook Israel and the Jewish World to the core, and the terrible images of the attack will be a part of our memory for a long time. The focus has been on the five victims of the attack, four of them inside the synagogue and the brave Druze officer who died while killing one of the terrorists, yet a number of the victims remain in very critical condition and in need of our prayers. The 26 young orphans who said Kaddish together, are joined by a similar number who have been left with father’s who are fighting for their lives in the intensive care unit.
On Thursday, the four wives of the four murdered Rabbis issued a powerful letter which didn’t call for revenge or anything of the sort. Instead the letter was a request to their brethren around the world to dedicate this coming Shabbat to one of mutual love and care for one another. They requested that communities and individuals worldwide dedicate this coming Shabbat to the memory of their beloved murdered husbands, by arousing G-d’s mercy through having love between different communities, traditions and people and by focusing only on the positives in others.
I was so touched when I read this and felt as if their letter more than anything else this week, helped put a direction to the intense emotions we all feel in the aftermath of this attack. It is precisely this kind of amazing gentle and spiritual approach which symbolizes what the Jewish residents of Jerusalem are about and the power of the unbreakable Jewish spirit.
In this week’s portion, we read the powerful story of the two brothers Jacob and Esau. It is a complicated and emotional story and it is one that captures the very essence of our long history as Jews. Ultimately Jacob receives the blessings from his father, but he then has to run for his life to escape the wrath of his brother.
Jacob’s mother was clearly told, that until the battle is over, there will be times when Esau is above and Jacob is lowered and there will be times when Jacob is above and Esau is lowered. In their own lives, it was only many years later that they eventually make some sort of peace as they both realize that the mission that Isaac had passed onto Jacob was a long term job and one that would eventually influence Esau’s way of life in a positive way.
Jacob and Rebecca understood that our job as Jews is not going to be a simple task, and at times risks and brave determination are going to be needed in order to accomplish what is needed and to get things done. They realized that G-d’s blessings are an essential part of this process, and it is the long term perseverance and application of these very blessings that will allow us to succeed in our mission in this world.
Jacob is also told by his father that his strength is in his voice, not in his arms alone. In other words, the Jewish people’s unique qualities and strengths are expressed through prayer, Torah Study and the voice of morality, which together help give us the strength to be the truly moral and upright people we need to be. Morality and perseverance are the glue that gives us the strength to weather these brutal attacks and to continue to march forward with our heads help up high.
In our own world, this week Jacob was hit and Jacob was hit hard! We are in pain and it hurts badly. Yet at the same time, the wives of these men, have reminded us in their letter, that Jacob is also called Israel, the one who overcomes adversaries. Jacob is someone who overcomes adversaries and then becomes Israel as Israel represents the power to overcome those who seek to bring us down.
We need to respond in many ways, but most importantly we must respond with the unique Jacob touch, the power of morality, study, prayer and goodness.
As we do our part to make the world a better place despite these tragedies, surely G-d will help those who protect the Jewish people succeed in their mission of restoring peace and security to Jerusalem and Israel.
May this Shabbat be one of comfort for the families, healing for the injured, and love between all of us.
Rabbi Yisroel Freeman