Parshat Vayeshev
Compare and contrast (it is recommended to compare them in Hebrew):
"From there, [Isaac] went up to Beer-sheba. God appeared to him that night and said, 'I am God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and grant you very many descendants because of My servant Abraham.' [Isaac] built an altar there and called in God's name. He set up his tents there, and his servants dug a well in the area." (Genesis 26:23-25)
"Israel began the journey, taking all his possessions, and he arrived in Beer-sheba. He offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God spoke to Israel in night visions and He said, 'Jacob! Jacob!' 'I am here,' replied [Jacob]. [God] said, 'I am the Omnipotent God of your father. Do not be afraid to go to Egypt, for it is there that I will make you into a great nation. I will go to Egypt with you, and I will also bring you back again. Joseph will place his hands on your eyes.'" (Genesis 46:1-4)
Faith in Exile
"Israel began the journey, taking all his possessions, and he arrived in Beer-sheba. He offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God spoke to Israel in night visions and He said, 'Jacob! Jacob!' 'I am here,' replied [Jacob]. [God] said, 'I am the Omnipotent God of your father. Do not be afraid to go to Egypt, for it is there that I will make you into a great nation. I will go to Egypt with you, and I will also bring you back again. Joseph will place his hands on your eyes.'" (Genesis 46:1-4)
What is the symbolism of "night visions"? The Artscroll Chumash, basing itself off of the Meshech Chochma (by Rav Meir Simcha HaKohen of Dvinsk, 1843-1926), answers "This is the only place where a vision is described in this manner, which implies impending darkness. At this moment, Jacob was poised to leave Eretz Yisrael for a long, long Egyptian exile, and he was right to be afraid of what would happen to his family there. The night of exile, when hope is enveloped in darkness, was about to begin, so God came in night visions to symbolize to him that though Jews would be exiled from their land, they would never be exiled from their God; He would always be with them" (page 257).
This all reminds me the verse in Psalms "To declare in the morning Your kindness and Your faith at night" (42:3). Rashi explains:
"To declare in the morning: Your kindness at the time of the Redemption"
"Your faith at night: And during the distress of the exile, to believe in You that You will keep Your promise, all this is splendid and good."
Before we can strengthen our faith, we must properly understand it. So what is faith? Yona Meir ben Baruch argues that faith is not some "intellectual affirmation" but rather "a personal relationship based on trust" (the News for Jews booklet, page 42).
So, for us in exile (and even in Israel it still is really exile though admittedly, it is quite different from say the US), how do we have faith and maintain this loving relationship with G-d and not assimilate into surrounding cultures? I believe we can find the answer by looking back to the actions of our ancestors.
The verse states "Jacob set out from Beer-sheba [to Egypt]. Israel's sons transported their father..." (Genesis 46:5). The Sforno is bothered by why the Torah refers to Jacobs sons as "the children of Israel." He answers that since they are all heading into Egypt, into exile, the children of Jacob now need to strive and struggle to become the children of Israel. They need to redouble their efforts in the face of the Egyptian society.
This is exactly the approach Yona Meir advocates in News for Jews. Pointing out that at Sinai, we uttered Naase ViNishma "We will do and [only then] we will understand" (Exodus 24:17), he argues that faith "is better described as a process rather than a fixed act. The more we study and think and experience, the more our faith deepens, develops, and expands" (the News for Jews booklet, page 42).
Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai
Compare and contrast (it is recommended to compare them in Hebrew):
"From there, [Isaac] went up to Beer-sheba. God appeared to him that night and said, 'I am God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and grant you very many descendants because of My servant Abraham.' [Isaac] built an altar there and called in God's name. He set up his tents there, and his servants dug a well in the area." (Genesis 26:23-25)
"Israel began the journey, taking all his possessions, and he arrived in Beer-sheba. He offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God spoke to Israel in night visions and He said, 'Jacob! Jacob!' 'I am here,' replied [Jacob]. [God] said, 'I am the Omnipotent God of your father. Do not be afraid to go to Egypt, for it is there that I will make you into a great nation. I will go to Egypt with you, and I will also bring you back again. Joseph will place his hands on your eyes.'" (Genesis 46:1-4)
Faith in Exile
"Israel began the journey, taking all his possessions, and he arrived in Beer-sheba. He offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God spoke to Israel in night visions and He said, 'Jacob! Jacob!' 'I am here,' replied [Jacob]. [God] said, 'I am the Omnipotent God of your father. Do not be afraid to go to Egypt, for it is there that I will make you into a great nation. I will go to Egypt with you, and I will also bring you back again. Joseph will place his hands on your eyes.'" (Genesis 46:1-4)
What is the symbolism of "night visions"? The Artscroll Chumash, basing itself off of the Meshech Chochma (by Rav Meir Simcha HaKohen of Dvinsk, 1843-1926), answers "This is the only place where a vision is described in this manner, which implies impending darkness. At this moment, Jacob was poised to leave Eretz Yisrael for a long, long Egyptian exile, and he was right to be afraid of what would happen to his family there. The night of exile, when hope is enveloped in darkness, was about to begin, so God came in night visions to symbolize to him that though Jews would be exiled from their land, they would never be exiled from their God; He would always be with them" (page 257).
This all reminds me the verse in Psalms "To declare in the morning Your kindness and Your faith at night" (42:3). Rashi explains:
"To declare in the morning: Your kindness at the time of the Redemption"
"Your faith at night: And during the distress of the exile, to believe in You that You will keep Your promise, all this is splendid and good."
Before we can strengthen our faith, we must properly understand it. So what is faith? Yona Meir ben Baruch argues that faith is not some "intellectual affirmation" but rather "a personal relationship based on trust" (the News for Jews booklet, page 42).
So, for us in exile (and even in Israel it still is really exile though admittedly, it is quite different from say the US), how do we have faith and maintain this loving relationship with G-d and not assimilate into surrounding cultures? I believe we can find the answer by looking back to the actions of our ancestors.
The verse states "Jacob set out from Beer-sheba [to Egypt]. Israel's sons transported their father..." (Genesis 46:5). The Sforno is bothered by why the Torah refers to Jacobs sons as "the children of Israel." He answers that since they are all heading into Egypt, into exile, the children of Jacob now need to strive and struggle to become the children of Israel. They need to redouble their efforts in the face of the Egyptian society.
This is exactly the approach Yona Meir advocates in News for Jews. Pointing out that at Sinai, we uttered Naase ViNishma "We will do and [only then] we will understand" (Exodus 24:17), he argues that faith "is better described as a process rather than a fixed act. The more we study and think and experience, the more our faith deepens, develops, and expands" (the News for Jews booklet, page 42).
Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai
posted by Mordechai18 at 4:23 AM
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