Vayetzeh
10 Kislev 5773 / Nov.
23-24, 2012
At the beginning of this week’s portion, Vayetzeh, we find Jacob fleeing his home
and his brother Esau’s wrath. Along his
journey he goes to sleep and has a vivid dream – of what has come to be known
as Jacob’s
ladder. In this dream, God speaks to
Jacob and informs him that he is the inheritor of the covenant that God made
with Abraham and Isaac.
Upon awaking, Jacob utters the famous phrase: “Surely the
Lord is present in this place and I did not know it.”
Commentators have long struggled with this particular
statement, often trying to understanding how it could have possibly been that
Jacob wasn’t conscious of God’s presence in a specific place – particularly
given the traditional belief in God’s omnipresence. Perhaps by virtue of God actively
communicating with Abraham and Isaac, Jacob could only logically assume that if
God was not actively communicating with him, that God wasn’t present.
After his interaction with God in his dream – an active
communication – Jacob made a vow (vows
are a big deal in the Jewish tradition) saying: “If God remains with me and
protects me on this journey I’m making, and gives me bread to eat and clothing
to wear, and if I return safe to my father’s house, the Lord shall be my God…”
Talk about needing to fulfill certain conditions! Jacob’s vow to accept God as his own is made
conditional upon a number of things.
Why does Jacob have to affirm this relationship at all? He was already subject to the covenant just
by virtue of being
the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham.
Only two generations removed from the actual covenant, Jacob found the
need to take a conscious affirmative step in order to declare that he was going
to be part of the same faith tradition as his father and grandfather!
In some ways, like Jacob, we all have to affirm our
commitment to the Jewish people, despite our roots – family history is simply
not enough. For many, the Bar/Bat
Mitzvah is an opportunity for affirmation, but the reality is that today’s
youths are too young to really make an educated decision as to what they
believe and which faith community they want to be a part of at that time. For some, confirmation is such a
ceremony. As adults, we have the chance
to decide whether or not being part of the Jewish people is truly something we
value / desire, and frankly, we have the opportunity to make a decision such as
Jacob’s on a regular basis.
What does being part of the Jewish people provide for you?
What do you wish it provided for you that it does not?
What obligations, if any, do you feel you owe other MOTs?
If you had to affirm your belonging to the Jewish people
today, would you? Why or why not?
This Shabbat, reflect on the reality that while we
are the
inheritors of an ancient and unique tradition, it’s up to us to actively
choose
to be a part of it. We have the ability to decide whether and how this
tradition is passed on to subsequent generations. The opportunity
exists to make a choice, and to leave our mark. Let's seize it.
No comments:
Post a Comment