Page 3 - The Jewish Voice - January '23
P. 3
The Jewish Voice, Page 3
From the rabbis
The True Cause of Anti- you” (Genesis 27:37). When Esau persists, Isaac blesses him was struggling with was none other than himself as he faced his
Our sages explain that Jacob was indeed alone. The man he
with a unique loophole: “Only when Jacob will transgress the
Semitism and its Powerful Cure Torah, you will be able to persecute him” (Genesis 27:40). own identity crisis. All night long, Jacob was grappling with his
Amazing! inability to be true to himself as it dawned upon him that he had
By Rabbi Dovid Vigler The Bible is making it crystal clear that anti-Semitism is only been trying to imitate Esau since his earliest youth — at birth,
The world’s oldest hatred possible when Jews stray from their identity as Torah Jews. If he was holding his heel (Genesis 25:26); Jacob purchased the
has once again reared its ugly we’re serious about overcoming anti-Semitism and creating a birthright from Esau (Genesis 25:33), Jacob dressed in Esau’s
head — this time in the highest safer world for ourselves and our children, it’s time for us to clothes (Genesis 27:15), stole Esau’s blessings (Genesis 27:35),
offices of the United States. experience some deep inner reflection. The Torah is our Divine identified himself as Esau (Genesis 27:19), and even married
One rabid anti-Semite has Shield — an Iron Dome if you will. Are we allowing the haters Leah, who was destined for Esau (Genesis 29:17, Rashi). He
recently announced his bid to hurt us by negligently removing our own bulletproof vests was given his very name, “Jacob,” since he was clutching onto
for the presidency and all four and exposing ourselves to their slings and arrows? Esau’s heel.(Genesis 27:36).
members of the anti-Semitic It’s time to stop shooting the messenger. Yesterday it was Indeed, Jacob finally realized that he hadn’t been true to
“Squad” were reelected to Henry Ford and Farrakan; today it’s Kanye and Ayatolla himself all along. And that’s why the Torah tells us that he
their positions in the mid-term Khameini. Bringing them down won’t stop others raising their emerged from this encounter “limping” (Genesis 32:26) — he
elections. As Jews, we have ugly heads with ever more brazen animus. It’s truly a game of wasn’t stable in his own shoes. With clarity and fortitude, Jacob
good reason to grow anxious, but what can we truly do about it? whack-a-mole. As one anti-Semite is neutralized, another raises decided to no longer try to be Esau — from this point on he
Since time immemorial, we have speculated on the reason his ugly head. This is never going to stop from the outside until would be Jacob. As long as Jacob wasn’t being Jacob, he was
they hate us. But you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to we change something drastically from the inside. hated by Esau. The moment the Jew has the courage to embrace
realize these explanations are nothing but an excuse: They Anti-Semitism cannot be dismissed simply as an irrational his Jewish identity fearlessly, the enmity of the anti-Semite melts
said we were hated because we were rich, but we know we hatred, because it’s so much more than that — it’s congenital! away and the curse is transformed into a kiss.
were just as persecuted when we were poor. They claim to Since Esau nearly four millennia ago, the hatred persists. The Torah is not just a history book. It’s the guide to our
abhor us because we were segregated, but they killed us It can only bear fruit when we are spiritually weak. Our lives. The story of our forefather Jacob is our personal story.
too when we were integrated. They despised us for being sincerest efforts to mitigate our provocation of the gentiles Like Jacob, we have been persecuted for as long as we can
capitalists, yet they couldn’t tolerate us when we were by trying to assimilate and hide our Jewish identity so they remember. And like Jacob, the hatred will end not in the halls
communists either. They were hostile to us when we were won’t notice us or be offended by our behavior is, ironically, of the UN, Washington, or the New York Times but in the
strangers in their land, but now they are cruel to us when we the precise cause of their ability to rise up against us. conviction of our hearts and the commitment of our souls to
finally have our own homeland. They claimed they kill us It’s time for us to stop playing defense when it comes to our own faith and heritage.
because of the settlements in Israel, yet the very same groups anti-Semitism. Instead of allowing the anti-Semites to define our It’s time to stand up for ourselves and for our Torah. It’s
murdered us before a single settlement was ever built in 1967. Judaism, it’s time for us Jews to define our own Jewish identity. time for us to stop apologizing for being the Chosen People
Any attempt to cure anti-Semitism by appeasing those who It’s time for us to love Judaism more than they hate Judaism. It’s and to start acting like we are the Chosen People. No game
hate us is truly the definition of insanity — expecting different time for us to believe in our own Torah more than they reject it! was ever won just by playing defense.
results while doing the same actions we’ve already done before. We see this truth at play in the dramatic confrontation We have chosen to spell anti-Semitism with a small “a”
It’s time for fresh thinking — it’s time to think out of the box between Esau and Jacob. After 36 years of running away from and a capital “S” because we refuse to allow them to define us.
and set the record on anti-Semitism straight, once and for all. Esau, Jacob is finally preparing to face his bloodthirsty brother From this day forward, we will define ourselves. We will show
All we need to do is look into the Torah, where the who marches ominously toward him with 400 mercenaries. ourselves, our neighbors, and our children that being Jewish is not
reason for anti-Semitism is made abundantly clear at the Yet, when Esau finally confronts Jacob, inexplicably he kisses a death sentence or a social pariah status. Being Jewish is about
very beginning of it all. Nearly 3,700 years ago, the Torah him (Genesis 33:4). What suddenly changed? the love we radiate on Shabbos, the wisdom the Torah provides
introduces us to the very first anti-Semite — Esau, brother of The night prior to the showdown, the Torah tells us one us, and the serenity we celebrate as the Chosen children of G-d.
Jacob. After Jacob given the blessings of Isaac their father, of its most enigmatic narratives: that Jacob was “alone and Rabbi Dovid Vigler is spiritual leader at Chabad of Palm
Esau begged Isaac for his own blessing too. Isaac was unable struggled with a stranger all night long” (Genesis 32:25). If Beach Gardens and host of the Jewish Schmooze Radio Show.
to do so because “I have already made him a master over he was with the stranger, then clearly he wasn’t alone! Email him at rabbi@jewishgardens.com.
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