The incident of the dispute and resultant tragedy of Yosef
and his brothers will erase any hope of Yaakov being able to remain serene and
at peace with himself. The truth of Jewish history indicates that the years of
serenity of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel were relatively few and far
between. We always thought that the creation of our national home in the Land
of Israel would be the ultimate panacea for Jewish life.
Herzl promised that anti-Semitism would disappear with the
creation of an independent Jewish state. Tragically, history has shown the case
certainly to be otherwise. In fact, the Jewish state has in many respects
exacerbated the campaign of anti-Semitism in today’s world. The longing for
serenity oftentimes blinds people to unpleasant realities and forthcoming
dangers.
Yaakov is aware of the problem between Yosef and his
brothers, but he is not proactive in preventing the violence that lies below
the surface of this dispute. His desire to rest and settle in peace in the Land
of Israel – simply to be left alone by all of his neighbors and potential
enemies – essentially prevents him from attempting to prevent the civil war
brewing in his house.
The Lord is critical, so to speak, of Yaakov’s desire for
serenity at all costs. Serenity is in the World to Come and not in this world
of problems and challenges.
The Jewish community here in Israel desires peace and
serenity at almost all cost. The desire is so strong that it has led to a great
dispute between different sections of Israeli society. The desire for peace
overwhelms all other issues and creates great rivers of division and even
violence amongst us.
The desire for peace and serenity has sucked all the oxygen
out of the other issues of Israeli life. In pursuing a goal that may currently
be beyond our abilities, we abandon the opportunity to truly achieve success
with the more mundane challenges that face us.
Ben Gurion, not noted for his great piety, said that there
are certain issues that will have to be left to messianic times for permanent
solution. Undoubtedly, he meant that certain problems do not lend themselves to
resolve currently. We are entitled to aspire for serenity and peace, but not at
the expense of the realities and dangers that face us. Yaakov’s example remain
an important lesson for us as well in our present challenges and
difficulties.
Shabbat shalom, Rabbi Berel Wein
