Art by Sefira Lightstone
A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT FROM RABBI MORDY
This week’s Parsha (Vayishlach) concludes Jacob’s time with his “dear” brother-in-law Laban, having amassed a large family, cattle, wealth and an overall sense of maturity. The portion begins with Jacob meeting his brother Esau for the first time since fleeing him two Parshas ago; he’s heard that Esau is bringing 400 soldiers to wage war with him (clearly he did not get over it) and prepares in his own right. How? Jacob brings chests of money, he prays to G-d, and has his sons prepare for battle as a fall-back option. What is the lesson in all this? Too often we sit and think about what needs to be done in a certain scenario. We see something that needs to be corrected or a certain issue on the table and we begin deliberations. Studies are produced, surveys completed and committees are formed. To be sure, everyone has good intentions. But what sets Jacob apart in this instance is that while he was a “man of the tent of study,” and his comfort zone was in books, he took the bull by the horns when necessary. He prepared himself in a real active way for what was to come. Is it time to pray to G-d? Surely, but we don’t have the luxury to sit back and entirely rely on this option. Jacob hopes he can reason with his brother but takes active steps, not just theoretical strategizing, for whatever was to come. “If you see something, say something,” it says in the NYC subway. (I said it earlier too.) But let’s take that a step further; if you see something, don’t just say something, do something! May we all realize the ability we each have to make that impact, to take that action and let us do our best to correct whatever we see that needs to be fixed. Good Shabbos!
