Community Torah Corner, Dec. 13, 2024

This week’s parsha begins with a crescendo of events that have been coming to a head for years.  After Yaakov Avinu received the blessing from his father Yitzchak, he had to flee from the wrath of his vengeful brother Esav.  Now we find ourselves years later and the brothers are about to meet again.  They are older, perhaps wiser and they have large families.  Will this be a violent confrontation? Will they reconcile?  At first glance we do not know.  Yaakov certainly prepares his camp for every eventuality.

In order to prepare for this possible confrontation, the Torah says that Yaakov sends “Malachim” to go greet his brother Esav.  Traditionally, we translate this word to mean “angels.”  In actuality, it means “messengers.”  Angels are in fact messengers from Hashem.  Yaakov did whatever he could to mitigate a possible war with his brother Esav.  He used every tool at his disposal while also realizing that a battle was possible, perhaps even probable.

In our lives today as Jews in the Diaspora, we are constantly faced with looming battles.  It simply is not easy to be Jewish today in America, on a college campus or even in our very Jewish neighborhoods. Nevertheless, we use every tool within our arsenal to live our lives a loud and proud Jews who are undeterred by any external forces that seek to harm us or destroy us.  Each and every one of us is but one of so many “Malachim – messengers” who have to see to it that our tradition and identity remains strong and vibrant. Every teacher and administrator at GOA is a “Malach” (both a messenger and an angel!) who give tirelessly of themselves to make sure our students are well equipped for this new reality of our world today.  We should thank them daily and hold our heads up high as the messengers of the present and future Jewish people.

 

Shabbat Shalom