Navigating Conflict and Reconciliation
There are times in life when we sit on our thoughts. And, there are times in life when our thoughts sit on us. Parshat Vayishlah begins with a panicked Jacob, commanded by Gd to return home and burdened by the prospect of reuniting with his brother. Reading like a pay-per-view for one of the Torah’s most iconic title fights (Jacob wrestling an angel), Vayishlah provides insights for the Hanukkah season and engages head on with the timeless Talmudic question: is wrestling real or fake?
Although he was fearful that his brother may try to vanquish him and his ilk, Jacob refrained from jumping right into action. First, he prayed. After reflecting on Gd’s promise to the Jewish people and grounding himself in faith, he then acted, sending a message ahead to his brother accompanied by a caravan of gifts flush with ewes, rams, camels, colts and she-goats.
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Suddenly, Jacob gets sidetracked by a stranger angling for a fight. It is up to interpretation whether Jacob truly fought a person, an angelic figure, or a manifestation of his own thoughts literally sitting on him. And though scholars still debate if he ended the match with a suplex, a powerbomb, or a hebrew hammer, they agree he ultimately won the title fight along with the title Israel.
When the brothers finally reunited, Esau, surprisingly, did not challenge his brother to a no holds barred barbed wire steel cage match to avenge a past betrayal. Nor did he revel in Jacob’s caravan of gifts. Instead, Esau simply embraced his brother in forgiveness.
Vayishlah highlights how navigating conflict and reconciliation entails both a spiritual and material dimension, sharing the lesson that sometimes we must wrestle with and pin down our thoughts and purpose before taking action. Furthermore, it illuminates our understanding that wrestling is not only real, but also firmly established Jewish canon.
As we wrestle the logistics of latke-frying, gift-giving, and dreidel-spinning with Hanukkah on the horizon, Vayishlah provides a healthy reminder: camels, rams, she-goats and other gifts may be grand, but the spirit of the season is reflecting on the light in all of us and the power of action grounded in faith. I wish you and yours a bright Hanukkah and holiday season!
Shabbat Shalom
Noah Barshop
Board Member, Jewish Federation San Antonio