There was a fellow whose morning ritual involved reading the daily paper while drinking a glass of cold, freshly squeezed orange juice. One day, as he flipped through the obituary section, he was shocked to see his own name on the list of those who had passed. He assumed that it was someone else who shared his name, but upon closer inspection, all the information was a perfect match. Furiously, he called the newspaper office and demanded to be put through to the editor. He insisted on an apology and a retraction. The editor was rather unsympathetic and categorically refused to issue an apology. “Sir, the Paper does not make mistakes.”
“But I’m alive! I’m talking to you on the telephone!”
“Sir, the Paper does not make mistakes. We, therefore, cannot issue a correction or an apology. However, if you insist, we can put your name in tomorrow’s Birth Column.”
Just 80 years ago, the Jewish People’s obituary had already been written. We were down and out with a full third of our population decimated and Hitler’s Museum of the Extinct Jewish Race was already being planned. Thank G-d, we did indeed resurface in the “birth column,” as the survivors emerged from Europe and resettled in Israel and the world over, doing their best to raise the next generation of our nation.
In Parshat Vayechi, we read about the passing of our patriarch Jacob. Remarkably, Rabbi Yochanan of the Talmud claimed that “our father Jacob never died.” When his colleagues challenged the veracity of his astounding statement, he explained: “Just as his descendants are alive, he is alive.”
Jacob’s life work continued in perpetuity. He was described as the “select of the forefathers.” Why? Because whereas Abraham fathered Isaac, he also bore Ishmael. And Isaac fathered Jacob, but also Esau. Jacob, however, fathered twelve sons who became the 12 Tribes of Israel, who all remained faithful to his way of life, and through whom Am Yisrael, the Jewish nation, was firmly established.
Whether it is the individual Jew or the Jewish People, the same rule applies. We have a role to play, a mission to accomplish—each of us in our own personal lives and all of us collectively. We cannot opt out. We are only as good as the sum of all our parts. And the very trajectory of history depends on us too. Our actions can change not only our own situation, but the rest of the world too, and can even achieve global redemption. Our “chosenness” is as much a responsibility as it is privilege.
A congregant of mine returned from a visit to Israel with a charming story. He was in a taxi and spent time chatting with the Israeli driver. Now, anyone who has ever interacted with taxi drivers in Israel knows that they are a unique species. Somehow, every taxi driver there is a world expert on everything from the Bible to philosophy, politics, the economy, and world peace. When my friend asked his driver if he was not worried about the current danger levels in the Middle East, the driver was completely dismissive of his concerns.
“But you are living in a dangerous part of the world, surrounded by enemies who are trying to drive you into the sea. How can you not be anxious?” my friend persisted. The driver smiled. “Tell me, have you heard of Clint Eastwood?”
“Of course,” replied my friend.
“Well, if you’ve ever watched a Clint Eastwood movie, you know that he will not be killed, no matter how many people are trying to murder him. In the end, he always survives.
“Why? Because he is the star of the film. He cannot die. They need him for the next movie!
“Well, we are the same. G-d needs us around to fulfil our destiny and His destiny. That’s why I’m not worried.”
The Jewish People never die. We almost die on a regular basis. In every generation, there is someone trying to wipe us out. But do we die? Will we? Can we? Never! Jacob never died because we continue to carry on what he and our other patriarchs and matriarchs began. Let us live proud Jewish lives and continue to be living examples of eternal Jewish continuity.
