“Let me get this straight,” said my father. “You want me, the rabbi, to convince your daughter not to observe Shabbat?!” Then, utilizing his fantastic sense of humor, my father shared a teaching of the Midrash: Esau approached Jacob with the intention of harming him and instead they ended up hugging and reconciling.
What caused this sudden change of heart? The Midrash explains that a group of angels approached and began beating Esau. “Don’t hit me!” cried Esau, “I am the grandson of Abraham!” But the chief angel insisted on continuing. “I am the son of Isaac!” cried Esau, yet the chief angel persisted. “I am the brother of Jacob!” wailed Esau, and upon hearing that, the chief angel ordered, “Stop the beating. He is Jacob’s brother; he gets full protection.” That was the story, according to the Midrash, behind Esau’s attitude adjustment.
“After 120 years,” continued my father, “when you come up to heaven for judgment day, the angels will review your life, see that you weren’t perfect, and start hitting you. ‘Stop!’ you’ll shout, ‘My son is a doctor!’ But they will keep hitting. ‘Stop!’ You’ll plead, ‘My daughter works at the State Department!’ but they’ll keep hitting. ‘Stop hitting me!’ you’ll cry, ‘My daughter is shomer Shabbat!’ and the beating will immediately stop.
“Do you really want me to take away your source of protection? I won’t do that.” With his trademark humor and his wise approach, he brought that negotiation to a wonderful conclusion. The girl grew up to be a G d-fearing young woman who went on to build a beautiful, traditional Jewish family.
This was the message that Jacob was sending to his brother, Esau. “I’m a tough guy; your 400 terrorists don’t scare me. In the toughest conditions, I kept true to the Torah and raised a generation of children who do the same!”
Divine Prescription for Peace
In 1977, my father came to Encino, Calif., to celebrate the birth of our son Eli. During that visit he shared a powerful message with our community. At the time, Egypt and Israel were taking the initial steps that eventually led to the Camp David Accords, and the Jewish world was filled with a spirit of optimism.
“Shaking hands with your enemy and singing Hava Nagila on the White House lawn certainly feels very good,” remarked my father, “but, the Torah teaches us what truly brings about everlasting peace for Israel.” For that, he said, we need only take to heart the verse in Psalms: “And may you see children [born] to your children—peace upon Israel.”
Said my father, “Bringing another Jewish child into this world and raising him as a Jew will do more for peace in the Middle East and bring more peace to Israel than anything else possibly can.”
We must raise Jewish children wherever we are, even in the most spiritually desolate environments. We must be strong, resilient, and fearless. While there will always be an Esau, G d will always be there for us, sending an attitude-adjusting message. Our responsibility is to ensure the creation of one generation after another, with children and grandchildren connected to the Source.
