----- Forwarded Message -----From: "Rabbi Moshe Revah" <htcnews@htc.edu>To: "mates57564@aol.com" <mates57564@aol.com>Sent: Thu, Nov 23, 2023 at 4:00 PMSubject: Dvar Torah from the Rosh HaYeshiva
Dear Yeshiva Family:
We know we're unusual. We are, after all, the Chosen Nation, G-d's nation! Yet this status seems to single us out for interesting reasons. There are dozens of armed conflicts taking place right now around the world, with untold numbers of innocent civilians have been slaughtered by brutal dictators and their regimes, yet the only that thing that consistently makes the news are the Jews and Israel. There is the occasional Ukrainian flag, but never have we heard of the Houthis until they sent rockets to Israel; very few people can find Myanmar on the map; and hundreds of thousands of dead in Syria never led to public marches. Only Israel, and more precisely, the Jews, causes, marches and opinions throughout every country in the world.
Rashi, in the beginning of this week's parshah, questions why the Torah repeats the fact that Yaakov left Be'er Sheva; this fact was already stated five pesukim earlier. Rashi explains that since the Torah interrupted the narrative of Yaakov leaving to find a wife with the detail that Eisav also went to marry his first cousin, Machlas, the Torah restated where Yaakov was leaving from, to restart the narrative of Yaakov.
That leads to a second question: why did the Torah interrupt the narrative of Yaakov to inform us that Eisav married Machlas? Why is this tidbit necessary for us to know, especially right in the middle of the story of Yaakov finding a wife?
The Be'er Yosef cites the Gemara in Sanhedrin (107a), which states that all the Avos were known for passing incredibly hard "tests" without questioning Hashem. The Be'er Yosef explains that the Torah interrupting Yaakov's journey to describe Eisav's shidduch parshah in contrast to Yaakov's was done in order to magnify to us one of Yaakov Avinu's tests.
The Torah is about to describe how Yaakov Avinu's search for a shidduch began with him literally running for his life away from his parents. He travelled to Lavan's house where he met Rochel, the person he knew he was destined to marry, and immediately promised to work for her. Yaakov sat and learned Torah for 70 years uninterrupted; you would think that Hashem would make the shidduch process easy for him. But no, he had to work seven years for her. And then he was tricked. He then had to work seven more years (!) and finally got to marry Rochel.
In contrast to this, Yaakov was forced to watch his twin brother, a no-good evildoer who seemingly has the world entirely worked out for him. Someone who consorted with other people's wives regularly in his youth; was married to two women quickly after he started dating at the age of 40; and as soon as he hears that Yaakov is going to find a wife from outside Canaan, he dates again, and immediately and easily finds another wife, his first cousin. Esav was the proverbial baby born with a silver spoon in his mouth, who gets everything with ease. And he was supposed to be the bad guy! This was Yaakov's test—to be able to see this contrast and not question Hashem.
This story exemplifies the classic question of why good people sometimes suffer. We cannot give a precise answer to each individual case, but the understanding of the general answer is based on the belief that we are not on this world for this world, we are on this world for Olam Haba, the world to come. And therefore, sometimes things have to get a bit rough for whatever reason to make it "better" in the next world.
There are myriad possibilities of why, and we will only know the exact answer on an individual basis at the end of the line. But it is our trust that it is indeed for a good reason that carries us through. The deeper one believes, and "knows" that there is a purpose, the easier it is to get through a challenge.
In our lives, some of us have this test on a personal level. It is nearly impossible to describe the nisyonos of those struggling for a shidduch watching their friends laughing with their spouses; those struggling with infertility watching their classmates raising their families and celebrating simchas; those struggling to make an honest living watching people not as scrupulous "raking it in." Though we can never give a reason for individual pain, we silently accept that we do not understand, and know that at least in the next world there are answers.
But all of us are witnessing this on a national level. There are many countries who do nothing to protect civilians, but get no negative attention. Yet, as bizarre as it sounds, the only country who bends over far more than backwards to satisfy the world is the only country that is maligned, again and again. False reports and narratives reign. No one has it as difficult as the Jews.
This was Yaakov's nisayon. To know and believe that there is a purpose. As strange and unfair as it seems, we know that there is a purpose to it all. And we know the general purpose. This world is not for right now; we are here for the next world. We believe that there are answers, we just have to wait until we get to the next world to receive and understand those answers. So even without specific answers giving detailed reasons for why people suffer, we must accept the general answer that there is a reason, which we will one day understand.
The question itself has the answer built into it. Why are the Jews the only people to consistently have it rough? The question conveys the fact that the Jews are the only ones who consistently are around. No other nation has been around for as long as we have. This is because we are here for a purpose.
Contemplating such ideas helps remind us that there is indeed a deeper reason for being on the planet. The more we recognize that we are here for a reason—and these questions remind us that reason is the next world—the more secure and relaxed in life we will feel! We become more comfortable knowing that there is a plan and a purpose. It may be counter-intuitive, but a focus on the next world actually brings more meaning and joy to life! This is because it helps us refocus on the important things in life, things that are worth big currency in the next world. It helps us focus on the beautiful things here, like Torah and chesed, and like Shabbos and davening. It gives meaning to every minute of life, and hope and joy, no matter what is going on, for every minute has a purpose. One who internalizes these messages that we are seeing daily will be equipped to utilize the tragedies to grow from and to change his life perspective.
May Hashem continue to help His Chosen Nation persevere and thrive in way that will inspire the world, help us be recognized as the good guys we truly are and help us understand His ways even in this world!
Rabbi Moshe Revah
Rosh HaYeshiva, HTC - Beis HaMidrash LaTorah
HTC
Hebrew Theological College is a member of Touro University
and a partner with the Jewish United Fund in serving our community
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