How do we know when a peace offering is sincere?
Our Torah portion, Va-yishlach,
raises just this question—which is more timely than ever. Jacob and Esau are born into enmity, struggling
mightily for supremacy while still in their mother’s womb. Eventually, Jacob and Rebecca connive to
steal the blessing that Isaac intends to give Esau, and Esau responds by
threatening to murder his deceitful younger brother.
As this week’s portion begins, twenty years have passed
since their ugly parting, and the two adversaries are reunited. As Torah describes the encounter, Esau runs
toward Jacob, falls on his neck, and, weeping, kisses him. This seems to play like a Hollywood ending. The brothers reconcile and move forward in
peace.
Yet our commentators are quick to note that in the Torah
text, the Hebrew word for “kiss”—va-yishakayhu—contains
dots written over each letter. This is
highly unusual. Rashi suggests that
these dots may point to the “kiss” being less than sincere. A medieval midrash even goes so far as to propose
that instead of kissing Jacob, Esau actually bites him. There is no
peaceful resolution; the two remain bitter enemies.
Others interpreters insist that this line is too
cynical, and the reconciliation is genuine.
As Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin describes the scene: “Jacob approaches
tentatively and bows low. Esau, however,
runs to meet him and embrace him, falling on Jacob’s neck and kissing him. What genuine and caring actions! After all these years and his own agony and
sense of betrayal, Esau has come prepared to embrace his brother Jacob and
Jacob’s family.”
Finally, Aviva Zornberg offers a middle ground, which
portrays the brothers’ encounter as neither wholly positive nor entirely
negative. She notes: “The brothers’
embrace resembles Jacob’s encounter with the angel. It is a combination of hugging in love and
grappling in struggle, as each one wants to merge with the other but also to
defeat him.”
How do we read this text? Are we optimists or pessimists? Naïve or cynical? Or somewhere in between? This is no theoretical question, for it is
also at the root of our understanding of the recent cease-fire between Israel
and Hamas. Should we rejoice and see
this as an opening for real peace?
Should we view it as a cynical ploy by Hamas, with no hope whatsoever to
endure? Or should we follow Aviva
Zornberg’s view, which would have us recognize the possibility of real
reconciliation—but also advise that we keep our guard against an enemy who
still wishes to defeat us, given the opportunity?
Count me in that centrist position. I believe that Israel should pursue every
possibility of peace, no matter how slim—while also preparing for the kind of
war that would crush Hamas militarily before they crush us.
We shall see what the coming weeks and months bring.
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