The time for national responsibility is now!
The Parasha in our everyday life - Parshat Vayeshev - 5783
Rabbi Eliezer Shenvald - Head of the Hesder Yeshiva 'Meir Harel' Modiin
Last week, an expert on Arab world affairs, who follows the Israeli politics closely, made an analysis using the Arab world angle. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, their narrative has been a comparison of the State of Israel to the Crusader State that was established in Israel by the Crusaders who came from Europe, in the Middle Ages. The Crusader State was almost completely conquered by Saladin, after about a hundred years, and ceased to exist after two hundred years. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, Arab countries have tried to subdue it in three wars. However, after the Yom Kippur War, they realized that for the time being they do not have the military ability to implement their dream, and they should wait patiently, and take advantage of any opportunity. After the Oslo Accords, they named the head of the PLO as Saladin, and hoped to subdue the sovereign Zionist entity through terrorism. However, after Operation "Defensive Shield" and the defeat of the second intifada, they realized that even with terrorism they would not succeed for the time being.
In recent years, the destabilization of the government made them hope for a weakened state. And not only did it not weaken, but strengthened economically as well as its leading position in the international arena.
In recent weeks, since the results of the elections in Israel were announced, they have been watching with great interest and hope, how the new Opposition and some of the head authorities are strengthening, in front of the forming government. They wrote down expressions and threats about the future of the state that have not been heard since its establishment, such as 'civil uprisings', and 'tax revolt' from those who do not accept, under various pretexts, the democratic decision of the voter. From those who propose to split the state and establish a separate 'autonomy' within it. Even from a public figure who threatens that he "doesn't rule out a blood clash in the future!!!", without being condemned. All of them are getting their hopes up thinking the time is coming. They know the Jewish history well. The division of the Kingdom of Israel and Yehuda during the First Temple period which led to civil war, the destruction of the Temple and exile to Babylon. The fraternal war that consumed Jewish sovereignty during the Second Temple period. Now they hope that the division and baseless hatred will cause the Jews to do to their country what none of their enemies was able to do.
אֶת־אַחַ֖י אָנֹכִ֣י מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ
“I am looking for my brothers”. (Bereshit 37:16), dear brothers! The statements of the last few days are like walking on the edge of the abyss. Our fate is important to us! Let's come to our senses and show responsibility! You can argue, you don't have to agree on everything, but you mustn't go beyond the limits. Our history has taught us that there is a thin and fragile line between words and actions. We have learned the hard way that if G-d forbid the fine line is crossed, we may find ourselves in a dangerous catastrophic situation where there are no winners, only defeated! There are no winners, only losers! And that includes all of us.
Where are you?! Leaders, the 'responsible adults'! Take national responsibility to lower the flames!
The 'Selling of Joseph' teaches us about the first-time needless hatred among Jews ‘sinat achim' that arose, and about its heavy price. The hatred for their brother brought them to such a dire situation that they wanted to kill him:
וְעַתָּ֣ה לְכ֣וּ וְנַֽהַרְגֵ֗הוּ וְנַשְׁלִכֵ֙הוּ֙ בְּאַחַ֣ד הַבֹּר֔וֹת …
“Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits…” (Bereshit 37:20)
In this Parasha we also learned the importance of the 'responsible adult' taking responsibility. About Reuven the eldest brother and Yehuda, each of them, in turn, 'took responsibility' to prevent the brothers from carrying out their plan. Even if in the end they only had partial success:
וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע רְאוּבֵ֔ן וַיַּצִּלֵ֖הוּ מִיָּדָ֑ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹ֥א נַכֶּ֖נּוּ נָֽפֶשׁ׃ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֣ם רְאוּבֵן֮ אַל־תִּשְׁפְּכוּ דָם֒ הַשְׁלִ֣יכוּ אֹת֗וֹ אֶל־הַבּ֤וֹר הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר וְיָ֖ד אַל־תִּשְׁלְחוּ ב֑וֹ לְמַ֗עַן הַצִּ֤יל אֹתוֹ֙ מִיָּדָ֔ם לַהֲשִׁיב֖וֹ אֶל־אָבִֽיו׃
“But when Reuven heard it, he tried to save him from them. He said, “Let us not take his life. And Reuven went on, “Shed no blood! Cast him into that pit out in the wilderness, but do not touch him yourselves”—intending to save him from them and restore him to his father”. (Bereshit 37:21-22)
Although Reuven arrived too late and was unable to prevent the sale and 'return him to his father', it was said of him:
א"ר תנחום בר חנילאי מפני מה זכה ראובן לימנות בהצלה תחלה מפני שהוא פתח בהצלה תחלה שנאמר (בראשית לז, כא) וישמע ראובן ויצילהו מידם
“Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai says: For what reason was Reuven privileged to be enumerated first in the rescue, as the first city of refuge listed is Bezer (see Devarim 4:43), which is located in the tribal portion of Reuven? It is due to the fact that he began the rescue of Joseph first, as it is stated: “And Reuven heard and delivered him from their hands” -Genesis 37:21. (Makkot 10a).
And Yehuda as well:
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוּדָ֖ה אֶל־אֶחָ֑יו מַה־בֶּ֗צַע כִּ֤י נַהֲרֹג֙ אֶת־אָחִ֔ינוּ וְכִסִּ֖ינוּ אֶת־דָּמֽוֹ׃ לְכ֞וּ וְנִמְכְּרֶ֣נּוּ לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֗ים וְיָדֵ֙נוּ֙ אַל־תְּהִי־ב֔וֹ כִּֽי־אָחִ֥ינוּ בְשָׂרֵ֖נוּ ה֑וּא וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֖וּ אֶחָֽיו׃
“Then Yehuda said to his brothers, “What do we gain by killing our brother and covering up his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let us not do away with him ourselves. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed.” (Ibid 26-27)
And also, about him it is said:
למדנו רבינו באי זו זכות זכה יהודה למלכות אמר להם רבי טרפון אמרו אתם אמרו בזכות שאמר מה בצע כי נהרוג את אחינו (שם) שהצילו ממיתה אמר להם דייה להצלה שתעמוד ותכפר על המכירה שנתן עצה למכרו ולא להשיבו אל אביו …
“R. Tarfon and the elders were once sitting in the shade of the grove of Yavneh when this question was once asked before them… Our master, on what merit did Yehuda attain the kingdom? R. Tarfon: You say. They: In the merit of his saying (Ibid 26) "What profit is it if we kill our brother, etc." by which he saved him from death. R. Tarfon: It suffices that this saving atones for his counsel to sell Joseph and not return him to his father…” (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 14:22)
On one side there is Yehuda who 'took responsibility' and prevented the killing, but on the other hand, there is the criticism for initiating the sale and not leading the brothers to ‘Shalom Bayit’ and the safe return to his father. The heavy price paid was the descent to Egypt into exile and slavery for hundreds of years.
Have we learned our lesson?!
Please reveal national responsibility! And the sooner the better!