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Kahane
on the Parsha
Rabbi Meir Kahane- Parshat
VaYetzei
ALL G-D WANTS IS A LITTLE FAITH
Regarding Jacob's ladder, the
Rabbis comment (Tanchuma, Vayetzei 2): "G-d showed Jacob the archangels of
Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome climbing the ladder and then falling down.
Said the Almighty, 'Jacob, why do you not climb?' Jacob was afraid and said,
'Just as those fell so shall I fall.' Said the Almighty, 'If you climb you will
not fall.' But he did not believe and did not climb. Concerning this, Rabbi
Shmuel Ben Yosina said, 'Nevertheless they sinned further, and did not believe
in His wondrous works' (Psalms 78:32). Said the Almighty, 'Had you climbed and
believed, you would never have fallen. But since you did not believe, your
children will be enslaved to these four kingdoms...'"
G-d promised Jacob in his dream,
"I will be with you" (Genesis 28:15), but Jacob was nevertheless
scared when he left Laban's house and heard that Esav was approaching. And so,
the Almighty sent an angel to wrestle with Jacob and wound him. As the Rashbam
writes, "Jacob was stricken and limped because he fled [from Esav] even
though G-d had promised [to be with him]. In general, we find that anyone who
goes on a path that G-d does not desire, or refuses to go on a path that He
does desire, is punished."
Fear of man is the key to lack of
faith in G-d and none of us, not even the greatest, is immune from it. And it
is this fear of human beings rather than trusting in G-d which is the source of
the tragedy which, G-d forbid, will befall us. In the words of King Solomon
(Proverbs 29:25-26), "The fear of man brings a snare, but he who places
his trust in the L-rd shall be safe. Many seek the ruler's favor, but a man's
judgment comes from G-d."
Rabbeinu Bechaya in Kad HaKemach:
"And we have seen that the
Torah warned us against fearing the nations: 'When you go to war against your
enemies and see horses and chariots and a people more numerous than you, you
shall not fear them; for the L-rd, your G-d, who brought you up out of the Land
of Egypt, is with you' (Deuteronomy 20:1). The Torah further states, 'Who is
the man who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house'
(ibid. 20:8). For the fear of the nations has conquered him, and while it is
possible that he truly believes that everything is in G-d's hand, his heart is
weak and his nature inferior because his soul did not grow in the element of
trust...And there is no doubt that he who fears the might of flesh and blood is
low of soul and he who fears man forgets the Almighty..."
The reality of our times. The
fear of human beings and the erosion of faith in the Almighty so that we pay
lip service to the general concept of trust in G-d but shrink from the reality
of the steps we must take in every actual, individual challenge. And so we are
terrified at the thought of losing American aid and President Bush and his
Baker and his Dole send hysteria through the ranks of the Jewish rank.
We are convinced- in our lowness
of soul- that we cannot survive without the gentile and thus are terrified at
the thought of isolation. We see it as a curse when it is the greatest blessing
imaginable. "And He shall drive them the enemy from before you and shall
say:
'Destroy them!'Israel shall then
dwell in safety alone..." (Deuteronomy 33:27). And the Ohr HaChaim says:
"'Israel shall then dwell in safety.' When? When he is alone..."
Isolation. That is the role and
obligation and destiny of the Jew. And how we have lost our way...
The Jewish Press, 1990
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