How ironic that the first true, honest interfaith dialogue was between siblings. The household of Isaac and Rebecca was a divided one. As you may remember from the Torah portion several weeks ago, when Rebecca inquired of God why her pregnancy was so rough, God told her it is because there were two separate nations in her womb. Right from the beginning Jacob and Esau, while twins, were ill suited to being brothers. They were nothing alike and very quickly the initial apathy they felt for one another, turned into enmity.
The resolution of their relationship comes this week in Parashat Vayishlach. For the first time since they were young men, they come face to face, either to kill or make peace with one another. Thankfully for them and for us, it was the latter. Jacob and Esau embrace, kiss, and reconnect. Our patriarchal family is restored.
Interfaith dialogue is tricky and potentially dangerous, but it is also, when done right, extremely rewarding. When Reverend Bill Hennessy walked into my office nearly a decade ago to speak with me about a sticky matter, our interaction could have gone in one of two ways: hostility or friendship. Thankfully for us and our two communities it was the latter. Not only did I get a friend from it, but Shir Shalom got a sister community in North Presbyterian. We are blessed to invite Rev. Hennessy to Shir Shalom this Friday night, and I am blessed to visit with him and his community on Sunday morning.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex