Just the other day I was talking to a CSS family whose child just celebrated a Bar Mitzvah. How quickly it went they told me. Ah, but I told them, how long the memories last. These ah-ha moments in life are few and far between, but their impact can be immense in how we view our lives.
This week the Torah has one of those Ah-ha moments in Jacob’s reunion with his brother Esau. For years Jacob has feared this moment. Indeed the first section of the portion is spent with Jacob preparing for a battle. He sends out messengers, divides his family, sends them in different directions, heading off to Esau on his own. Then, the moment arrives and a beautiful thing happens, it is not a battle, but a love affair. The Torah says, “Esau ran toward him, embraced him, fell upon his neck, and kissed him. Then he wept.” If this is not an Ah-ha moment, I’m not sure what is. It is the type of emotion driven event that fuels the narrative of the entire Torah, a reminder of the surprising nature of life. As another family that just celebrated a Bar Mitzvah told me, “we had no idea how meaningful the event would actually be.”
May the blessing that Jacob and Esau find in their reunion help infuse all of our lives with the possibility of wonder and joy.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex
Last Updated on 12/16/2016 by wpadm