B´nei Israel Congregation, Costa Rica
“Jacob’s Berachah”
Parashat Vayehi, which means “and he lived”, tell us of the death of Jacob. The patriarch was old, sick and nearly blind, and even so he was able to see his sons with the eyes of his soul.
The Torah says he gathered them around and asked them to come close, so that he could tell each of them what his future would be.
Paradoxically, he began describing each of his children according to their deeds in the past, almost as if it were some sort of vocational test, or as if in Jacob’s deep psychological understanding, the character traits of each son, reflected in their past, marked a clear tendency and a meaning that would be hard to modify.
The old man served as a mirror for each beloved son, and that was his blessing. Why? Because it is true, like the Parashah suggests and psychoanalysis confirms, that a big part of our destiny is sealed and marked since we are very young.
But I think the Parashah goes beyond a determinism and fanaticism that would make us less free and less responsible. In spite of all the Midrashim that see in the events to come the confirmation of old Jacob’s words, I believe the Berachah lies in his telling each son: “This is how I see you,” “This is what you look like,” “If you continue down this path, this is how you will end up,” and “Now you decide.”
This last one “Now you decide” is the most important of all.
It means that each of them must complete a double job:
1º) He must try to know himself.
2º) He must ask himself if he is happy with what he is, if wants to change, and if he can change.
Many of us are slaves to social determinisms, or of other ideas more profound and remote that we carry along for many years, perhaps even from childhood.
The blessing is not in carrying this burden. That would be more of a curse. The blessing is to never stop learning about oneself. To never deny what one is, to try to accept and love oneself. And at the same time, to never stop being free to choose sometimes to continue like one is and other times to change.
In the midst of this tension between continuity and change, each of our lives is seen as a struggle to be, to find a unique and original place. And in mankind, to be is to become; to always be in motion, to keep looking and not give up when faced with internal or external determinisms.
Through Jacob, the Torah can serve as a mirror. What do we see? Do we like what we see? How would we like to see ourselves?
Through Jacob, the Torah gives us the chance to live as free, unique and incomparable beings.
“Now you decide!”
Rabbi Dario Feiguin
The Torah says he gathered them around and asked them to come close, so that he could tell each of them what his future would be.
Paradoxically, he began describing each of his children according to their deeds in the past, almost as if it were some sort of vocational test, or as if in Jacob’s deep psychological understanding, the character traits of each son, reflected in their past, marked a clear tendency and a meaning that would be hard to modify.
The old man served as a mirror for each beloved son, and that was his blessing. Why? Because it is true, like the Parashah suggests and psychoanalysis confirms, that a big part of our destiny is sealed and marked since we are very young.
But I think the Parashah goes beyond a determinism and fanaticism that would make us less free and less responsible. In spite of all the Midrashim that see in the events to come the confirmation of old Jacob’s words, I believe the Berachah lies in his telling each son: “This is how I see you,” “This is what you look like,” “If you continue down this path, this is how you will end up,” and “Now you decide.”
This last one “Now you decide” is the most important of all.
It means that each of them must complete a double job:
1º) He must try to know himself.
2º) He must ask himself if he is happy with what he is, if wants to change, and if he can change.
Many of us are slaves to social determinisms, or of other ideas more profound and remote that we carry along for many years, perhaps even from childhood.
The blessing is not in carrying this burden. That would be more of a curse. The blessing is to never stop learning about oneself. To never deny what one is, to try to accept and love oneself. And at the same time, to never stop being free to choose sometimes to continue like one is and other times to change.
In the midst of this tension between continuity and change, each of our lives is seen as a struggle to be, to find a unique and original place. And in mankind, to be is to become; to always be in motion, to keep looking and not give up when faced with internal or external determinisms.
Through Jacob, the Torah can serve as a mirror. What do we see? Do we like what we see? How would we like to see ourselves?
Through Jacob, the Torah gives us the chance to live as free, unique and incomparable beings.
“Now you decide!”
Rabbi Dario Feiguin
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