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Shabbos Parashas Vayishlach - 5776

Rabbi Hal Miller

Then come, let us go up to Beit-El, I will make there an altar to G-d Who answered me

in my time of distress, and was with me on the road that I traveled. [Bereishis 35:3]

Yaakov leaves Lavan and returns to the land of his ancestors after a long exile. Along the

way, he confronts the angel for a wrestling match. He confronts Esav for a possible war.

He confronts Shechem and gets actual war in the episode of Dinah. His name gets

changed to Yisrael. All of these incidents, though, merely support the key point of our

parsha in our verse, where Yaakov tells his people that they are going to Canaan.

North Americans celebrate a Thanksgiving holiday this time of year, Canadians in

October, US citizens this week in November. Many of us are also Olim, having made

the return to the land of our ancestors after a long exile. How do these tie together?

Yaakov knew he was going to have a rough go of it in returning. He found deceit, war,

and unpleasantry from most of those he met in the process. Yet, his first directive to

his household, upon receiving word from G-d to go home, was to prepare to pray. Not

only does he pray, but he prays in the name of specific aspects of G-d, "who answered

me in my distress and was with me on the road." He knew that doing the right thing

would not be easy, and he thanked G-d for standing by him.

We who have followed in Yaakov's footsteps also confront enemies and difficulties. We

are guarded by the same G-d who protected Yaakov. We owe Him the same thanks.

The fact that those North American holidays were started for other reasons does not

change our need to absorb them for our own needs.

Hal Miller