“And God said unto Moses: ‘I see this people, and behold, they are a stiff-necked people.’”

~Exodus 32:9

In this week’s parsha, Vayishlach, Jacob and his brother Esau reunite. The Torah tells us that when they met, “Esau…embraced him, flung himself upon his neck, and kissed him.  And they wept.” (Genesis 33:4). However, the word for “kissed” in this text is written in a very peculiar way, with a single dot over each letter. 

This peculiarity has led to multiple interpretations, but one of the most famous states that rather than kissing Jacob, Esau tried to murder him by biting his neck! However, God performed a miracle and Jacob’s neck became as hard as marble. Thus, when Esau “wept,” he shed tears of pain over his shattered teeth (Bereshit Rabbah 78)—not out of love for his brother. 

Ever since the beginning, the Jewish people have been “stiff-necked.” Our name, Israel—which means to struggle with God—comes from this week’s parshah as well, when Jacob is victorious after wrestling with an angel. There’s a famous joke that almost every Jewish holiday has the same theme: “They tried to destroy us, we won, let’s eat!” This speaks to our resilience as a people. 

This sort of resilience is not limited to physical survival; it is embodied in our ability to be a “light unto the nations” (Isaiah 42:6)—even in the darkest of times.  

Right now, in December, the nights are longer and the days shorter; there is much more darkness than light. And maybe, the world feels like that sometimes. Whether it is your world at home, the world at large, or the world in your own head. Sometimes there seems to be SO much more darkness than light.

But resilience—and light—that’s what being Jewish is all about. And this is why, as the darkness grows and the world grows colder, our tradition gives us Hannukah—the festival of lights—to remind us that the light, it dwells within us. We ARE the light, and it is up to us, the stiff-necked people, to shine our brightest and warm up the world.

Sonia and I wish you a week where the world is filled with your light,

Rabbi Cody R. Bahir, Ph.D.