א וַיֵּשֶׁב יַעֲקֹב, בְּאֶרֶץ מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו--בְּאֶרֶץ, כְּנָעַן. ב אֵלֶּה תֹּלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב, יוֹסֵף בֶּן-שְׁבַע-עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה הָיָה רֹעֶה אֶת-אֶחָיו בַּצֹּאן, וְהוּא נַעַר אֶת-בְּנֵי בִלְהָה וְאֶת-בְּנֵי זִלְפָּה, נְשֵׁי אָבִיו; וַיָּבֵא יוֹסֵף אֶת-דִּבָּתָם רָעָה, אֶל-אֲבִיהֶם1 And Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojourning, in the land of Canaan. 2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren, being still a lad even with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought evil report of them unto their father.1(Genesis 37:1-2)
The first verse in this week’s Sidra informs us that after his confrontation with Esau and his physical struggle with the angel, Yaakov settled in the land of his father’s sojourning. The name of the Sidra, Vayeishev (and he dwelt), follows Vayeitze (and he departed) and Vayishlach (and he sent), which connote continuous movement and action in which Yaakov did not have time to settle, either physically but also psychologically. Based off a midrash,2 Rashi suggests an explanation for the interesting succession of the names of the parshiot. He writes:
עוד נדרש בו וישב ביקש יעקב לישב בשלוה קפץ עליו רוגזו של יוסף צדיקים מבקשים לישב בשלוה אומר הקב"ה לא דיין לצדיקים מה שמתוקן להם לעוה"ב אלא שמבקשים לישב בשלוה בעוה"ז
A further comment was expounded on this verse, “and (Jacob) settled”, Jacob sought to dwell in tranquility, but then, the ordeal of Yosef sprung upon him. The righteous request to settle in tranquility, but the Holy One Blessed Be He says ‘the righteous do not consider that which is prepared for them in the world to come to be enough for them rather, they request to dwell in tranquility in the world to come.3
This teaching is brought from a midrash which indicates that the righteous are not meant to rest in this world. Such an observation is astounding to us; traditionally, we associate inequity with sinners. As a result, we are shocked by the idea that someone who dedicates his life to godliness should suffer in this world.
I think the answer lies in the following idea. There is a concept within the Talmud4 that speaks of thirty six righteous individuals who keep the world turning; without them, the world would not exist. That is, it is through the efforts of individuals that the world exists, and it is through their acts of loving-kindness that the world is not destroyed by the opposing evil which persists. Whether we understand this figuratively or literally, there is a lesson to be learned here. The world always needs to progress. Those who espouse godliness must always seek to take the next step. Once they rest, the lack of turbulence in their lives will not allow for creativity.
A similar notion is described in the famous disputation of the Ramban (Rabbi Moses ben Nachman, 1194-1270) in 1236 with a Christian who had converted from Judaism named Pablo Christiani. In disputing the notion that the Messiah had already arrived, Ramban alludes to the fact that the prophecy of "Nation shall not raise sword against nation," (Isaiah 2:4) had not come into fruition. In fact, the world had been in such turmoil since the era in which he lived. Within the context of a polemic, the Ramban’s observation points to the fact that suffering in the world is part of a progression, and until the world reaches perfection, there is no rest for its inhabitants. Judaism does not view the world as perfect. It is the responsibility of every individual to improve the world. Not by warfare and bloodshed does the world progress, but by productive contributions.
This idea seems to suggest that while the world is still not perfect, we are subject to its woes regardless of our own actions. We are not to rest, even if we are not causing the unwarranted harm. Thus people should not sit in tranquility and ignore the chaos around them. Such an approach to the question of theodicy can be controversial and unsettling; there is a value in appreciating the product of struggle. Stagnation is the antithesis of progression. Rough times enable and require a person to think in a forward fashion and to look for solution to solve problems.
A similar notion is described in the famous disputation of the Ramban (Rabbi Moses ben Nachman, 1194-1270) in 1236 with a Christian who had converted from Judaism named Pablo Christiani. In disputing the notion that the Messiah had already arrived, Ramban alludes to the fact that the prophecy of "Nation shall not raise sword against nation," (Isaiah 2:4) had not come into fruition. In fact, the world had been in such turmoil since the era in which he lived. Within the context of a polemic, the Ramban’s observation points to the fact that suffering in the world is part of a progression, and until the world reaches perfection, there is no rest for its inhabitants. Judaism does not view the world as perfect. It is the responsibility of every individual to improve the world. Not by warfare and bloodshed does the world progress, but by productive contributions.
This idea seems to suggest that while the world is still not perfect, we are subject to its woes regardless of our own actions. We are not to rest, even if we are not causing the unwarranted harm. Thus people should not sit in tranquility and ignore the chaos around them. Such an approach to the question of theodicy can be controversial and unsettling; there is a value in appreciating the product of struggle. Stagnation is the antithesis of progression. Rough times enable and require a person to think in a forward fashion and to look for solution to solve problems.
A settled mind is not confronted with problems and therefore does not contend with them. Yaakov believed that the remainder of his life would be spent in rest; he thought his work would be completed once he reached the land of his forefathers. Perhaps he was guilty of not looking further to address other issues or to progress the lives of his family. While we are not the judges of such a man, we must consider the lesson taught here. Life is not meant to be lived in tranquility. If our goal is to fix the world, we must consider the fact that while it is “not incumbent upon [us] to complete the task, [we] are not exempt from attending to it.”5
1 JPS translation from Mechon Mamre, http://mechon-mamre.org/e/et/et0137.htm#1
2 Midrash Rabba Parashat Vayeshev 34:3
3 Rashi, Genesis 37:1
4 Tractate Sanhedrin 97b
5 Pirkei Avoth 2:16
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