It's Up to Us!

In this week's Parsha, the last of the book of Bereishis (Genesis), we learn of the passing of Jacob. Yet the title of the Parsha, 'Vayechi' means 'And he lived..."

The Talmud, in the Tractate Taanis, quotes in the name of Rabbi Yochanan that 'Our father Jacob did not die!" One of the many explanations of this statement is that 'just as his offspring lives, so he lives.' He lives on through his children, through their continuing his legacy and his ideals.

So too, in our generation. Our grandparents and their grandparents before them made tremendous sacrifices for the survival of Yiddishkeit, of Judaism, sometimes putting their very lives on the line, so that their descendants would be able to lead Jewish lives. Now it is up to us. They live on. Their legacy is our proud and determined continuation of the Jewish people and the Jewish heritage.

We see the enormous responsibility that we bear. There are so many stories of the elders of yesteryear, who lacked so much materially, yet all they asked of G-d was that their descendants be healthy and G-d-fearing Jews. We are those descendants.

A young child thought he could get the better of the Rabbi. The child approaches the Rabbi with a butterfly cupped between his hands. He plans to ask the Rabbi if the butterfly is alive or dead. If the Rabbi answers 'alive' he will clap his hands together, squashing the insect. If the Rabbi answers 'dead' he will open his hands, releasing the butterfly.

"Rabbi, I have heard you are a wise man. Tell me - is this butterfly between my hands alive or dead?"

Without pausing for breath, the Rabbi answers:

"The answer, my child, is in your hands."

In this week's Parsha, Jacob blesses his grandsons (Joseph's sons, Efraim and Menashe), saying "By you shall Israel bless, saying 'May G-d make you like Efraim and Menashe'." Indeed all over the world, since then, Jewish fathers have blessed their children every Friday night with these very words.

Why Efraim and Menashe, Joseph's sons? Why not Abraham, Isaac or Jacob? Moses? King David? Solomon, the wisest of all men?

Efraim and Menashe were the first Jewish children born and educated in exile (Egypt) who remained loyal to their Jewish roots despite their environment. Thus they serve as role models for the generations to come.

We live in an age of unprecedented freedom, where the self-sacrifice and hardship even of recent generations seems but ancient history. This unprecedented freedom must be our basis to do more, to practice and maintain - our Judaism, our Yiddishkeit, our very essence - freely and unashamedly. Like Efraim and Menashe, we must and indeed, we are able to, maintain our unique identity wherever we may find ourselves.

It is an awesome responsibility... and yes, it is in our hands.

Shabbat Shalom!