This week’s Torah portion is called VaYeshev. The title alludes to the fact that Jacob just wanted some peace. His life had been full of much drama and now he just wanted some calm and serenity.
Unfortunately it was not the plan.
The next four portions talk about Jacob’s son Joseph and there is much drama indeed.
The portion begins with the list of Jacob’s progeny and immediately informs us that of all the children, Joseph was the favorite.
This is a reality born of tragedy.
Jacob had met his intended Rachel and wanted to marry her. But her father tricked Jacob into marrying her older sister Leah. Although Jacob and Rachel married next, there ended up being four wives in the equation.
The child of his beloved was Joseph. And the other children felt the pain of not being the child of the favored mother.
Jacob sees there is disharmony in his family.
Jacob wants to repair the relationships.
As parents we can relate. Every parent’s most fervent wish is that their children get along.
We can overlook many egregious mistakes that the children make if they are kind to one another.
Even Gd “feels” that way.
The first Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed as a punishment because the Jews had committed the three cardinal sins of idol worship, murder and licentiousness.
Despite those grievous sins, the Temple was rebuilt a mere 70 years later after the Jews repented.
The second Temple however has still not been restored because it was destroyed due to the hatred one Jewish had for another.
That is something we still struggle with today, and until we repair that breach, we will remain in exile.
Jacob sent his son out to look for his brothers, to see if they were well, to inquire if they were at peace.
It seems Jacob is literally throwing Joseph to the wolves, sending him after his brothers who harbored such ill feelings toward Joseph. They hated him and could not speak to him in peace.
Maimonides teaches us that when a person is sinned against, the injured party should not hold hate in the heart, but should rather speak to the offender and begin a conversation.
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks says
“Conversation is a form of conflict resolution, whereas the breakdown of speech is often a prelude to violent revenge.”
If there is conversation there is an opportunity to recognize another’s humanity.
This was Jacob’s hope.
If only the brothers could speak to one another perhaps there was a chance for rapprochement.
Jacob sent Joseph on a peace finding mission.
But it was not to be.
The force of the hatred was so powerful that no opportunity was given for interaction.
“They saw him from afar”
The brothers never allowed themselves to come close to Joseph and create an opportunity to repair.

In these complicated times, the challenge of internecine strife continues to raise its ugly head.
Our job is to fight for unity against all odds.
We know what’s said about us, two Jews, three opinions.
But Racheli Frankel, the mother of one the three boys who was abducted in Israel adds to that phrase two Jews, three opinions, one heart.
That is what we need to strive towards.
It’s the only way we will survive.
There is an organization in Israel that is the epitome of this hope.
Zaka.
Zaka is an acronym which in Hebrew stands for Disaster Victim Identification.
This organization is manned entirely by volunteers.
Their job is to retrieve blood and body parts of victims of accidents or terror in order to bring the entirety of the person to Jewish burial.
It is a Mitzva of the highest order as it is considered a Chessed shel Emes, a kindness for which there is no payment as the deceased can not even express a thank you.
Zaka was founded in 1995, and has always received only the highest accolades for their holy work. Men and women do the most incredibly challenging work to retrieve the entirety of the body for proper burial.
Since October 7, Zaka has been in the forefront of the news as their members have worked tirelessly under horrific conditions. These people witnessed the worst atrocities and destruction yet they continued despite the personal trauma it caused them.
Many of the volunteers have begun to share what they witnessed in the aftermath of October 7. They have been forever changed by the experience. And while they have experienced severe trauma many of them have witnessed soul touching events that has given them the inspiration to continue.
Simcha Greenman, a Zaka volunteer, recently told the story of receiving a phone call from a member of one of the kibbutzim that was attacked on October 7.
The gentleman heard that Simcha was working on his kibbutz, going house to house and dealing with the aftermath of the tragedy. He requested that Simcha go to his destroyed home to retrieve some items that had been left behind. Upon hearing the house number Simcha was puzzled. He had just been in that house and it was utterly destroyed. It had been burned beyond recognition.
The man insisted.
As they were on the phone he asked Simcha to find the three mezuzahs in the house. Simcha couldn’t imagine there were mezuzaha that could survive the conflagration, but the man insisted.
He said, we survived, so they survived.
Sure enough, Simcha was shocked to find three mezuzahs still hanging. The cases had melted, but inexplicably the parchments inside survived.
The man asked Simcha to bring those mezuzahs to his son who lives in a place called Tifrach.
A few months later Simcha is traveling and “coincidentally” he meets the teacher of the son who studies in Tifrach. He relates the above story to the teacher who says I will now tell you the rest of the story.
The man who lived in the kibbutz was estranged from his son. They had different religious beliefs and they were not speaking. The young man sought the advice of his mentor, (the Rabbi Simcha was speaking to). He really wanted to repair his relationship with his father. The rabbi suggested he give his father a gift. The young man explained that his father had a successful high tech career and didn’t need any gifts from him. A few days later the Rabbi approached the young man with three mezuzahs. He suggested giving them to his father as a gift which will help protect his home.
Apparently this gift was well received and the mezuzahs were hung. This became the stepping stone of renewed connection between father and son.
That is why the father desperately wanted Simcha to retrieve those mezuzahs. He felt he had survived because of them.
This story moved Simcha deeply and reinforced for him the power of doing kindness for another, which is also the hallmark of the organization he serves.
Zaka is an organization that brings brothers together no matter their background.
As Simcha says, Zaka can also be an acronym for Zeh Kiruv Achim, this is the bringing together of brothers.
This holy organization will help help bring the family back together.
There is only one path which will allow us to live in serenity. That is if Jacob’s children can take the high road and find unity and love for one another.
Shabbat Shalom and so much love.
These words are dedicated to the memory of Caryn Young’s father, William Adelson, Velvel Ben Yitzchok whose funeral was today. May his memory be a blessing, and may our dear Caryn and her family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.