Vayayshev: Jacob's Last Stand

 Ramban the great interpreter of Torah and mystic of the thirteenth century noted, “What happens to the Fathers is a portent for the Offspring.”  Expressing a deep thought Ramban means that sometimes there is a convergence that takes place between generations that may never actually meet.  For example, a grandfather may pass on a story which becomes a key to unravel the mission of a granddaughter many years later.  Perhaps some act has a great or gift only reveals its true worth many years afterward.  There are times, Ramban implies, when one generation places a seed in the ground that lies dormant until germinated by a later generations.  

An example of this is intergenerational transfer that occurs in Genesis And Abram passed through the land, until the site of Shechem, until the plain of Moreh….1    Rashi comments: “And Abram passed through the land,” meansAbram entered it; “until the site of Shechem.” That is, Abram ventured into this unknown land of Canaan following the command of God and, for some inexplicable reason, stopped when he reached the town of Shechem.  The Lord God told Abram to build an altar only on a land that would support such holiness.  2   Abram chose Shechem.  

Why did the Patriarch choose this place to halt his journey and build the altar?   Did the Patriarch sense something palpable coming from this place?  He could have stopped and built his alter in any place, even Jerusalem. Why did Abram stop his family’s migration at Shechem?  Even more: Abram knew that not only was this the place he had to build his altar there was also something powerful he needed to deposit into the earth that would remain quiescent; it would wait until its appointed time to germinate and sprout much later at that place.  

Many years later after the death of Moshe Rabbenu, Joshua led the people into the Land.  There they engaged in a series of struggles before they settled peacefully in the land.  After Joshua‘s first major victory at Ai, he arrived in Shechem.  There, Joshua took and arranged large pieces of stone and engraved words of the holy Torah on them.  Joshua assembled all the elders and judges and stood next to the Ark that the Israelites carried since Mt Sinai as he proceeded to renew the holy covenant with God at that place.  Why did Joshua choose this place to renew the covenant?  He was following the same instructions given to Moses one generation before.  This was the second time the covenant was enacted.  Deuteronomy 27

Many battles were fought under his leadership.  Among the more famous were the battles of Jericho where the walls tumbled and Gibeon where the sun halted its movement across the heavens.  Joshua maintained control of a massive war against an alliance of armies in Jerusalem and a northern war against a Canaanite despot, Jabin.  After many years of conquest, setbacks and tireless leadership Joshua realized that his death was swiftly approaching.  With that knowledge Joshua gathered his people together for a final goodbye.  His words are well-thought, expressed and delivered.  The chosen place for his farewell address?  Shechem.  Joshua 24 Joshua knew the innate sanctity of the place.  His soul recognized the holiness of that city and so connected with his forefathers in his final act.

In earlier history, Shechem was set aside as a City of Refuge (Numbers 35).  This was one of the protected sanctuaries ordained at the time of Moses to protect anyone who had committed or was accused of a terrible crime.  There, the accused would flee and live free from fear of vengeful families.  Until a court could determine whether they were guilty or innocent a person could find refuge in one of the six cities.  

Going even further back in time Shechem is mentioned in the Torah as a city in Jacob’s lifetime.  After an exile of twenty-two years Jacob returned to Canaan to resume his life after some horrible experiences.  He wrestled an angel, confronted an estranged and angry brother and narrowly escaped his ruthless father-in-law.  Now, in his middle-to-late years, Jacob settled into the Holy Land.  Of all the possible location where does Jacob choose to live?  Shechem.

Jacob purchased this piece of property for 100 kesitas from Hamor, the prince of the country Genesis 33 18-19.  To mark his new home and dedicate the balance of his life to God, Jacob built an altar to honor the Holy One, blessed be He...just as did Abraham two generations before.  

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According to a tanna, one of the nameless of the ancient sages, Shechem is a place where bad things happen (Sanhedrin 102a.) 

Jacob's arrival at Shechem was supposed to be the beginning of a tranquil part of Jacob’s life.  It was not.  No sooner had Jacob settled down that his daughter, Dinah, was violated.  The rapist was coincidently (?) named for the city where he lived, Shechem.  Responding with violence of their own Jacob’s sons destroyed the city and killed all the males of Shechem. 

In the ashes of new home- the place that was supposed to have been his new -found haven - Jacob wept.  Why was his life so difficult?  Dismayed and deeply pained Jacob gathered all gold, silver and valuables that were pillaged from his sons.  Jacob then carried them out to the place where his grandfather, Abram, first built an altar to God upon his arrival in Canaan, Jacob dug a deep hole and buried the tainted loot.  The tree under which Abraham had built his altar was a silent witness to Jacob’s painful act as he threw clods of earth over the spoils.  

With all the shadows of the past casting a dank pall over Shechem the Torah informs us, “Now, his brothers went to pasture their father's flock in Shechem.”  Genesis 37:12  Joseph was sent out to find his brothers there.  Instead, Joseph narrowly escaped death.  This was the last time Joseph would ever see the town of Shechem.  Dragged off was as a young man weighed down by chains Joseph was sold to passing merchants as a slave.  The Torah tells us that just before Jacob died he deeded to Joseph an inheritance--  Shechem (Genesis 48:22). It was in Shechem that Joseph's brothers sold him down into slavery, and, it was to Shechem that the bones of Joseph were brought from Egypt hundreds of years later for their final burial.

In the time of the resurrection of the dead, many camps will arise in northern land of Israel because that is where the Messiah is going to be first revealed, since it is part of Joseph's territory. (Zohar, Vayakhel 220a)

That which is secret shall be revealed.  In the holy prayer recited immediately after the Shma, a hint of the meaning of Shechem and the future of the Jewish people can be seen.  The prayer reads, Baruch Shem K’vod Malchuto.   Taking the first letter of each word there is secreted in Hebrew B’Shechem, in Shechem.  Something about this physical space acted as a magnet to Abram.  It compelled Joshua to set an altar in the same place where Moses erected one a generation before.  A force pulled both leaders to make and confirm a covenant with God in Shechem.  It was also the place of much pain for Jacob, Dinah, Jacob’s sons, and finally the place of Joseph’s betrayal.   What could make this place so compelling and life-changing?

 Baruch Shem kevod malchuto ends with the final two words, l'olam va'ed,  “for all time.”  The Hebrew letters of these last two words spell lamed-vov, or thirty-six.  Taken altogether the phrase indicates, "in Shechem, thirty-six."

The original primordial light of creation, which, the Talmud (Brachot 8:5) says shone for thirty-six hours before God hid it for the righteous people of history. This light is redemption; when it shines, evil is banished.  From this hidden light comes the tradition of the lamed-vov, the holy thirty-six.  

Perhaps in the most subtle way the Torah is trying to show the reader the incalculable worth of Shechem.  People of great vision immediately saw it for what it really was: a place where the ultimate light would reveal itself.  Even people not spiritually aware who visited there felt the ripples that emanated from that spot.  That is why so many eventful happenings occurred there.  Even in our time, we watched as Joseph’s tomb was vandalized and decimated.  None of the other resting places of the Patriarchs has been disturbed.  Only Joseph’s tomb in Shechem.  It still exerts a power.

Perhaps then this is the place where God will finally begin the final redemption.  Shechem is where the bondage began when Joseph was sold as a slave and it will become the beacon where the light of the lamed-vov shine from in the future.

 1 Genesis 12:6

2 Midrash Yalkut Shimoni