Our ancestors knew a thing or two about the struggle to find that peace. Take Jacob, for example. We read in Genesis 37:1, "Jacob settled in the land of his father's residence, in the land of Canaan." Simple enough. But the Rabbis in Bereshit Rabbah, that incredible collection of Midrash on Genesis, saw something much deeper in those words.
The verse says, "Jacob settled." But the Midrash immediately connects this to a seemingly unrelated verse from Isaiah 57:13: "Your gathering will save you when you cry out." What's the link?
Well, the Rabbis teach that it was Jacob's gathering – the gathering of him and his sons – that actually saved him from Esau. Jacob wasn't just a lone wanderer anymore. He had a family, a tribe, a force to be reckoned with. Even though Jacob had originally fled from Esau, when he returned, things were different. He came back with his sons, and together, they gathered in prayer. This gathering, this unity, allowed Jacob to finally settle in the Land of Israel.
Imagine the scene: Jacob, a man who had wrestled with angels and tricked his brother, finally finding a place to rest, a place to call home. And it wasn't just his own strength that got him there. It was the strength of his family, their collective spirit, their shared faith. Genesis 36 tells us that Esau left and settled elsewhere, which is to say that the brothers went their separate ways.
But what about Esau? What was his fate? The Midrash continues, quoting the rest of that verse from Isaiah: "But all of them the wind will carry off; futility will take them." This, the Rabbis say, refers to Esau and his chieftains. They scattered. They lacked that unifying force, that shared purpose.
And then comes the final, hopeful part of the verse: "And the one who trusts Me will inherit the land." This, the Rabbis declare, is Jacob. His faith, combined with the strength of his family, allowed him to inherit the land, to truly settle.
So, what does this all mean for us? It's a reminder that we are stronger together. That our families, our communities, our shared faith, can be our greatest source of strength and resilience. And that, ultimately, trust in something greater than ourselves can lead us to a place of peace and belonging.
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? Where is your gathering? Where do you find that sense of belonging and shared purpose that allows you to truly settle, to truly feel at home? Perhaps, like Jacob, it’s closer than you think.