This week we finish the book of Breishit and the lives of Ya'akov and Yosef. The parsha highlights both demises, but especially Ya'akov's. Our ultimate patriarch has the most impressive departure of any Biblical character. The text is apparently letting us know that his death is not without continuity. Our Sages express this idea by stating that he didn't die. Ya'akov expressed this idea by saying, "Let me tell you what will happen at the end of days." Which we understand to mean the era of Mashiach.

The midrashic translation of Ya'akov Avinu's statement by R. Yonatan ben Uziel expands on the idea,

"I will reveal to you closed secrets and final concealments, the rewards of the righteous and the punishments of the wicked, and the pleasures of Paradise. The twelve tribes will gather as one and lounge upon golden couches and the glory of the Divine Presence will be revealed. The end of the future will be the King Mashiach, who will be enthroned. And I will tell you what will happen to each of you at the end of days."

I am of the opinion that what we have before us is what Ya'akov meant by 'the end of days'. Or, perhaps, we should say ‘the end of history as we know it’. These descriptive reports about the tribes are prophecy. Remember, prophecies by their nature are not so much predictions as communications which demand action on our part. The Biblical book with the most predictions is Daniel which is in K'tuvim (Writings or Hagiographia) not Nevi'im (Prophets). Prophets are spiritual guides not fortune tellers. There is one verse in the section addressed to Dan which perfectly fits this category of looking toward the future through religious instruction.

In chapter XLIX verse 18, Ya’akov says to Dan, "For your salvation I hope, Hashem." The most popular approach to understanding the verse is to relate it to Shimshon the great hero of the tribe of Dan. That this is a prediction of the great victories which he contributed to Jewish history. Others amend that to say the verse is in contradistinction to Shimshon, because his salvation was temporary and we really hope for the eternal salvation.

I would like to make two other comments on the 'salvation' issue. We Jews are not a very dogmatic group. There are very few ideas to which nonsubscription would brand one a heretic. But I believe that one of them is not believing in a final salvation or climax to this enterprise called human history. The S’mak (Sefer Mitzvot K’tanot, Reb Yitzchak of Corville, one of the Ba’alei Tosfot) says this idea most forcefully, "That one should know that the Creator of the heavens and the earth, He alone rules on high and below...and He took us out from Egypt...and connected to this idea is the fact that after one’s death he will be asked, 'Did you anticipate the salvation?' Where is this mitzvah written?... The First of the ten commandments really means the following: Just as I expect you to believe that I redeemed you from Egypt so, too, I demand that you believe that in the future I will gather you up and save you." We hope, pray for, and anticipate the salvation. The format is not important; the fact is critical.

Also, we are being instructed to hope for Hashem's salvation not our own. I have no idea what the this messianic or salvation era will be like, and am not overly interested in speculating about it. I want this period to fulfill His specifications not any human's. I may want this event to save me from my own petty problems, but I yearn for it to manifest the glory of Hashem.

There is just one more issue I want to address. What is meant by 'hope'? Both in our verse and in our daily prayers we claim that we 'hope' for the salvation. Besides being the thing with feathers, what is ‘hope’? The Midrash (B’reishit Raba chapter 98) compounds the problem by emphasizing the importance of 'hope': R. Yitzchak said, 'Everything depends upon hope. Suffering depends upon hope. Sanctification of God’s name depends upon hope. Merit of the Patriarchs depends upon hope. One’s desire for the world to come depends upon hope...Divine grace depends upon hope...Forgiveness depends upon hope." Whence this awesome power and control over human destiny? The Netivot Shalom says, "The essence of hope is the secret of redemption. That by means of hoping for the salvation daily, and anticipating its arrival we draw the redemption near."

I believe that we can alleviate the conundrum by a closer analysis of the word. The Hebrew for hope is 'tikva', and that’s the name of the Israeli national anthem. The root of the word seems related to the noun 'kav' which means line, and is usually used to describe a set amount or distance. This word figures prominently in a difficult verse in Isaiah (XXVI:10 & 13) where it is paralleled to the word 'tzav' which means command. The Ibn Ezra gives the most literal approach to understanding the words. 'Tzav' are the commands a father instructs a child, while 'kav' are the lines used to form letters when the child learns to write. The Aramaic translation of the verse explains that 'tzav' refers to material from the Torah, and 'kav' refers to information derived from prophets. Many commentaries elucidate that ‘kav’ is the word for the lines or ropes used by builders to measure their work. In this scenario, 'tzav' means the specific instructions given by parent to child or God to us. While 'kav' is the measuring and figuring how to carry out those instructions. We have to measure and adjust to fit all the instructions into a coherent whole (The Metzudot David applies this to the rabbinical decrees promulgated to guard mitzvah observance.).

Perhaps, therefore, hope in our context is not a passive longing. We are discussing, continually calibrating and adjusting to facilitate the redemption. What are we measuring? The distance from here to there? I believe we must continually gauge ourselves. How do I fit the redemption specifications? The Netivot Shalom quotes the Talmud in Sanhedrin 98a that if we are worthy the final redemption can be brought forward, and if we’re not worthy it will come in its set time. The Rebbe then goes on to say hoping is the means for bringing it closer. The continual gauging of ourselves and the requirements affect positively the data.

We must have this positive outlook of always hoping and anticipating the redemption, both personally and nationally (the Maharal M’Prague says there is an obligation to believe in personal redemption). But ultimately the demand is a continual assessment of ourselves. Do we measure up?

Comments, ideas, questions? Send Rabbi Walk a note at: rwalk@ohrtorahstone.org.ill

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