TorahParsha

Jacob / Israel

i
Jacob is named Jacob, Yaakov, because he is born clutching the heel, eikev, of Esau, his older twin brother.

He will live a life following on the heels of his brother. (Or consider the Hebrew, la'akov: to follow).

Jacob is given the family birthright, not because he is born to it but because he purchases that family birthright from Esau.

Jacob is given the family blessing, not because it is meant for him—it is meant for Esau; but because he tricks his father into giving him Esau's blessing.

ii
Then a nameless angel wounds Jacob in the thigh, and calls Jacob Israel.

Now, there is no one for Jacob—Israel—to follow after (the angel is nameless). And with the wound, the symbol of the leg (the source of following) is taken from Jacob.

*
Jacob was one who chased after his brother's life.

Becoming Israel, Jacob is called to have his own, separate life.

To be Israel is to have a life apart.

***
Based partially on comments of Rabbi Matthew Stein and my wife, Kathi.


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The Holy Man Lets Meetings Happen

i
This is the Law of the elevation-offering: The priests are to take the ashes away, after the elevation-offering has been burnt up from the fire that the priests set, continually, on the altar in the House of God.

*
The Law does not mention, here, that it is the priests who conduct the service of the elevation-offering.

This Law only mentions how the priests make the altar fit: cleaning it and making its fire permanent.

*
This Law introduces those Laws of sacrifice addressed specifically to the priests.

ii
The priest is a holy man.

Here, then, is what this Law says about the holy man:

The holy man is simply the one who brings constancy and who offers cleanliness to the meeting-spot between the people and God.

The holy man is a facilitator for the closeness between God and the people.

The holy man is not crucial in his own right.

The closeness between the people and God is what is crucial.

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