We have been in Eretz Yisrael for the past two weeks, B”H, and there is a recurring thought that goes through my mind as I walk around and ride through Jerusalem's amazingly beautiful neighborhoods. As I see the apartment buildings both from up close and afar, and note the incredible vibrancy of the people who live here – their dedication to both their loved ones and to our ancient heritage, the children going to and from their schools and playgrounds, the incredible vibrancy and shine on the faces you see and in the people you meet – I can't help but wondering: Who would want to destroy this? What is it that we are doing that arouses such intense hatred and a desire to obliterate lives and a lifestyle which is so vibrant and pure? Living? Learning? Wanting to become a better person/people? Wanting to make the world a better place?

And, it's not just Iran who has explicitly expressed this desire to demolish our nation and murder our people, but “b'chol dor v'dor ohm'deem aleinu l'chaloteinu – in every generation they have risen up against us to destroy us” [Passover Hagaddah]. From our origins in Egypt, to the destruction of the Temples, to our worldwide diaspora, to the Inquisition, the Crusades, the expulsions, the Holocaust – how can we not wonder, Why? We are a peace-loving people, who want to live in peace together with our neighbors. But as David HaMelech laments, “Woe unto me, for my sojourn is drawn out; I dwelled with those who inhabit the tents of Kedar. Long has it dwelt, my soul, with those who hate peace. I am (for) peace, but when I speak,they are for war” [Psalms 120:5-7]. If we don't fight back, we are labeled as damned fools and cowards; and if we do fight back, we are abusers, aggressors and immoral. There seems to be no right path for us; we are not left to live in peace.

We look to the Torah for answers. When Rivka felt terrible distress during her pregnancy, “she went to inquire of Hashem” [Genesis 25:22] i.e. to the house of study of Shem and Ever, the greatest monotheistic thinkers and Torah authorities of her time [Rashi zt”l]. And Hashem answers her that two distinct nations and kingdoms (representing different world views) are in her womb, and from their very outset, they would be distinct from one another: one of them for destruction and wickedness (Esav) and one of them for goodness and purity (Yaakov). Rashi zt”l continues his commentary: since the Torah states that “one regime shall become strong from the other,” we see that these two kingdoms will not be equal in greatness. Rather, when one of them rises, then the other one will fall. Rashi then quotes from Ezekiel 26:2, where the enemies of the Jewish people boast that “ee'malah ha'cha'rava – I will fill myself from the ruin”, implying that Tyre (a city of the descendants of Esav) will be filled (i.e. built) only from the destruction of Jerusalem.

You can't help but think: it is like dealing with insecure people – they only find happiness and fulfillment when they other guy is diminished. What matter is it to them that we have this tiny nation, with Jerusalem at it's spiritual center? You build your nation and we'll build ours! But, no, it is not enough; we must be demolished for them to feel fulfilled.

And yet, it is even more than this. Our rabbis tell us that “halacha hee sheh Esav sonei es Yaakov – it is a law (an unbroken rule!) that Esav hates Yaakov!” This hatred of the nations for Israel is a struggle for understanding and the meaning of life. As Rabbi Yissachar Frand writes in his recent parshah drasha, either we are like Yaakov, who “dwells in tents” searching for the deeper spiritual meaning in life and its truths, or we are like Esav, who is “a hunter, a man of the field” [ibid. 25:27] running after idle pursuits, trying to find meaning and happiness in life, but finding emptiness instead.

This struggle is epitomized by Yaakov's prophetic words later on in our parshah, when he declares that “hakol kol Yaakov v'ha'ya'daiim y'dei Esav – the voice is the voice of Yaakov, but the hands are the hands of Esav” [ibid. 27:22]. When Yaakov uses his 'voice' for prayer and Torah study, then the Jewish nations will be ascendant over Esav; but when Yaakov abandons his 'voice' for purely secular pursuits and does not turn to G-d A-lmighty for help, then the 'hands' of our enemies and their nations will be ascendant and will oppress Yaakov with war, violence and bloodshed [Vilna Gaon in his commentary to Gittin 57b]. It is an epic struggle between the tiny nation of Israel and the nations of the world.

In the book of Numbers, the Torah tells us that the nation of Midian once hired the non-Jewish prophet Bilaam to curse the Jewish people and finish us off, once and for all [see Numbers Chapters 22-24]. But, despite many attempts, Bilaam was unable to do it, and instead ended up giving the nascent Jewish nation numerous blessings which G-d literally placed into his mouth. Why couldn't he do it? What merit did 'Yaakov' have that 'Esav' was unable to be victorious?

When Bilaam praised and blessed Israel by saying, “Mah tovu oha'lecha Yaakov meesh'k'no'secha Yisrael – How goodly are your tents, Yaakov, your dwelling places, Yisrael” [Numbers 24:5], Rashi tells us that he saw that the tent entrances of each individual family unit in the desert were not facing each other – and therefore they maintained the proper level of modesty which the Torah demands from the Jewish people, even though we were just 'camping out' in the wilderness [see Bava Basra 60a]! In other words, by maintaining the Torah standards of “You shall be holy” [Leviticus 20:26], the 'voice of Yaakov' was able to be ascendant over 'the hands of 'Esav'.

Today, more than ever, we should try mightily to attach ourselves to the Living Torah and make our voice ascendant over the cries and accusations of our enemies, who would use their hands to implement our destruction, rachmana leetzlan. May it be Hashem's will that the holy nation of Israel, especially those living in our Land and in the holy city of Jerusalem, find favor in His eyes and that when we raise our genuine Jewish voices, we will be victorious in the struggle which continues to this day and will ultimately be decided in our favor be'y'mos haMashiach!