Parashat Toldot- Perspective

Vayistom Eisav et Ya’akov al ha’b’rakha asher beirkho aviv, vayomer Eisav b’libo yik’r’vu y’mei eivel avi v’a’hargah et Ya’akov achi.

And Esau hated Ya’akov because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, ‘Let the days of mourning for my father be near; then I will kill Ya’akov my brother.’ (Breishit 27:41)

The situation is thus- In their younger years Esau sold his birthright to Yaakov in a heated moment for a bowl of hamim. Fast-forward to our moment- Isaac realizes his years are waning. He is ready to pass on his blessing to his elder son, Esau. Rebekah, having the prophecy about her sons, hearing this, quickly prepares Ya’akov to stand in Esau’s place to receive the blessing. Once the deed is done and discovered, Esau is again caught in the emotion of the moment. Overcome with his emotion he vows to kill his brother. Far in the future, with the perspective of a life well lived he embraces his brother in love rather than anger.

Perspective is a valuable commodity. Everything should be viewed through perspective glasses. Since Simchat Torah our household has experienced a series of, shall we say, mishaps. A week after our microwave stopped working. The following Friday afternoon the oven broke mid-challah baking. Thankfully it was just a burnt-out wire. On the day the oven was repaired one of the dishwasher door springs broke, causing the door to crash to the floor. Rav Sean and Jesse replaced the springs. The next morning we discovered the shower wouldn’t turn off. And two car tires need replacing. As is the way of the Facebook age, I logged on to air my frustration with this seemingly never-ending series of minor disasters. I never got to update my status. The first thing I saw was a status update from a friend. Six months ago he underwent a bone marrow transplant. At his last check-up he was declared cancer-free. Perspective. I got a huge dose of it.

As humans we are naturally self-centered. Life is frustrating. Minor tribulations seem huge in the moment. However, with the gift of perspective gained through life well lived, even some true calamities pale in its light.