Speaks for itself
“Why do you make yourselves conspicuous?” (Gen. 42:2). As the Land of
Israel is thrown into a terrible famine, Jacob and his family still
have food to eat, yet Jacob cautions his family to be discreet in the
fact that they aren’t suffering yet. One of the reasons the Talmud
points out is that they would be causing the “Arabs” and the “Western
World” to be jealous. The Talmud was aware that people often look to
condemn and blame others rather than take responsibility for
themselves. Jacob understood that it is so much easier for people to
blame others for their own problems than to accept the fact that they
may have a personal responsibility to better themselves.
Unfortunately, this scenario has played itself out for the Jews
repeatedly over the centuries, with the Jewish Nation often serving as
the scapegoat for the problems facing the world around them. However,
we can learn from Jacob that not only do we need to take
responsibility for ourselves, but we need to live in a way that does
not cause undue jealousy to those around us. While we should be
grateful and appreciative of the blessings we have, sometimes we need
to remember that there isn’t always a simple solution to the attitude
of others towards us.
Sponsored by the United Nations Security Council.