Rabbi Howard Morrison

After Rebecca instructs Jacob to dress himself as Esau and receive his father's blessing, we read the visually impaired Isaac's response, "Ha'Kol Kol Yaakov V'Ha'Yadayim Ydai Esav - The voice is the voice of Jacob, and the hands are the hands of Esau."

Our Sages interpret this verse as follows: " When the voice of Jacob is weak, the hands of Esau dominate, but when the voice of Jacob is strong, his voice dominates."

The way of the Jewish people is through the voice, whereas others rely on the violence of their hands. We Jews fight back, as Israel is doing defensively, when there is no alternative.

The voice is the voice of Jacob - All Jews must speak loudly and clearly with our voices. We must educate ourselves and others about the history and authenticity of Israel. We must denounce the propaganda and the blood-libel lies.

The voice is the voice of Jacob - We Jews are speaking and must continue to speak in one shared collective voice.

The voice is the voice of Jacob - We Jews must assertively speak to elected officials, media representatives, university administrators, lawmakers, clergy and adherents of diverse faiths, and others with moral clarity. What is at stake is light versus darkness, right versus wrong, and righteousness versus evil.

For some four thousand years, we, the people of Jacob-Israel, have been known by the accuracy and integrity of our unified voice.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison