by Rabbi Daniel Huebner

The Jewish core has emerged stronger than ever these past few weeks. The monstrous massacre, compounded by the public blaming Jews for it, was a murderous double stab to the collective Jewish heart. The fact that some of our decades-long friends and neighbors have been silent throughout the ordeal or even turned on us so suddenly left us disillusioned.

Oh, they say they don't hate me. They just hate the Jews in Israel. But they don't get it. The Jews in Israel are me. It's not that I agree with everything Israeli Jews say. It's that they are my heart and soul. We are one and the same people.

We can't blame them. We never told them differently. We gave you every appearance of being Canadian, American, European, Australian. Turns out we were always Jewish. Some of us didn't necessarily realize it. And neither did they.

But you know what? This rejection reinforced our true identity. We have been shaken to the core. And once our core came to the surface, we discovered the truth. My core is Jewish.

There have been countless stories of Jews who in recent weeks lit Shabbos candles for the first time, donned Tefillin for the first time, and who have been connecting with their Judaism in ways never done before. For the first time so many are looking to experience their Judaism in stronger ways and reconnect with other Jews.

They strengthened us when they attacked us, reminded all of us Jews what it actually means to be Jewish, showed us the true face of antisemitism. And with this newfound sense of unity, we are stronger now than ever. The Jewish core has emerged. They beat us back but it only reminds us of who we really are. And when we remember our truth, when we find our Jewish core, we find our strength.

It all began with the twins Jacob and Esau. Jacob loved the study tent; Esau loved to hunt. Their mother, Rebecca, loved Jacob. But surprisingly, their father Isaac, the saintly legendary Jewish patriarch, loved Esau. What did he like about Esau? That he hunted people with his words.

Esau would push and badger people. He would tear them down. His greatest joy was to tempt and taunt the innocent, righteous Jacob. Their mother couldn't stand it, but their father knew the truth. Esau was strengthening and toughening Jacob.

Indeed, the day came when Isaac offered Esau his blessing in return for venison. Esau went to hunt, and Rebecca sent Jacob into Isaac's tent dressed to look like Esau. Isaac sniffed the goatskins on Jacob's arms and sensed the fragrance of paradise. Isaac knew that Esau and paradise didn't mix. But he gave his blessing anyway. What happened here?

Our sages noted that words "beged" and "boged", Hebrew for garments and betrayers respectively, are etymologically related. When Esau's garments smelled like paradise, Isaac knew it was Jacob dressed to look like Esau. At that point, he knew that he had been right all along. On the surface, Esau would ensnare some of Jacob's descendants, and many might don Esau's garments. But despite their garments—their outer appearance of betrayal, their core would be Jacob. They would have a Jewish core. And Esau would strengthen it.

The day will come when those of Jacob's children, who befriend Esau's descendants, will realize that some of their neighbors and friends don't pass the smell test. They are not me. I am not them. They just don't get it. And now, I finally do. I looked like Esau on the outside. I dressed, talked, behaved, and lived like Esau. But my fragrance, my core, was never Esau. I have a Jewish core.

Thank you, Esau, for showing me my Jewish core. I finally know what Isaac saw in you. Nothing ever shook our Jewish core in this way. The loveliest teachings of the Torah passed right by me. You shook me up and toughened me up. You exposed my Jewish core as Isaac knew you would.

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Rabbi Daniel and Raizel Huebner moved to San Miguel from New Jersey in 2018 with their family to start Chabad SMA. They enjoy living in San Miguel and integrating with the community through classes, Jewish activities and social events.

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