d’var torah
Internecine Confl ict in
Jewish History
By Rabbi Lance J. Sussman
T Parshat Vayechi
he French writer Jean-Baptiste
Alphonse Karr (1808-1890) is
best known for his aphorism,
“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même
chose“ or “The more things change, the
more things remain the same.”
For better or worse and contrary to
popular perception, the application of
Karr’s insight to Jewish history confi rms
that internecine confl ict, not communal
unity, characterizes much of the Jewish
experience. For example, in ancient Israel,
the united monarch quickly dissolved
into two diff erent states. Better known is
the Chanukah story which, refocused on
tensions in the Jewish story, is as much
a story of civil war as it is of resistance to
including the authenticity of conver-
sion performed by diff erent streams
of Judaism, the Jewishness of various
groups in Africa and India, the religious
status of immigrants from East Europe
to Israel and the scope of Israel’s Law
of Return.

In particular, the religious and legal
legitimacy of non-Orthodox Judaisms,
not unlike 40 years ago, is again in the
headlines in the Jewish world as a new
government takes shape in Israel. In
addition to these issues, basic questions
about the place of the LGBTQ+ commu-
nity and the question of settlements
and a two-state solution are in play.

In particular, the inclusion of far-right-
wing politicians like Avi Maoz of the
Pleasantness party, Bezalel Smotrich of
the Religious Zionism party and Itamar
teaching that “the more things change,
the more they stay the same.”
Perhaps some comfort can be found
in this week’s Torah portion in Jacob’s
words that “the scepter shall not depart
from Judah nor the ruler’s staff from
between his staff as long as men come to
Shiloh” (verse 10). In other words, despite
all the tensions and controversies, it may
yet be possible that a higher, transcen-
dent unity in Jewish life will remain,
that we can have our internal confl icts
and still remain a single people and
not dissolve into irreconcilable factions.

Certainly, our common enemies hope for
our dissolution as a people.

Let us pray that, in the words of
Jacob, we will continue “to come to
Shiloh” and remain, in spirit and in
practice, Am Echad, a single people. ■
Lance J. Sussman is a professor of
Jewish studies at Gratz College and
scholar-in-residence of the Holocaust
Awareness Museum and Education
Center. He was the senior rabbi of
Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel
for 21 years and was named rabbi
emeritus in July 2022. The Board
of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia is
proud to provide diverse perspectives
on Torah commentary for the Jewish
Exponent. The opinions expressed in
this column are the author’s own and
do not refl ect the view of the Board of
Rabbis. Yet again, we have a moment of
reckoning in the Jewish world.

assimilation and the quest for religious
freedom as most American Jews would
understand it.

This week’s Torah portion, Vayechi,
which concludes the Book of Genesis,
points to substantial tensions among
the Hebrew tribes. Jacob’s blessing
(Genesis 49) begins with an appraisal
of the tribe of Reuben as “unstable as
water” (verse 4). The patriarch then
proclaims that the “kinship” of Simeon
and Levi are “weapons of violence” and
that they will be divided and scattered.

Dan, Jacob teaches, will behave like “a
serpent in the way” and that Benjamin
is a warlike wolf (verses 5-27).

In short, the Torah hardly off ers a
picture of familial harmony on the eve
of liberation from Egyptian slavery or of
peaceful coexistence in Israel.

What about today? Deep divisions
exist in the Jewish community over
the question of “Who is a Jew,”
Ben-Gvir from the Jewish Power party
have raised concerns, not only about
the preservation of even a modicum of
Jewish unity, but about the democratic
(and secular) nature of Israeli society.

Calls to shut down egalitarian prayer
areas near the Western Wall and to
repeal the grandparent clause of the
(amended) Law of Return have set off
alarm bells across the Jewish world.

Defenders of the emerging coalition
insist that Israel is a true democracy,
and the will of the Israeli electorate is
above moral judgments.

By contrast, Netanyahu’s critics are
concerned that Israel is moving beyond
the bounds of a democratic state and
risks delegitimizing itself in the eyes of
the world and the majority of the Jewish
people. Yet again, we have a moment of
reckoning in the Jewish world and sadly
are experiencing the truth of Karr’s
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