We are living through such incredibly difficult days - especially for our immediate community. The losses in Am Yisrael this week have been too close to home to bear.
Yaakov gathers his sons around him, for a deeply poignant moment for his family and for Am Yisrael. He gives a unique blessing to each son - blessings coloured with expressions that hold infinite meaning.
In Yehuda’s bracha, he is identified as the eternal leader, though his blessing culminates with a cryptic reference to his teeth. Of course, leaders need to ‘have teeth’; and we all have to be leaders, especially during this time. We must stand up and lead with resolve. But, is there a deeper meaning here?
"לֹֽא־יָס֥וּר שֵׁ֙בֶט֙ מִֽיהוּדָ֔ה…חַכְלִילִ֥י עֵינַ֖יִם מִיָּ֑יִן וּלְבֶן־שִׁנַּ֖יִם מֵחָלָֽב׃"
“The scepter shall not depart from Judah… His eyes are darker than wine;
His teeth are whiter than milk.”
The Gemara (Ketubot 111b) reveals: “As Rabbi Yoḥanan said: One who whitens his teeth to his friend by smiling at him, is better than one who gives him milk to drink, as it says, “And his teeth white with milk.”
The B’chor Shor explains why this metaphor is applied specifically to Yehuda as the leader, “..and his teeth are whiter than milk i.e. a beautiful person with a good reputation and sense of honesty, as is required for Kingship.”
We need to smile at each other more.
I grew up overseas in a culture where everyone greets everyone - in the streets, in the shops - wherever, whenever. It’s normal to smile at one another. It’s not normal, to not. I love my homeland, Israel, and my people, Am Yisrael. But I don’t know why we don’t greet each other more - it’s always bothered me. Is it perhaps because we feel like such a close family, that we fall prey to taking each other for granted - so we don’t greet the ‘stranger’ passing by?
Yaakov had all his sons around him - and he made sure that Yehuda knew that to keep the family together, he needs to smile the most - to lead with shining white teeth.
Through these impossible times, I find that people are so much more open to smiling at each other. Strangers are grateful for a warm, knowing nod and smile - we’re all in this together and we appreciate deeply how much we truly need one another.
But, to ensure that we continue to lead into the future - we need to be the true Am HaYehudi - leading with our teeth - smiling at one another and taking care of one another - in the smallest and the biggest moments alike.
We owe it to the fallen, to be worthy of their sacrifice, to solidify and cement the unity they have forged within us. It starts with the way we pass each other in the street and continues far into our journey as a nation.
We can't afford to take each other for granted. If we can strive to live more kindly together today, we can continue to live courageously together, tomorrow.
“Smile, it's beautiful for you, it makes my day.”
Words from the song, ‘Keren Shemesh’
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L’ilui nishmot Yaron Eliezer Chitiz HY"D and Shauli Greenglick HY"D btoch shaar Gibori Yisrael shenaflu b’krav - heroes from our neighbouring community in Ra’anana who fell this week.
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Dedicated to the safety of our chayalim, the return of our captives and a refuah shleima for all. Written with continued Tefillot for the safe return and refuah shleima of Daniel Shimon ben Sharon btoch sha'ar shvuyey Yisrael.
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