Son or Slave: You Choose

Of all 12 tribes, Asher was perhaps the least prominent. They weren’t fighters like Gad, runners like Naftali, merchants like Zevulun, kings like Judah, priests like Levi or troublemakers like Shimon and Ephraim. Asher comprised a quiet bunch of people who lived north, far from the center of Israel where all the action took place.

So, it is surprising that in the last weekly portion of the Torah, Vzot HaBracha, or “And this is the blessing,” Moses unveils an unusual prophecy for Asher. They will be rich and beautiful all through their most important, and perhaps only commodity — olive oil.

And of Asher he said: “May Asher be blessed with sons. He will be pleasing to his brothers and immerse his foot in oil.” [Deuteronomy 33:24]

The Sifrei, a collection of laws and Midrash compiled some 1,800 years ago, asserts that Asher was granted sons blessed more than any other tribe. The explanation is strange to Shlomo Yitzhaki, or Rashi, who says he can’t figure in what areas were Asher’s sons blessed. But Rashi keeps quoting the Sifrei that Asher’s oil marked their greatness. The Onpakinon oil, the product of unripe olives, was regarded as an ideal condiment or depilatory.

The oil also made Asher the favorite among the tribes of Israel. They made a deal with Asher: He would supply oil to Israel and the other tribes would repay Asher with grain and anything else needed for a comfortable life. The important thing was for Asher to keep that oil flowing.

Thanks to the oil, the women of Asher were also famous for their beauty. All of Israel fought for the privilege of marrying the daughters of Asher. Asher’s grandson, Malchiel had such beautiful girls that kings, high priests and other members of the elite lined up to request their hand in marriage.

As an oil producer Asher was also extremely rich. The Talmud in Menachot relates a deal made by the people of Ludikia, believed to be in present-day Syria, with one farmer from Asher who supplied more than 1.18 million units of oil.

Olive oil could do just about anything without leaving pollutants. But its most important function is to provide light. Candles could work but after a half hour or so, you have to find new ones. With oil, you just add a small amount every so often and the flame remains bright all night. And what remains of the oil could be used for cuisine, medicine or beauty.

In Judaism, light is everything. We are commanded to keep our homes lit on the Sabbath even at the expense of buying food. Because what’s the point of eating in the dark, where you can’t see anything and thus are denied enjoyment? The Zohar points out that G-d’s first words in forming the universe was “Let there be light” even though there weren’t yet any people or animals to benefit.

Even G-d is seen as light. “G-d, my light, my salvation,” King David proclaims in Psalms 27. When it’s dark, we understand nothing and fear everything. When even a small light appears, things become clear. It’s a prayer often repeated these days.

In your mercy take us out of the darkness to the light. [Moshe Bar Shmuel in Selichot]

Israel, whether ancient or modern, has not been alone in darkness. When a nation loses light it confuses friend and foe, war and peace, trust and deception. Just a few days ago, one of the most important dates in world history went virtually unnoticed — the betrayal of Czechoslovakia by the Western democracies. Britain and France — with quiet support from the United States — reached agreement with Hitler on Sept. 30, 1938 that Czech democracy would be dismembered and taken over by the Third Reich. Prague, with a military force capable of stopping the Germans, was not even consulted.

But historians take a different view. The Czech leadership, including President Edvard Benes, had repeatedly signaled to both Berlin and the Western democracies that they were willing to give up large parts of their country. They manipulated the Czech people, alternately stirring up and dampening patriotism during the secret border talks. Not surprisingly, Paris and London concluded that Benes would meet German demands; the only question was how fast this would take. In the end, Benes, the symbol of Czech democracy, signed the Munich Agreement without consent of parliament and crushed protests, including by thousands of soldiers.

Throughout history, Israel has been urged to trust G-d and not man, to be mindful of enemies and more so with friends. The message has been that the only relationship worth cherishing is between Israel and the Almighty. In the prayer after the blowing of the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah, the Jews are given a choice: Are they children of G-d or are they common slaves?

Whether as sons, then have mercy on us as a father’s mercy upon his sons. Whether, as slaves, [whereby] our eyes are fixed on You until You will bestow us and present the light of our judgement.

As sons, we receive preferential treatment from our Father in heaven. His love for us spares us the pain of our sins, and we are quickly dispatched to try again. But as slaves, we line up with the other slaves of the world and wait and wait. What makes us a slave is our embrace of man and rejection of our Maker.

Who in his right mind would choose to be a slave? It is only when we refuse the divine light that we make the historical mistakes of Czechoslovakia and countless other now-dead nations trapped in darkness, unable to distinguish between salvation and humiliation, between truth and lies.

Benes resigned 10 days after the Munich Agreement but denied blame for the betrayal of his people. In London, however, political pariah Winston Churchill shattered the platitudes of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who hailed Munich as “peace with honor.” Churchill’s words came too late for Czechoslovakia, but his clarity of vision would save his own country when attacked by Hitler less than two years later.

“You were given the choice between war and dishonor,” Churchill, staring straight at Chamberlain, said. “You chose dishonor, and you will have war.”