United States of America stands at the vanguard of Western Civilization. Europe is nothing compared to it. In sciences it leads far beyond where Germany led in the nineteen twenties, in arts it is more influential than 19th century Paris and in style and popular culture it dwarfs Italy - ever.
United States is also the only Judeo-Christian country that ever existed.
For decades now, the term Judeo-Christian has entered public discourse, and appropriately so. Jews have contributed mightily to the all areas of American life and their values have had a remarkalble a profound influence on public policy, moral tone and cultural environment of North America. Europe is not Judeo-Christian, if it is Christian at all. You never hear this term in England, or Australia, or even in our northern neighbor Canada. The idealism of American life, the insistence on fair process and opportunity for all, the dulling of competitiveness and inter-personal rivalry that is so much a part of the traditional Western European outlook on life, the insistence on social justice and protection for the weak and unfortunate - this are among the most enduring features of Jewish contribution to American life. Above all, Jews diluted cynicism and willingness to accept and play along with the rules, even be they unjust, that characterizes so much of European political thinking.
In Jewish tradition, Western civilization has been identified with Esau, the brother of Jacob. Over the centuries a biological descent between Esau and Rome, the seat of Papacy and, at one time, Christianity, has been claimed. Our tradition does preserve the particulars of Roman descent from Esau.
"The great kingdom of Rome was built by Zepho, son of Eliphaz, son of Esau. Tirtat of the land of Elisha attacked him and killed him (Yelamdeinu, Batei Midrashos 160)."
The Malbim in his commentary to Obadia 1,1 suggests that in addition to genealogical descent, the identification of Rome and Esau is also based on the "founding of their faith by children of Edom, as R. Isaac Abarbanel wrote to Isaiah 34, with proofs."
Whether one accepts this piece of historical information or not, it is fairly obvious that identification of the West and Esau rests on the very visible traits that Roman, and subsequently Western civilization, shares with the character traits of Esau as he is described in the Bible. In fact, it is my impression that midrashic collections seem to highlight especially these cultural qualities when they discuss Esau. The limitations of space do not allow a full treatment of this subject, which in truth deserves a book length treatment; we can, however, manage to briefly focus on two or three of them.
Among such traits is the individualism and disdain for tradition and authority that is such an obvious feature of Western civilization and also of Esau who was a "self-made man". Esau willingly gave up his birthright in order to build his future with his own toil and effort. "Esau showed to others that (in his opinion) the institution of birthright is not morally correct. Rather one who is more talented, of his own right should be honored above others. Many great leaders of the nations of the worlds followed Esau 's opinion and disparaged the status of birth; rather, (they held) everything depends on the natural abilities of each individual (Netsiv, Haemek Davar to Genesis 23,34). What describes the American mindset better than this?
One trait of Esau that few will fail to recognize in the civilization and culture of the West is the emphasis on the image over substance, leavened with a good measure of hypocrisy.
He (Esau) was a hypocrite (Shocher Tov 14,3).
Esau would hunt him (Yitshak) and deceive him with words (Genesis Rabbah 63,10).
Nevertheless, the emphasis on the appearances brings a certain measure of outward nobility and aristocratic bearing which is evident in the outside trappings of Esau's civilization, his architecture, art, music - the brilliance of classical Western culture. The Maharal writes: " The verse "two proud ones in your belly" alludes to the wide view of Israel and Edom, not just Rebbi and Antoninus alone (Avodah Zara 11a, Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: Do not read GOYM but GYYM. This is Antoninus and Rebbi from whose table there did not pass lettuce and radishes, neither in the summer nor in the winter) - that they possess a specific substance. They have a live force of substance and they comport themselves with worth in their eating. This means that there is one who eats like an animal, without raising himself in it but Israel and Esau do not conduct themselves so. They prepare a proper environment to make their eating more important. So also Esau comports himself in his clothing to this day to honor himself in his dress and to raise his self respect above that of other nations, also through great buildings. Not so Ishmael - they do not care about their clothing, cuisine, bathhouses.... this means that they (sons of Esau) have a self-worth in their life-force (Gur Arye, Gen. 25, 24).
The following midrash typifies the personalization of Rome and the West as Esau while not sparing his hypocrisy. At the same time, It describes our period in time to the "tee".
In the future Esau will wrap himself in a tallis, sit down next to Yakov and say to him, "You are my brother"....Yakov will say to him, "My brother, you will not be like me. "I will lead you to death, I will be the pestilence that leads you to Sheol (Hoshea 13,14). Had I upheld degrees that you promulgated against me, I would have been guilty at the eyes of Heaven. Had I violated them, you would have killed me? (Yalkut Shimoni, Yirmiahu 333)
Esau had many descendants and they undoubtedly differed in regard to the "Jewish question". Some, like Eliphaz, would not hurt Yakov even under pressure (His father commanded him to fight the sons of Yakov but because he grew up with Job, he did not fight them, Lekach Tov, Shemos 17,8). Others, like Amalek, are inveterate Jew-haters. So also in our day, many different attitudes and approaches can be seen among the descendent's of Esau. We, however, focus on America as the "head" of Esau. "And I hated Esau" (Malachi 1:3) - the reference is to the minor parts of Esau, but not to his head, that is buried with the fathers of the world (Sotah13b). The Vilna Gaon explained this in Aliyos Eliahu as the intellectual accomplishments of the West, that have their role even within the sanctuary of Judaism.
When Esau asks Jacob to set aside his uniqueness, he offers in return the cessation of Anti-Semitism. After all, in Esau's view it is Jewish particularism that provokes Esau to hate Jacob. Ramban writes: … they did to us all kinds of evil things in hate of the Holy One Blessed Be He for they did not hate Israel because they served idols like them but because they would not do as they do. They served the Holy One Blessed Be He and keep His commandments and would not marry them and not eat of their offerings and insult their idolatrous worship and clear it out of their own places. As it says, "for You they killed us every day (Devarim 33, 40)" .All that Esau asked of Jacob was to deny his destiny and to meet him half-way.
"That was Esau's intention when he told Yakov, "Let us travel together and I will go before you (Genesis 33,12). He wanted them to join together in both this world and the world to come, to meet each other halfway, with each modifying his conduct until they were alike (Yalkut Shimoni, Genesis 133). Indeed, Esau will even adopt certain tenets of Judaism-such as monotheism, the Divinity of the Torah, and reward and punishment-but only if Israel will give up some of its heritage. Similarly, according to Tanna D'Bei Eliahu Zuta(19), Esau proposed. "Give up some of the mitzvos that divide us. You will thereby enjoy this world and still have half the world to come. Isn't that enough? (Bais Halevy, Vayishlach).
Can one see relevance in these ancient writings for the world of today? Do we not see the pinnacle of Esau's civilization, the country that is the utmost embodiment of his values of individualism and superficiality/ image, offering this bargain to sons of Yakov, and most of them have taken it. The unfortunate reality is that most Jews have abandoned the observance of Jewish law that in many details, would separates them from Gentiles. In return, Esau has placed his political and military might in service of common goals, in support of the so-called "Judeo-Christian" values. Will this friendship continue when Esau sees that Jacob returns to his Law and rejects his extended hand and his conditions of friendship?
as “the Father of Jesus Christ.” Christianity itself cleaves
to the “Lord” because it knows that the Father can be reached
only through him. . . . We are all wholly agreed as to what Christ
and his church mean to the world: no one can reach the Father save
through him. No one can reach the Father! But the situation is
quite different for one who does not have to reach the Father
because he is already with him. And this is true of the people of
Israel" (quoted from Nahum N. Glatzer, Franz Rosenzweig: His Life and Thought (New
York: Schocken Books, 1961), 342)
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks describes western civ as the product of a dialog between Athens and Jerusalem.
I have to agree that Edom didn't so much invent a civilization as adopt some elements of Yavan's. Yefet (Yavan's ancestor) is blessed by Noach as having a gift for the aesthetic. A very tangible notion of the world. Even their gods represent tangible forces. We defeat that notion in Chanukah, but do not maintain the ideal.
And so, we get a generation of people who study Torah, but lack unity. Spirituality without holding Yefet's gifts as tools toward that end. And therefore G-d deprives us of our spiritual center with the destruction and continued lack of the Temple. At the hands of Esau, the man Isaac dreamed would found the center of the Jewish Nation's physical prosperity. And G-d forces us into unity through struggling against persecution after persecution.
Yefet understands beauty, polish and politeness, and Edom (in some ideal universe) would have been the introduction of all that in the service of Torah. Esau failed, we failed, and this protracted exile is the path back from our failure.
I wrote about this at insane length (for someone with my other responsibilities) earlier this Chanukah. I know I overextended a post when I wrote about Chanukah and open with the words, "In the beginning, or a few days later, Hashem created the sun and the moon."
-micha
Posted by: Micha | December 29, 2008 at 11:15 AM
There's some fascinating background on Esav's soul and its relationship to Yakov in the RaMChaL's Kinat Hashem Tzevakot which is in the Friedlander edition of Ginzei RaMChal, pp. 111-112. See also Shaar Maamarei RaZaL pp 40-41.
Posted by: Jonathan | December 29, 2008 at 11:54 AM