I went to the gym to work out. I put on gym clothes.
I needed to fix a broken pipe. I put on different clothes.
Am I a physical trainer? Am I a plumber?
Is the Fedex driver a Fedex driver at home?
We all wear alternate garments at certain times. What does that say about who we are?
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In this week’s parsha Toldot, Yaakov gets dressed up. By wearing his brother Esav’s garments, he stepped into the persona of Esav – albeit momentarily. Through this act of deception, he was able to garner the blessings from his father Yitzchak.
Why did Yaakov need to deceive his father (and brother) in order to receive the blessings? Could he not have made the argument that he is more deserving?
The Torah describes Esav as a man of the field, steeped in murderous and promiscuous activities. Yaakov, conversely, was a sincere man of study.
The blessings that Yitzchak offered – “the dew of the heaven and the fat of the land,” as well as mastery over his brother – were not the life aspirations of Yaakov. Indeed, they seem more befitting for Esav. Yaakov would suffice with spiritual blessings.
So, why trick his father into receiving incompatible blessings? Both the goal and the strategy don’t seem to fit Yaakov.
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Our lives may be viewed as split in two.
Spiritual pursuits, such as prayer, good deeds, and Torah study, occupy the holy realm. The synagogue, the nonprofit universe, and the halls of study personify this agenda.
Material pursuits, such as feeding ourselves, earning a living, and self-enjoyment occupy the mundane realm. Places of work, restaurants, and movie theaters personify this agenda.
Where does a Jew truly live? Do we live in both realms equally?
The Rebbe’s of Chabad explain that ever since Yaakov donned Esav’s clothing to receive material blessings, an eternal – and intentional – act of deception was created. Yaakov shifts from the world of Yaakov into the world of Esav. But, he does so in disguise.
By receiving and embracing the material blessings, he participates in the material world. But, he does not change his identity to do so. Instead, he borrows Esav’s identity, displaying his superficial interaction with the material.
He eats delicious food, earns a fortune in profit, and wages wars to protect his people.
But, in truth, it’s just a façade. Yaakov is masquerading as Esav – pretending to be interested in the earthliness of the world.
Deep down, Yaakov wants to remain Yaakov. His heart is in his real identity, one of holiness and devotion.
Indeed, he does just that. He eats, profits, and fights only to transform these items and encounters into objects and moments of holiness. His goal is singular – to make this world a more G-dly space.
We Jews are the Children of Yisrael, the sons and daughters of Yaakov. We dress up in the disguise of materialism. But, our real goal is to grab the “sparks of holiness” from this material world and return them to their Source.
It’s an intentional act of cunning. And, it’s a constant reminder of who the real me is.
I may need to don the plumber’s clothing to fix a pipe. And, I may even be fixing pipes all day long.
At my core, however, I am an agent of light. We are all agents of light, transforming the dark world into G-d’s shining and beautiful garden. We just dress up to achieve our goal of transforming this world into holiness.