The Dots are Still There
Maybe some day in the future, when the Eisav’s in the world “see the light” and abandon their hatred of the Jewish People, an auxiliary miracle will occur and the dots written above the word, “And he (Eisav) kissed him (Yaakov)” will disappear, allowing us to take the word of the Torah at face value, so to speak. And on that day, something else will command the attention of the Lead Tidbit. But not yet.

The week of Parshat Vayishlach began this past Motza’ei Shabbat with many of us hearing the news of the terrible slaughter that took place in Hebron. That incident was only one of many - far too many - events that verify and demonstrate one of the harsh lessons of Parshat Vayishlach.
Finally, Yaakov and Eisav - brothers, twins! - are face to face, and Eisav runs towards Yaakov and embraces him, hugs him, and kisses him.

Asterisks on the word VAYISHAKEIHU. The Scribal custom is calling our attention to something important. A message we dare not overlook or ignore. Rashi tells us that our Sages in a Midrashic B’raita debate the message of the six dots written above the word. Some explain the dots by saying that the kiss was not sincere. Eisav still resented (hated) Yaakov, and absence did NOT make the heart grow fonder. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai dis- agrees. But he does not take the opposite point of view. Not exactly. He says (as Rashi quotes him) that it is a well-known truism (a halacha, in the wording of Rashi) that Eisav (and his descendants, and his spiritual heirs) hates Yaakov. Fact of Life. At this moment of their reunion after so many years of separation, says R’ SHimon b. Yochai, Eisav was overwhelmed with brotherly feelings and he kissed Yaakov “with all his heart”.

That’s nice. It really is. But Eisav still hates Yaakov. And the descendants of Eisav still hate the children of Yaakov. And other people throughout the generations, up to and including today, and probably for a couple of tomorrows as well, still hate the Jewish People. And even when they are pressured and blackmailed into condemning terrorist acts, they proclaim that such acts are not in THEIR best interest.

There was a time, a relatively short while ago, when the handshakes on the White House lawn looked to some people like the reunion of Yaakov and Eisav. True to the B’raita, some said that the Arabs were not sincere in their supposed desire for peace with Israel and recognition of our right to exist, etc. Others said they were sincere. But no one should have been blinded to the reality of Eisav’s enmity towards Yaakov. We must keep this in mind.