Our Torah portion tells the story of Jacobs return to the land of Israel. In harmony with the rabbinic dictum of maasee Avoth siman lebanim (the chronicles of the patriarchs reflect the fate and destiny of future generations), our parasha also reflects our own path from exile, back to modern-day Israel, in more recent times. Jacobs story is our story, the story of modern Jews and the respective dilemmas and policies that we have been facing and pursuing for the last several centuries.

Like us, Jacob experienced existential dread in an alarmingly increasing anti-Israel environment. Therefore, Jacob decided to split his camp into two distinct and separate entities, reasoning, should [the enemy] attack one camp and destroy it, then at least the other camp will survive (Genesis 32:9).

Astonishingly, Jacobs strategy here is nothing less than a prophetic summation of our entire historical dynamic as a people for the last 2 1/2 millennia. Ever since the sixth century BCE, the Jewish people have always maintained two chief global centers. First it was Babylonia and Israel, and then it was Persia and Israel. Centuries later, the two main camps became Europe and North Africa, then Spain and Western Europe, then Europe and the United States, and currently it is Israel and North America.

How astonishing it is that even today, Jacobs biblical rationale is still alarmingly valid and pertinent. God forbid, should Israels worst existential fears materialize, or should assimilation utterly consume and annihilate the Diaspora, then at least the other camp will survive, as Jacob wisely discerned millennia ago.

In our parasha, Jacob also prepares for the eventuality of war, as he heads back to the Promised Land. For the first time, Jacob is willing to take matters into his own hands and militarily confront those who wish the Children of Israel ill.

This reflects the Zionist approach of the patriarchs descendants, centuries thereafter. The key prophetic verse here is Genesis 32:8: And Jacob became afraid and aggrieved. Rashi explains that Jacob was afraid of dying, and that he was also grieving in light of the gloomy prospect of having to kill others in order to protect his very existence.

This verse reflects the geopolitical sensibilities of modern-day Israel. Recall how, when David Ben-Gurion declared Israels independence, he explicitly pleaded with the Arabs to desist from hostilities and to live side by side peacefully with the Jewish state. Recall Abba Ebans diplomatic odyssey to Europe and the United States on the eve of the Six-Day War, in order to desperately try and avoid bloodshed. And recall also how, even today, Israel goes out of its way like no other nation on Earth to warn civilians of impending attacks by dropping leaflets from the sky, text messaging and making phone calls.

Just like the original Israel, we, too, are afraid for our own physical well-being as a people. But we are also greatly aggrieved by the inevitability of inflicting casualties on others.

After preparing for war, Jacob prays fervently. He expresses profound gratitude to the Almighty and also pleads to be saved from the looming threat of genocidal terror, as the enemy has no qualms about murdering mothers with their children (Genesis 32:12). Here, too, biblical Israels terror mirrors our own terror, as we face the murderous nature of radical Islam.

In addition to Jacobs proto-Zionist taking of arms, he also plans to shower with gifts the hostile non-Jewish environment, in order to alleviate intolerance and persecution. This strategy reflects another modern Jewish approach to dealing with the societal virus of anti-Semitism.

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Torah portion: Israels story