Jacob and Esau are about to embrace after years of Jacob running. The night before this famed embrace, Jacob spent his time wrestling in the dirt. Some say he was wrestling an angel, some say he was wrestling himself. But one thing is clear: this meeting between Jacob and Esau has brought up a lot of baggage for Jacob. Jacob had stolen Esau’s birthright and blessing under guile and deceit and now, his brother Esau—a hunter with a taste for game—has caught up to Jacob.
In the Torah, at the moment of embrace, there are six dots above the word “and they kissed.” These six dots only occur in a few places throughout the Torah, and they demand explanation. In what way did these two contentious brothers kiss? Did they kiss because they were making up?
At first glance, this is what it looks like. But because Esau is highly associated with Rome — and, more generally, the State — we have a tradition of Esau’s kiss being interpreted more like the Big Bad Wolf in grandma’s clothing, as Little Red Riding Hood notices the size of grandmas eyes, ears and teeth. In fact, one commentary says that Esau went to bite Jacob’s neck, and Jacob’s neck became a pillar of marble and blunted Esau’s teeth.
There is, I think, an apt analogy to Judaism in America. There is a desire to move past the differences and be welcomed by “Rome” — or rather, America — with open arms and a well-intentioned smooch, but there is a hesitancy, especially in times like these, to get too close to make sure we don’t get bit.