Midreshet Amit

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Controlling Anger

By: Ava Horowitz

 
As Thomas Jefferson said, “When angry count to ten before you speak, very angry count to 100.” Yaakov was very very angry and seemed to have counted to 147 before speaking to Shimon and Levi when giving the shvatim their brachot.
 
Immediately after Shimon and Levi kill the men of the town of Shechem we see Yaakov react in a very practical way, rebuking them for getting the family into possible danger. Yaakov remains silent about their actions for the remainder of his life until he is on his deathbed. The words of his “bracha” to Shimon and Levi seem incredibly harsh.
 
“Shimon and Levi are brethren;
Weapons of violence their kinship.
Let my soul not come in their council,
Unto their assembly let my glory not be united;
For in their anger they slew men,
And in their self-will they houghed oxen.
Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce,
And their wrath, for it was cruel;
I will divide them in Jacob,
And scatter them in Israel.”
 
What is Yaakov rebuking them about now? It can’t possibly be the same reason as when he rebuked them last time because obviously that is no longer a concern. According to the Ramban Yaakov believes they committed a chilul hashem, desecration of God’s name, by massacring people that had entered into a Brit/covenant with the family of Yaakov. He doesn’t want his name associated with theirs which is why the first thing he says is “let my soul not come into their council.” According to the Akeidat Yitzchak, Yaakov understands that anger and having a temper is sometimes useful in small quantities. That’s why instead of Yaakov disowning them, he tells them that they have to disperse. One day their anger will be a positive and useful trait when the Jews enter into the land of Israel. If the anger was concentrated in one place it would be dangerous and lead to extremism.
 
We see in our world today how concentrated anger can lead to extremism and negative situations, however, when the anger is dispersed and spread out it can be a catalyst for positive change and even heroism.