What does it take for a leader to get some peace and quiet?

The Sages said, “The righteous have no rest.” Perhaps peace and quiet is overrated? It seems so, because when Jacob looked for quiet, things started to get even more intense. After working for his uncle and father-in-law Laban for 20 years, “Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojourning, in the land of Canaan.” Tired of being a temporary resident, not having a home of his own, he resolved to settle down. Jacob sought to be in peace, but Joseph’s troubles interfered.

After this, we are told of the troubles faced by Jacob with his most beloved son, Joseph. It began with a conflict between Joseph and his brothers, centered around Joseph’s dreams. The story continues with the brothers conspiring to kill Joseph, settling instead on selling him into slavery. Jacob mourned Joseph for 20 years, believing him dead, until being joyfully reunited with him in his old age. Rather than the quiet he wished for, Jacob suffered decades of grief.

Was Jacob handed an extra dose of grief as a punishment for wanting a quiet life? As a righteous person, is it inappropriate to look for calm? In that case, how do we explain the wording in the passage from Rashi, “The righteous seek to dwell in tranquility”? Rashi seems to be saying that aspiring to a quiet life is something that righteous people do as a matter of course. But, if indeed this is the wrong way, how does it make sense that it would be the normal practice of righteous people? Yes, even a righteous person can occasionally do the wrong thing. However, Rashi is not saying that this is a mistake that some righteous people make, but the goal of all or most righteous people. How does it make sense to say that righteous people have a common tendency to want something that is unrighteous?

Jacob was not simply looking to have an easy life, with physical comforts and no practical challenges. Rather, he wanted to be spared all the distractions they bring, so that he could dedicate himself to spiritual pursuits. As Maimonides wrote, “that is the reason that all of Israel, along with its prophets and scholars, longed for the messianic era … that they be left in peace by governments that prevent them from applying themselves properly to the pursuit of Torah and mitzvot. So that they may find calmness and increase their knowledge.”

Why was Jacob’s wish denied? Why was his dream not fulfilled? And why was life quickly made difficult for him? G‑d’s answer to Jacob was not “No,” but rather “not now.” It is good to seek calm but only at the right time. In the end, Jacob did ultimately achieve his long-awaited tranquility. He enjoyed 17 peaceful years in Egypt living with his beloved son, Joseph, but in order to attain that level of peacefulness, he needed to experience the travails that preceded it. It wasn’t simply a matter of waiting his turn; rather, everything he went through prepared him for the eventual state of peace he reached at the end.

Shabbat Shalom,
Gal Rubel, BBYO Argentina