Erev Vayishlach 5772 The State of the European Union Rabbi Aaron Goldstein 9 December 2011

Is it just me who was plunged into uncertainty as I heard the breaking news this morning? Listening to commentator after commentator, politician after politician and economist after economist, tore me back and forth across lines of accusation, doom and elation.

By using our veto on the European stage, we find ourselves at a moment of new relationship with our fellow European nation states. One might feel deep concern that Britain now seems to be on the periphery of a group of nations that will enter into a treaty that Britain has little or no influence upon. One might feel a sense of satisfaction that years of scepticism has borne fruits and that Britain is better off outside of a club of other nation states.

The one note that struck a true accord with me though was from those who expressed a deep sense of uncertainty. We woke up this morning to a piece of news where the outcomes were unknown. Generally, we do not like the unknown. A nice surprise is one thing but not knowing commonly brings nervousness, sometimes inaction, and on occasion, fears. Expectancy theory in the study of motivation and management techniques, proposes that a person will decide to behave or act in a certain way because they are motivated to select a specific behaviour over other behaviours due to what they expect the result of that selected behaviour will be.

Victor H. Vroom (1964), the main proponent of this theory, “defines motivation as a process governing choices among alternative forms of voluntary activities, a process controlled by the individual. The individual makes choices based on estimates of how well the expected results of a given behaviour are going to match up with or eventually lead to the desired results. Motivation is a product of the individual’s expectancy that a certain effort will lead to the intended performance, the instrumentality of this performance to achieving a certain result, and the desirability of this result for the individual, known as valence.” (S.E. Condrey qu. on Wikipedia)

Apart from this theory being criticised, there is a certain simple truism that uncertainty makes us uneasy. If there are multiple outcomes from any given situation, as there are, then how should one respond?

Being not a politician, economist of commentator is such realms, mine is not the role to judge the decision of our Government to distance our country from others in this instance. Rather it is to offer a comment on the way that we might respond, to create expectancy out of none.

With uncertainty often comes the desire to blame the other and use uncertainty as a reason to see them as lesser and less-deserving of the protections we afford ourselves. It is a position of fear that can lead one to lash out.

As Jacob is returning to his birthplace and homeland, the land of Canaan, he first has to meet his brother, Esau, who 20 years previously he deceived out of his birthright and father’s blessing. Jacob ran away from his brother who had threatened to kill him. Jacob’s messengers report that Esau is approaching accompanied by a small army. Jacob seems to have two responses over two nights. The first is practical as he divides his possessions into camps and sends a large peace offering to Esau. On this night his thoughts are of wealth, success and his own well-being. The following night he arranges his tribe in front of what remained of his sizeable possessions.

Jacob remains alone behind them all, battling with an ‘ish:’ variously described as literally a man, or an angel, or God and most convincingly, with his own conscience inspired by God. In the morning, wounded by that battle, he again arranges his tribe in order of importance to him but this time goes out front to meet his brother on his own.

The embrace of these brothers continues the cycle of sibling rivalry and ultimate reconciliation between Isaac and Ishmael, Leah and Rachel and to be continued with Joseph and his brothers. At least in the instances of the men, this was best achieved after periods of separation.

Perhaps we find ourselves at the beginning of such a cycle. How we conduct ourselves now may define the length of our separation from other European countries, the quality of our engagement during this period and that of our ultimate reconciliation.

As some party and use vitriolic language, let us sleep with discomfort tonight. May the leaders of Europe’s nations wake in the morning able to work with the new reality that they have taken us into, using at times distance and at times closeness as opportunities to collaborate to turn overturn uncertainty and create realistic expectations.

It is apposite that Sunday is the UN appointed Human Rights Day. As we light this candle of hope and for the freedom of conscience that I define through Jacob as being inspired by God, we use the words of a prayer being used in faith communities across the world this weekend:

Eternal God of Peace,
Be with those who guide the destinies of the world,
So that an end may come to boasting and vainglory,
And the reign of arrogance dwindle in our time.
Give them the courage to speak the truth
And the humility to listen.

Help us all to put the good of our fellow men and women
Above our own ambitions,
And the truth that does not profit us
Above the lie that does.
So may be stand upright
Freed from the burden of fear and the weight of suspicion,
Learning to trust each other.

Amen.