HaMaayan/The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Parashat Toldot Volume VI/Number 6 (240) 2 Kislev 5752/November 9, 1991 Parasha Overview This Parasha tells of Yitzchak's life - his marriage, his prayers for children and their eventual birth, and Yitzchak's move to the land of the Plishtim during a famine. Equally prominent in the Parasha, however, are Yaakov and Esav, Yitzchak's twin sons who vie for their father's blessings. The battle between these brothers foreshadows the entire course of Jewish history. Chazal note that "When one rises, the other fails." Rabbenu Nissim writes that the greatest threat to Bnei Yisrael are the descendants of Esav. (Esav was an ancestor of Rome, and represents the countries and religions that grew out of that empire.) Yishmael's descendants also do battle with Bnei Yisrael, but, in the long run, they are less dangerous because their ancestor, Yishmael, acknowledged Yitzchak's supremacy over him. Not so Esav, who for all time sees himself as Yaakov's twin and equal. The prophet of the Haftara (Malachi 1:1 - 2:7) counters Esav's claims saying, "Is not Esav Yaakov's brother,' says G-d, 'but I love [only] Yaakov." (Derashot Haran, II) As twins, Yaakov and Esav should have shared equally the spiritual legacy of Avraham and Yitzchak. The Torah alludes to this by writing, "These is the life story ("Toldot") of Yitzchak the son of Avraham." Don't we already know that Yitzchak was the son of Avraham? Futhermore, most of this Parasha is not about Yitzchak, but about his children! However, explains R' Gedalyah Schorr, the Torah is telling us that Yaakov was meant to complete Avraham's service of Hashem and Esav, Yitzchak's. The Parasha describes what actually became of these two brothers. The outstanding trait of Yitzchak was his strength ("Gevurah"); not the strength of a valiant warrior, but rather in the sense expressed by the Mishnah, "Who is strong? One who controls his impulses." Throughout the Torah, in fact, Yitzchak appears to be manipulated by others. He does not choose his own wife; Avraham's servant does that. He cannot bless the son that he chooses; his wife and other son conspire to prevent that. Even when Yitzchak digs a well, other shepherds immediately evict him from it and take it for themselves. Where then is his strength? The answer, writes R' Avraham Eliyahu Kaplan (Rosh Yeshiva in Berlin) is that these incidents, especially the loss of the wells, demonstrate the nature of Yitzchak's strength. Yitzchak's response to the shepherds' actions was to give the wells names reminiscent of his travails, and to move on. Yitzchak did not fight, but his softly-spoken words remained as a permanent rebuke and embarrassment to those who had wronged him. This is the strength of one who controls his impulses. (B'ikvot Hayirah) Yitzchak loved Esav because Esav had the potential to carry forward and even improve upon Yitzchak's legacy. However, Esav corrupted Yitzchak's values. Esav was more interested in the strength of the warrior, the murderer, and the thief. Yitzchak hoped that receiving the blessings would encourage and help Esav to emulate his father, but Rivka and Yaakov understood that Yitzchak was mistaken. If Esav had emulated Yitzchak, Yaakov would have been content to follow in Avraham's ways: serving Hashem through kindness. However, Yaakov realized that if the legacies of both Avraham and Yitzchak were to endure, he (Yaakov) would have to make both of them his own. Thus Yaakov is associated with the trait of "Tiferet" (often translated "harmony"), the perfect combination of kindness and strength. Yaakov was not lying when he said to his father, "I am Esav, your first-born." What he meant was, "Do not give the blessings to Esav, for he will not further your spiritual legacy. Rather, I have accepted that role for myself, and I deserve your blessings" (Ohr Gedalyahu). R' Yitzchak Eizik of Spinka, HY"D, gives the same interpretation to Yaakov's statement, adding that Esav claimed (falsely) to follow in Yitzchak's footsteps as a disseminator and supporter of Torah (Chakal Yitzchak). This may be understood in light of the Midrashic interpretation of Yitzchak's digging wells as opening the "wellsprings of Torah" for his descendants. Unfortunately, many of Yaakov's descendants did not follow in the exemplary ways of their ancestor. Sometimes, they did not even measure up to Esav's greatness. Thus the Haftara rebukes them, "Doesn't a son honor his father? If I [Hashem] are your Father, where is your honor for Me?" This may be understood as a comparison between Bnei Yisrael and Esav. For all his evil, he was unmatched in the honor he gave his father. If only we would honor Hashem as zealously! (Ahavat Yehonatan). ************************************ "These are the children of Yitzchak the son of Avraham, Avraham fathered Yitzchak." (25:19) In his own eyes, Yitzchak's only worth was that he was the son of Avraham. For his part, Avraham felt that of all he had done, his only meaningful legacy was leaving behind a righteous son. Each of these Patriarchs was very humble in his assessment of his own deeds. (R' Yechiel of Alexander) ************************************ "And you [Yaakov] shall remain with him [Lavan] a short while, until your brother's wrath is calmed. Until your brother's anger subsides from you...." (27:44-45) What is the meaning of the apparent repetition in these verses? A certain test to determine if your friend is angry at you is to examine your deepest feelings towards him. "People's faces are like water," Chazal said, meaning that they reflect the feelings of those around they interact with. How was Yaakov to know when Esav's wrath had been calmed? When his brother's anger had subsided, i.e. when he [Yaakov] felt no anger towards Esav, he would know that it was safe to return. (R' Yitzchak of Volozhin: Peh Kadosh; also told in the name of R' Chaim of Volozhin) ************************************ From the Midrash One who keeps Shabbat will be granted an unbounded inheritance, as it is written (Yishayahu 58:13-14): "You will call Shabbat a pleasure...and I will feed you the inheritance of your father, Yaakov." It is not like Avraham's inheritance which was "the length and breadth of the land" (B'reishit 13:17), and not like Yitzchak's which was "all of these lands" (26:4), but rather like Yaakov's inheritance, about which Hashem said, "And you shall break through to the west, the east, the north, and the south." (28:14). (Shabbat 118a-b) This reward for one who keeps Shabbat is measure-for-measure: just as one spares no expense to beautify the Shabbat, so Hashem will hold nothing back from him. Furthermore, one who keeps Shabbat properly gets a taste of the World-to-come which is called, "An unending Shabbat." Paralleling this, Shabbat brings with it boundless physical reward as well. The land which was promised to Avraham and Yitzchak, had boundaries, because, in their merit, parts of Eretz Yisrael were given to the descendants of Lot, Yishmael, and Esav. Yaakov's reward, however, is boundless, for it breaks through the boundaries of the provinces that were temporarily entrusted to other descendants of Avraham. Nations, and leads to Yaakov's descendants inheriting the whole land. (Maharsha) ************************************ The Program in Volozhin (II) The following is an illustration of R' Chaim of Volozhin's methods described last week. The Gemara (Berachot 28b) says: "The Halacha is not in accordance with R' Yehuda ("R.Y."), who says that if one has not yet recited the Musaf prayer, and it is now time for Mincha, he should recite Musaf first." R' Chaim asks: Don't we know that the Halacha does not follow R.Y.'s minority view? Furthermore, why not state directly, "The Halacha follows the Sages' view."? The time for Mincha begins in the middle of the 7th hour of the day. As for Musaf, R.Y. holds its time ends at the 8th hour, i.e. about 30 minutes after the earliest time for Mincha. The Sages, however, hold that the time for Musaf continues until sunset, and thus overlaps Mincha-time by many hours. R.Y.'s view regarding the precedence of Musaf over Mincha assumes that this question can only arise when the time for Musaf will end in less than half-an-hour. Musaf is therefore a "Mitzvah Overet" ("M.O.") - "a passing Mitzvah" - which must be done immediately because, if put off, it will be lost. Although a Mitzvah which is "Tadir" - more frequent - (here, Mincha) usually takes precedence over one which less so (here, Musaf), R.Y. holds that a M.O. takes precedence over one which is Tadir. At first glance, the Sages' reason for holding that in the case in question one should pray Mincha first, is simply that, in their view, Musaf if not a M.O. since the time for Musaf, like that for Mincha, continues until sunset. Presumably, however, the Sages would agree that if a M.O. ever conflicted with a Mitzvah that is Tadir, the former would take precedence. To prevent us from reaching this conclusion, explains R' Chaim, the Gemara says, "The Halacha does not follow the view of R.Y." Not only in the case of Musaf versus Mincha, but any time the principles of M.O. and Tadir conflict, the Sages disagree with R.Y. The reason that (according to the Sages) Mincha must be recited before Musaf is one has not yet recited either, is not because Musaf is not a M.O. (although in fact, it is not), but because a Mitzvah which is Tadir takes precedence over a less frequent Mitzvah, whether or not that latter Mitzvah will then be lost. What is a practical consequence of R' Chaim's interpretation? Once, the moon was seen shortly before the last hour when "Kiddush Levanah" may be said, but the congregation had not yet recited Ma'ariv. Using the above analysis, R' Chaim "paskened" that Ma'ariv should be recited, even if the time for Kiddush Levanah will then pass. Our original understanding of the Gemara would have yielded the opposite result. (Kol Haktuv Lechaim, p. 189) ************************************ The learning schedule for this Shabbat is: Daily Mishnah Midot 1:5-6 (Learn two Mishnayot every day) Daily Halacha Orach Chaim (Mishnah Berura) 319:5-7 (Learn three paragraphs each day) Daf Yomi Sukkah 11 (Learn two sides of a page each day) Shmirat Halashon: 7:7-8 or Guard Your Tongue: "Rechilus" 4:1-3 ************************************ The hard copy distribution of this week's HaMaayan is sponsored by: Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Spector in memory of Harry Klavan A"H, whose unstinting efforts on behalf of the Hebrew Academy helped create a Torah environment for the Washington area. Mr. Josh Rosenbloom, wishing a Mazel Tov to Shomrai Emunah (Silver Spring, MD) on its 40th birthday 5712 - Toldot - 5752 "Ben Arbaim Lebinah"