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Effect And Cause…
‘Yitzchak beseeched Hashem opposite his wife, for she was barren’
Isn’t that backwards? First comes the situation – she was barren, – and then the response: Yitzchak prayed for her. Why first say that Yitzchak prayed, and then that she was barren?
She was barren was so that Yitzchak would pray! Hashem wanted Yitzchak’s prayer; Rivka’s barrenness was simply the means. The cause, Yitzchak’s t’filah, really is written before the effect, barrenness. – Rabbenu Bachya
What a lesson to us! When we face a challenge, a difficulty, with pain and trouble, maybe its all to turn us to Hashem?
You think??
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More Than One Road Leads To Rome
Yitzchak was unaware that Esav was the bad man until the episode with the brachos – near the end of his life. Question: Wasn’t he aware that Yaakov was the scholar and Esav the wanderer? How could Yitzchok prefer Esav??
Seems that there are more ways than one to serve Hashem. Yitzchok heard of Esav’s ways, but thought that Eisav was traveling down another path, a path of serving Hashem that included wandering and hunting.
I think its important to know that such roads do exist, for real. Not everyone who looks different than us is wicked…
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When You Are Born With Tendencies
Esav, even in his mother’s womb, would try to jump out when he passed a house of idols. (Chazal)
It would seem that life was unfair to him – he was pitted against Yaakov, a natural do-gooder and tzaddik. Is that fair?
One suggestion is that there were compensating factors – Yitzchok loved Esav and he was gifted in many ways. Although naturally wicked, he had people who loved and could set him on the straight path. So the field was even – Yaakov with his natural piety and Esav with his mentors.
However the truth is that life can be unfair. Esav WAS at a disadvantage. But what of it? He wasn’t expected to be Yaakov. He was fighting uphill all the time, but that was his destiny. That was the fight he was born to.
That a person is born with a predisposition does not justify his acting on it. A natural sadist ought not to actualize his nature. Neither ought a natural homosexual.
It is sad, a heart-throb. They do not have an easy life, rather they are hero fighters. Their reward will surely be very great for withstanding their their nature. But they must not succumb.
I think we need to know this.
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Suffer!
Avraham loved Yishmael. They had great feelings between them. He loved him so badly that he spoiled him. In fact, he never censured Yishmael. What turned out? At the end he drove Yishmael away in hatred, not even providing him basic necessities.
Yitzchak loved Esav too. As a result he never disciplined him. (I would go as far as to say that since he loved Yaakov much less, he yelled at him often. But that’s my addition; the Midrash does not say so explicitly.)
That is why Esav turned out so badly. – Midrash Rabbah Bereishis
If life is comfortable, we rot. The North Wind made the Vikings. Troubles build character, They are a gift and advantage. Cherish trouble!
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Trick AND Treat!
Yitzchak was compelled, by famine, to leave his home – Be’er L’chai Ro’i. He traveled as far as Grar, in Philistine territory, near the sea. He was on his way down to Egypt, presumably because lack of rain little affected them, for they drank from the Nile in Egypt.
Hashem came to him in a dream and told him to stay in Eretz Yisroel. So he settled in Grar, building up a great fortune in the process.
(Why he needed a great fortune is a question. He was the inheritor of Avraham, a fabulously wealthy individual. He ought to have had a great fortune already! See Ibn Ezra)
Why didn’t he simply turn around and go back home? Why settle in Grar? And if Hashem wanted him in Grar so that he build up his status, why didn’t He instruct him to do so?
Simple: Yitzchak needed to be in Grar in order to amass wealth. This was essential. It lent Monotheism prestige, and assured Yitzchak security and peace of mind.
However this was not a spiritual quest. Yitzchak might have been reluctant in undertaking this hazardous trip just for money. Hashem too prefers saving His directives for spiritual endeavors. So He engineered that Yitzchak be compelled by the famine to leave, and then be stopped in Grar.
Yitzchak no doubt realized that Hashem could have told him this while he was back home, before he left. He realized that Hashem was signaling him to stay in Grar, and so he did.
The lesson here is that the ways of Hashem are subtle and sometimes tricky.
The Midrash in Shmos points out that we hide our tricks, because they help only ourselves, but Hashem is proud of His. For His are tricks of pure Kindness!
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Focus On Success
Yitzchak dug three wells. The first two caused him nothing but grief, because the shepherds of Grar claimed them as their and fought over them. The third was conceded to him, and he called it ‘Rechovos’, meaning ‘Hashem has widened for us; we will be successful in this land’.
The Targum indicates that the name expressed Yitzchak’s conviction that this was an omen of good things to come. It seems that Yitzchak was doing poorly – only one out three worked out. Why take the lonely single success as the omen?
The issue is what our self-talk needs to be. Yitzchak saw his successes as the natural thing and the setbacks as temporary blips; ‘accidents’. He ignored his failures and concentrated only on his successes. This was an expression of faith, not wishful ‘positive thinking’.
His broad experience and knowledge of Hashem’s goodness led him to expect good, causing him to look at success as the natural thing. He expected success to continue on and that there be more of it. He was enthusiastic awakening each day, curious at what new goodies lie in store!
We need to do the same!
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Yehudis
Esav called his wife Yehudis. What does the name mean? Is it a good name?
Rashi says that it indicates denial of Idols. Leah called her son ‘Yehuda’ – a very similar name – not to deny idols, but as an expression of thanks to Hashem. Do the two jive?
Yehuda/Yehudis is a conjunction of two words; Kah, and Hodah (- the ‘heh’ in the middle is used twice). Hashem Hoda. ‘Hoda’ means ‘admit’, and also means ‘thank’. (The two are indeed closely related – thanking is admitting the favors of Hashem!)
So the name means both: Praising Hashem and Admitting Hashem, i.e. denying idol worship.
So is it a good name? Yes! It means Accepting Hashem and Thanking Hashem. (Esav used it in the same sense – he wanted claim (untruthfully) that his new wife accepted Hashem!)
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Grey Hat
The Shaarei T’shuvah suggests that for gaining mitzvos we may, and ought to deal in an underhanded manner.
Boaz pointed out to his competitor Ploni Almoni that Rus was a Moavite to discourage him from marrying her. Boaz knew very well that she was permitted. (He married her!) However, he wanted the mitzvah for himself.
Yaakov stole the brachos from Esav. It was not the gentlemanly thing to do. But one should try to get ruchnios by all means possible.
How strange this seems to us! How utterly politically incorrect!
But suppose this case: an impeccably dressed gentleman enters a restaurant and is walking daintily to his table. Suddenly he sees his expensive red Porsche parked outside begin moving. In a flash he races after it, designer clothes and all. He leaps out the window, breaking the glass. His car is at stake!
If something is important enough, other considerations go out the window. Mitzvos are our Porsche. If it seems strange that gaining ruchnios may allow for dishonesty, perhaps we need to rethink mitzvos.
Think a billion dollars!!
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It’s Not What You Think It Is!
Rivka sent Yaakov to impersonate Esav. Perhaps she understood that those blessings would not accrue Yaakov – they were not intended for him. Rather the exercise illustrated to YITZCHAK how easily he could be fooled.
Rivka had told Yitzchak that Esav was bad news, but he refused to believe her. ‘Esav seems fine to me’, he said. When she showed him how even simple Yaakov could fool him into thinking that he was Esav, Yitzchak realized how much more could wily Esav fool him into thinking he was a tzaddik.
He realized he had been badly hoodwinked, and trembled greatly. Suddenly he suddenly saw reality. – R’ SR Hirsch
This happens a lot in life. We react to a situation, for instance – a near-accident, – and then realize that Hashem was presenting us with a lesson. It was not for real, rather for us to learn from. It may be an example or a parable: a metaphor for how we are (mis)leading our life.
Lets learn!
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Yitzchak: Ultimate Man (-!?)
Rivkah, Esav and Yaakov all duped Yitzchak. Yitzchak thought Esav was a tzaddik, and no one undeceived him. Yaakov played an elaborate hoax on his father. The impression is that he was feeble and easily confused.
Did Yitzchak accomplish much in life? What? The Torah recounts so little about Yitzchak. Why not??
My mashgiach, R’ Chaim Mintz shlit”a (Yeshiva of Staten Island) told an interesting Rabbenu Bachya (- Kad HaKemach);
Rebbi, Rav Yehuda HanNasi, almost never laughed. The day Rebbi laughed, misfortune came to the world. A young man died, a hurricane blew.
Bar Kaparah was always joking, trying to get Rebbi to laugh. Rebbi said to him ‘If you let off making me laugh I’ll award you a bushel of grain’.
Early next morning Bar Kapparah showed up at Rebbi’s door with an oversized pitch-coated basket over his head.
Hearing a knock Rebbi answered the door and beheld a walking basket. Rebbi burst out laughing. Bar Kapparah said ‘I came for my wheat; here is my basket!’ Rebbi said ‘Shucks, you just forfeited it with this prank!’ – Gemarah
What was going on?
Rebbe concentrated on Hashem constantly , his thoughts never wandering. As a result of his engaging Hashem, the Sh’chinah dwelt upon him. Coming down to this world, it brought along blessing and prosperity to all people.
When Rebbi laughed and was lighthearted, his mind wandered from focusing on Hashem. The Sh’chinah was not as present, allowing misfortune to happen. On the other hand, when Rebbe laughed his mind expanded and his learning benefited: he was able to teach and innovate better.
Rebbi and Bar Kapparah disagreed about what was more important; the constant concentration and attachment to Hashem, or the increase in Torah learning which was a result of Rebbi relaxing.
(Their dispute is yet unresolved: some righteous people today opt for Avodah at the expense of their Torah, others put their learning ahead of their Avodah.)
Yitzchak was home to the Shchina. He was the portal and facilitator of His Presence to this planet. He thought continuously about Hashem, and brought Hashem’s presence to this world. He cleaved to his Creator with all his might, and brought untold good to the world. Any outside disturbance would distract him from this awesome task.
Those around him purposely shielded him from disturbances, even from knowing upsetting news. They knew this would take him away from his mission. The people in his life worked behind his back, but not because he was a fool, but because he was involved in a task of ultimate importance. (Compare this to shielding a scientist working on a great discovery from hearing disturbing news. He must not be distracted!)
We will not find much written about his life. He did not build buildings nor wage war. His accomplishments were not in interacting with the community at large (as his father, Avraham, and son, Yaakov). His doing was of another sort, internal. Something vital, but hard to chronicle.
He was bringing the Sh’chinah into this world.
(And so is that little guy serving Hashem quietly in his corner. People say ‘What’s going to be? He needs to DO something already!’ But we know better than that – he does more than us all….)
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Matter Over Mind
Yitzchak blessed Yaakov that those who bless him be blessed, those who curse, be cursed. He later reaffirmed the brachos to Yaakov.
Yet Esav continued to plot of killing Yaakov.
If he valued those brachos, how could he contemplate killing someone who even someone who cursed him was cursed?
Perhaps he did not hear that part of the blessing.
Or that he was willing to suffer so long as he could take his revenge.
Or that we believe what we wish. When it suited him, he was awash in grief at losing the blessings. And when he wanted to get back at Yaakov, all lost meaning. He denied the brachos’ power totally.
Our mind is at the service of our emotion, making sense of what we wish to conclude. Remember that…
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Who Is Younger And Who Is Older?
Yitzchok called Esav to bless him before he died. Confined to his home because of age, he thought it would be soon, it seems. When he sent Yaakov off, he conferred upon him the blessings of Avraham and so on, further confirming this state of mind.
Rivka, on the other hand, was almost forty years younger than Yitzchok. She was active and healthy. She parted from Yaakov saying “I will send for you when the time is ripe”, because she expected to see him yet.
As it turned out, Yaakov returned to Yitzchok – Rivka had died in the interim.
One can never be sure of who is younger and who elder…
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Stay Or Leave?
Avraham had two sons, one turned rotten and was sent away. Yizchok had two sons, but it was the good son that he sent away. Why didn’t he follow Avraham and send away Esav?
Could be that Esav was a tough cookie and wouldn’t leave so readily. Or that Yitzchok loved Esav despite all. Or that Avraham sent Hagar along, so that Yishmael be not alone, but Yizchok had no such option.
We suggested another thought: a person has a infection on his arm. The doctor assures him that the trouble he needs to take to heal his arm will be more than the arm is worth. Will he agree to chop the arm? Not likely! Why not? Because an arm is part of him, for better or for worse.
The same goes for a son. He is yours, and that – barring extreme circumstances – needs to stay, even if he is wicked. Yishmael, on the other hand, was not really Avraham’s son at all, just his offspring. Offspring are dispensable…
Yitzchok did not send Esav away because a son belongs here…
(To be clear, Yaakov was a son too. But he left to seek a wife, not because he could not stay at home. At least officially.)