Parshat Toldot

2 Kislev 5755
Saturday, November 5, 1994

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Guest Rabbi:
Rabbi Mordechai Terebelo
Young Israel of Lawrenceville, New Jersey

"And Yitzchok prayed to HaShem opposite his wife, because she was barren, and HaShem listened to him and Rivka his wife became pregnant. (B'raishit 25:21)"

Although the posuk mentions that both Yitzchok and Rivka prayed to HaShem, it states that it was because HaShem heard Yitzchok's Tefillah, not Rivka's, that resulted in Rivka's pregnancy. Rashi explains the reasoning for this. Since Yitzchok's prayers were those of a Tzaddik ben Tzaddik (a righteous individual, the child of a righteous individual), in contrast to Rivka's lineage as that of a Tzaddik ben Rasha (a righteous individual, the child of a wicked individual), HaShem listened to his Tefillah more readily than to hers. However, this- why Rivka's Tefillah was less worthy of being answered- still needs further clarification. Is it not to Rivka's credit that she who came from a house of wickedness (surrounded by such heinous individuals as Lavan and Besual) was still able to remain righteous? Should not her Tefillah be of greater merit and more worthy to be answered than that of Yitzchok who was raised in Avrohom's house and did not have to face such spiritual tests?

The Gemara Brachos 32A says that after the sin of the Golden Calf, HaShem wished to destroy B'nei Yisroel and begin anew with Moshe Rabbeinu. Moshe pleaded, "If a chair with three legs can not survive Your anger (referring to B'nei Yisroel having the support of the three Avot (patricarchs), Avrohom, Yitzchok and Yaakov), how can it be expected that a chair with only one leg will be able to survive Your anger?" We learn from Moshe's analogy that the three Avot are the support and foundation of B'nei Yisroel.

The Mishna, in Pirkei Avot Chapter 1 Mishna 2 says "Shimon HaTzaddik said, "On three things the world stands; on Torah, Avodah (service of HaShem) and Chesed (acts of kindness)." These three pillars are the support of the world. We can logically assume that, just as the world needs the support of these three pillars in order to exist, so, too, the Jewish people need these three pillars of support.

Each one of the Avot, Avrohom, Yitzchok and Yaakov, was unique. The Posuk says "Give truth to Yaakov and kindness to Avrohom" - telling us that Avrohom was unique in his pursuit of Chesed. The Torah elaborates in the beginning of Parshat Vayera, concerning Avrohom's conduct with the visiting angels; his actions show us what true Chesed should be. When Avrohom fed the angels, and showed his dedication to Chesed, we are shown that true Chesed is an act that is preformed with no hope of reciprocation. His generosity with complete strangers exemplifies what is a true Ba'al Chesed.

Our Av, Yitzchok was unique in his Avodah (service) to HaShem. It was Yitzchok who was brought as a Korban in order to test Avrohom's faith in HaShem. Although the test was Avrohom's, it is the ashes of Yitzchok that remain as a reminder of Yitzchok's willingness to be sacrificed. The ashes are a constant reminder to HaShem for our merit. It is here that we see Yitzchok's dedication to serving HaShem with all his heart and life. It is this dedication to the Avodah of HaShem that serves us as the pillar of Avodah that B'nei Yisroel rest on.

The third pillar that B'nei Yisroel rests upon, which Yaakov represents, is Torah. Yaakov is described as a perfect man who dwelled in tents. Rashi explains "dwelled in tents" to refer to the tents of Shem and Ever that Yaakov dwelled in. The Maharal explains that, although the Gemara says that Avrohom fulfilled the entire Torah, learning and delving into Torah was a trait unique to Yaakov. Total immersion in learning Torah is further evidenced that during the fourteen years, Yaakov was in Shem and Ever's yeshiva, he did not sleep while learning. This total dedication to learning was unique to Yaakov.

Each of our Avot had a unique way of serving HaShem; Avrohom with Chesed, Yitzchok with Avodah and Yaakov with Limud haTorah. It is interesting to note that, just as each had a uniqueness in his service of HaShem, so, too, does HaShem
deal with each of them uniquely. Avrohom, whose trait was Chesed, was told only after the incident with the angels that Sarah would bear a child. It seems that only after Avrohom participated in the act of Chesed, of welcoming guests, did HaShem find it proper to notify Avrohom of his forthcoming son.

Similarly, Yitzchok was granted his future family only after displaying his trait of davening to HaShem, which is one aspect of Avodah. It was important that each Av use his perfected trait before he was answered. It was only through each Av achieving his ultimate level of perfection in his unique trait that they were able to have their prayers fulfilled by HaShem.

We find the Avot, even in Tefillah, had different approaches. The Gemara in Brachos says, Tefillot were instituted by the Avot. Avrohom, Yitzchok and Yaakov instituted Shacharit, Mincha and Maariv respectively. It is noteworthy that Avrohom's Tefillah Shacharit was a Tefillah for the benefit of S'dom; Avrohom utilized his Tefillah as an act of Chesed to help others. Yaakov's Maariv was davened after his total immersion in Torah in Shem and Ever's yeshiva. These are further examples of each Av using his perfected trait in other areas.

Now we can understand the Rashi in the beginning of this week's parsha. It is true that a Tzaddik, the child of a Rasha has made tremendous strides in his life; yet, it is even a greater accomplishment for a Tzaddik, the son of a Tzaddik, to develop on his own. It would have been easy for Yitzchok to remain and learn from Avrohom. He could have lived his life as a mere copy of Avrohom. Instead Yitzchok chose to develop into a unique pillar of Avodah. It was not enough for Yitzchok to rest on Avrohom's accomplishments, but rather to carve accomplishments of his own. It is for this reason that Yitzchok's Tefillah was even greater than that of Rivka.

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