Toldos: Digging deeper
Once there were two brothers. One
was a noble philanthropist, highly respected in the community, the
other a common thief. It happened that the generous brother was
walking one day when he saw his brother, the thief, approaching. He
quickly crossed the road to avoid his brother.
"Hey", yelled his brother, "who do
you think you are? You have the audacity to cross the road to
avoid me? My brother is a respected pillar of the
community - and your brother is nothing more than a common
thief. I should be the one avoiding you! Who are you to
avoid me?"
This week's Parsha begins with the seemingly double statement "...and
these are the generations of Isaac, son of Abraham - Abraham fathered
Isaac." The above story demonstrates the concept of "yichus" of
lineage as a two-way street. Isaac is identified as Abraham's son -
and Abraham is identified as Isaac's father.
The Midrash tells us that there are children who are embarrassed of
their parents, and there are parents who are embarrassed by their
children. Yet with Abraham and Isaac it wasn't like that: Isaac prided
himself in that he was "Isaac the son of Abraham," and Abraham prided
himself in that "Abraham fathered Isaac."
Isaac spent a lot of time digging
wells. We are told that all the wells which his father's servants had
dug in the days of Abraham, had been filled in with earth by the
Philistines. Isaac dug the wells of water again, naming them with the
same names his father used.
We learn that no matter how much we have to dig for water, no matter
who is blocking our way, through perseverance we will eventually find
the water source and be able to quench our thirst. Torah is compared
to water - we may face many obstacles but by repeated "digging" we may
reach the ultimate
source of life.
The Talmud tells us that if a person says "I have toiled but not
found" do not believe him - true toil will always bring about a
corresponding reward.
May we all merit to truly reach "I have toiled and I have
found"!
Shabbat Shalom |