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RABBI'S THOUGHTS: TOLDOS
Family Pride
This week's Torah portion,
Toldos, discusses the events in the life of Isaac. It begins with the phrase
'these are the generations of Isaac, son of Abraham", describing what is
known as 'yichus' - family lineage and 'pedigree'.
The concept of yichus, and the nepotism
which all too often accompanies it, can be seen as a good thing, or a bad
thing. It is very frustrating when we see someone who seems to be getting
credit for something undeserved, due to their connections or due to their
parents' or family status or position. On the other hand, an individual can
build on the good deeds or reputation of their parents and grandparents,
using this as a basis to strengthen and better themselves.
A great Rabbi once commented that yichus
is like a zero. By itself it is nothing, but with a number one in front of
it, it becomes a multiplier. We cannot live in the shadow of the previous
generations, riding on their coat tails. On the other hand, if we build on
their achievements and their legacy, it can serve as an enhancement and
addition to our own qualities and achievements. The parsha tells us about
Isaac's yichus - after all, he was the son of Abraham, a pretty important
relation - yet he did not rest on his laurels, basking in his father's
glory. This parsha - and those after it - describe the good deeds and
achievements of Isaac (and, for that matter, Jacob) in his own right.
There is a story about the cat who wanted
her son to have a better life than his parents had had, so she dressed him
up in a lion skin, coached him in basic lion history and sent him to join
the king of the beasts. The other lions soon noticed something strange about
the newcomer, so they asked him "who are you? What are you?" "My father was
a lion, my grandfather on my mother's side was also a lion." "But what are
YOU?" Eventually he was forced to admit that he was, in fact, a mere
domestic cat.
A person could have the greatest
ancestors in the world - we all do, after all we are all descended from
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, and many more
holy Jews through the ages - yet be achieving nothing in their own right. If
we use our potential, we are living up to their legacy. If not, what are we
boasting for?
Many people boast proudly that their
grandparents or great- grandparents were Rabbis, learned individuals, very
pious Jews, so traditional, so devout, and so forth. This is a good claim to
be able to make - but what does it really mean to us? Are we going to just
talk about them in the past? What use is it if we simply tell our children
(or ourselves, for that matter) how traditional and pious the previous
generation was, if we are not living up to it? What are we boasting about?
Those same parents and grandparents whose traditions and practices we so
fondly recall, what is their real legacy? Surely it is more than a mere
mention in the family history. We can make it a living, breathing legacy,
through our own actions and by passing it on intact to our children.
The previous generations paved the way
for us - we can follow in their footsteps, as long as we are placing a one
in front of those zeroes.
Shabbat Shalom
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