PARSHAS TOLDOS 5776
In this week’s parsha, Yitzchak Avinu plans to bless Esav, and Rivka intervenes, finding a way for Yaakov to receive this blessing instead. One can only wonder: Why didn’t Yitzchak want to give his blessing to Yaakov? Yaakov was busy learning in the tents of Torah while Esav was a “man of the field” (25:27). Certainly Yaakov was a bigger tzaddik. Although Rashi states that Esav knew how to “hunt” Yitzchak verbally, asking him frum-sounding questions (25:28), it’s implausible that he deceived Yitzchak. Even in our generation, there are tzaddikim who can ascertain a person’s spiritual level simply by looking at him. Yitzchak was surely capable of this. Moreover, Yitzchak notes that “it is not Esav’s practice to mention the name of Hashem” (as was Yaakov’s — Rashi 27:21). Clearly, Yitzchak knew the difference between Yaakov and Esav. Why did he choose to give his final blessing to Esav?
The Shlah explains that the blessing Yitzchak intended was to give over the material blessing of the world. Yitzchak understood that the material blessing of heaven must come to this world via a person, and later a nation, who could sanctify it. Yaakov was too spiritual a person to be encumbered with such a task, Yitzchak felt. Yaakov lived a life far removed from gashmius (materiality). Esav, on the other hand, was connected to gashmius and could serve as the necessary link to bring material blessing to the world.
Rivka did not agree. Bringing blessing into the world and sanctifying it requires that the one bringing it be spiritual himself. She knew that Esav was unable to do this. She had heard this directly from Shem ben Noach, who had informed her years earlier that she was pregnant with twins, and that “the older would serve the younger” (25:23). Chazal provide an example of how the blessings of gashmius reach the world in Taanis 24b, where a bas kol (heavenly voice) declared that “the entire world is sustained in the merit of My son, Rabbi Chanina, and yet Chanina himself makes do with a small amount of carobs from erev Shabbos to erev Shabbos.” Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz would say that the reason Rav Chanina’s generation merited Hashem’s sustenance was because Rav Chanina satisfied himself with his carobs. His sparing use of the material bounty of this world, taking only what was needed to serve Hashem, was what gave the world its blessing. He was capable of serving as the channel through which material blessing reached the world.
How can we sanctify the material world we live in? The very question sounds as if it is directed only to the greatest tzaddikim (like Rav Chanina), but the Rambam (Hilchos De’os 3:2-3) approaches this as something within every Jew’s reach: “A person must have in mind that all his actions are done only in order to know Hashem. Therefore, he should not eat whatever his palate desires, like a dog or a donkey, rather he should eat what is beneficial for his body, whether it is bitter or sweet. And he should not eat things that are bad for him, even though they are sweet to the palate. … as Shlomo Hamelech said: In all your ways, know Him.”
All pleasure a person derives from this world should be done in order to help him in hisavodas Hashem. The Mesilas Yesharim (Chapter 1) adds that through this, the Jew elevates himself and elevates the world together with him. If he pursues his pleasures for their own sake, he lowers himself and the world as well. We are not expected to live at the level of Rav Chanina, but if we take these words to heart and try to separate ourselves from unnecessary elements of gashmius in our lives, we are now moving in the direction of sanctifying ourselves. When engaging in gashmius, we should ask ourselves: Do I need this? Is this necessary for my avodas Hashem? If not, I’ll be harming both myself and the entire world!
Chazal (Avos 6) teach us that “jealousy, desire and [pursuit of] honor remove a person from the world.” Tiferes Yisrael writes that these drives remove a man from both this world and the next world, and that these three drives are at the root of every sin. Whenever a person lets his drive for jealousy, desire or honor take over and indulges in unnecessary gashmius, he is taking himself out of the world and coming closer to all possible sins. If we would consider this, we would be less drawn to the lure of gashmius.
My great-uncle, Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, was considered one of the leaders of Torah Jewry before the Holocaust. In addition to his brilliance and devotion to Torah, he was also a living example of how to take from this world only what is necessary. He came from a wealthy family and served as Rav of a well-established community. Nevertheless, he chose to live in a simple house, with the most simple furnishings.
Once, a wealthy man offered to buy Rav Meir Simcha new furniture. He refused. When the man persisted, he explained: “I’m perfectly happy with the furniture that I have. Please buy the furniture and give it to a family that really needs it.”
When my great-uncle published his sefer Ohr Same’ach, many members of his kehilla wanted to buy it in order to give their esteemed Rav some extra income. Again, he refused.
“This isn’t a sefer that you can make use of. It’s a collection of intricate analyses of the Rambam’s Yad Hachazaka. What do you want it for? To give me parnassa? I don’t need it!”
On another occasion, members of his kehilla wanted to raise the Rav’s salary. Again, he refused.
Several times in his sefer, Meshech Chachma, Rav Meir Simcha writes that a person need not be an ascetic; he should enjoy the material blessings of this world — but to maintain a sense of proportion and certainly to avoid luxuries. If a man does that, he purifies his physical body and elevates his entire being to a higher spiritual level.
May we be zoche to sanctify the material world we live in!
Exciting news! Rabbi Krieger will soon be publishing a sefer featuring the “best” of the weekly Parsha sheet. If you would like to share in this celebration, please go towww.bircas.org for further details.