Sojourn in This Land: The Sparks Avraham Gathered
Bereishis 26:3–5
גּוּר בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת וְאֶהְיֶה עִמְּךָ וַאֲבָרְכֶךָּ כִּי־לְךָ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ אֶתֵּן אֶת־כָּל־הָאֲרָצֹת הָאֵל וַהֲקִמֹתִי אֶת־הַשְּׁבֻעָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָם אָבִיךָ וְהִרְבֵּיתִי אֶת־זַרְעֲךָ כְּכוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וְנָתַתִּי לְזַרְעֲךָ אֵת כָּל־הָאֲרָצֹת הָאֵל וְהִתְבָּרֲכוּ בְזַרְעֲךָ כֹּל גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ עֵקֶב אֲשֶׁר־שָׁמַע אַבְרָהָם בְּקֹלִי וַיִּשְׁמֹר מִשְׁמַרְתִּי מִצְוֺתַי חֻקּוֹתַי וְתוֹרֹתָי
Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will fulfill the oath that I swore to Avraham your father. I will make your offspring as many as the stars of the heavens, and I will give your offspring all these lands, and all the nations of the earth will bless themselves by your offspring, because Avraham listened to My voice and kept My charge: My commandments, My statutes and My teachings.
11“Sojourn in this land … for to you and to your offspring … because Avraham listened to My voice …”1 At first glance this is surprising, for it implies that Yitzchak was not worthy of this in his own merit. But, as we know, all of Avraham's avodah, his service of Hashem, was raising the sparks of holiness to Hashem.2 That is why he had to wander through other lands, to gather all the sparks that had fallen there. Once Avraham Avinu had brought all the sparks under his wings, Yitzchak too had the power to raise them without going to other lands to collect them, for Avraham drew this power down to him: the strength to raise on high all the sparks in Avraham's keeping. That is why Hashem told him, “Sojourn in this land …”: do not go to other lands. And “because Avraham listened to My voice” means: you have the merit of the fathers, for Avraham has already drawn this power down upon you by taking all the sparks into his keeping. Avraham himself had no merit of the fathers, so he had to go to other lands.
* גּוּר בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת וְגוֹ' כִּי לְךָ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ וְגוֹ' עֵקֶב אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַע אַבְרָהָם בְּקוֹלִי וְגוֹ'. וְלִכְאוֹרָה יִפָּלֵא דְּמַשְׁמַע שֶׁבִּזְכוּת עַצְמוֹ לֹא הָיָה רָאוּי לָזֶה. אַךְ הִנֵּה יָדוּעַ שֶׁכָּל עֲבוֹדַת אַבְרָהָם הָיָה בְּחִינַת הַעֲלָאוֹת נְצוּצוֹת לְהַעֲלוֹתָם לִפְנֵי ה' לָכֵן הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְשׁוֹטֵט בַּאֲרָצוֹת אֲחֵרִים בִּכְדֵי לְקַבֵּץ כָּל הַנְּצוּצוֹת שֶׁנָּפְלוּ שָׁם, וְכַאֲשֶׁר קִיבֵּץ אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם כָּל נְצוּצוֹת תַּחַת כְּנָפָיו הָיָה גַּם בִּיכוֹלֶת יִצְחָק לְהַעֲלוֹתָם וְלֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ לֵילֵךְ לָאֲרָצוֹת הָאֲחֵרִים לְקַבֵּץ אוֹתָם, כִּי אַבְרָהָם הִמְשִׁיךְ אֵלָיו כֹּחַ זֶה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בְּכֹחוֹ לְהַעֲלוֹתָם לְמַעְלָה כָּל הַנְּצוּצוֹת שֶׁתַּחַת יָדוֹ. וְלָכֵן אָמַר לוֹ ה' גּוּר בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת וְכוּ', פֵּירוּשׁ שֶׁלֹּא לֵילֵךְ לָאֲרָצוֹת אֲחֵרִים. עֵקֶב אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַע אַבְרָהָם בְּקוֹלִי, פֵּירוּשׁ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְךָ זְכוּת אָבוֹת שֶׁכְּבָר הִמְשִׁיךְ אַבְרָהָם עָלֶיךָ כֹּחַ זֶה עַל יְדֵי שֶׁקִּיבֵּץ כָּל הַנְּצוּצוֹת תַּחַת יָדוֹ, מַה שֶׁאֵין כֵּן אַבְרָהָם שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה לוֹ זְכוּת אָבוֹת הוּצְרַךְ לֵילֵךְ לָאֲרָצוֹת אֲחֵרִים:
- The print marks this piece with an asterisk. ↩
- In the teaching of the Arizal, sparks of holiness fell and were scattered in the world, and the service of the tzaddikim gathers them and raises them back to their source. ↩
In shortAvraham had to wander from land to land to gather the fallen sparks; Yitzchak, by the merit of the fathers, received the power to raise them without leaving the land.
Takeaway
What Avraham won through long journeys, Yitzchak received as a power he could use where he stood. We too inherit the merit of the fathers: much that they won with great effort is already in our hands, giving strength to our avodah right where we are.
Learn this in the merit of Rebbe Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev. His yahrzeit and life ›
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