Yaakov from Esav: Bringing the Bad into Holiness
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Bereishis 25:19
וְאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת יִצְחָק בֶּן־אַבְרָהָם אַבְרָהָם הוֹלִיד אֶת־יִצְחָק
And these are the generations of Yitzchak the son of Avraham: Avraham begot Yitzchak.
“And these are the generations of Yitzchak”: Yaakov and Esav, who are spoken of in this parshah.
1“And these are the generations of Yitzchak the son of Avraham: Avraham begot Yitzchak.”1 We know that wherever the Torah says “And these,” it adds to what came before.2 But the passage just before this one speaks of the sons of Yishmael. This is very puzzling. What do the sons of Yishmael have to do with the generations of Yitzchak, that this passage should be said to “add to what came before”?
וְאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת יִצְחָק בֶּן אַבְרָהָם אַבְרָהָם הוֹלִיד אֶת יִצְחָק (כה, יט). הִנֵּה נוֹדַע שֶׁכָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ׳וְאֵלֶּה׳ מוֹסִיף עַל הָרִאשׁוֹנִים (שמות רבה ל, ג), וְכֵיוָן שֶׁכָּאן בַּפָּרָשָׁה שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה דִּיבֵּר הַכָּתוּב בְּעִנְיַן בָּנָיו שֶׁל יִשְׁמָעֵאל, מְאֹד יִפָּלֵא מַה שַׁיָּיךְ עִנְיָן זֶה לְתוֹלְדוֹת יִצְחָק, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה שַׁיָּיךְ לוֹמַר עַל זֶה ׳וְאֵלֶּה מוֹסִיף עַל הָרִאשׁוֹנִים׳.
In short“And these” joins a passage to the one before it, so how can the generations of Yitzchak continue the account of Yishmael's sons?
2We must also look closely at Rashi's comment: “‘And these are the generations of Yitzchak’: Yaakov and Esav, who are spoken of in the parshah.” What is Rashi teaching us here, when the verses state this plainly? A further question concerns Yitzchak's blessing at the end of the parshah. Why, in fact, did Yitzchak Avinu want to bless Esav first, and not Yaakov?
עוֹד יֵשׁ לְדַקְדֵּק, בְּמַה שֶׁפֵּירֵשׁ רש״י הַקָּדוֹשׁ וְאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת יִצְחָק, יַעֲקֹב וְעֵשָׂו הָאֲמוּרִים בַּפָּרָשָׁה. וְקָשֶׁה, מַה בָּא לְהַשְׁמִיעֵנוּ בָּזֶה, אַחַר שֶׁדְּבָרִים אֵלּוּ מְפוֹרָשִׁים לְהֶדְיָא בַּכָּתוּב. עוֹד יֵשׁ לְהָבִין, בְּעִנְיַן בִּרְכַּת יִצְחָק הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת בְּסוֹף הַפָּרָשָׁה, מַדּוּעַ בֶּאֱמֶת רָצָה יִצְחָק אָבִינוּ ע״ה תְּחִילָּה לְבָרֵךְ אֶת עֵשָׂו וְלֹא אֶת יַעֲקֹב.
In shortTwo more questions: what Rashi adds by naming Yaakov and Esav, whom the verses mention plainly, and why Yitzchak wished to bless Esav first.
3We will explain this with a teaching of my holy father and teacher, zt"l, on the verse “All the commandment that I command you this day … so that you may live.”3 This, he said, is its meaning. Just as with the body's physical needs, such as eating and drinking, the body itself reminds a person that he must eat and drink, so it will be with the soul's spiritual needs, such as doing mitzvos. Israel will recognize that only by keeping the mitzvos can it live, and so, even in spiritual matters, the body will remind a person that he must do mitzvos in order to go on living. The body, then, will help a person in avodas Hashem, the service of Hashem, blessed be He, and this is the sense of “so that you may live.” Those are his holy words.
וּנְבָאֵר עַל פִּי אִמְרֵי קוֹדֶשׁ כ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה, שֶׁאָמַר עַל הַכָּתוּב (דברים ח, א) ״כָּל הַמִּצְוָה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם וְגוֹ׳ לְמַעַן תִּחְיוּן״, שֶׁהַפֵּירוּשׁ הוּא, שֶׁכְּשֵׁם שֶׁבְּעִנְיַן צָרְכֵי הַגּוּף הַגַּשְׁמִיִּים כַּאֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה מָצִינוּ, אֲשֶׁר הַגּוּף מַזְכִּיר לָאָדָם שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לֶאֱכוֹל וְלִשְׁתּוֹת, כְּמוֹ כֵן עַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה יִהְיֶה גַּם בְּעִנְיַן הַצְּרָכִים הָרוּחָנִיִּים שֶׁל הַנְּשָׁמָה כַּעֲשִׂיַּית הַמִּצְוֹות, שֶׁבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יַכִּירוּ בְּכָךְ שֶׁרַק עַל יְדֵי קִיּוּם הַמִּצְוֹות יֵשׁ בְּאֶפְשָׁרוּתָם לִחְיוֹת, וּמִמֵּילָא אַף בְּעִנְיְינֵי הָרוּחָנִיּוּת יַזְכִּיר הַגּוּף לָאָדָם שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת מִצְוֹות בִּכְדֵי לְהִתְקַיֵּים, נִמְצָא שֶׁהַגּוּף יְסַיֵּיעַ לַעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְזֶהוּ בְּחִינַת ׳לְמַעַן תִּחְיוּן׳, עכד״ק.
- Devarim 8:1. ↩
In short“So that you may live,” the Rebbe's father taught: the body will demand mitzvos as it demands food, and so help a person serve Hashem.
4To understand all this, we can explain as follows. We know that the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world with good and bad, and the two are mixed together. Our task is to separate the bad from the good, and there are two ways to do it. The first is to transform the bad and make it into good. The second is to sift out the good and draw it forth from the bad. For inside every bad thing there is good, and that good must be sifted out and drawn forth. This is done by using the powers of the bad to serve the Creator. For example, we can take the desire and longing a person feels for cravings and sins, and serve Hashem with that very desire and longing.
וּלְהָבִין כָּל הַנִּזְכָּר אֶפְשָׁר לְפָרֵשׁ בְּדֶרֶךְ זֶה, כִּי הִנֵּה יָדוּעַ שהקב״ה בָּרָא אֶת הָעוֹלָם בִּבְחִינוֹת טוֹב וְרַע, וְהַטּוֹב וְהָרַע מְעוֹרָבִין יַחְדָּיו, וְהַתַּפְקִיד שֶׁלָּנוּ הוּא לְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין רַע לְטוֹב. וְהִנֵּה יֵשׁ בָּזֶה שְׁנֵי דְּרָכִים, הַדֶּרֶךְ הָא׳ הוּא לְהַפֵּךְ אֶת הָרַע וְלַעֲשׂוֹת מִמֶּנּוּ טוֹב. וְיֵשׁ עוֹד דֶּרֶךְ בָּזֶה, וְהוּא לְבָרֵר וּלְהוֹצִיא אֶת הַטּוֹב מִן הָרַע, כֵּיוָן שֶׁבְּכָל דָּבָר רַע יֵשׁ בְּתוֹכוֹ טוֹב, וּצְרִיכִים לְבָרֵר וּלְהוֹצִיא אֶת אוֹתוֹ הַטּוֹב, וְהוּא עַל יְדֵי שֶׁמִּשְׁתַּמְּשִׁים בְּכוֹחוֹת הָרַע עַל מְנָת לַעֲבוֹד בָּהֶם עֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא, כְּגוֹן לָקַחַת אֶת הַחֶמְדָּה וְהַתְּשׁוּקָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְתַאֲוֹות וַעֲבֵירוֹת, וְלַעֲבוֹד בָּהֶם אֶת השי״ת בְּחֶמְדָּה וּתְשׁוּקָה.
In shortGood and bad are mixed; we separate them by turning bad into good or by serving Hashem with the powers of the bad.
5But Chazal explain that the first way, in which the bad is transformed and becomes wholly good, will come about only in the future, in the days of Moshiach.4 Today, while we are in exile, our main service is the second way: to sift out the good from the bad by using the powers of the bad in avodas Hashem.
אָמְנָם מְבוֹאָר בְּדִבְרֵי רז״ל (עיין בזוהר ח״א כט, א. ע, ב. ובעוד הרבה מקומות) כִּי הַמַּדְרֵגָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁהָרַע יִתְהַפֵּךְ וְיִהְיֶה אַךְ טוֹב, זֶה יִתְקַיֵּים רַק לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא בִּימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ, אֲבָל עַתָּה כְּשֶׁאָנוּ בַּגָּלוּת, עִיקַּר עֲבוֹדָתֵינוּ הוּא הַמַּדְרֵגָה הַשְּׁנִיָּה, לְבָרֵר וּלְהוֹצִיא אֶת הַטּוֹב מִן הָרַע, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּכוֹחוֹת הָרַע לַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ.
- See Zohar I 29a, 70b, and many other places. ↩
In shortBad becomes wholly good only in Moshiach's days; in exile our main task is to draw out the good, using the bad's powers for Hashem.
6The holy Avos, however, did have the power to serve Hashem in the first way, transforming the bad and making it good. We find this with Avraham's son Yishmael, who repented, and whose heart was turned to the good.5 Through this the Avos wanted to show the coming generations a path: the bad can be turned into good, or at the very least the good can be sifted out of the bad. They foresaw, however, that the generations after them would not have the power to turn the bad into good; that would come only in the future. Through their holy service they wanted to plant in those generations a power to serve Hashem, in the spirit of the Midrash: “Go out and pave the way before your children.”6 So the Avos made an effort to walk the lesser path as well, the path of only sifting out the good from the bad and bringing the bad into holiness, for avodas Hashem. And in their service they achieved it, taking the forces of desire and of the bad and bringing them into holiness.
אָכֵן הָאָבוֹת הַקְּדוֹשִׁים כֵּן הָיָה בְּכוֹחָם לַעֲבוֹד אֶת השי״ת בְּמַדְרֵגָה הָא׳ הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת, לְהַפֵּךְ אֶת הָרַע וְלַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ טוֹב, וְכַאֲשֶׁר מָצִינוּ כֵּן בְּיִשְׁמָעֵאל שֶׁחָזַר בִּתְשׁוּבָה (בבא בתרא טז, ב), וְנִתְהַפֵּךְ לִבּוֹ לְטוֹבָה. וְהָאָבוֹת הַקְּדוֹשִׁים רָצוּ לְהַרְאוֹת בָּזֶה דֶּרֶךְ לְדוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים, שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לְהַפֵּךְ הָרַע לְטוֹב, וּלְכָל הַפָּחוֹת לְבָרֵר וּלְהוֹצִיא מִן הָרַע אֶת הַטּוֹב. אַךְ הִנֵּה כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָאָבוֹת הַקְּדוֹשִׁים צָפוּ וְרָאוּ שֶׁהַדּוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם לֹא יִהְיֶה בְּיָדָם זֶה הַכֹּחַ לְהַפֵּךְ אֶת הָרַע לְטוֹב, כִּי אִם רַק לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא, וּמִכֵּיוָן שֶׁהֵם בַּעֲבוֹדָתָם הַקְּדוֹשָׁה רָצוּ לְהַכְנִיס וּלְהַשְׁרִישׁ כֹּחַ לַדּוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בְּכוֹחָם לַעֲבוֹד אֶת ה׳, כְּדֶרֶךְ דְּאִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (בראשית רבה מ, ח) צֵא וּכְבוֹשׁ אֶת הַדֶּרֶךְ לִפְנֵי בָּנֶיךָ, לָכֵן הִשְׁתַּדְּלוּ הָאָבוֹת הַקְּדוֹשִׁים לְהַלֵּךְ גַּם בְּמַדְרֵגָה הַפְּחוּתָה שֶׁהִיא רַק לְבָרֵר וּלְהוֹצִיא אֶת הַטּוֹב מִן הָרַע, וּלְהַכְנִיס אֶת הָרַע אֶל הַקּוֹדֶשׁ לַעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא, וּפָעֲלוּ זֹאת הָאָבוֹת הַקְּדוֹשִׁים בַּעֲבוֹדָתָם, שֶׁלָּקְחוּ אֶת כּוֹחוֹת הַתַּאֲוָה וְהָרַע, וְהִכְנִיסוּ אוֹתָם אֶל הַקּוֹדֶשׁ לַעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא.
In shortThe Avos, who could turn bad into good, as with Yishmael, also paved for later generations the lesser path of bringing bad into holiness.
7This lets us understand why Yitzchak Avinu wanted to bless Esav. As is well known, a tzaddik's blessing is mainly for spiritual needs. [So in wishing to bless Esav, Yitzchak had a spiritual aim:] he meant to show the generations to come that even what Esav stands for, which is the bad, can be used to serve the Creator. It is done through the work we have described: drawing out the good that lies within the bad.
וּבָזֶה יֵשׁ לְהָבִין הָעִנְיָן, מַדּוּעַ בִּיקֵּשׁ יִצְחָק אָבִינוּ לְבָרֵךְ אֶת עֵשָׂו, כִּי עִיקַּר בִּרְכַּת צַדִּיק הוּא לְצוֹרֶךְ רוּחָנִיּוֹת כַּיָּדוּעַ, וְנִתְכַּוֵּון יִצְחָק אָבִינוּ ע״ה לְהַרְאוֹת לְדוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים, שֶׁגַּם בְּחִינַת עֵשָׂו שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת הָרַע, יְכוֹלִים לַעֲבוֹד אִיתּוֹ אֶת הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ, וְהוּא עַל יְדֵי הָעֲבוֹדָה לְהוֹצִיא הַטּוֹב הַנִּמְצָא בְּהָרַע, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר.
In shortYitzchak wished to bless Esav to show future generations that even the bad Esav stands for can serve Hashem, once its good is drawn out.
8Following our approach, then, the work of separating good from bad is something we learn from this parshah, which tells of Esav's birth to Yitzchak and of Yitzchak's blessing of Esav. We may say that this is what Rashi means by “Yaakov and Esav, who are spoken of in the parshah,” and this answers our question about Rashi. From this parshah we are to see and learn that what Yaakov and Esav stand for, good and bad, tend to be mixed together. Even from within Esav one can sift out and draw forth what Yaakov stands for, by bringing Esav's power of desire and longing into holiness.
וְעַל פִּי דַּרְכֵּנוּ לָמַדְנוּ, שֶׁעִנְיָן זֶה לְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין טוֹב לְרַע, נִמְצֵאנוּ לְמֵדִים מִפָּרָשָׁה זוֹ, שֶׁנִּזְכַּר בָּהּ עִנְיַן לֵידַת עֵשָׂו לְיִצְחָק, וּבִרְכַּת יִצְחָק לְעֵשָׂו. וְיֵשׁ לוֹמַר דְּזוֹ הִיא כַּוָּונַת רש״י ז״ל ׳יַעֲקֹב וְעֵשָׂו הָאֲמוּרִים בַּפָּרָשָׁה׳, דְּהַיְינוּ שֶׁמִּפָּרָשָׁה זוֹ יֵשׁ לִרְאוֹת וְלִלְמוֹד, כִּי בְּחִינַת יַעֲקֹב וּבְחִינַת עֵשָׂו שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת הַטּוֹב וְהָרַע, דַּרְכָּם לִהְיוֹת מְעוֹרָבִים יַחְדָּיו, וְגַם מִתּוֹךְ בְּחִינַת עֵשָׂו אֶפְשָׁר לְבָרֵר וּלְהוֹצִיא בְּחִינַת יַעֲקֹב, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁיַּכְנִיס כֹּחַ הַחֶמְדָּה וְהַתְּשׁוּקָה שֶׁל עֵשָׂו אֶל הַקְּדוּשָּׁה.
In shortRashi's “Yaakov and Esav, who are spoken of” teaches that good and bad come mixed, and that Yaakov can be drawn out of Esav.
9This also settles our first question, about “And these are the generations of Yitzchak”: why do these words add to what came before, the sons of Yishmael? Even in the sons of Yishmael, who stand for the bad, there is the possibility we have described: the power of good within them can be sifted out and brought into holiness. That is the meaning of “adds to what came before.”
וּבָזֶה מְיוּשָּׁב גַּם כֵּן מַהוּ ׳וְאֵלֶּה׳ תּוֹלְדוֹת יִצְחָק, וּמַדּוּעַ הוּא מוֹסִיף עַל הָרִאשׁוֹנִים שֶׁהֵם בְּנֵי יִשְׁמָעֵאל, אָכֵן גַּם בְּבָנָיו שֶׁל יִשְׁמָעֵאל שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינוֹת הָרַע, יֵשׁ אֶת הַבְּחִינָה הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת, שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לְבָרֵר וּלְהַכְנִיס כּוֹחַ הַטּוֹב שֶׁבָּהֶם אֶל הַקְּדוּשָּׁה, וְזֶה הַכַּוָּונָה ׳מוֹסִיף עַל הָרִאשׁוֹנִים׳.
In shortEven Yishmael's sons hold good that can be drawn into holiness, so “And these” rightly joins Yitzchak's offspring to them.
10This is also what my holy father meant in the teaching we cited on “All the commandment that I command you … so that you may live.” A person's whole vitality and his entire being will demand only spiritual things, because everything will have been transformed into good. Moshe Rabbeinu was teaching Israel that in this way every Jew will, of himself, want and long to occupy himself only with Torah and mitzvos.
וְזֶהוּ גַּם כֵּן כַּוָּונַת דִּבְרֵי קוֹדֶשׁ כ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה הַנִּזְכָּרִים לְעֵיל, כָּל הַמִּצְוָה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ וְגוֹ׳ לְמַעַן תִּחְיוּן, שֶׁכָּל הַחַיּוּת וְכָל הַמַּהוּת שֶׁל הָאָדָם יִתְבַּע רַק רוּחָנִיּוֹת, הַיְינוּ עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהַכֹּל יִתְהַפֵּךְ לְטוֹב. וְזֶה הוֹרָה מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי בְּאוֹפֶן זֶה מִמֵּילָא כָּל אִישׁ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל יִרְצֶה וְיִכְסוֹף לַעֲסוֹק אַךְ וְרַק בַּתּוֹרָה וּבְמִצְוֹות.
In shortRead this way, “so that you may live” describes the higher level, where all becomes good and life itself longs only for Torah and mitzvos.
11We find this in the Rambam's words about the days of Moshiach: “Do not imagine that in the days of Moshiach anything of the world's natural order will cease, or that there will be anything new in the work of creation. Rather, the world will go on in its usual way … The point is that Israel will dwell securely together with the wicked of the nations … and the occupation of the whole world will be only to know Hashem.” So far his words.7 In other words, in the future the whole of creation itself will be repaired for the good. The days of Moshiach will be a time when there is no bad in the world at all. Only the good will remain, which is the intended purpose, and even physicality will be transformed into good. Chazal's words in the Gemara point to this as well: in the future, barren trees will bear fruit.8 That is, everything will be raised up to the good, even physicality. And if that is so of the physical, how much more so of the spiritual! How very high Israel will be raised, when there will be “not a hunger for bread nor a thirst for water, but to hear the word of Hashem.”9
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ שֶׁכָּתַב הרמב״ם ז״ל (שלהי הלכות מלכים ע״ש) בְּעִנְיַן יְמוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ, ׳אַל יַעֲלֶה עַל הַלֵּב שֶׁבִּימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ יִבָּטֵל דָּבָר מִמִּנְהָגוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אוֹ יִהְיֶה שׁוּם חִידּוּשׁ בְּמַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית, אֶלָּא עוֹלָם כְּמִנְהָגוֹ נוֹהֵג וְכוּ׳ עִנְיַן הַדָּבָר, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל יוֹשְׁבִים לָבֶטַח עִם רִשְׁעֵי גּוֹיִים וְכוּ׳, וְלֹא יִהְיֶה עֵסֶק כָּל הָעוֹלָם אֶלָּא לָדַעַת אֶת הַשֵּׁם בִּלְבַד׳, עכ״ל. וְהַיְינוּ, שֶׁלֶּעָתִיד לָבוֹא כָּל עֶצֶם הַבְּרִיאָה יְתוּקַּן לְטוֹבָה, כִּי בִּימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ יִהְיֶה הָעֵת אֲשֶׁר אֵין רַע בָּעוֹלָם כְּלָל, וְיִשָּׁאֵר אַךְ וְרַק בְּחִינַת הַטּוֹב שֶׁזֶּהוּ הַתַּכְלִית הַנִּרְצֶה, וַאֲפִילּוּ הַגַּשְׁמִיּוּת יִתְהַפֵּךְ לְטוֹב. וְעַל זֶה גַּם מוֹרִים דִּבְרֵי חז״ל שֶׁאָמְרוּ בַּגְּמָרָא כְּתוּבּוֹת (דף קיב, ב) שֶׁעֲתִידִין אִילָנֵי סְרָק שֶׁיִּתְּנוּ פֵּירוֹת, הַיְינוּ שֶׁהַכֹּל יִתְעַלֶּה לְטוֹבָה וַאֲפִילּוּ הַגַּשְׁמִיּוּת, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן וְקַל וָחוֹמֶר בְּרוּחָנִיּוּת, מַה מְאוֹד יִתְעַלּוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה ״לֹא רָעָב לַלֶּחֶם וְלֹא צָמָא לַמַּיִם כִּי אִם לִשְׁמוֹעַ אֵת דְּבַר ה׳״ (עמוס ח, יא).
In shortIn Moshiach's days, as the Rambam and Chazal's barren trees show, even physicality will turn to good, and Israel will hunger only for Hashem's word.
12May Hashem grant that the verse “The end of the matter, when all has been heard: fear God and keep His commandments” be fulfilled in us.10 May everything be transformed into good, so that all that is heard will be only “fear God,” with the coming of Moshiach. Amen, may it be His will.
יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁיְּקוּיָּם בָּנוּ ״סוֹף דָּבָר הַכֹּל נִשְׁמָע אֶת הָאֱלֹקִים יְרָא וְאֶת מִצְוֹותָיו שְׁמוֹר״ (קוהלת יב, יג), שֶׁהַכֹּל יִתְהַפֵּךְ לְטוֹב, וְיִהְיֶה הַכֹּל נִשְׁמָע רַק אֶת הָאֱלֹקִים יְרָא, עִם בִּיאַת מָשִׁיחַ אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן:
- Koheles 12:13. ↩
In shortThe Rebbe prays that everything be turned to good, so that all that is heard is the fear of God, with the coming of Moshiach.
Takeaway
Good and bad come to us mixed together, and in exile our work is not to make the bad vanish but to draw out the good within it, serving Hashem with the very desire and longing that pulls toward sin. Yitzchak wished to bless Esav to show that even the Esav in us can be brought into holiness. And we look forward to the days of Moshiach, when everything will be turned to good and we will hunger only for the word of Hashem.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
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English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.