Always Going, Truly Humble: Yitzchak's Greatness
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Bereishis 26:13
וַיִּגְדַּל הָאִישׁ וַיֵּלֶךְ הָלוֹךְ וְגָדֵל עַד כִּי־גָדַל מְאֹד
And the man grew great, and he went on going, growing greater, until he became very great.
1“And the man grew great, and he went on going, growing greater, until he became very great.”1 Notice the wording. Why does the Torah say “and the man grew great”? It should have said, “and Yitzchak grew great.” We must also ask what the verse means by “and he went on going.” What does going have to do with wealth? Where, after all, did he go?
וַיִּגְדַּל הָאִישׁ וַיֵּלֶךְ הָלוֹךְ וְגָדֵל עַד כִּי גָדַל מְאֹד (כו, יג). יֵשׁ לְדַקְדֵּק, מַהוּ שֶׁנָּקְטָה הַתּוֹרָה לְשׁוֹן וַיִּגְדַּל ׳הָאִישׁ׳, וַיִּגְדַּל ׳יִצְחָק׳ הָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר. עוֹד צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר, מַהוּ לְשׁוֹן הַכָּתוּב ׳וַיֵּלֶךְ הָלוֹךְ׳, מַה שַׁיָּיךְ לְשׁוֹן ׳הֲלִיכָה׳ בְּעִנְיַן עֲשִׁירוּת, וְכִי לְהֵיכָן הָלַךְ.
- Bereishis 26:13. ↩
In shortWhy does the verse call Yitzchak “the man” rather than by name, and what does “going” have to do with growing wealthy?
2To explain the verse, let us set out two foundations in avodas Hashem, the service of Hashem, through which we can fulfill the purpose of our creation. The souls of Israel are hewn from beneath the Throne of Glory, and above, in the world of souls, they delight in the radiance of the Shechinah. Why, then, did the soul need to come down to this world? We know that it came down to perfect itself through Torah, mitzvos and good deeds, so that it would not be eating “bread of shame,” a gift it has not earned. This is the whole purpose of our creation: only that we not eat the bread of shame. So we are obliged to work constantly at perfecting ourselves, so that we will not be put to shame in the World to Come.
וּלְפָרֵשׁ הַכָּתוּב, נְבָאֵר שְׁנֵי יְסוֹדוֹת בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה׳, אֲשֶׁר עַל יָדָם נוּכַל לְהַשְׁלִים תַּכְלִית בְּרִיאָתֵנוּ. דְּהִנֵּה נִשְׁמוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל חֲצוּבוֹת מִתַּחַת כִּסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד, וּלְמַעְלָה בָּעוֹלָם הַנְּשָׁמוֹת הֵן נֶהֱנִין מִזִּיו הַשְּׁכִינָה, וְאִם כֵּן לָמָּה זֶה הוּצְרְכָה הַנְּשָׁמָה לָרֶדֶת לָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, אַךְ נוֹדַע, שֶׁהַנְּשָׁמָה יָרְדָה וּבָאָה לָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בִּכְדֵי לְהַשְׁלִים אֶת עַצְמָהּ בַּתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹות וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים, שֶׁלֹּא תִּהְיֶה בִּבְחִינַת נַהֲמָא דְכִסּוּפָא, וְזֶהוּ כָּל תַּכְלִית בְּרִיאָתֵנוּ, אַךְ וְרַק שֶׁלֹּא נִהְיֶה בִּבְחִינַת נַהֲמָא דְכִסּוּפָא, וְנִמְצָא חוֹבָה מוּטֶּלֶת עָלֵינוּ לַעֲבוֹד תָּמִיד וּלְהַשְׁלִים אֶת עַצְמֵנוּ, בִּכְדֵי שֶׁלֹּא נִכְלָם לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא.
In shortThe soul came down from the Shechinah's radiance to earn its perfection rather than eat “bread of shame,” so we must keep working on ourselves.
3For this we must know two principles. The first is that even when we are privileged to serve Hashem and to learn His Torah, we must know with certainty that we are still far from avodas Hashem as it ought to be. We still need, more and more, “to learn, to keep and to do.”2 This is in the spirit of the prayer “and after Your mitzvos may my soul pursue”:3 even after we have fulfilled Your mitzvos, we should pursue and seek to reach more and more. Chazal said something similar on the verse “And it shall be, if you will surely listen”: “If you listen to the old, you will hear the new.”4 In other words, suppose that even after all our Torah and mitzvos we keep stirring in our hearts the longing to hear the words of the living God, in the spirit of “and after Your mitzvos may my soul pursue.” That very way of longing prepares us and makes us fit to receive more and more. For with words of Torah the rule is that it is through much learning that they endure in a person. Chazal put this in a well-known parable: “It is the way of the Holy One, blessed be He, that a full vessel holds, and an empty vessel does not hold.”5
וְלָזֶה יֵשׁ לָדַעַת ב׳ עִיקָּרִים, הָא׳, שֶׁאֲפִילּוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר זוֹכִים לַעֲבוֹד ה׳ יִתְבָּרַךְ וְלִלְמוֹד תּוֹרָתוֹ, צְרִיכִים לָדַעַת נֶאֱמָנָה שֶׁעֲדַיִין אָנוּ רְחוֹקִים מֵעֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ כָּרָאוּי, וּצְרִיכִים עוֹד וְעוֹד לִלְמוֹד לִשְׁמוֹר וְלַעֲשׂוֹת, בִּבְחִינַת ׳וְאַחֲרֵי מִצְוֹותֶיךָ תִּרְדּוֹף נַפְשִׁי׳ (נוסח אלקי נצור), הַיְינוּ שֶׁאַף אַחֲרֵי קִיּוּם מִצְוֹותֶיךָ, נִרְדּוֹף וּנְבַקֵּשׁ לְהַשִּׂיג עוֹד וְעוֹד. עַל דֶּרֶךְ מַה שֶׁאָמְרוּ רז״ל (סוכה מו, ב ועיין ברש״י ז״ל שם) ״וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמַע״ (דברים כח, א) אִם שָׁמוֹעַ בַּיָּשָׁן תִּשְׁמַע בַּחָדָשׁ. הַיְינוּ, שֶׁבְּאִם גַּם אַחַר רוֹב תּוֹרָתֵינוּ וּמִצְוֹותֵינוּ, אָנוּ מְעוֹרְרִים בְּלִבֵּנוּ תָּמִיד הַתְּשׁוּקָה לִשְׁמוֹעַ דִּבְרֵי אֱלֹקִים חַיִּים, בִּבְחִינַת ׳וְאַחֲרֵי מִצְוֹותֶיךָ תִּרְדּוֹף נַפְשִׁי׳, זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ מְכִינָה אוֹתָנוּ לִהְיוֹתֵנוּ מוּכָנִים וּמוּכְשָׁרִים לְקַבֵּל עוֹד וְעוֹד. כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת בְּדִבְרֵי תּוֹרָה הַכְּלָל הוּא, שֶׁדַּוְקָא עַל יְדֵי רוֹב הַלִּימּוּד הֵם מִתְקַיְּימִים, וְכַיָּדוּעַ מַה שֶׁהִמְשִׁילוֹ חז״ל עַל עִנְיָן זֶה וְאָמְרוּ (שם) מִידַּת הקב״ה, כְּלִי מָלֵא מַחֲזִיק, כְּלִי רֵיקָן אֵינוֹ מַחֲזִיק.
- The Ahavah Rabbah blessing before the Shema. ↩
- The Elokai Netzor prayer at the end of the Shemoneh Esrei. In the usual reading, acharei means that the soul should chase after Your mitzvos; here it is read as “after” in time. ↩
- Devarim 28:1; Sukkah 46b, and see Rashi there. ↩
- Sukkah there. The Gemara contrasts this with the way of flesh and blood, where an empty vessel holds and a full one does not. ↩
In shortThe first principle: never feel we have arrived, but after all our Torah and mitzvos keep longing for more, for only a full vessel holds.
4This helps us understand Chazal's teaching on the verse about Moshe's attendant, “And Yehoshua bin Nun, a young man, did not leave the tent”: “Why did Yehoshua earn greatness? Because he arranged the benches of the beis midrash, the study hall.”6 But what is so great about arranging the benches of the beis midrash, that it made him worthy of the crown of kingship and of having the spirit of Hashem rest upon him? It seems that by this Yehoshua showed how intensely he longed for Torah. As soon as the day's lesson ended, he set out the benches for the next day's lesson. This shows the great longing and love for Torah and good deeds that filled his heart. It is this quality that brings a person to perfection, and that is why Chazal singled it out as the reason Yehoshua earned greatness.
וּבָזֶה אֶפְשָׁר לְהָבִין מַה שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (במדבר רבה יב, ט. כא, יד) עַל הַפָּסוּק ״וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן נַעַר לֹא יָמִישׁ מִתּוֹךְ הָאֹהֶל״ (שמות לג, יא), מִפְּנֵי מָה זָכָה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לִגְדוּלָּה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁסִּידֵּר סַפְסַלֵּי בֵּית הַמִּדְרָשׁ. וְצָרִיךְ לְהָבִין, אֵיזֶה גַּדְלוּת יֵשׁ בְּמַה שֶׁסִּידֵּר סַפְסַלֵּי בֵּית הַמִּדְרָשׁ, עַד כְּדֵי כָּךְ שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה בָּזֶה רָאוּי לִזְכּוֹת לְכֶתֶר מַלְכוּת, וְשֶׁתָּנוּחַ עָלָיו רוּחַ ה׳. וְנִרְאֶה לוֹמַר, שֶׁיְּהוֹשֻׁעַ הֶרְאָה בָּזֶה אֶת עוֹצֶם תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ לַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁתֵּיכֶף אַחֲרֵי שֶׁגָּמְרוּ אֶת הַשִּׁיעוּר שֶׁל יוֹם זֶה, מִיָּד סִידֵּר כְּבָר אֶת הַסַּפְסָלִים לִקְרַאת הַשִּׁיעוּר שֶׁלְּמָחֳרָת, וּמִזֹּאת נִרְאֵית גּוֹדֶל הַתְּשׁוּקָה וְהָאַהֲבָה שֶׁהָיְתָה בְּלִיבּוֹ לַתּוֹרָה וּלְמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים. וּמַעֲלָה זוֹ הִיא הַמְּבִיאָה אֶת הָאָדָם אֶל הַשְּׁלֵימוּת, וְעַל כֵּן נָקְטוּ חז״ל דַּוְקָא מַעֲלָה זוֹ, שֶׁמֵּחֲמָתָהּ זָכָה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לִגְדוּלָּה.
- Shemos 33:11; Bamidbar Rabbah 12:9 and 21:14. ↩
In shortYehoshua earned greatness by setting out tomorrow's benches as soon as a lesson ended, showing the longing for Torah that brings a person to perfection.
5The second principle is that a Jew who wants to reach perfection must toil and strengthen himself to acquire humility. Through humility he will keep growing in avodas Hashem until he is privileged to perfect himself. Besides its worth in its own right, humility will bring him something more: it will awaken in his heart a longing for the good, in the spirit of “after Your mitzvos may my soul pursue,” which we saw in the first principle. For if he regards himself with humility and lowliness, he will not imagine that he has already received and fulfilled the Torah and the mitzvos. As a result, he will always long for more and more Torah and mitzvos.
וְהָעִיקָּר הַב׳ הוּא, אֲשֶׁר בְּאִם אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל מְבַקֵּשׁ לְהַגִּיעַ אֶל הַשְּׁלֵימוּת, צָרִיךְ הוּא לַעֲמוֹל וּלְהִתְחַזֵּק בְּעַצְמוֹ לִקְנוֹת מִידַּת הָעֲנָוָה, וְעַל יָדָהּ יִהְיֶה מוֹסִיף וְהוֹלֵךְ בַּעֲבוֹדַת שָׁמַיִם, עַד שֶׁיִּזְכֶּה לְהַשְׁלִים אֶת עַצְמוֹ. וּמִלְּבַד מַעֲלַת הָעֲנָוָה כְּשֶׁלְּעַצְמָהּ, עוֹד זֹאת יִזְכֶּה עַל יָדָהּ, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי מִידַּת הָעֲנָוָה יִתְעוֹרֵר בְּלִבּוֹ הַתְּשׁוּקָה לַטּוֹב, בִּבְחִינַת ׳אַחֲרֵי מִצְוֹותֶיךָ תִּרְדּוֹף נַפְשִׁי׳ כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, כֵּיוָן שֶׁבְּאִם מַחֲזִיק עַצְמוֹ בַּעֲנָוָה וְשִׁפְלוּת, לֹא יַחְשׁוֹב בְּעַצְמוֹ שֶׁכְּבָר קִיבֵּל וְקִיֵּים אֶת הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹות, וּמִתּוֹךְ כָּךְ יִהְיֶה מִשְׁתּוֹקֵק תָּמִיד לַתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹות יוֹתֵר וְיוֹתֵר.
In shortThe second principle is humility, a virtue in itself, which also keeps a person from thinking he has done enough, so his longing never ends.
6For this reason we find that humility was the foundation for receiving the Torah. As Chazal said: “A person should always learn from the mind of his Maker. For the Holy One, blessed be He, passed over all the mountains and hills and rested His Shechinah on Mount Sinai.”7 Moshe Rabbeinu, too, was chosen from all Israel as the one through whom the Torah would be given because of his humility, as the Torah testifies: “And the man Moshe was very humble, more than any man.”8 So humility is the foundation of the whole Torah. The holy sefarim, the Noam Elimelech and the Toldos Adam, explain the Mishnah's words “Moshe received the Torah from Sinai” in this way.9 Why does the Mishnah say “from Sinai” and not “from the mouth of Hashem”? It comes to hint that Moshe was privileged to receive the Torah, and that Hashem chose him to be the go-between for Israel and its Father in Heaven in receiving it, because he was the humblest of all men. The wording “from Sinai” is precise: from Hashem's choice of Mount Sinai for the giving of the Torah, Moshe learned for himself how very dear humility and lowliness of spirit are to Hashem, blessed be He.
וְעַל כֵּן מָצִינוּ שֶׁמִּידַּת הָעֲנָוָה הָיְתָה יְסוֹד לְקַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה, וְכַאֲשֶׁר אָמְרוּ חז״ל (סוטה ה, א) לְעוֹלָם יִלְמַד אָדָם מִדַּעַת קוֹנוֹ, שֶׁהֲרֵי הקב״ה הִנִּיחַ כָּל הָרִים וּגְבָעוֹת וְהִשְׁרָה שְׁכִינָתוֹ עַל הַר סִינַי, וְכֵן גַּם מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה נִבְחַר מִכָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁתִּינָּתֵן הַתּוֹרָה עַל יָדוֹ, מֵחֲמַת עַנְוְותָנוּתוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר הַתּוֹרָה הֵעִידָה (במדבר יב, ג) ״וְהָאִישׁ מֹשֶׁה עָנָיו מְאֹד מִכֹּל הָאָדָם״, וְנִמְצָא דְּהָעֲנָוָה הִיא יְסוֹד לְכָל הַתּוֹרָה כּוּלָּהּ. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁפֵּירְשׁוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (נועם אלימלך ותולדות אדם בהר) לְשׁוֹן הַמִּשְׁנָה (אבות א, א) מֹשֶׁה קִיבֵּל תּוֹרָה מִסִּינַי, דְּיֵשׁ לְדַקְדֵּק לָמָּה אָמְרוּ ׳מִסִּינַי׳ וְלֹא אָמְרוּ ׳מִפִּי הקב״ה׳, אֶלָּא דְּבָא לְרַמֵּז, כִּי לְכָךְ זָכָה מֹשֶׁה שֶׁקִּיבֵּל תּוֹרָה וּבָחַר אוֹתוֹ ה׳ לִהְיוֹת הַסַּרְסוּר בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל לַאֲבִיהֶם שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם לְקַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיָה הֶעָנָיו מִכָּל הָאָדָם, וּמְדוּקְדָּק לְשׁוֹנָם ז״ל ׳מִסִּינַי׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁלָּמַד לְנַפְשׁוֹ מִמַּה שֶׁבָּחַר הקב״ה בְּהַר סִינַי לְמַתַּן תּוֹרָה, מַה מְאֹד חָבִיב לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ מִידַּת עֲנָוָה וּנְמִיכוּת רוּחַ.
- Sotah 5a. Mount Sinai was the lowest of the mountains. ↩
- Bamidbar 12:3. ↩
- Noam Elimelech and Toldos Adam, Behar; Avos 1:1. ↩
In shortHumility is the Torah's foundation: it was given on lowly Sinai through the humblest of men, who learned from Sinai how dear humility is.
7This explains our verse, “And the man grew great.” The verse hints at Yitzchak's greatness in avodas Hashem. It calls him “the man” to hint that he was master of himself, ruling over his middos, his traits of character. This is in the spirit of the verse “Fortunate is the man who did not walk in the counsel of the wicked,”10 and of Chazal's teaching on the verse “Fortunate is the man who fears Hashem”: “Fortunate is one who repents while he is still a man.”11 That is, while he is young and his yetzer hara is strong against him, he still overcomes it and rules over his middos. This is what the verse hints with “and the man grew great”: Yitzchak Avinu reached such greatness in avodas Hashem that he perfected himself completely and ruled over all his middos. Next the verse tells us where this greatness and perfection came from: “and he went on going, growing greater.” He kept going and rising higher; not for a single moment did he stand still, but was always on the move, for he always sought to add more in Torah and mitzvos. This is the first of our two principles.
וּבָזֶה יִתְפָּרֵשׁ הַכָּתוּב כָּאן ״וַיִּגְדַּל הָאִישׁ״ וְגוֹ׳, דְּהִנֵּה בָּא הַכָּתוּב לִרְמוֹז עַל גַּדְלוּתוֹ שֶׁל יִצְחָק בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה׳, וְזֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳הָאִישׁ׳, הָרוֹמֵז שֶׁהָיָה בַּעַל הַבַּיִת וּמוֹשֵׁל עַל מִידּוֹתָיו, עַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (תהלים א, א) ״אַשְׁרֵי הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא הָלַךְ בַּעֲצַת רְשָׁעִים״, וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁדָּרְשׁוּ חז״ל (עבודה זרה יט, ב) עַל הַכָּתוּב (תהלים קיב, יא) ״אַשְׁרֵי אִישׁ יָרֵא אֶת ה׳״ אַשְׁרֵי מִי שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה תְּשׁוּבָה בְּעוֹדוֹ אִישׁ, דְּהַיְינוּ שֶׁכְּשֶׁהוּא צָעִיר וְיִצְרוֹ מִתְגַּבֵּר עָלָיו, וּבְכָל זֹאת מִתְגַּבֵּר לִמְשׁוֹל עַל מִידּוֹתָיו. וְזֶה מְרַמֵּז הַכָּתוּב ׳וַיִּגְדַּל הָאִישׁ׳, שֶׁיִּצְחָק אָבִינוּ ע״ה בָּא לִידֵי גַּדְלוּת בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה׳ כָּל כָּךְ, עַד שֶׁהִשְׁלִים אֶת עַצְמוֹ בְּתַכְלִית, וְהָיָה מוֹשֵׁל בְּכָל מִידּוֹתָיו. וְעַל זֶה מְפָרֵשׁ הַכָּתוּב מֵהֵיכָן בָּא לוֹ זֹאת הַגַּדְלוּת וְהַשְּׁלֵימוּת, וְעַל זֶה אָמַר ׳וַיֵּלֶךְ הָלוֹךְ וְגָדֵל׳, הַיְינוּ כִּי תָּמִיד הָלַךְ וְנִתְעַלָּה, וְלֹא הָיָה אַף רֶגַע אֶחָד בְּחִינַת עוֹמֵד, כִּי אִם בְּחִינַת מְהַלֵּךְ, שֶׁתָּמִיד בִּיקֵּשׁ וְחִיפֵּשׂ לְהוֹסִיף עוֹד בַּתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹות, כְּמוֹ הַמַּעֲלָה הָא׳ הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת.
In short“The man” shows that Yitzchak ruled his middos; “he went on going, growing greater” shows its source: he never stood still but always sought more.
8The second principle is hinted here too, in the words “became very great.” The word “very” alludes to humility, as in the teaching “Be very, very humble of spirit.”12 Yitzchak kept going and rising in this middah of “very” too. That is the exact sense of “until he became very great”: he was great in the middah of humility, the one called “very.” And as we said when we first set out these two principles, through them together a Jew can reach perfection in avodas Hashem.
וּכְמוֹ כֵּן נִרְמְזָה כָּאן גַּם הַמַּעֲלָה הַב׳, בְּאוֹמְרוֹ ׳גָּדַל מְאֹד׳, דְּ׳מְאֹד׳ רוֹמֵז עַל מִידַּת הָעֲנָוָה, עַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁאָמְרוּ מְאֹד מְאֹד הֱוֵי שְׁפַל רוּחַ (אבות ד, ד), שֶׁאַף בְּמִידַּת ׳מְאֹד׳ הָלַךְ יִצְחָק וְנִתְעַלָּה. וּמְכוּוָּן לְשׁוֹן הַכָּתוּב ׳עַד כִּי גָדַל מְאֹד׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁהָיָה גָּדוֹל בְּמִידַּת הָעֲנָוָה הַמְּכוּנֶּה ׳מְאֹד׳, וְכַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל שֶׁעַל יְדֵי אֵלּוּ שְׁנֵי הַמַּעֲלוֹת יוּכַל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל לָבֹא אֶל הַשְּׁלֵימוּת בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא.
- Avos 4:4. ↩
In short“Very great” hints at the second principle, humility, called “very”; so the verse shows Yitzchak perfected through constant striving and humility together.
9Yitzchak Avinu showed his children the way and made it smooth for them, to the end of all generations, in the spirit of “Go out and pave the way before your children.”13 He did this so that we too can rise in these qualities. For if we want to perfect ourselves, we must always work on these two middos and strengthen ourselves in them, until we are privileged to see fulfilled the verse “The end of the matter, when all has been heard: fear God,”14 and so bring the redemption closer. Amen.
וְיִצְחָק אָבִינוּ ע״ה הֶרְאָה וְיִישֵּׁר הַדֶּרֶךְ לְבָנָיו עַד סוֹף כָּל הַדּוֹרוֹת, בְּחִינַת צֵא וּכְבוֹשׁ אֶת הַדֶּרֶךְ לִפְנֵי בָּנֶיךָ (בראשית רבה מ, ח), כְּדֵי שֶׁנּוּכַל גַּם אָנוּ לְהִתְעַלּוֹת בְּמַעֲלוֹת הַלָּלוּ, כִּי בְּאִם אָנוּ רוֹצִים לְהַשְׁלִים עַצְמֵנוּ, צְרִיכִים תָּמִיד לַעֲבוֹד וּלְהִתְחַזֵּק בִּשְׁנֵי מִידּוֹת אֵלּוּ, עַד שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה שֶׁיִּתְקַיֵּים ״סוֹף דָּבָר הַכֹּל נִשְׁמָע אֶת הָאֱלֹקִים יְרָא״ (קהלת יב, יג), וּנְקָרֵב בָּזֶה הַגְּאוּלָּה אָמֵן:
In shortYitzchak paved our way to grow through striving and humility; working on both leads to the fear of God and brings the redemption closer.
Takeaway
We came down to this world not to receive a gift we have not earned, but to perfect ourselves, and for that we need two things together. Like Yehoshua setting out the benches for tomorrow's lesson, we should finish each piece of learning and each mitzvah already longing for the next; and true humility keeps us from imagining that we have already fulfilled the Torah, so that the longing never fades. This is how Yitzchak kept going and growing, and he paved the way for us to follow him.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
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