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Lehavas David · Parshas Vayeira · Maamar ז

The Akeidah in Thought: Self-Sacrifice for Generations

From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Bereishis 22:1
וַיְהִי אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְהָאֱלֹהִים נִסָּה אֶת־אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי
And it came to pass after these things that God tested Avraham, and He said to him, “Avraham,” and he said, “Here I am.”
1a“And it came to pass after these things that God tested Avraham.”1 Targum Yonasan, the Aramaic translation of the Torah, says that there was a quarrel between Yitzchak and Yishmael. Yishmael said, “I deserve to inherit Father, for I am his firstborn son.” Yitzchak said, “I deserve to inherit Father, for I am the son of Sarah his wife, and you are the son of Hagar, my mother's maidservant.” Yishmael answered, “I am more worthy than you, for I was circumcised at thirteen. Had I wished to refuse, I would not have let myself be circumcised. But you were circumcised at eight days old; had you had understanding, perhaps you would not have let yourself be circumcised.” Yitzchak replied, “Here I am today, thirty-six years old. If the Holy One, blessed be He, asked for all my limbs, I would not hold back.” At once these words, the “things” of our verse, were heard before the Master of the world, and at once Hashem's word came to test him.
וַיְהִי אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְהָאֱלֹקִים נִיסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם (כב, א). בְּתַרְגּוּם יוֹנָתָן כָּתוּב, שֶׁהָיָה מְרִיבָה בֵּין יִצְחָק וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל, יִשְׁמָעֵאל הָיָה אוֹמֵר לִי רָאוּי לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת אַבָּא שֶׁאֲנִי בְּנוֹ בְּכוֹרוֹ, וְיִצְחָק הָיָה אוֹמֵר לִי רָאוּי לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת אַבָּא שֶׁאֲנִי בֶּן שָׂרָה אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאַתָּה בֶּן הָגָר שִׁפְחָתָהּ שֶׁל אִמִּי, עָנָה יִשְׁמָעֵאל וְאָמַר, אֲנִי זַכַּאי יוֹתֵר מִמְּךָ שֶׁאֲנִי נִמּוֹלְתִּי לְשָׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנִים, וְאִם הָיָה רְצוֹנִי לְעַכֵּב לֹא הָיִיתִי מוֹסֵר נַפְשִׁי לִימּוֹל, וְאַתָּה נִמּוֹלְתָּ בֶּן שְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים, אִילּוּ הָיָה בְּךָ דַּעַת אוּלַי לֹא הָיִיתָ מוֹסֵר נַפְשְׁךָ לִימּוֹל, הֵשִׁיב יִצְחָק וַיֹּאמֶר הִנְנִי הַיּוֹם בֶּן שְׁלוֹשִׁים וְשֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים, וְאִילּוּ בִּיקֵּשׁ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְכָל אֵבָרַי לֹא הָיִיתִי מְעַכֵּב, מִיָּד נִשְׁמְעוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה לִפְנֵי אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם, וּמִיָּד הָיָה מַאֲמָרוֹ שֶׁל ה׳ לְנַסּוֹת אוֹתוֹ.
  1. Bereishis 22:1. ↩
1bThis needs a close look. The Targum's words imply that the test was Yitzchak's. Yet the verse says, “and God tested Avraham”: the test was Avraham's, and nowhere does the verse suggest that Hashem meant by it to test Yitzchak. What connection, then, does a test of Avraham have with Yitzchak's words?
וְיֵשׁ לְדַקְדֵּק, שֶׁמִּדְּבָרָיו ז״ל יוֹצֵא, שֶׁהַנִּסָּיוֹן הָיָה עַל יִצְחָק, וַהֲרֵי הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר ״וְהָאֱלֹקִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם״, הֲרֵי שֶׁהַנִּסָּיוֹן הָיָה לְאַבְרָהָם, וְלֹא מָצִינוּ בַּפָּסוּק שֶׁהָיָה כַּוָּונַת הקב״ה בָּזֶה לְנַסּוֹת אֶת יִצְחָק, וּמַה שַׁיָּיכוּת יֵשׁ לְנִסָּיוֹן עַל אַבְרָהָם, עִם דִּבְרֵי יִצְחָק.
In shortTargum Yonasan ties the Akeidah to Yitzchak's offer to give Hashem all his limbs; why, then, was Avraham the one tested?
2As a preface, we must also explain a teaching of the Midrash: “‘And he said, Do not stretch out your hand.’ Avraham said to Him, ‘Shall I strangle him?’ He said to him, ‘Do not stretch out your hand against the lad.’ Avraham said, ‘Shall I draw a drop of blood from him?’ He said to him, ‘Do not do me'umah, anything, to him’: do not make a mumah, a blemish, in him.”2 This is puzzling. Avraham Avinu wanted nothing but to do Hashem's will. If Hashem's will was that he not slaughter his son Yitzchak, why did Avraham keep pleading to make some blemish in him?
וְנַקְדִּים לְבָאֵר גַּם מַה דְּאִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (בראשית רבה נו, ז) ״וַיֹּאמֶר אַל תִּשְׁלַח יָדְךָ״ (כב, יב) אָמַר לוֹ אַחֲנָקֵנוּ, אָמַר לוֹ אַל תִּשְׁלַח יָדְךָ אֶל הַנַּעַר, אָמַר לוֹ אוֹצִיא מִמֶּנּוּ טִיפַּת דָּם, אָמַר לוֹ אַל תַּעַשׂ לוֹ מְאוּמָה, אַל תַּעַשׂ לוֹ מוּמָה. וְקָשֶׁה, דַּהֲרֵי אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ ע״ה כָּל רְצוֹנוֹ הָיָה לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹן הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, וּבְאִם רְצוֹן הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ הוּא שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁחוֹט אֶת יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ, לָמָּה הָיָה אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ ע״ה עוֹמֵד וּמַפְצִיר לַעֲשׂוֹת בּוֹ מוּם.
  1. Bereishis Rabbah 56:7; Bereishis 22:12. ↩
In shortTold not to slaughter Yitzchak, Avraham pleaded to draw at least a drop of blood, though his only wish was Hashem's will.
3We must also understand why so much is made of the test of the binding of Yitzchak, more than of Avraham's other tests, which were carried out in actual deed. The test of the Akeidah remained only in thought and will, and never came to deed.
גַּם צָרִיךְ לְהָבִין, מַה גּוֹדֶל הָרַעַשׁ עַל נִסָּיוֹן עֲקֵידַת יִצְחָק, יוֹתֵר מִשְּׁאָר נִסְיוֹנוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ בְּפוֹעַל מַמָּשׁ, מַה שֶׁאֵין כֵּן נִסָּיוֹן הָעֲקֵידָה שֶׁהָיָה רַק בְּמַחְשָׁבָה וּבְרָצוֹן, וְלֹא בָּא לִידֵי מַעֲשֶׂה.
In shortWhy is the Akeidah praised above Avraham's other tests, when it remained only in thought and will?
4To understand all this, we may say as follows. Chazal teach: “Every mitzvah for which Israel gave its life still endures in its hands.”3 We learn from this that the Torah's survival depends on the Jewish people's mesirus nefesh, their readiness to give their lives. Whatever they give themselves for, they succeed in upholding; otherwise they do not. This is the power and strength of the Jewish people: it is precisely through mesirus nefesh that they uphold the Torah. Only Israel has this power; the nations of the world do not. We see its strength in the Jewish people in every generation: in the days of the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, when Israel gave its life for Hashem, and in every generation since, down to our own. The whole survival of the Jewish people who are faithful to Hashem and His Torah comes through the power of mesirus nefesh.
אַךְ לְהָבִין כָּל זֶה יֵשׁ לוֹמַר, דְּהִנֵּה מָצִינוּ בחז״ל (שבת קל, א מכילתא תשא לא, יז) כָּל מִצְוָה שֶׁמָּסְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל נַפְשָׁם עָלֶיהָ עֲדַיִין מִתְקַיֶּימֶת בְּיָדָם, נִמְצֵאנוּ לְמֵדִים שֶׁקִּיּוּם הַתּוֹרָה תָּלוּי בִּמְסִירוּת נַפְשָׁם שֶׁל עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְכָל דָּבָר שֶׁמּוֹסְרִים נֶפֶשׁ בַּעֲדוֹ מַצְלִיחִים לְקַיְּימוֹ וּבְאִם לָאו אֵין מַצְלִיחִים לְקַיְּימוֹ. וְזֶהוּ כֹּחָם וְתוֹקְפָּם שֶׁל עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ דַּיְיקָא מְקַיְּימִים אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, וְכֹחַ זֶה נִמְצָא רַק אֵצֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא אֵצֶל אוּמוֹת הָעוֹלָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ תּוֹקֶף מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ בְּעַם יִשְׂרָאֵל מִדּוֹרֵי דּוֹרוֹת, כְּמוֹ בִּימֵי חוּרְבַּן בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ שֶׁמָּסְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל נַפְשָׁם לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְכֵן אַחֲרֵי זֶה בְּכָל דּוֹר וְדוֹר עַד דּוֹרֵנוּ אָנוּ, כָּל קִיּוּם עַם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנֶּאֱמָנִים לַה׳ וּלְתוֹרָתוֹ הוּא בְּכֹחַ מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ.
  1. Shabbos 130a; Mechilta, Ki Sisa 31:17. ↩
In shortOnly the mitzvos for which Israel gave its life endure, so mesirus nefesh is the Jewish people's unique power to uphold the Torah.
5The first to give his life was Avraham Avinu, when the wicked Nimrod cast him into the fiery furnace.4 As the Rambam explains, until Avraham Avinu there was no one who made Hashem's Name known in the world.5 The Raavad objected: Shem and Ever were there, and they too taught Torah. But the commentators, among them the Migdal Oz, answered that Avraham Avinu gave himself over to be killed, and so taught mankind what mesirus nefesh is.6 As is well known, the Ramban explains that “the deeds of the fathers are a sign for the children”:7 through their service the holy Avos imparted their ways to the generations to come and rooted them there. So the Avos' service was to root this power of mesirus nefesh in the generations to come and instill it in them, for this is the power and strength of the Jewish people.
וְהִנֵּה הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁמָּסַר נַפְשׁוֹ הָיָה אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ ע״ה בְּעֵת שֶׁהוּשְׁלַךְ לְכִבְשַׁן הָאֵשׁ עַל יְדֵי נִמְרוֹד הָרָשָׁע (בראשית רבה לח, יט) וְכַמְּבוֹאָר ברמב״ם ז״ל (פ״א מהלכות עבודה זרה הלכה ב-ג), שֶׁעַד אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ לֹא הָיָה מִי שֶׁהוֹדִיעַ שְׁמוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ בָּעוֹלָם, וְהִנֵּה הראב״ד הִשִּׂיגוֹ שֶׁהֲרֵי הָיוּ שָׁם שֵׁם וְעֵבֶר שֶׁהֵם גַּם לִימְּדוּ תּוֹרָה. אַךְ פֵּירְשׁוּ הַמְּפָרְשִׁים (מגדל עוז שם) שֶׁאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ ע״ה מָסַר עַצְמוֹ לַהֲרִיגָה, וְלִימֵּד לִבְנֵי הָאָדָם אֶת עִנְיַן מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ. וְהִנֵּה יָדוּעַ הַמְּבוֹאָר ברמב״ן ז״ל (בראשית יד, ו) אֲשֶׁר מַעֲשֵׂה אָבוֹת סִימָן לְבָנִים (סוטה לד, א), שֶׁעַל יְדֵי עֲבוֹדָתָם הִשְׁפִּיעוּ הָאָבוֹת הַקְּדוֹשִׁים וְהִשְׁרִישׁוּ מִדַּרְכֵיהֶם לַדּוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים. וְעַל פִּי זֶה יוּבָן דַּעֲבוֹדַת הָאָבוֹת הַקְּדוֹשִׁים הָיָה לְהַשְׁרִישׁ וּלְהַכְנִיס לַדּוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים אֶת הַכֹּחַ הַזֶּה שֶׁל מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ, שֶׁזֶּהוּ כֹּחוֹ וְתָקְפּוֹ שֶׁל עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל.
  1. Bereishis Rabbah 38:19; in standard editions 38:13. ↩
  2. Hilchos Avodah Zarah 1:2–3. ↩
  3. Migdal Oz there. ↩
  4. Ramban on Bereishis 14:6 (the principle is set out most fully on 12:6); Sotah 34a. ↩
In shortAvraham first taught the world mesirus nefesh, and since the Avos' deeds take root in their children, they planted this power in all generations.
6When the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded Avraham Avinu about the Akeidah, the binding of Yitzchak, Avraham rejoiced that a mitzvah of mesirus nefesh had come his way. We find the same with R' Akiva, who said, “All my days I was pained … When will it come to my hand so that I may fulfill it?”8 This was all the more so for Avraham Avinu, because he wished, through his service, to root the power of mesirus nefesh in the generations to come. So when Hashem told him not to slaughter Yitzchak, he was deeply worried. He imagined that he would not be able to bequeath this power and hand it down to the generations, since his mesirus nefesh had remained only in thought and had not come out openly into actual deed. He therefore searched for a way to carry out mesirus nefesh in actual deed, so that he could pass it on. Now we can understand why Avraham Avinu pleaded to take a drop of blood from Yitzchak Avinu: so that through this act of mesirus nefesh in deed, he could pass the power on to the generations to come.
וְהִנֵּה בִּזְמַן שֶׁצִּוָּה לוֹ הקב״ה לְאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ ע״ה עַל הָעֲקֵידָה, שָׂמֵחַ עַל שֶׁנִּזְדַּמְּנָה לְיָדוֹ מִצְוַות מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בְּרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא (ברכות סא, ב) שֶׁאָמַר כָּל יָמַי הָיִיתִי מִצְטַעֵר וְכוּ׳ מָתַי יָבוֹא לְיָדִי וַאֲקַיְּימֶנּוּ. וּבְיִחוּד שֶׁהָיָה אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ ע״ה חָפֵץ לְהַשְׁרִישׁ עַל יְדֵי עֲבוֹדָתוֹ, אֶת כֹּחַ הַמְּסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ לַדּוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים. וְעַל כֵּן כַּאֲשֶׁר הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ אָמַר לוֹ שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁחוֹט אֶת יִצְחָק, הוּדְאַג לְנַפְשׁוֹ, כִּי דִּימָּה בְּמַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ שֶׁעַל יְדֵי כָּךְ לֹא יוּכַל לְהַנְחִיל וְלִמְסוֹר זֶה הַכֹּחַ שֶׁל מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ לְדוֹרוֹת, אַחַר שֶׁהַמְּסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ שֶׁלּוֹ נִשְׁאֲרָה רַק בְּמַחְשָׁבָה וְלֹא יָצְאָה לַפּוֹעַל בְּגִילּוּי. וְלָכֵן חִיפֵּשׂ וְחִיזֵּר דְּרָכִים הֵיאַךְ לְקַיֵּים בְּפוֹעַל מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיּוּכַל לְהַעֲבִיר זֶה לְדוֹרוֹת. וּמֵעַתָּה מוּבָן מַדּוּעַ הִפְצִיר אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ ע״ה לָקַחַת מִיִּצְחָק אָבִינוּ ע״ה טִיפַּת דָּם, כְּדֵי שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הַפְּעוּלָּה הַזֹּאת שֶׁל מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ בְּפוֹעַל, יוּכַל לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ כֹּחַ מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ לְדוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים.
  1. Berachos 61b. R' Akiva was troubled by the words “with all your soul,” which Chazal read as “even if He takes your soul.” ↩
In shortTold to stop, Avraham feared that a sacrifice left in thought could not be handed down, so he pleaded for a drop of blood.
7Hashem answered Avraham Avinu: “On the contrary, the opposite is true. Had you slaughtered Yitzchak, this power would have gone entirely into Yitzchak and been hidden away within him, and it would not have remained in the world for the generations to come. But now that the mesirus nefesh has remained only in thought and did not come to actual deed, this power remains hovering in the air of the world, and so it will take root in Israel for the generations to come.” So the power of the Akeidah was in fact greater precisely because it remained in thought. The thought remained in the world, and from it an imprint of holiness will remain for the generations to come.
וְהֵשִׁיב לוֹ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לְאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ ע״ה, דְּאַדְּרַבָּה אִיפְּכָא מִסְתַּבְּרָא, כִּי בְּאִם הָיִיתָ שׁוֹחֵט אֶת יִצְחָק, אֲזַי הָיָה כֹּחַ זֶה כּוּלּוֹ נִכְנַס וְנֶעְלַם בְּיִצְחָק אָבִינוּ ע״ה, וְלֹא הָיָה נִשְׁאָר בָּעוֹלָם לְדוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים, אֲבָל עַתָּה שֶׁכָּל עִנְיַן הַמְּסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ נִשְׁאַר רַק בְּמַחְשָׁבָה וְלֹא בָּא לִידֵי מַעֲשֶׂה בְּפוֹעַל, נִשְׁאַר זֶה הַכֹּחַ תָּלוּי וְעוֹמֵד בַּחֲלַל הָעוֹלָם, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה יוּשְׁרַשׁ לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לַדּוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים. נִמְצָא שֶׁבֶּאֱמֶת הַכֹּחַ שֶׁל הָעֲקֵידָה הָיָה גָּדוֹל יוֹתֵר כַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא בְּמַחְשָׁבָה, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי כֵּן הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה נִשְׁאֲרָה בָּעוֹלָם, וּמִתּוֹךְ כָּךְ יִשָּׁאֵר רְשִׁימָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה לְדוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים.
In shortA sacrifice in deed would have sealed the power within Yitzchak; left in thought, it stays in the world as an imprint for all generations.
8On this basis we can explain Chazal's account of the dispute between Yitzchak and Yishmael. Yitzchak Avinu told Yishmael that if Hashem commanded him to offer himself as a sacrifice to Him, he would give his life. Yitzchak was arguing that he was more beloved to Hashem than Yishmael, since by offering himself to Hashem he could bequeath the power of mesirus nefesh to his descendants after him as well. That is why this power exists only in Israel: Yitzchak Avinu gave his life and so bequeathed this power to the generations, so that even in our own generation we can reach it. And when Yitzchak Avinu said these words to Yishmael, he gave the Akeidah the power to impart mesirus nefesh and bequeath it to the generations. That was the purpose of the Akeidah, as we saw with the deeds of the Avos: that through their service the holy Avos would bequeath the middah, the character trait, of mesirus nefesh to the generations. Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said at once, “Now is the time” for the test. This answers our first question: Yitzchak's words were what led to the test of Avraham.
וְעַל פִּי זֶה יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר אֶת מַאֲמַר חז״ל, בַּמֶּה שֶׁהָיוּ יִצְחָק וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל מִתְדַּיְּינִים זֶה עִם זֶה, שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ יִצְחָק אָבִינוּ ע״ה אֲשֶׁר בְּאִם יְצַוֶּה לִי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לְהַקְרִיב עַצְמִי קָרְבָּן לַה׳ אֶמְסוֹר נַפְשִׁי. וְהַיְינוּ שֶׁטָּעַן יִצְחָק אָבִינוּ ע״ה לְיִשְׁמָעֵאל, שֶׁהוּא יוֹתֵר חָבִיב מִמֶּנּוּ בְּעֵינֵי ה׳, שֶׁכֵּן עַל יְדֵי שֶׁיַּקְרִיב עַצְמוֹ לַה׳ בְּכוֹחוֹ לְהַנְחִיל כֹּחַ מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ גַּם לְזַרְעוֹ אַחֲרָיו. וְלָכֵן בֶּאֱמֶת הַכֹּחַ הַזֶּה יֶשְׁנוֹ רַק לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁיִּצְחָק אָבִינוּ ע״ה מָסַר נַפְשׁוֹ וּבָזֶה הִנְחִיל זֶה הַכֹּחַ לְדוֹרוֹת, כְּדֵי שֶׁאַף בְּדוֹרֵנוּ אָנוּ נַגִּיעַ לָזֶה. וּכְשֶׁאָמַר יִצְחָק אָבִינוּ ע״ה הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלּוּ לְיִשְׁמָעֵאל, נָתַן בְּכֹחַ הָעֲקֵידָה לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ וּלְהַנְחִיל מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ לְדוֹרוֹת, אֲשֶׁר זֶה הָיָה תַּכְלִית הָעֲקֵידָה כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, שֶׁהָאָבוֹת הַקְּדוֹשִׁים בַּעֲבוֹדָתָם יַנְחִילוּ לְדוֹרוֹת מִידַּת מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ, לָכֵן מִיָּד אָמַר הקב״ה הֲרֵי הַשָּׁעָה.
In shortYitzchak claimed his readiness to be sacrificed could pass mesirus nefesh to his descendants; that was the Akeidah's purpose, so Avraham's test came at once.
9We see this power in every generation: it is the way of the Jewish people to give their lives for the Torah and the mitzvos. In our own generation too we have been privileged to see mesirus nefesh in every form. We see in this generation how much mesirus nefesh there is in acts of kindness. And after the days of wrath and fury,9 thank God, we have been privileged to establish splendid Torah institutions. All this is in the merit of the holy people of Israel, who are asked to give and do give. Such giving is itself mesirus nefesh, as we know,10 and as Chazal expound: “‘With all your soul,’ even if He takes your soul; ‘with all your might,’ with all your money.”11 Blessed is Hashem, we see mesirus nefesh in all these things.
וּבֶאֱמֶת זֶה הַכֹּחַ רוֹאִים אָנוּ בְּמֶשֶׁךְ כָּל הַדּוֹרוֹת, שֶׁדַּרְכָּם שֶׁל עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל לִמְסוֹר אֶת נַפְשָׁם לְמַעַן הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹות, וְכֵן גַּם בְּדוֹרֵנוּ זָכִינוּ לִרְאוֹת מִידַּת מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ בְּכָל הַדְּרָכִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁרוֹאִים בַּדּוֹר הַזֶּה כַּמָּה מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ יֵשׁ בְּעִנְיְנֵי חֶסֶד, וְכֵן זֶה שֶׁאַחֲרֵי יְמוֹת עֶבְרָה וָזַעַם, ב״ה זָכִינוּ לְהָקִים מוֹסְדוֹת הַתּוֹרָה לְתִפְאֶרֶת, וְהַכֹּל הוּא בִּזְכוּת שֶׁבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל קְדוֹשִׁים וְנִתְבָּעִים וְנוֹתְנִים, וְזֶהוּ מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ כַּיָּדוּעַ (עיין דברים כד, טו ובבא מציעא קיב, א), וּכְמוֹ שֶׁדָּרְשׁוּ חז״ל (ברכות נד, א) בְּכָל נַפְשְׁךָ (דברים ו, ה) אֲפִילּוּ הוּא נוֹטֵל אֶת נַפְשְׁךָ, בְּכָל מְאֹדֶךָ בְּכָל מָמוֹנְךָ, וּבָרוּךְ ה׳ אָנוּ רוֹאִים מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ בְּכָל אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים.
  1. Evidently a reference to the Holocaust. ↩
  2. See Devarim 24:15 and Bava Metzia 112a. The verse says of a hired worker that he sets his life on his wages, and the Gemara explains that he risks his life to earn them. Giving away money one has earned is thus a giving of one's life. ↩
  3. Berachos 54a; Devarim 6:5. ↩
In shortMesirus nefesh lives on in our generation, in kindness and in the giving that built Torah institutions, for giving money is giving one's life.
10There are, however, some things I thought right to mention, above all in the education of children. From what I have seen, all week long a working man has no connection with his home and children, and here too a little mesirus nefesh is needed. Likewise with Torah study: everyone must fix times for Torah. The Hafla'ah explains in his introduction, as the Sha'arei Teshuvah cites, that likbo'a, “to fix,” is related to robbing, as in kav'an peloni, “so-and-so robbed him.”12 That is, one must forcibly “steal” time from one's day and engage in Torah, and this too counts as mesirus nefesh. The main thing is that we must see to it that the mesirus nefesh for educating children, which we have had in every generation, continues. Through this, “he will turn back the heart of fathers to sons and the heart of sons to their fathers”13 will be fulfilled, and we will be privileged to see the coming of Moshiach. Amen.
אָכֵן יֶשְׁנָם כַּמָּה דְּבָרִים שֶׁרָאִיתִי לְנָכוֹן לְהָעִיר עֲלֵיהֶם, וְהָעִיקָּר בְּעִנְיְנֵי חִינּוּךְ. דְּהִנֵּה כְּפִי מַה שֶׁרָאִיתִי, בְּכָל יְמוֹת הַשָּׁבוּעַ אֵין לְבַעַל הַבַּיִת שַׁיָּיכוּת לְבֵיתוֹ וִילָדָיו, וּבָזֶה גַּם צְרִיכִים לְהַכְנִיס מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ קְצָת. וְכֵן לְעִנְיַן לִימּוּד הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ כָּל אֶחָד לִקְבּוֹעַ עִתִּים לַתּוֹרָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּירְשׁוּ (הקדמת הפלאה כתובות אות לה, הובא בשערי תשובה קנו, א) שֶׁ׳לִקְבּוֹעַ׳ הוּא מִלְּשׁוֹן גֶּזֶל, כְּמוֹ קְבָעָן פְּלָנְיָא (ראש השנה כו, ב), וְהַיְינוּ שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִגְזוֹל בְּכֹחַ מִן הַזְּמַן וְלַעֲסוֹק בַּתּוֹרָה, וְגַם זֶה לִמְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ יֵחָשֵׁב. כִּי הָעִיקָּר צְרִיכִים לִרְאוֹת לְהַמְשִׁיךְ אֶת הַמְּסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ שֶׁהָיָה לָנוּ בְּכָל הַדּוֹרוֹת אוֹדוֹת חִינּוּךְ, וּבָזֶה יְקוּיַּם ״וְהֵשִׁיב לֵב אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים וְלֵב בָּנִים עַל אֲבוֹתָם״ (מלאכי ג, כד), וְנִזְכֶּה לְבִיאַת מָשִׁיחַ אָמֵן:
  1. Introduction of the Hafla'ah to Kesubos, §35, cited in Sha'arei Teshuvah 156:1; Rosh Hashanah 26b. ↩
  2. Malachi 3:24. ↩
In shortThis inherited mesirus nefesh belongs in our children's education and in “stealing” time for Torah, which will turn fathers' and sons' hearts and bring Moshiach.
Takeaway

Avraham's greatest test never came to a deed, and precisely because it remained in thought, it stayed in the world as an imprint of holiness that every Jew inherits. The power to give ourselves for Torah and mitzvos is already planted in us by the Avos. We are asked to use it today: in kindness and generous giving, in stealing fixed times for Torah from a busy day, and above all in giving our time to our children's education.

Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›

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