Toldot: Matriarch Rivka's Heroism - Combining Strengths

by Rav Yitzchak Zaga, Beit HaRav Kook, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

In this week's Torah portion of Toldot (B'reshit 25,19 – 28,9), we read of the birth of the twins Yaakov and Esav to our Patriarch Yitzchak and Matriarch Rivka, and the story of the "stolen" blessings. A deep reading of the portion also shows us the might and heroism of Rivka, as shown in her proactive role in ensuring that the blessings are delivered to their proper address, namely, Yaakov.

It is well known that the primary trait of our Forefather Avraham is Chessed (lovingkindness), and that of Yitzchak Avinu is G'vurah (strength, bold force). The G'vurah of Yitzchak comes to actualize and give practical expression to Avraham’s trait of Chessed; so writes the holy saintly HaRav A. I. Kook. (Though Rav Kook died in 1933, his legacy of Torah leadership lives on in very wide circles of religious Jewry in Israel, and abroad, today.)

When we speak of G'vurah, we note that in the realm of concrete action, it has two levels: that of Yitzchak, and that of his wife Rivka.

The Rav writes (in Shmoneh Kvatzim 6,163): "It must necessarily be that everything that disturbs the light of great Chessed from appearing in the world must be expelled, neutralized, and nullified with all strength." This means, perhaps unintuitively, that it is precisely because of Avraham's trait of great kindness that we know that whatever seeks to prevent the great light of Divine kindness from spreading throughout Creation must be forcefully deleted and removed.

Rav Kook continues: "The validity of this Divine kindness shines with the glory of the Heavenly G'vurah – the G'vurah of Yitzchak." That is, the divine Chessed that shone in Avraham is gloriously revealed in the Heavenly G'vurah of Yitzchak, because "the world of action and doing is not appropriate for him [Yitzchak]." That is to say, the revelation of Yitzchak's G'vurah is not enough – because it is merely a relative revelation found on a high spiritual level, but one that is not sufficiently practical to be able to wisely actualize things on an appropriate level for this world of action. This work that must be done requires, also, the power to negate anything that mars the revelation of the Chessed.

Rav Kook's words continue: "But it must connect and unite with a weaker life-shine – one that is still full of strength and solid Divine will that can stand before anything that would negate it – but it is initially derived from the will of evil and brazen people, even if it was later purified … In Rivka – our holy Matriarch who was descended of Betuel from Padan Aram and was the sister of the wicked Aramite Lavan – we find practical Chessed in the framework of practical G'vurah, and not of abstract idealism."

This difficult passage means that one of the two forms of G'vurah brings out the best of the other. The G'vurah of Yitzchak must necessarily link up with that of Rivka, which is full of iron will – a force that can withstand anything that will block the light of Divine Chessed from appearing in the world. The source of this G'vurah originates, it is true, precisely from the aggressiveness of the wicked ones, Betuel and Lavan. But it is fundamentally a good and refined force that Rivka purifies by her good choice. And in this way, practical Chessed appears in the practical G'vurah of Rivka, which fills out the abstract, ideal G'vurah of Yitzchak.

These fundamental ideas have their effect on the practical aspects thereof, as Rav Kook continues: "This proper merging of the ideal G'vurah with the practical G'vurah – in both of which the light of Divine Chessed shines – is proper to be that which the House of Israel is established upon. As is written in Ovadiah: "The House of Yaakov will be fire, and the House of Yosef will be flames, and the house of Esav will be straw. And saviors will ascend Mt. Zion to judge the mountain of Esav, and G-d will retain the kingdom."

That is: The G'vurah of Yitzchak is idealistic and abstract, and merges with the refined G'vurah of Rivka, that which can be put into practice. In both of these, the light of Divine Chessed shines, from the source of Avraham.

The Nation of Israel is to use this cooperative venture to establish a world that has two types of work: that of building physically and that of negating that which is not-good, that which seeks to prevent the light of Chessed from shining forth. This latter is the source of that which the Prophet Ovadiah calls the "fire of Yaakov," which is manifest most fully in generation following Yaakov: his son Yosef HaTzaddik, who burns the force of Esav who battles against the shining forth of Irael's light. This is also the source of "the saviors," those who will ascend Mt. Zion to judge the mountain of Esav, and who will install G-d as King in His world.

The kindness of Avraham and Sarah is built upon the G'vurah of Yitzchak and Rivka, and is put into practice by Yaakov, Rachel, and Leah. And we, all of us, the followers of our holy Forefathers and Foremothers, must learn and adopt for ourselves their special path - including the ideal G'vurah of Yitzchak and the practical G'vurah of Rivka. We must know how to construct the great building of the nation, how to be positive - but also how to be firm against anything that hinders positivity, firmness, and the process of Israel's redemption. This, as we were privileged to see with our own eyes in the leadership of our great rabbi, son of Rav Kook, Rabbi Zvi Yehuda HaCohen Kook, of saintly blessed memory.