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.

Toldot: The Holy City of Gaza

by Rav Netanel Yosifun, Rosh Yeshivat Orot Netanya , yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

It is told that a Jew once came to the late saintly Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu (Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel, 1983-1993), and told him that he was intending to reprint the exalted and famous Sabbath hymn Y-ah Ribon Alam. Rabbi Eliyahu said to him that where the name of the author, Rabbi Yisrael Najara (d. 1628) appears, it should also be noted prominently that he was the Rabbi of the city of Gaza (in which he was also buried). Why? Rav Eliyahu explained that it should be publicized that Gaza had a large Jewish population and that it is an integral part of our Holy Land.

The entire Land is sacred, of course, and in our times it is particularly important that we discuss and emphasize the holiness and prominence of the city of Gaza and of the Gaza Strip in general – especially this week when this area figures significantly in our Torah portion of Toldot (B'reshit 25,19-28,9). (There is even talk in some circles of resettling the area now, to "atone" for the Disengagement and destruction of Jewish Gaza, known as Gush Katif, in 2005.)

We read in Parashat Toldot that our Patriarch Yitzchak was commanded not to leave the Holy Land. He then went in the path of his father Avraham and lived in Grar – which, according to modern research, is located practically adjacent to the Gaza Strip, in the area known today as Re'im [the epicenter of the calamitous Hamas slaughter 14 months ago].

Our forefathers fought many times in history over this area with the Plishtim. In Toldot we read that the struggle was first expressed in the digging of wells: The Plishtim plugged up the wells that Avraham had dug, and Yitzchak re-dug them, and the Plishtim again fought with him over them. Only when Yitzchak dug a third well a bit further away did the Plishtim leave him in peace, and even forged a treaty with him.

The famous Biblical commentator Rav David Kimchi (the Radak, d. 1235 in France) writes as follows:

"All these stories about the digging of the wells and giving them names come to tell us that Yitzchak was able to dig without being bothered in the uncontested parts of the Land of Israel … And this was a sign for them that G-d was to give them and their descendants that land – but the land of Plishtim [known today as the Gaza Strip], even though it is part of Eretz Yisrael [emphasis added], was not securely in their hands, and this is why there was a fight about the border. All this says that this area will not be secure in their hands [until] the days of the Messiah."

That is to say: Our holy Patriarchs fought for this area because it is a part of the Land of Israel, but this struggle will last for all generations, until Messianic times.

And here we see something astonishing, which indicates the importance of the Gaza Strip as critical in the conquest of the entire Land and the building of Jerusalem:

The Torah tells us that both Avraham and Yitzchak forged treaties with King Avimelekh of Grar. In Deuteronomy (2,23) we read: "The Avites, residing in Hatzerim up to Gaza – the Caftorites living in Caftor destroyed them, and settled in their place." Onkelos translated the word Hatzerim as meaning Rafiach, none other than today's Rafah. This tells us that the Avites lived throughout the Strip, from the city of Gaza southward to Rafah.

Rashi there explains why the Torah saw fit to tell us this little tidbit: "The Avites are of the Plishtim… and because of the oath that Avraham made to Avimelekh, [we] his descendants were unable to take their land, therefore [G-d] brought the Caftories upon them; the Caftorites destroyed them and took their land – and now Israel is permitted to take that land from them."

We thus see that because of the covenant between Avraham and the king of Grar, we were unable to conquer the entire Strip, because the descendants of the Grarites lived there, until the Caftories took over, enabling us to inherit the Gaza Strip.

Let us go a step further. The Ramban states that this issue actually delayed the Israelites' entry into the Land following the Exodus from Egypt! He explains that this is why we did not enter the Land directly via the Gaza area – as is written, "G-d did not lead them along the Plishtim route even though it was shorter" (Sh'mot 13,17) – because "Israel did not inherit the land of Plishtim until the oath was expired, that is, after three generations of Plishtim had died."

The Ramban cites in this context the Medrash Mechilta as explaining "even though it was shorter" as meaning, more literally, "because it was short" – it was too soon after the oath between Avraham and Avimelekh!

This seems to apply even to Jerusalem. See Radak on Yehoshua 15,63, which implies that the reason the Israelites did not conquer Jerusalem in Yehoshua's time was because the Yevusites – descendants of Avimelekh – still lived there. Only after Avimelekh's grandson died did King David ascend and conquer Jerusalem.

We thus see that the liberation of Gaza is the key to our conquest of our entire Holy Land! With G-d's help, may we soon merit that our defeat of Hamas in Gaza will lead to the complete and absolute liberation of Jerusalem and to the construction of our Holy Temple, speedily in our times, Amen!

Toldot: Esav's Deceptive in His Perennial Struggle with Israel

by Rabbi Dov Lior, former Rabbi of Kiryat Arba, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

This week's Torah portion of Toldot (B'reshit 25,19-28,9), recounts the birth of twin boys, Yaakov and Esav, to Yitzchak and Rikvah. Even inside their mother's womb, these twins went their separate ways – one to holiness, one to the opposite. 

The root of the conflict between them lies in the fundamental contrast that divides them. On the one hand, within our Patriarch Yaakov were embedded spiritual powers as early as when he was in the womb, and from there they continually grew and expanded. On the other hand, Esav's impurity simply could not tolerate the revelation of holiness. 

The struggle between them began before they were born, as G-d told Rivkah: "Two nations are in your womb… and one kingdom shall be stronger than the other" (25,23). And it continues up to this very day, as the Sages taught in the Midrash: "It is a clear Halacha [Jewish law] that Esav loathes Yaakov."

The source for this hatred is imbedded so deeply within Yaakov's nemesis that it cannot be repressed in This World. Only when Yaakov and his descendants – the Jewish People – attain a sufficiently sublime level of spirituality will the wickedness in the world recognize the power of this spirituality and yield to it. 

This long-lasting struggle is waged on various fronts, and we see in this week's Torah portion that it involves deception and trickery as well. At one point, Rivka warns Yaakov to watch out for his brother: "Esav your brother is mit'nachem to you to kill you" (27.42). The renowned 19th-century commentator Netziv (R. Naftali Tzvi Berlin, in his Harchev Davar) explains the word mit'nachem to mean that Esav is playing a tricky game here. For he knows that Yaakov knows that he wants to kill him, and he sees Yaakov taking extra precautions against him. Esav thereupon acts, on the outside, as if he does not want to harm Yaakov. Rikva, however, sees right through him, and warns Yaakov that his brother is aiming "to kill you - his declaration that he wants peace are just a trick so that he will be able to harm you, and you must therefore escape."  

Over the past years [this was written in late 2007 - HF], we have been witness to a phenomenon by which our enemies claim to want peace – when really their intentions are to soothe us to careless sleep. The true desire of the Europeans and their Arab supporters is to destroy Yaakov, its land, and its state. There is absolutely no truth to their peace declarations. 

Our nation must know that our peace and security will not come from the other nations, but rather from within our own spiritual strengths. We must strengthen our Torah observance, and then "the voice is the voice of Yaakov" (27,22) – at which time Esav and supporters will have no ability to harm us.

We pray to merit that our nation and all its members awaken from their slumber, recognize their mission in the world, and act in accordance with the Divine charge. Would that we be a light unto the nations, and merit to see G-d's salvation upon His nation and inheritance – very soon!