Toldos - Keeping the Tradition

Parshas Toldos is basically the story of our patriarch Yitzhak. His story is in fact quite short, much shorter than the stories of Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph. It begins in parshas Chayay Sarah with him being brought as a human sacrifice and with the story of the stolen blessing in Toldos being a transition to the story of Yaakov our patriarch.

The story of Isaac is very similar to the story of his father Avraham. Both of them only had one woman who really played a major role in their life. This is unlike Jacob who had two wives of importance. Both men were uncomfortably barren for many years. Both had a righteous son who was a pillar of the faith as well as a difficult son who really didn’t keep it. Both had conflicts with kings brought on by the beauty of their wives. Both contended over water with Avimelech and the Plishtim and subsequently made a shotgun peace with him at Beer Sheva. Both were rich and preached in the name of G-d. The story of Abraham begins with the test of being commanding to leave his native land. The story of Isaac begins with the test of being brought as a burnt offering. Both in the end are buried by their two sons in Machpela Cave.

G-d’s blessings to all three of the patriarchs are similar. Specifically they will have many descendants, who are compared to stars, dust or both, possess the holy land, and be a blessing to all humanity. Yitzhak differs from his father in that he is not a traveller rather he stays put in the land of Israel. His exclusive connection to the land of Israel gives him a special greatness among the other patriarchs who spent significant periods of time outside the holy land.

However the true greatness of Yitzchak was that he carried on the traditions of Avraham and developed them. When the holy One, blessed be He, tells Isaac not to ever leave Israel, He tells him that he will receive many big blessings because of his father. Abraham is praised with four languages of subservience, “that he kept My precepts (משמרתי), commandments (מצותי), laws (חקותי), and instructions (תורתי).

These describe four ways of keeping the tradition. Precepts are the guiding principles in a person’s heart and mind that he uses to lead his life. Commandments are things that one is ordered to do by a formal superior, like in the army. Laws not only include the laws of the land but also popular social practices. Instructions and education are things learned in school. It is through these four things that we attach ourselves not only to the giants of the Jewish people but to Hakadosh Baruch Hu as well. In addition it is through excellence and devotion to them that we obtain greatness and glory too.

לע"נ  הדוד שמואל בן יואל לייב ז"ל נלב"ע א כסלו תשמ"ד

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