Parshat Toldos 5785
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha that Yaakov receives the blessings intended for Eisav. He follows the directions of his mother Rivka, and dresses up in the clothes of Eisav. And when he approaches his father Yitzchak, who asks him who he is, he responds (Chapter 27, Pasuk 19), אנכי עשו בכורך; I am Eisav your first born. How does Yaakov wear the clothes of Eisav and then claim that he is his brother?
The Mishnah in Avos (Chapter 5, Mishnah 3) teaches עשרה דורות מנח עד אברהם להודיע כמה ארך אפים לפניו, שכל הדורות היו מכעיסין ובאין, עד שבא אברהם אבינו וקבל שכר כולם. There were ten generations from Noach until Avraham, and they angered Hashem, but when Avraham came, he received the reward of all of those generations. We understand that Avraham Avinu was a Tzadik and received great reward, but what does it mean he received the reward of all those previous generations, קבל שכר כולם? If those previous generations deserved reward, they received it themselves, and if they didn’t deserve reward, what was their reward that Avraham received?
The commentators on the Mishnah, most prominently Rashi and Rabbeinu Yonah, explain this Mishnah based on the Gemara in Chagigah 15A which teaches, כל אחד ואחד יש לו ב' חלקים, אחד בגן עדן ואחד בגיהנם. Everyone has two portions, one in Gan Eden and one in Gehinnom. זכה צדיק, נטל חלקו וחלק חברו בגן עדן; if the Tzadik merits, he receives his portion, plus the portion of his friend in Gan Eden. נתחייב רשע נטל חלקו וחלק חברו בגיהנם. And if the wicked person deserves Gehinnom, he receives his portion and his friend’s portion as well. Therefore, Avraham who was a Tzadik, received not only his portion, but the portion of the previous generations who didn’t merit Gan Eden, as well.
What is the basis of this calculation? How can the actions of one person impact the reward or punishment of another?
The Maggid of Koznitz, in his commentary on Pirkei Avos, Avodas Yisrael, explains the Gemara in the following manner. Every person begins with the same possibilities, as a mixture of good and evil. He has a חלק הטוב, a portion of pure and positive thoughts and holiness, and also a portion of impure thoughts and of temptation to sin. When the Rasha follows his impure side, the light of holiness contained within him can’t remain and has nowhere to go; as the Maggid says, אין לו מקום לחול. As a result, it ends up with the Tzadik. And conversely, when the Tzadik rejects his side of evil and sin, it leaves him and is willingly picked up by the Rasha. But in both situations, it can’t remain where it began. This is the concept of נוטל חלקו וחלק חברו. And this explains how Avraham received all the reward of the previous generations.
The Zohar Hakadosh in parshat Emor brings a pasuk in sefer Iyov which states (Chapter 27, Pasuk 17), יכין וצדיק ילבש; He, i.e. the Rasha, prepares and the Tzadik wears. The pasuk is referring to a wicked person, so the meaning is, a רשע prepares, he does some mitzvos, but his sins are too overwhelming for him to receive eternal reward. The result is that they are passed on to the Tzadik, who wears them as part of his garment of righteousness in Olam Haba.
The Sfas Emes teaches that יכין can also be understood as prepared, as in מוכן. That which is prepared for the wicked person at his birth, is taken over by the Tzadik. The Tzadik wears the garment of that which was meant for, but rejected by, the Rasha, נוטל חלקו וחלק חברו.
The Sfas Emes teaches that this is what is meant that Rivka gave Yaakov the garments of Eisav. Yitzchak knew that Eisav had a חלק גן עדן, and it was that Eisav that he wanted to bless. But Eisav wasn’t interested and he rejected the life of Kedushah, the life and sacrifice and devotion to Hashem. But Yaakov was happy to assume that role and responsibility. Yaakov wore the garments of Eisav, the חלק גן עדן which he abandoned.
When Yaakov comes close, the pasuk says (Chapter 27, Pasuk 27), וירח את ריח בגדיו ויברכהו; Yitzchak smelled the odor of his clothes and he blessed him. And Rashi explains that this beautiful fragrance he smelled was the smell of Gan Eden. This is because Yaakov was wearing the clothes of Gan Eden meant for Eisav but acquired by Yaakov, יכין וצדיק ילבש. And it was in the clothes of Eisav with the smell of Gan Eden that Eisav could have merited, that Yaakov responds, אנכי עשו בכורך. I am Eisav, i.e. that which he could have had.
Good Shabbos
Print this article