Parshat Toldos 5786
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha that Rivka has a difficult pregnancy, and she seeks out the word of Hashem to explain her predicament. Hashem tells her (through the prophet, according to Rashi, Shem), that she is carrying two nations in her womb; ולאם מלאם יאמץ. They will struggle with each other, sometimes one side will prevail, at other times the other will prevail. And the pasuk ends with the words, ורב יעבוד צעיר.
There are many explanations for the meaning of this term. Targum Onkelos learns that it means the older one, Eisav, will be subjugated to the younger one, Yaakov. The Gra, in his commentary on sefer Mishlei (33,15), teaches that this pasuk can be read both ways. Either, the older will serve the younger, like Onkelos, or with a comma after the word ורב, i.e. the younger will serve the older. The advantage of this p’shat is that it is consistent with the words ולאם מלאם יאמץ. It will be an up and down ongoing struggle. Sometimes, Yaakov will prevail and sometimes Eisav will be on top.
The Chasam Sofer understands according to the simple meaning, the older will serve the younger. However, he asks, who is the older and who is the younger? Eisav was chronologically older, but he sold the birthright to Yaakov. Maybe Yaakov is now the רב, and he will serve Eisav!
When Yaakov meets Eisav in parshat Vayishlach, Eisav says to Yaakov (Chapter 33, Pasuk 9), יש לי רב, אחי יהי לך אשר לך. Rashi comments that Eisav was acknowledging to Yaakov the blessings given to him by Yitzchak. And nonetheless, he referred to himself as יש לי רב. I will still be considered the רב in the pasuk ורב יעבוד צעיר. This is why Yaakov responds two pasukim later with יש לי כל. Now that you have acknowledged that the blessings and the birthright belong to me, but you will still be the רב, now I have כל; now I have everything.
The Sfas Emes asks a different question on the determination of who is the רב and who is the צעיר. Yaakov and Eisav were twins; they were born at the same time, separated presumably by just minutes. Is this enough of a basis to refer to one as the older and one as the younger, particularly for a blessing for eternity?
He teaches based on the Zohar Hakadosh that the term צעיר doesn’t relate to Yaakov’s age as the younger one. Rather, it refers to Yaakov’s ability to have humility, to make himself smaller, זעיר. And the word רב refers to Eisav’s trait of arrogance and inability to lower himself. As we mentioned earlier, Eisav refers to himself as having רב, an expression (the simple meaning, not like the Chasam Sofer) of grandiosity and overstatement. When Yaakov and his descendants maintain this level of humility and understatement in their words and actions, then they will prevail over the arrogance of Eisav. This is the meaning of ורב יעבוד צעיר.
When Yitzchak gives the bracha to Yaakov, he says to him (Chapter 27, Pasuk 28), ויתן לך אלוקים מטל השמים ומשמני הארץ. Rashi comments on the fact that the bracha begins with the letter “vav”, and He will give. What is the meaning of “And He shall give”; it should say “He will give etc.”. Rashi answers that it means ויתן ויחזור ויתן. He will give you and continue to give you. The pasuk is stressing a continuous and ongoing nature to the bracha.
The Sfas Emes adds another aspect to the meaning of ויתן ויחזור ויתן. As we stated, he teaches that the bracha comes as a result of the humility of Bnei Yisrael, and their ability to make themselves small. The ability to “rule over”, or perhaps more relevant today, to influence and impact the world around us, is not for us to feel a sense of power and entitlement; that’s the midah of Eisav. Our influence is meant to show the world the beauty of the Torah life and belief in Hashem.
Therefore, the Sfas Emes teaches that ויתן ויחזור ויתן teaches that even though we continue to receive bracha from Hashem, we don’t change. These words express the consistency of the humility of Clal Yisrael, despite being recipients of much bracha from Hashem. When we make ourselves small and maintain humility, success doesn’t cause us to change and become full of ourselves and proud of our success. A Jew needs to be לשם שמים, and not to show off.
Many people today struggle with this notion of maintaining humility and not changing from bracha. This is the opposite of being the צעיר that Yaakov was. This attitude of lavishness and overstatement can cause us to lose the bracha of רב יעבוד צעיר. We can, chas v’shalom, end up on the wrong side of this equation. We must not lose sight of our mission as a nation to be humble and show the world the greatness of Hashem.
Good Shabbos
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