With sadness, we inform the community of the passing last night of Mendy Fine (Avraham Menachem Mendel ben Tzvi Leib, a"h). The funeral will take place at Alta Mesa cemetery in Palo Alto on Monday at 1:30 pm. We should share Besorot Tovot.
Derasha
Yitzchok is an almost overlooked figure in the Chumash. Only this Parasha is devoted to him whereas Avraham has three Parashiot and the story of Yaakov spreads out over fully half of the book of Bereishit.
The easiest reason for this discrepancy is that Yitzchok does not do much. The stories in the Chumash capture the exploits of those who act. For Yitzchok, a lot is done to him but he does not initiate almost anything; he is a dramatically passive figure.
Perhaps the most miraculous thing that happens to Yitzchok is that he is born. His parents’ passage into childbearing capacity is the story; he is merely the fruit of the miracle. Granted, almost nobody “does” much in being born (besides Yaakov, who emerges nipping at his brother’s heel) but for Yitzchok, it is the beginning of a passive pattern. Bris Mila is done to him. Likewise, the Akeida occurs to him. His wife is found by others. He is fooled by Esav into thinking his older son is special, and he is fooled by his younger son into blessing him instead of Esav. He is manipulated by his wife in several instances, including in sending Yaakov off to find a wife from her family.
But there is a huge lesson in this passivity. It is true that he is unlike Avraham, who is a massive builder. What he teaches the world instead is the power -- and it is a power -- to accept things as they unfold. One explicit comparison to his father will suffice: They both have encounters with Avimelech, the king of Gerar, in which they tell the king that their wives are really their sisters. But in Avraham’s case, he has already rehearsed this scene when he and Sara go to Egypt. It was planned with Avimelech as it was planned with Paro. Yitzchok, on the other hand, says nothing to his wife to prepare her. And there is one other difference from Avraham: Yitzchok does not speak up until he is “asked about his wife.” Having waited until the last possible moment, it is at that point a matter of saving his own life. (When Avimelech complains, YItzchok’s defence is that he would have been killed.) Only the imperative to save his own life will get him to act.
For Yitzchok, this passivity forges a direct relationship with Hashem. He knows viscerally that whatever happens to him has no mixture of himself in it. It is directly from Hashem. He does not want to interfere with what is unfolding unless he must. Interference would dilute the relationship.
It is not clear that this level of passivity is for almost anyone else. In fact, the Torah describes Rivka as intervening because of the peril of this approach. The Ramban says that Rivka does not tell Yitzchok about Esav’s true nature because perhaps his reaction would have been not to bless either son and to leave it up to Hashem. Leaving it up to Hashem is his basic default position.
The Torah seems to emphasize that Yitzchok is not to be imitated. The Torah says twice that the families of the earth will be blessed through the patriarchs. In the beginning of Lech Lecha, Avraham is told, “V’nivr’chu B’cha Kol Mishpachot Haadama.” In the beginning of VaYetzei, next week, Yaakov is told exactly the same thing, with the addition that the blessing will come through his offspring as well. What about Yitzchok? He is told that others will be blessed through his seed but not through him.
This difference can be traced to Rashi’s comment about the meaning of the phrase that “the world will be blessed through you.” Rashi says that the world will bless its children to be “like you.” This will be true for Avraham and for Yaakov but not for Yitzchok.
It is difficult to relate to Yitzchok’s passivity. But even if a full imitation of him is not recommended, his approach has a place. It is surely a part of the mixture of being a Jew, a capacity to be sober and sensible in light of the facts as they appear. This is the capacity to surrender to Hashem’s will. One cannot see in what befalls one only the play of nefarious forces, or chance, G-d forbid. It is not just useless to resist out of willfulness; it is delusional.
Congregation Emek Beracha 4102 El Camino Real Palo Alto, CA 94306
