Toldot (Beresheet: 25:19 - 28:9) part 2, back to part 1, Torah Lesson Plan, or YHVH Homepage
It is the natural order of man to grow more self sufficient, more self secure and independent. It is not the natural order for man to become more spiritual, and more reliant on something outside of his own intellectual rational. Thus, if things would have followed the natural course, Yitzchak would have become less spiritual than his father, and there would have been a dilution of spirituality, like adding water to weaken the tea/coffee, as with each generation.
Since the birth of Yitzchak was not of the natural order, Yitzchak became the crown of his father. This implies that Yitzchak learned from his father, and became the pride of his father, as he ascended a rung above his father. What Avraham lacked was now present within Yitzchak. In the natural order of events, it is understandably that Yitzchak may have been confused (as the son of Abimelech) for Abimelech gave them many gifts and material riches. Yitzchak became wealthy materially. Since Hashem made Yitzchak to resemble Avraham physically, Hashem also made it clear that the channel of all his wealth, physical and spiritual, comes from Avraham and from the realm above natural. The soul has no hindrances, either in itself or when it seeks to translate the devotion into action.
This possibility is strongly inherited within each Jew, the ability to ascend to a higher service, above our previous generation. Each (toldot) offspring stronger, and higher than the one before. Always growing and expanding in the da'at Elokim (knowledge of Hashem).
The Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak wrote; "All the people on the face of the earth must know this: That only our bodies have been sent into exile and the servitude of foreign rulers. Our souls have not been exiled or enslaved. We must say openly before all, that in all matters relating to our religion, the Torah, the commandments and the customs of Israel, we Jews have no-one who can dictate to us, nor may any pressure be brought to bear against us." This statement seems to be a paradox, for what could be the possible advantage to having a free soul if the body which holds it is in exile? But this is the very strength of the soul, its desire to do the will of Hashem - there is labor. If there was no descent (exile) there would be no ascent. The soul has the capacity to remove the body from its servitude to physical constraints. And we must do this openly and naturally so that "all the people on the face of the earth" should see that Abimelech (worldly power) has no domain over the Jew either in body or in soul.
The Talmud, which usually deals with the "revealed" laws of the Torah, is dealing here with the skepticism which may come about within the "revealed" physical world. The Midrash usually wishes to combine the revealed Torah with the inner Torah. So it takes the issue of the Talmud, which deals with the worlds opinion of Yitzchak as the son of Abimelch, and explains to us that Yitzchak was the crown of his father. That the order of spiritual ascent is an issue which goes beyond the intellect, and thus, beyond the natural order of human advancement. Thus, Hashem made Yitzchak to resemble his father Avraham.
Chassidut, which deals with the inner makings of Divine service, teaches us how complete opposites are needed in order to achieve a proper service. It relates to us that we must combine these opposites. Fear, which usually represents a distance, and love, which represents a closeness. Kabbala and personal contemplation of the Torah, reveal that our physical service is but a moment in time. The soul itself is eternal, and is rewarded in the World to Come for its labors of this world. The Mishnah states; "The reward of a mitzvah (commandment) is the mitzvah itself." This obviously alludes to a perfect service of love: An unselfish service, without gain. Why then does the Zohar allude to reward within the World to Come?
We have learned that this world is the ultimate garment for the Life Force which penetrates it. For example, one may see a tree, leaves, bark, trunk, limbs, etc. However, this same tree, in order for it to exist, has within it Life Force which dictates it's very nature. This Life Force does not manifest itself as a material tree on High, but rather, it has a more simple, bodiless resemblance on High. It does not manifest into a physical tree until it reaches this lower realm. This world. For this reason, even our actions are only physical manifestations within this world, and equally, they ascend to another resemblance on High, as they leave this mundane dimension (this world). Such is the case with our Divine service (mitzvot). The Sages explain that which is rewarded to us in the World to Come is not an incidental consequence of man's good deeds within this world, but rather the deed itself. The deed in its unrevealed form (that which we do not see within this physical world). It is as if we are knitting a sweater to wear later.
The first three above explanations deal with direct service, while the Zohar deals with the reward. Since an opportunity to serve the world is our reward, the connection becomes clear, between the above explanations to our verse. This unity is related to us by the Lubavitcher Rebbe. He explains; Yitzchak was so called because the name means "rejoicing," and Sarah said, when he was born to her in her old age, "Elokim had made rejoicing for me." The Divine Name which is used here is "Elokim" rather than the four letter Divine Name which we refer to as Hashem. Elokim is usually taken to refer to God's imminence in nature. The Name Elokim is, in fact, numerically equivalent to the Hebrew word for nature, and it serves to conceal the four lettered Name which stands for His transcendence. There is a Chassidic explanation that the verse means "rejoicing has come from my service of sanctifying nature." That is, that in the physical world is hidden the imminent presence of God. By dedicating one's acts in holiness, one draws out this presence into openness and revelation, which is the Divine purpose in creation, causing God Himself to rejoice.
Man, who was created in the image of Hashem, also has, as it were, both imminent and transcendent aspects, the body and the soul respectively. As Hashem rejoices through our sanctification of the world, so He rejoices in our sanctification of the body, for this is the fulfillment of the Divine purpose. It is the soul which gives life to the body, in the World to Come it will be the body which will be the giver of life to the soul. For the purpose of Creation is realized by refinement of the body, and since the soul is the force which refines the body, it will therefore share in the pleasure created through its effect on the body. This is the ultimate connection between the above interpretations. The first three speak of man's service, of how the soul lifts the body out of its natural constraints, and by transforming nature into manifest holiness brings pleasure to Hashem.
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