There are conversations all the time. But in this week's
parsha, a dialogue took place which changed
history.
Yaakov was preparing a lentil stew on the day of the death of
his grandfather Avrohom. Eisov entered from the follies of
the field. He had a busy day. He had committed murder,
immorality, and denied the belief in techiyas hameisim
and Olom Habo. Now he was famished.
Eisov declared to Yaakov, "How about pouring that red
concoction down my throat?"
To which Yaakov replied, "Not so quick. I'll do it if you
sell me your birthright."
Eisov retorted, "Behold, I am going to die. Of what profit is
this birthright to me?" (Bereishis 25:32)
Eisov's statement begs for explanation. Have we heard
previously of Eisov's imminent death? What is this prognosis
about his dying? And also: what did he have against the
birthright? If Eisov did not want it so much, why did Yaakov
want it so much?
Rashi sheds light on this seeming enigma. "Eisov queried,
`What is the nature of this service for me? Yaakov replied,
`There are many warnings, penalties and deaths involved in
it.' (Bereishis 25:32)
"Yaakov explained: `My brother, this avodah will spell
only trouble for you. Whenever you step forward to offer
korbonos, you are risking punishment, perhaps even
death. For example, you'll saunter in from a hunt with blood
on your hands, ready to perform the avodah, and you'll
be tomei. Or, after stumbling in from a round of
drinking, the designated time for offering the sacrifices
will arrive. Doing the avodah in both of these
circumstances carries the death penalty.' "
Rashi records Eisov's reply "I'm going to die through this
[avodah]. If so what do I need it for?"
Eisov was not suffering from a fatal disease, but he
certainly had the burden of a potentially fatal
responsibility. The birthright also portended additional
risks for him. Why should Eisov forego his instinctual
lifestyle? How could he give up drinking? What would happen
to the immediate pleasures of life? That birthright was not
for him.
Everything Yaakov said to Eisov was true. Yaakov was an
ish tom; he would not lie. If so, what was the lure of
the birthright to him?
To Yaakov, the avodah meant the opportunity to cling
to the Shechina. Additionally, by offering the
korbonos he would provide the conduit for hashpo'as
brochos, an abundance of blessings, to flow down to the
earth. He would also continue the awesome mission of his
grandfather to spread Hashem's Will to the world. Any
potential pitfalls would pale in the face of such elevating
challenges.
Two individuals can view the identical object or event and
come to opposite conclusions. This is a startling
inconsistency.
HaRav Eliyahu Dessler, in Michtav Me'Eliyahu (Parshas
Chayei Soroh) develops an invaluable theme which can be
applied to explain our enigma. Each person has a "field of
vision" through which he views the world and the phenomena of
the world he comes in contact with. The dimensions of this
perspective are based on his spiritual level. The higher his
madreiga, the greater is his perception of the
spiritual reality around him.
Yaakov, based on his spiritual level, was able to view the
birthright as a positive, powerful force to utilize in
serving and becoming closer to the Shechina. Eisov,
not being able to rise above the more base, mundane level of
existence, could not grasp the spiritual profundity that
stemmed from the birthright and could therefore see it only
from its flip side: the negative and restrictive
perspective.
Perspective and attitude were of equal importance to our
other ovos, Avrohom and Yitzchok. A poignant example
of this is conveyed to us in Parshas Vayeiro.
Enroute to the Akeidoh, the posuk teaches us,
"On the third day, Avrohom lifted up his eyes and saw the
place from a distance." (Bereishis 22:4) Rashi states,
"He saw a cloud attached to the top of the mountain." The
master melamed is not just giving us a weather report.
The midrash ellucidates: "[Avraham] asked Yitzchak, `Do you
see what I see?' He answered, `Yes.' He [Avraham] asked the
youths [Eliezer and Yishmoel}, `Do you see what I see?' They
answered him, `No.' Avraham respnded, `Since the donkey does
not see and you {also} don't see, stay here with the donkey.'
"(Bereishis Rabba 56:2)
Avraham and Yitzchak, who lived every moment with the
knowledge of and the longing for the Shechina, saw the
manifestation of the Shechina that hovered over the
mountain. The ne'orim viewed the world from a
different perspective. Their fields of vision, their
perspectives and desires, revolved around the physical. It
therefore follows that they only saw the physical.
As a result, they were instructed by Avrohom to remain with
the chamor, the lowliest of creatures. The word
chamor is similar to chomer, referring to the
physical, material realm. That was where the ne'orim
were.
We all have some Eisov in us. Sometimes, in the morning our
eyelids are heavy. Boulders seem to be resting on our
shoulders. That is the time to remember that we are rising to
the avodah of life, as Yaakov Ovinu did.
With the advent of the microscope and telescope, we learned
that what we see with the naked eye is not necessarily the
entire physical reality. This is also the case in the
spiritual world.
We look around and see trees and flowers and mountains.
However in reality "the whole world is filled with His
Glory." The Shechina is everywhere! We can continually
build spiritual worlds (Nefesh Hachaim). We can reach
"the cloud hovering over the mountain," as did Avraham and
Yitzchak.
When one peers at the skies, he perceives it as a mere sea of
constellations. The Chovos Hatalmidim sees the Shomayim
as the place of the neshomos of tzaddikim,
celestial beings, and the Kisei Hakovod. He
explains that in davening when our eyes are turned
upwards and the words Kodosh, kodosh, kodosh, emanate
from our lips, our Father in heaven has no other desire, as
it were, than to look in turn into our eyes. He then takes
hold of the the image of Yaakov Ovinu in the Kisei
Hakovod, embraces and kisses him (representative of every
person in Am Yisroel), and hastens the Geulah
(Sefer Heicholos).
May our spiritual fields of vision pierce through the veil of
the physical universe. May we draw from the lessons of our
Ovos and "see the cloud hovering over the mountain." May we
reach the madregah where our maasim will truly
change the course of history.
