"And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death"

Synopsis

The events leading to Yitzchak's 'mistaken-identity' blessing of Jacob are discussed by Rabbi Elazar, as he expounds upon the significance of trust in the story of the fiery furnace. In the story, three righteous people are tossed into a fire. The men possess unshakable trust in the Creator, and have no regard for their survival or destruction. For this reason, these righteous men miraculously avoid injury.

Through this story, Rabbi Elazar shows, in great depth, that only complete trust in the Light of the Creatort can bring forth Divine assistance. There must be no expectation or desire for a specific result - as is written, "according to his need." We're told of the importance of being prepared, and of dwelling on the Name of the Creator, and of how these qualities are intricately related to Torah study. Such study, we learn, requires a profound intention to extol the Creatort. Our efforts must be for the sake of the whole world, not for ourselves, so the earth shall be full of the Knowledge of the Creator. The Rabbis then return to the story of the blessing, its significance for future generations, and its relation to both the Shechinah and this mundane realm of Malchut.

Relevance

People may unknowingly embark on a spiritual path for selfish reasons. They have hidden expectations of self-serving gain. Though this is not always their conscious intention, it is the reality. We can know if our desires and efforts are pure when we ask the Light for what we need and not just what we want. We then trust in the spiritual path, regardless of any tests and obstacles we encounter. These verses increase our level of trust in the Creator. They invoke certainty in times of distress, strength during times of strife. We can embrace whatever life brings, certain of the spiritual purpose behind it.

Death Death and the Afterlife Esau Judgment Strength

122. וַיִּקְרָא אֶת עֵשָׂו בְּנוֹ הַגָּדוֹל, דְּאִתכַּלֵּל מִסִּטְרֵיהּ דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה נָא זָקַנְתִּי לֹא יָדַעְתִּי יוֹם מוֹתִי. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פְּתַח וַאֲמַר, אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם עוֹז לוֹ בָךְ וגו', זַכָּאָה בַּר נָשׁ, דְּאִתְתַּקַּף בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְיַשְׁוֵי תוֹקְפֵיהּ בֵּיהּ.

Azariah Daniel Eyes Hananiah Hands Mishael

123. This trust could be interpreted as the trust that Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah put in Him when they said, "Behold, our Elohim whom we serve is able to deliver us; He can deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and out of your hand, king..." (Daniel 3:17), MEANING, THAT THEY TRUSTED THAT THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, WOULD SURELY SAVE THEM FROM THE FIERY FURNACE. HE SAYS THAT THIS IS NOT SO, ONLY come and see, if He would not save them and be with them, it would come to pass that the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, would not be sanctified before the eyes of everyone, as they said. But when they realized they did not speak properly, they spoke again, saying "But if He does not, be it known to you, king..." (Ibid. 18), THAT IS, whether He will save them or not, let it be known to you that we will not worship an image. It was made known to them by Ezekiel, whom they heard and believed that the Holy One, blessed be He, would not be with them, TO SAVE THEM. AND HE TOLD THEM THAT, so that they would SURRENDER THEIR SOULS AND be rewarded. Then they spoke again, saying, "Be it known to you, King..."

123. יָכוֹל כַּחֲנַנְיָה מִישָׁאֵל וַעֲזַרְיָה, דְּאִתְתַּקָּפוּ וַאֲמָרוּ, הֵן אִיתַי אֱלָהָנָא דִי אֲנַחְנָא פָלְחִין, יָכִל לְשֵׁיזָבוּתַנָא מִן אַתּוּן נוּרָא יָקִדְתָּא וּמִן יְדָךָ מַלְכָּא יְשֵׁיזִב. תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּאִי לָא יְשֵׁזִיב, וְלָא אִתְקַיַּים עֲלַיְיהוּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אִשְׁתַּכַּח שְׁמֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּלָא יִתְקַדַּשׁ בְּעֵינַיְיהוּ דְּכֹלָּא, כְּמָה דַּאֲמָרוּ. אֶלָּא, כֵּיוָן דְּיָדְעוּ דְּלָא אֲמָרוּ כִּדְקָא יָאוֹת, אַהֲדָרוּ וַאֲמָרוּ, וְהֵן לָא יְדִיעַ לֶהֱוֵא לָךְ מַלְכָּא וגו'. בֵּין יְשֵׁזִיב בֵּין לָא יְשֵׁזִיב יְדִיעַ לֶהֱוֵי לָךְ מַלְכָּא וגו'. וְתָנִינָן דְּמִלָּה אוֹדַע לְהוֹ יְחֶזְקֵאל, וּשְׁמָעוּ וְקַבִּילוּ מִנֵּיהּ, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא אִתְקַיַּים עֲלַיְיהוּ, בְּגִין דִּיקַבְּלוּן אַגְרָא. וּכְדֵין אַהֲדָרוּ וַאֲמָרוּ, וְהֵן לָא יְדִיעַ לֶהֱוֵי לָךְ מַלְכָּא וגו'.

Heart Precepts Purification Strength Torah

124. A man should not assume and think, the Holy One, blessed be He, will save us, or, that the Holy One, blessed be He, will do such and such for me. However, it behooves man to place his trust in the Holy One, blessed be He, to help him ACCORDING TO HIS NEED, as long as he strives to keep the precepts of Torah and to walk the path of truth. When a man wishes to be purified, he is surely helped, and he should trust the Holy One, blessed be He, to help him in this. And he should put his trust in Him, and not in another. Therefore, it is written, "Whose strength is in you." "In whose heart are your highways" (Tehilim 84:6) MEANS that it behooves him to prepare his heart as fit, so that no strange thoughts will come into it, but to be as a mended way to pass through, wherever one needs to, EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT. THUS WHETHER THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, DOES GOOD FOR HIM OR NOT, HIS HEART SHOULD BE READY AND PREPARED, AND NOT HARBOR STRANGE THOUGHTS IN ANY CASE WHATSOEVER.

124. אֶלָּא לָא יִתְתַּקַּף בַּר נָשׁ, דְּיֵימָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יְשֵׁזְבִינַנִי, אוֹ אִיהוּ עָבִיד לִי כָּךְ וְכָךְ, אֲבָל יְשַׁוֵּי תּוּקְפֵיהּ בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דִּיסַיֵּיעַ לֵיהּ, כַּד אִיהוּ אִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאִינוּן פִּקּוּדִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וּלְמֵיהַךְ בְּאֹרַח קְשׁוֹט, דְּכֵיוָן דְּאָתֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאִתְדַּכָּאָה, מְסַיְיעִין לֵיהּ וַדַּאי, וּבְדָא יִתְתַּקַּף בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּאִיהוּ יְסַיֵּיעַ לֵיהּ, וְיִתְתַּקַּף בֵּיהּ, דְּלָא יַשְׁוֵי תּוֹקְפֵיהּ בְּאָחֳרָא, וּבְגִין כָּך עוֹז לוֹ בָךְ. מְסִלּוֹת בִּלְבָבָם, דְּיַעֲבֵיד לִבֵּיהּ כִּדְקָא יָאוֹת, בְּלָא הִרְהוּרָא אָחֳרָא, אֶלָּא כְּהַאי מְסִלָּה, דְּאִיהִי מִתְיַישְׁבָא, לְאַעֲבָרָא בְּכָל אֲתַר דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ, הָכֵי נָמֵי.

Cloud Earth Heart Shechinah Strength Torah

125. Another explanation for, "Happy is the man, whose strength is in You." Strength as in "Hashem gives strength to His people" (Tehilim 29:11), MEANS THE TORAH. AND "WHOSE STRENGTH IS IN YOU" MEANS that it is incumbent on a man to be occupied in studying Torah for the name (sake) of the Holy One, blessed be He, NAMELY, THE SHECHINAH, THAT IS CALLED 'NAME.' For whoever is occupied in the Torah, but not for its own sake, would have been better never born. What is meant by the verse, "in whose heart are Your highways (Heb. mesilot)?" It is as in the verse, "extol (Heb. solu) Him who rides upon the clouds; Yah is His name" (Tehilim 68:5), WHICH REFERS BOTH TO EXTOLLING THE RIDER ON THE CLOUDS AND THE HIGHWAYS IN THEIR HEARTS. THIS MEANS that when he studies the Torah, HE SHOULD BE INTENT UPON extolling the Holy One, blessed be He, and glorifying and extolling Him throughout the world. THUS STUDYING TORAH FOR ITS OWN SAKE (NAME) IS FOR THOSE "IN WHOSE HEART ARE YOUR HIGHWAYS." THIS MEANS THAT ONE MUST BE INTENT WHEN STUDYING TORAH TO DRAW THE BOUNTY OF KNOWLEDGE FOR ONE AND FOR THE WHOLE WORLD, SO THAT THE NAME OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, WILL GROW IN THE WORLD, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "FOR THE EARTH SHALL BE FULL OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF HASHEM" (YESHAYAH 11:9) AND "HASHEM SHALL BE KING OVER ALL THE EARTH" (ZECHARYAH 14:9).

125. דָּבָר אֲחֵר אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם עוֹז לוֹ בָךְ, עֹז: כְּדָּבָר אֲחֵר יי' עֹז לְעַמּוֹ יִתֵּן, בְּגִין דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ, דְּיִתְעַסֵּק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא לִשְׁמֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּכָל מַאן דְּאִתְעַסַּק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְלָא אִשְׁתַּדַּל לִשְׁמָהּ, טַב לֵיהּ דְּלָא אִתְבְּרֵי. מְסִלּוֹת בִּלְבָבָם, מַאי מְסִלּוֹת בִּלְבָבָם, כְּדָּבָר אֲחֵר סוֹלוּ לָרוֹכֵב בָּעֲרָבוֹת בְּיָהּ שְׁמוֹ. דָּא הַהִיא אוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאִיהוּ אִשְׁתַּדַּל בָּהּ, לַאֲרָמָא לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וּלְמֶעְבַּד לֵיהּ חֲטִיבָא בְּעַלְמָא.

Esau Isaac Jacob Rebecca Shechinah

126. תָּא חֲזֵי, יַעֲקֹב כָּל עוֹבָדוֹי הֲווֹ לִשְׁמָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוָה עִמֵּיהּ תָּדִיר, דְּלָא אַעֲדֵי מִנֵּיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא, דְּהָא בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּקָרָא לֵיהּ יִצְחָק, לְעֵשָׂו בְּרֵיהּ, יַעֲקֹב לָא הֲוָה תַמָּן, וּשְׁכִינְתָּא אוֹדָעַת לָהּ לְרִבְקָה, וְרִבְקָה אוֹדָעַת לֵיהּ לְיַעֲקֹב.

Esau Exile Heaven Jacob Rebecca

127. Rabbi Yosi said, come and behold, If, heaven forbid, Esau would have been blessed at that time, Jacob would not have ruled over the world, BUT STAYED, HEAVEN FORBID, IN EXILE ALWAYS. But it was decreed by the Holy One, blessed be He, THAT JACOB WILL BE BLESSED, and everything happened as it should. Come and behold, It is written, "but Rivkah loved Jacob" (Beresheet 25:28), as has been explained. Therefore, she sent for Jacob and said to him, "Behold, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother" (Beresheet 27:6).

127. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אֲמַר, תָּא חֲזֵי, אִי ח"ו בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא יִתְבָּרַךְ עֵשָׂו, לָא יִשְׁלוֹט יַעֲקֹב לְעָלְמִין. אֶלָּא מֵעִם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוָה, וְכֹלָּא בְּאַתְרֵיהּ אָתָא, כִּדְקָא חָזֵי. תָּא חֲזֵי, וְרִבְקָה אוֹהֶבֶת אֶת יַעֲקֹב כְּתִיב, וְהָא אִתְּמָר. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, שַׁדְרַת בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב, הִנֵּה שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶת אָבִיךָ מְדַבֵּר אֶל עֵשָׂו אָחִיךָ לֵאמֹר.

Astrology Evil Evil Inclination Faith Moon Nukva Passover Rebecca

Azazel Esau Goats Grades Isaac Jacob Rebecca Yom Kippur

129. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אֲמַר, רָמַז הָכָא, דְּזַמִּינִין בְּנוֹי דְיַעֲקֹב, לְקָרְבָא שְׁנֵי שְׂעִירִים, חַד לַיי', וְחַד לַעֲזָאזֵל בְּיוֹמָא דְכִפּוּרֵי. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, קָרֵיבַת שְׁנֵי גְדָיֵי עִזִּים, חַד בְּגִין דַּרְגָּא דִלְעֵילָא, וְחַד בְּגִין לְכַפְיָיא דַרְגֵּיהּ דְּעֵשָׂו, דְּלָא יִשְׁלוֹט עֲלֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב, וְע"ד שְׁנֵי גְדָיֵי עִזִּים, וּמִתַּרְוַיְיהוּ טְעֵים יִצְחָק וְאָכֵיל.

Isaac Judgment Levites Wine

130. It is written, "and he brought him wine, and he drank" (Beresheet 27: 25), AND NOT, "AND HE SERVED HIM WINE." By this he hints that he served him wine from afar. According to Rabbi Elazar, this means that he brought him wine in which there is complete joy, THAT IS, THE WINE "WHICH CHEERS ELOHIM AND MAN" (SHOFTIM 9:13), to gladden Isaac, for he needed cheering, as the side of the Levites needs cheering, TO WIT, THE LEFT SIDE. FOR SINCE JUDGMENTS TAKE HOLD OF THE LEFT SIDE, THEREFORE, SADNESS DWELLS IN IT, AND THERE IS NEED OF HEARTENING ALL THOSE WHO ARE DRAWN FROM IT, THE LEVITES AND ISAAC AS WELL. Therefore, "he brought him wine, and he drank."

130. וַיָּבֵא לוֹ יַיִן וַיֵּשְׁתְּ, וַיָּבֵא לוֹ יַיִן, רֶמֶז רָמִיז, מֵאֲתַר רָחִיק קָרֵיב לֵיהּ. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אֲמַר, רֶמֶז, מֵהַהוּא יַיִן דְּכָל חֲדוּ אִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ, בְּגִין לְחַדְתָּא לֵיהּ לְיִצְחָק, דְּבָעֵי חֶדְוָה, כִּדְקָא בָּעְיָין חֶדְוָה, לְחַדְתָּא סִטְרָא דְּלֵיוָאֵי, וְעַל דָּא וַיָּבֵא לוֹ יַיִן וַיֵּשְׁתְּ.