KEEP THE KITCHEN STAFF IN THE KITCHEN
This week’s Parsha, Toldos, presents us the story of Yaakov’s stealing the blessings that were meant for Eisov from Yitzchok. We must point out that once Yitzchok realized what transpired he immediately agreed with Yaakov that the blessings should remain with him as Yitzchok explicitly expressed that.
When Eisov discovered that Yitzchok gave the blessings to Yaakov he begged his father for another blessing to which his father told him that it was already given away. The blessing Yaakov received was that his brother shall serve him, so there is nothing left to give. Eisov begged until Yitzchok told Eisov that when Yaakov fails to live up to his mission and will fall from his position, then you will reign supreme. But when Yaakov reigns you will be irrelevant. From this conversation our Sages teach us that never will Jerusalem and Rome (the capital of Eisov) share positions of world leadership. When Yaakov is supreme Eisov is reduced and vice versa.
With respect to Yishmael and Yitzchok we find a similar pattern. Both are sons of Avraham; Yitzchok is chosen to be the progenitor of the Jewish people and Yish-mael is sent away. However, we do not find that Yishmael is rendered irrelevant compared to Yitzchok. Avraham gave Yishmael and his other sons gifts and sent them away. He separated them from Yitzchok. Why is Eisov’s existence dimin-ished next to Yaakov and Yishmael maintains his existence next to Yitzchok? The Vilna Goan identifies two types of yeitzer hara (proclivity to do evil). The first type is the base desire to indulge in material pleasures. When Man follows this yeitzer hara he abandons his higher calling and is pulled by his lower physical being. The second yeitzer hara actually uses his higher calling. He stands for honor, pride, justice and other noble causes but they are out of their appropriate context. While it is noble to display anger against one who disrespects HaShem it is horrible to display anger against someone who cuts you off while driving. The second yeitzer hara takes Man’s higher calling and misdirects it.
Material pleasures are not evil in their own right. In fact, with-out them the world would not operate. People would not eat, would not have families and so on. The material world and the pleasures it offers are critical for the running of the world. The evil of indulgence comes when the material world becomes the raison d’etre for living. Without the kitchen staff the army could not fight. However, if the kitchen staff would be the ones to decide strategy, the war is lost. The general must decide the strategy and the kitchen staff must remain purely ancillary. Yishmael represented the first type of yeitzer hara. He was there-fore not rendered irrelevant, he was only separated from the position of leadership so that Yitzchok would maintain the proper parameters for material involvement.
The second type of yeitzer hara engages the higher calling of Man. The evil of this yeitzer hara is that it misdirects Man’s noble qualities from serving HaShem and others to serving oneself and one’s personal interests. There is never a place for this yeitzer hara; it takes Man’s greatness and corrupts it. Eisov who represents this yeitzer hara is therefore rendered irrele-vant in the face of Yaakov. Rome and Jerusalem cannot both reign. Either Man is directed Heavenward and uses his calling to serve HaShem and others or he is directed downward towards himself. Using the military parallel, the second yeitzer hara misdirects the troops to fight their allies instead of their enemies. There can never be a place for Eisov.
May we see the day that every Jew along with the entire world recognizes our mission and Eisov is no longer relevant.
Have a very safe and very wonderful Shabbos.
Paysach Diskind