WHAT? IMPOSSIBLE!
This week’s Parsha opens with three angels coming to visit Avraham. Each angel has its unique mission. One came to heal Avraham from his Bris Milah, the second came to inform Avraham and Sara of the upcoming birth of Yitzchok and the third came along to continue on the way to destroy Sodom.
Why is it necessary to have an angel to inform of Yitzchok’s birth? There were many miracles that occurred to our people which were not announced prior to their fulfillment. Yaakov’s birth was not announced prior to Rivka’s pregnancy nor were any of the shevatim. Yocheved gave birth to Moshe at the age of 130 years and no announcement was made.
It is noteworthy that Yitzchok’s name reflects the incredulousness of his birth. The name Yitzchok means ‘to laugh’. It reflects the laugh of Sara when she heard the angel’s message that she would bear a child. This laughing was not an expression of joy but an expression of disbelief. The sheer idea of her being able to carry a child was impossible, let alone at her advanced age. It was her disbelief that caused her to laugh.
We know that events and circumstances that surround the development of our forefathers occur with the understanding that they will be reflected in unfolding of our destiny. Avraham developed his trait of kindness – his descendants are a nation of giving and caring. Yaakov was meticulously honest in his business dealings – his descendants are likewise meticulous in their integrity, and so on.
With the birth of Yitzchok, the seed of the Jewish people was planted. There was no basis for anyone to believe that Yitzchok would be born other than a prophecy from HaShem. A prophecy that was announced by HaShem’s messenger, the angel. This circumstance of the incredulousness of a child being born to Sara was only anticipated because of this announcement.
The absolute impossibility of Yitzchok’s birth along with the absolute trust that he would be born, fortified his descendants with a trust in the Word of HaShem. At no point in time during our long exile could anyone expect that our people would endure. For 2,000 years we had no land, we were not accepted as equal citizens of the lands that hosted us. We were dispersed with no central court. There was little to no communication between the many Jewish communities spread throughout the world. Could the Jews of Yemen reunite with the Jews of Europe a thousand years later? It was truly absurd to believe that one day we would all return to Israel and rebuild the Bais Hamikdosh. It was absurd to believe that Yerushalayim would one day have millions of her children filling her streets and marketplaces. It was absurd to believe the sounds of weddings would fill her alleyways. It was absurd to believe there would be a king in Israel to whom the entire world would turn for guidance.
With the birth of Yitzchok we learned that when our destiny is announced we can trust in it. We can anticipate its fulfillment. We are able to travel through the most tragic periods of history with the knowledge that HaShem has not abandoned us. We know that our destiny has been spelled out in the books of our Prophets and we can anticipate all the greatness that they foretold.
Yitzchok’s birth had to be announced to engrain within Yitzchok’s children the trust that HaShem’s Word will occur no matter how impossible.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Paysach Diskind