In parashat Toldot, we read about the struggles of our patriarch Isaac, son of Abraham and father of Jacob, with the envy of his neighbors in the land of Canaan. The story begins with a drought that led to a famine, and as was customary in those times, the inhabitants migrated to a nearby land – in this case, from Canaan to Egypt.
Egypt, situated on the abundant Nile River, did not depend on rainfall, as its fertility was sustained by the waters of the Nile. Therefore, when there was a shortage of rain in the land of Canaan, its residents would migrate to Egypt.
Isaac decided to follow suit and turned to the Philistine settlement of Gerar, located on the route to Egypt. In Gerar, he experienced a divine revelation instructing him not to descend to Egypt and to stay in Canaan. The directive was accompanied by a promise: “I will be with you and bless you.” Indeed, later in the story, we read that Isaac sowed fields, and God blessed him with abundant crops to the point that, as Scripture describes, “the man became great, and he continued to grow until he became very great.”
However, with success came the jealousy of the Philistines, the inhabitants of Gerar. As Isaac’s servants dug wells in the southern part of the land of Canaan – where water was scarce and precious – the Philistines filled the wells. This pattern repeated itself. The Philistines blocked Isaac’s wells or claimed that they owned the rights to the water until Isaac distanced himself from Gerar and dug another well. This time, due to the distance from the Philistines, he successfully used the water.
The difference between Abraham and Isaac
WHEN READING this story, we are reminded of the figure of Abraham. He was also a wealthy man, “very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.” However, unlike the residents’ reaction to Isaac, the people of the land did not envy or trouble Abraham. On the contrary, they respected him and said to him, “You are a prince of God among us.”
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, a prominent 19th-century Frankfurt rabbi and Bible commentator, suggests looking at the difference between Abraham and Isaac as the beginning of the exile. Whereas Abraham was respected and honored by his neighbors, Isaac had to contend with the jealousy of his neighbors and repeatedly moved his residence due to the troubles he faced.
The next stage was with Jacob. He had to fight the inhabitants of the land and eventually descended to Egypt, no longer a free man in his land. We observe a gradual and clear descent: Abraham was respected and honored by the nations of the world; Isaac was considered successful and people envied him; whereas Jacob did not receive honor but had to fight for his basic rights.
According to the ancient rule that “the actions of the fathers are a sign for the children,” meaning that what happened to the forefathers of the nation symbolizes what will happen to the Jewish people in history, the Jewish people has gone through a similar descent in its status. Initially, the Jewish people succeeded in its land, the Land of Israel, and gained honor among the nations of the world. Later, it was considered a successful people but faced jealousy and troubles, and eventually it was exiled from its land, and its blood was considered cheap.
Rabbi Hirsch suggests that the exit from exile toward redemption will be an inverse process. The Jewish nation, which was a slave to the nations of the world, achieved – at least in most countries – freedom and basic rights but still had to contend with the envy of its neighbors, envy that has led to many tragedies for us. The next stage, Rabbi Hirsch anticipates, will be when the Jewish people gains honor and respect among the nations of the world. This stage will be achieved when we are worthy of it, when the conduct of the Jewish people, especially in its land, is imbued with spiritual and moral significance. Then, when we become a “light unto the nations,” we will gain honor and glory.
It is difficult to point out the exact stage we are in of this process. However, as Jews of faith, we believe with certainty that history has a direction, and we exist within a long process whose end is the complete redemption of all humanity. The challenge before us is not to identify where we stand in that process but always to be worthy of progressing to the next stage.■
The writer is rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites.