Notes from Rav Soloveitchik's Parsha Shiur on Toldot (1954)

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D'var Torah on Parshat Toldot (1989)

On November 29, Rosh Chodesh Kislev, Yeshiva University High School for Girls was honored by a visit from Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm, President of Yeshiva University. He addressed the students with a D’var Torah on Parshat Hashavua. Parshat Toldot recounts the story of Be’erot Yitzchak, the wells of Yitzchak. It begins by describing the accumulation of Yitzchak’s wealth, which incurred the jealousy of Yitzchak’s neighbors, the Philistines. As a result, the Philistines began to close up the wells that Avraham, Yitzchak’s father, had dug and their ruler Avimelech, asked Yitzchak to leave his land. Yitzchak left for a while, but then he returned and began to re-dig his wells. The first two wells that Yitzchak’s servants dug, were immediately covered over by the Philistines. These wells were named עשק, denoting contention over the well, and שסנה , meaning hatred. The third well dug by Yitzchak was named רחובות, denoting peace and comfort, because there were no fights over this last well. The Ramban asks a very strong question. Why does the story of Yitzchak’s business dealings belong in the Tanach? Is it of any concern to the generations that followed?The Ramban answers that according to the simple interpretation of the story, this question would be strong and very valid. Therefore we must attempt to find a deeper explanation of the topic. The story of the wells comes to hint to us about the future. Three be’erot were dug, each one representing one of the Batei Mikdash. The first well dug was named עשק indicating that the first Beit Mikdash was destroyed during external battles with other nations. The second well was named שטנה indicating that the second Beit Mikdash was destroyed because of external hatred of other nations directed towards us and because of internal hatred, otherwise known as שנאת חנם . The third Beit Ha’Mikdash that will be built will exist in peace and comfort without any external or internal problems.In a further analysis of the Ramban and the Psukim, w…

Toldot

רעיון לדרוש - תולדות (1972)

____ כ"-ח', ט'. נשואי עשו לבת ישמעל – חז"ל היללו אותן על זה ואף דרשו שמה של "מחלת" שה' מחל לו על כל עונותיו, ו"בשמת" שנשתנה דעתו עליו. אבל רבי אלעזר מוסיף (ועי' בר סוף תולדות), אילו הוציא את הראשונה יפה הי' – אלא "על נשיוו" – כאב על כאב, ד"א: כאב (קץ) על כאב. כלומר, שיטתו של עשו היתה שאפשר להשיב את המטרה על "ועשה טוב" מבלי לעבור דרך ה' "סור מרע". וכן משינו (עי' רש"י על כ"ו-ל"ד) בן ארבעים אמר: אבא בן ארבעים נשא אשה, אף אני כן. כלומר, את הסו"מ של מוסר ופרושה מעריות ומחמס לא שמר, ורצה לכסות ולכפר על-ידי היוצא של ועשה-טוב... וזוהי דרכו של עשו!

Toldot