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November 17, 2001

The Price of Greatness (2001)

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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…
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A Yeshiva is not a place of learning and attitude-building alone. In a yeshiva a student must also prepare and adjust to his future life. And if when in yeshiva he will restrict himself to its ד׳ אמות, and not prepare himself to live in the outer society, to mingle with people even as he inwardly communes with his Maker (as taught in חובות הלבבות), he will not attain the right way in his later career, after he leaves the confines of the yeshiva – and certainly he will not be prepared to exercise influence over the world, which is the mission of every Jew: to sanctify the Name, which is possible only if one is involved with his fellow men... We must therefore strive to find the middle path between the two extremes, such that the yeshiva student will intensively pursue the goals of yeshiva life and, at the same time, seek out occasions to develop relations with the outside world...One must also ponder how best to relate to others. There is nothing more harmful to the influence we can exert on others than snobbism. Our environment does not tolerate arrogance and superciliousness, especially by young people, and one cannot influence others unless he is liked by them.The author of these words is the distinguished Rosh Yeshiva R. Elyah Meir Bloch of Telz.
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In a recent book by Norman Cousins, In Place of Folly, there appears a most improbable obituary which is purely imaginary – and frighteningly real. It reads, RACE, HUMAN. Beloved father of science and technology, adored mother of the arts and culture. Departed this earth, suddenly, but not without warning. Survived by no one. What makes this obituary so very pertinent is the series of hair-raising events which, during the past month, took humanity to the very brink of annihilation. The Cuba crisis brought not only Americans but all human beings to the sharp edge of universal catastrophe, face to face with the ultimate terror. The question that we must ask ourselves is, what was or should be our reaction? We who have tottered on the rim of total horror, and we have won a reprieve, we who have stared into the dumbness of the atomic abyss – what view do we now take of life? Have we undergone any inner transformation as a result of this experience? Do we view things any differently now?For assuredly, the brink represents a unique psychological situation. The knowledge of impending disaster, for mankind as well as for individual men or women, evokes a reaction which reveals all our inner qualities: personality, principles, and purposes – or lack of them. The more intensely we are aware of the end of the limitation of life, the more we concentrate our essential character and aspirations into the time left to us.Our Sidra provides us with a clear contrast between two biblical characters in their reactions to the proximity of the end. They are for us an indication of what Death tells us about Life. Father and son, Isaac and Esau, were both concerned over the finiteness of life. Both based their lives on the fact that it ends. Both acted out of the knowledge that man is mortal and soon must pass on. Yet the same cause resulted in effects which were worlds apart. Listen to Isaac, the old father: “And he said, hinei na zakanti, lo yadati yom moti, Behold now I am old, I know …
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