Weekly Dvar Torah: These Are The Children

ואלה תולדות יצחק בן אברהם

And these are the children of Yitzchock (Isaac) the son of Avraham (Abraham).

Who were the children of Yitzchock? Yaacov (Jacob) and Eisav (Esau).

Yaacov the pious and Eisav the hunter.

Both sons are listed equally, who are the children that Yitzchock prides himself with? Yaacov and Eisav, equally.

But how do we put the two on the same pedestal? Yaacov continued in Yitzchock’s path, he carried the torch for Yitzchock to build the nation of the three forefathers of which Yitzchock is the middle one.

Eisav however, went his own way, not exactly the path of Yitzchock, why is he attributed as the child of Yitzchock which would imply that he is carrying on as Yitzchock’s child?

Furthermore, we find that Yitzchock actually liked Eisav, and he attempted to bestow the eternal blessings upon Eisav rather than upon Yaacov, what did Yitzchock see in Eisav that drew him to this wicked son, Yitzchock surely was not fooled by Eisav’s shtick to think that he was a good man.

But Yitzchock had a very interesting approach, his claim to fame was digging wells, he dug deep down, he removed all the dirt and obstacles so that the pristine water will spring forth to the surface.

Yitzchock overlooked what’s on the surface, he looked to deep down beneath the surface, and there he knew there is fresh water, and this water quenches all thirst, and brings life to everyone and everything.

Yitzchock knew that he son is a gangster, but he also knew that he is his child, and as a child he must have a lot of good deep down, and this is what Yitzchock tried to achieve, to turn Eisav to be what he is, the son of Yitzchock.

Yitzchock never gave up, to him Yaacov and Eisav were equally his children, and one never gives up on a child.

The fact that he didn’t achieve this goal had to do with G-d’s plan that the good of Eisav will only surface when Moshiach comes, but in the long run these efforts by Yitzchock were the prelude to the end of days, as Yaacov tells Eisav when they meet many years later.

When we danced at the banquet by the Kinnus Hashluchim (conference of Chabad emissaries), 4000 strong (2000 absent due to covid restrictions), I was moved to tears.

I could not contain my tears as I danced with my children who continue this beautiful heritage leading Chabad centers worldwide, I saw their children who joined the children’s program for 3 days, where they met friends from all over, to discover that they were not alone.

The boy from Kaluga Russia, meets the boy from central London and the boy from Staten Island, though from very different living standards, at home they may feel alone, they are different to the surrounding community, they are Chasidim, they are Shluchim, they are there to help and to educate, and live like a shining example, but different.

Here for three days they discover that they are not alone, they meet colleagues whom they never met, they see that there are tens of thousands like them all over the world living like them, they feel like one big happy family, brothers and sisters spread all over the universe.

They sing and dance, ”from 770 we’re marching out to victory without a doubt,” and the victory of course is to illuminate the world with goodness and kindness, to help bring peace and prosperity with the coming of Moshiach.

They are the children.

We learn from Rabbi Zaklos from Novosibirsk, Russia, we hear from Rabbi Epstein from South Carolina in the USA, they tell us how the seemingly bad child, the one who resisted Judaism and more than hinted to them that they shouldn’t bother to unpack because they are not welcome in neither city, and 20-30 years later, these very resisters became the strongest supporters and partners in the work of spreading Yidishkeit, in freezing Siberia and in red neck country, equally.

These are the children of Yitzchock, he who has faith in every single child of his without exception, Yitzchock saw the inner good of Eisav, he saw the potential, and he wanted to empower him to be HIS son, unlike Avraham who had to expel his son Yishmael because he was a threat to his other son Yitzchock.

The Shluchim came to their respected cities to find the uneducated, or those who suggested that they don’t unpack and go right back to where they came from, this place is not for you, your brand of Judaism is not for us, but the Shluchim weren’t deterred by their rejecting brothers, and eventually they won them over to become loving caring brothers with the same one goal, to be Jews and spread Judaism.

This is the reason we all danced, when long-lost brothers come together there is no greater joy, and the tears of joy flow freely, seeing generation after generation continuing this path, what a Nachas.

When Moshiach will come we are told that he will collect each and every one of us, one by one, to this end the Rebbe instituted the Shluchim outreach, to prepare the world for that special day when unity, peace, and prosperity, will dominate, and we’ll see the light of g-d shining brightly, now, now, NOW!

Enjoy a Nachas of a Shabbos,
Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Yosef Katzman