The Ultimate Recipe - Kindness with Strength

This week's Torah portion of Toldot (B'reshit 25,19 – 28,9) features the story of Yitzchak's giving his coveted blessing not to Esav, as he originally desired, but to Yaakov – who managed, with his mother Rivka's help, to impersonate Esav. Among the many questions that this story raises is how the unique character traits of our second Patriarch and Matriarch, Yitzchak and Rivka, are manifest in this critical but curious incident in Jewish history.

It is well-known that the special trait of Avraham Avinu is chessed, kindness, while that of Yitzchak is gvurah, strength and might, though not of the physical type. Rav Kook writes that the gvurah of Yitzchak comes to actualize the chessed of Avraham – and that in our practical world, the gvurah is divided into two levels: that of Yitzchak, and that of Rivka.

Rav Kook's words (roughly translated):

"Anything that interferes with the manifestation of the great light of chessed in the world upon all of Creation and all the worlds and everything therein – must be expelled and annulled with all strength and might." That is, it is precisely the value of chessed itself that demands the destruction of everything that prevents the manifestation of the great Divine chessed.

The Rav continues: "This mighty, loving-kindness of Avraham shines precisely within the splendor and majesty of Yitzchak's gvurah." However, he writes, this gvurah is not enough, because "the practical world is not worthy of it."

That is, the revelation in Yitzchak's strength is insufficient because it is only relative; it remains on a lofty spiritual level, which is not practical enough for what is needed to actualize things wisely and properly in the World of Action [one of the four Worlds in Kabbalistic thought].

In order for Yitzchak's gvurah to be effective in our world, Rav Kook continues, it must join up with a less intense form of gvurah, the kind that Rivka personifies. This strength comprises great might itself, as well as iron will and intense desire that can stand before practical things that block the appearance of chessed in our world.

What is the source of such strength that can fight against wickedness in the practical world? It must stem from the wicked themselves, such as those in whose home Rivka grew up and was, to some extent, influenced by: her father Betuel and brother Lavan. Rivka takes this strength and purifies it with her good choices. In this way, the practical chessed is manifest with practical gvurah of our Matriarch Rivka, who supplements her husband's ideal, abstract gvurah.

[In this light, of course, we gain insights into the interplay of Rivka's practical, this-worldly actions to attain the blessing for Yaakov, in the face of Yitzchak's upper-worldly inclination to bless Esav instead.]

Rav Kook continues that it is precisely this integration of idealistic and practical gvurah, "in which the light of Divine chessed shines, that is worthy of founding the House of Israel." As we read in the words of the Prophet Ovadiah: "The house of Yaakov shall be fire, and the house of Yoseph a flame, and the house of Esav shall be straw… And saviors shall ascend Mt. Zion to judge the mountain of Esav, and the kingdom shall be God's."

Our task is to establish a world that encompasses the constructive labor of building and action, together with the work of negating that which is not good – everything that obstructs and seeks to prevent the emergence of the light of Israelite chessed. This is the source of the "fire" of Patriarch Yaakov, which finds its ultimate expression in the light of his son Yoseph HaTzaddik – light that consumes the power of Esav, who stands in opposition to the revelation of the light of Israel.

This is also the source of the strength of the "saviors" who shall ascend Mt. Zion to judge the Mount of Esav, and to establish the true God's sovereignty in and over His world.

The chessed of Avraham and Sarah was built with the gvurah of Yitzchak and Rivka, and comes to fruition via Yaakov, Rachel and Leah. And we, all of us, those who continue the path of our holy forefathers - must learn and exemplify their unique path, including both the practical and idealistic gvurah of Yitzchak and Rivka. We must know how to build the great construction of our nation; we must be positive, but we must be firm and strong against whatever stands in the way of the Redemption of Israel. This is the necessary recipe: positivity and steadfast resolve, as we saw with our own eyes in the path and deeds of Rav Kook's son, Rav Tzvi Yehuda, the Rosh Yeshiva of Merkaz HaRav.

Translated by Hillel Fendel.

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