Shabbos Parashas Toldos - 5778

Shabbos Parashas Toldos - 5778 Rabbi Hal Miller All the wells that his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father,

the Philistines stopped up and filled them with earth. [Bereshis 26:15] This week's parsha is replete with examples of the unending battle between good

and evil in the world. It is a lesson to us about the importance of standing up,

despite costs or odds, against that evil.

Some commentators concentrate on Esau: the "tithing of salt", his resolution to kill

Yaakov, the battle when the twins were still in Rivka's womb, and other episodes of

deceit or wickedness. Other commentators look at the impact of the wider world

facing our Patriarchs. Sforno says, "Fearing to harm Yitzchok in person because of Avimelech's orders,

they stopped up the wells, because of enmity and animosity." Rav Hirsch relates,

"This jealousy ... had shown itself in the malicious delight in destruction of the wells,

which, wherever they were to be found were a public benefit for everybody." Avraham dug these wells for life-giving water. When Avraham left the area, instead

of making use of his efforts and gift, the Philistines (Palestinians) filled them in for no

reason other than foolish hatred. When Israel pulled out of Gaza, the modern

Palestinians destroyed all the agricultural advances left for them. Why would

someone intentionally fill in wells other than foolish hatred? Yitzchok re-dug them. The Philistines claimed them from him, saying in effect,

Avraham gave them to us and we want them. Since they had not used these wells,

and had let the land become desolate from lack of water, the apparent reason for this

action was to deny the potential benefits to Yitzchok.

Sfas Emes analogizes the wells to Avraham's teachings about G-d. He describes the

Philistine actions as "sheer evil", attempts to block, and to destroy access to G-d, a

denial of His existence. HaKesav v'HaKabbala notes that the names of the wells were

actually statements honoring G-d. The Philistines didn't like the idea of praising G-d

every time they referred to or used these wells, nor did they like the idea that others

might do so. What they were denying here, rather than just Yitzchok's access, was G-d.

Thus, the evil involved was both an attack upon our Patriarchs (and thus us), and a

denial of G-d. Our role in this world is to act against both of these reasons. Nachshoni

describes this battle: The forces of evil in all their different variations are associated with the evil Esau, who is the yetzer hara, while the forces of good are associated with Yaakov. There will be perpetual war between the two, and unceasing strife throughout history. As Esau represents materialism, Yaakov represents spiritualism, and the fate of the struggle has already been decided: "The elder will serve the younger." Esau and the Philistines of old demonstrated the lengths to which humans are

willing to go to deny the authority of The Master of the Universe. Those traits are

still carried on by their descendants, Rome and the Palestinians. Even though

the outcome is clear, the road to getting there is cloudy. We learn from Yitzchok to try Shalom first, move to another spot (within the Land)

and dig again. We learn from the actions of Rivka and Yaakov that in the end this

will not be sufficient. It may be difficult, it may not be pleasant, but we must stand

up, stand fast, and persevere in what is Right.