Parshas Toldos
1. On "And these are the generations of Yitzchak the son of Avraham; Avraham begot Yitzchak,"[1] Rashi brings what our Sages say:[2] "The scoffers of the generation were saying that Sarah had conceived from Avimelech… What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He formed the features of Yitzchak's face like Avraham, and all testified: Avraham begot Yitzchak."
This must be understood. Since our Sages state this in the form of question and answer — "What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He formed…" (and were not content to say briefly and calmly, "The scoffers of the generation were saying… The Holy One, blessed be He, formed the features of his face…," without the words "What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do?") — the implication is that "He formed the features of his face" was a special accomplishment, and that is why it is phrased as the question "What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do?" (in wonder): what did G‑d specially do to answer the claim of the scoffers of the generation?
This is astonishing: in what does the special accomplishment of "He formed the features of his face" consist? It is a natural and ordinary thing for a son to resemble his father[3] (special causes would be needed for him not to resemble him).
2. This will be understood according to the explanation of the expression our Sages use regarding several matters, (that they are) "as difficult as the splitting of the Sea,"[4] meaning that it is difficult, as it were, even for the Holy One, blessed be He.
The explanation of this is known:[5] the "difficulty" of the splitting of the Sea consists (mainly) not in the sea being split and afterward standing "like a wall"[6] [especially according to what is explained in Tanya,[7] that the splitting of the Sea is a lesser wonder than the creation of heaven and earth, so surely it would not be fitting to say "difficult" of this in particular].
Rather, it consists in this, that at the splitting of the Sea there were two opposites together, "healing for Israel and a blow for the Egyptians"[8] (for had the sea not split, the Egyptians would not have entered the sea), at a time when the attribute of judgment was arguing, "What is the difference between these and those? These are idol worshippers and those are idol worshippers."[9] For this reason it is "difficult,"[10] for according to the order of things one must take account of the attribute of judgment,[11] and at the splitting of the Sea no account was taken of it.[12]
3. We will understand our case in the same way:
The difference between Avraham and Yitzchak is known:[13] Avraham was "Avraham who loves Me,"[14] a chariot to the attribute of kindness, and therefore his service was in acts of kindness and hospitality; and Yitzchak was "the Fear of Yitzchak,"[15] a chariot to the attribute of severity, which is why his service was the digging of wells — removing the earth and stones that cover the spring and revealing the living waters that gush from below to above.
[That is why[16] there is a difference also in "came forth from him" (the nurture of the external forces), as it comes from (the line of kindness of) Avraham and as it comes from (the line of severity of) Yitzchak: "Avraham — from him came forth Yishmael"[17] — the kindness of kelipah. And "Yitzchak — from him came forth Esav"[17] — "By your sword you shall live,"[18] the severity of kelipah.]
And this is one of the explanations why the verse must say, and specifically here, "Avraham begot Yitzchak." For seemingly it is not understood:
a) The necessity of saying "Avraham begot Yitzchak" is only because the verse mentions earlier "Yitzchak the son of Avraham," and as Rashi[19] explains, "Since the verse wrote 'Yitzchak the son of Avraham,' it was necessary to say…" But on this itself one can ask: the words "the son of Avraham" seemingly did not need to be written (for this is already known from the previous sedras), and consequently there would also be no need to resolve this and say "Avraham begot Yitzchak"; rather it should relate at once the generations of Yitzchak — "And Yitzchak was forty years old…"[20]
b) Why does the Torah hint at the resolution of the scoffers' claim only in Parshas Toldos, which speaks (mainly) of the offspring of Yitzchak — Yaakov and Esav[21] (and also the events[22] of Yitzchak's life), while "Yitzchak the son of Avraham" is mentioned here only in passing? It should have been written in the (previous) sedra,[23] which speaks of the birth of Yitzchak.[24]
The explanation of this is as follows: from the wording of the verse, "And these are the generations of Yitzchak…" — with a vav that adds — it is proven that this parsha continues from what precedes it, which speaks of Yishmael. And since Yishmael too is the son of Avraham, and on the contrary:[25] outwardly Yishmael seemingly had more connection to Avraham than Yitzchak to Avraham, because Yishmael is in the line of kindness (like Avraham[26] — only he is the kindness of kelipah,[27] and he derives from Avraham in the mode of "came forth from him"[28] — out of him[28*]), while Yitzchak is in the line of severity, the opposite of the line of kindness —
therefore the Torah must say (also) regarding Yitzchak that he is the son of Avraham, and further add, "Avraham begot Yitzchak": on the contrary, Yitzchak's relation to Avraham is very special. Not only is Yitzchak the son of Avraham, but Avraham begot Yitzchak:[29] in this consisted the main matter of Avraham, as the verse says,[30] "For through Yitzchak (specifically) shall your seed be called."
For this reason the Torah resolves it only in Parshas Toldos: when we learn that the offspring of Yitzchak is Esav, the severity of kelipah (as above), and that the main service (and events) of Yitzchak is the digging of wells (the opposite of the service of Avraham), then the force[31] of the claim of the scoffers of the generation arises, that Yitzchak has no connection with Avraham. And this must be negated.
4. This is the difficulty (Above, as it were) in "He formed the features of Yitzchak's face like Avraham":
That a son resembles his father is because the son derives from the father (from his body and his soul), and so he resembles him in his body and in the traits of his soul.[32]
But Avraham and Yitzchak were opposites of one another in the traits of their souls: Avraham was of the attribute of kindness and Yitzchak of the attribute of severity, and because of this they differed also in their intellect (as is known[33] regarding Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel, that because of the difference in the root of their souls they differed in their intellect, Beis Shammai inclining to stringency and Beis Hillel to leniency). So by nature they should have differed — and more than that, been opposites — and especially in the features of their faces,[34] for the appearance of the face is connected with the traits of the soul:[35] a man of kindness has a pleasant countenance, a man of severity has a stern face,[36] and so forth.
That is what gives rise to the question "What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do?": what solution is there to answer the claim of the scoffers of the generation, since by nature and the order of things Avraham and Yitzchak should be opposites in the features of their faces, and so forth, just as in their conduct they are opposite lines, of kindness and of severity?
But since the scoffers of the generation were claiming that "Sarah had conceived from Avimelech,"[37] the Holy One, blessed be He, did something new, contrary to nature and the order of things: He Himself "formed the features of Yitzchak's face like Avraham."
5. It is also plainly understood that G‑d's "forming the features of Yitzchak's face like Avraham" was not merely that their physical appearance should be similar. On the contrary: they were similar in their physical form because the "features of their face" were similar spiritually.
According to what is explained in several places:
Although kindness and severity are opposites of one another, the severities of Yitzchak are a continuation and a result of the kindnesses of Avraham (as the verse says here: "Avraham begot Yitzchak").
This is not only because the cause of severity is kindness: kindness wants the influence to be received, and "abundant good cannot be received,"[38] so it must be specifically through severities (contraction of the influence).[39] But more than this: the severities of Yitzchak are themselves revealed kindness, for specifically through severities there is an abundance and increase in influence[40] (as is known regarding the meaning of "the mighty acts of the rains"[41]), which is why it says[42] regarding Yitzchak, "and I multiplied his seed and gave him Yitzchak."
And this intermingling of kindness (of Avraham) and severity (of Yitzchak) derives from the level above the order of descent of the worlds — from which a joining of opposites is possible.
With this we will also understand the hint in the words of our Sages,[43] "and all testified: Avraham begot Yitzchak" — not "and they knew" and the like, but "and they testified" (and Rashi repeats this expression a second time: "there is testimony that Avraham begot Yitzchak"). What is the emphasis here on testimony?
The explanation may be as follows: testimony applies specifically to something hidden. Regarding something revealed, even regarding a matter destined to be revealed, there is no need for testimony.[44] That is, through testimony a matter is drawn down and revealed that of itself is above (the category of) revelation, not destined to be revealed. Spiritually, this is the drawing down from above the order of descent.[45]
This is the hint in "testimony" in our case: that "Avraham begot Yitzchak," the intermingling of kindness and severity, comes from the drawing down of a level above the order of descent.[46] According to nature and intellect it cannot be and has no place; but "there is testimony here" — just as with witnesses who testify that they themselves saw it, they must be believed.
6. The directive from this for our service is:
The reason Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov are called Patriarchs is known:[47] they are the root and source of every one of the souls of Israel, and the level of each of the Patriarchs comes as an inheritance to each of their children after them in every generation. So in every Jew there must be the services of all three Patriarchs.
From this it is understood that "He formed the features of his face…" too, the intermingling of kindness and severity, can (and must) exist in every Jew. For example, as stated in Tanya:[48] "Weeping is lodged in my heart on one side, and joy is lodged in my heart on the other side."
This is something above the limitation of nature and the order of descent. As said above, in the order of descent kindness and severity are two opposite lines and cannot be together. As the Sifri states,[49] love and fear can be together only in the attribute of the Holy One, blessed be He (and in the service of G‑d, not in worldly matters).
(But in this "weeping is lodged…" there are two levels:[50] a) that the bitterness be on Thursday night, and the joy on Shabbos; b) what is more difficult — that bitterness and joy be together, at one time. And since every Jew is an heir of the Patriarchs, and an heir takes everything, everyone can (at least at times) arrange his order in this way as well.)
7. Another directive from the above: in order that all should testify that Avraham begot Yitzchak, G‑d could have made from the outset the features of Avraham's face like Yitzchak's.[51] But this is, even by nature and by reason, more difficult[52] than what actually took place — "He formed the features of Yitzchak's face like Avraham."[53]
The directive from this for everyone is: when one has before him a service that can be done in one of the two lines — the line of kindness or the line of severity — and there is doubt which of them to choose, one must choose the line of kindness.
This is similar to what is stated in Tanya in a like case,[54] that when one draws a Jew close, besides the fact that "he has not lost the reward for the mitzvah of loving one's fellow," there is also "and with all this, perhaps he will be able to bring him close to Torah and the service of G‑d."
8. The above matter — that because of the claim of the scoffers of the generation, nature and the order of descent were set aside, and the features of Yitzchak's face were made like Avraham — may also be connected with "Your wellsprings shall spread outward,"[55] which essentially began on Yud-Tes Kislev[56] (and it should be noted that Parshas Toldos always falls in the month of Kislev[57] (or on the Shabbos that blesses Kislev[58]) — the month of redemption, in which there came about the matter of "Your wellsprings shall spread outward"):
The Zohar states[59] that the Torah has the "body of the Torah" — the revealed Torah — and the "soul of the Torah" — the secrets of the Torah.
According to the order of descent they (the soul of the Torah and the body of the Torah) are seemingly two separate matters, each with its own manner: the body of the Torah is in revelation and the soul of the Torah in concealment (as is also understood from the name "secrets": when one reveals it, it stops being a secret).
Then comes Yud-Tes Kislev and proclaims "Your wellsprings shall spread outward": that the wellsprings of the inner dimension of the Torah should be drawn down and revealed, and in a way of spreading, and even "outward."
Besides the fact that Chabad Chassidus brought down the inner dimension of the Torah into understanding and comprehension — chochmah, binah and daas (which before the Alter Rebbe, and even in the Alter Rebbe himself before Petersburg, was not enclothed in comprehension to such an extent[60]) — to the point that Chabad Chassidus demands, as the Rebbe my father-in-law writes,[61] that one should study Chassidus with comprehension in the same way one studies a sugya in the revealed Torah (the "outward" of the student himself) —
in addition to this, the demand is to spread the wellsprings outward, in the plain sense, to another who is found "outside."
And further still: one says "outward" without any limitations, meaning that one must spread the wellsprings even in the very lowest "outside."
9. Seemingly this is a very great wonder: even in the revealed Torah there are limitations, as it is written,[62] "And to the wicked G‑d said, 'What have you to do with declaring My statutes?'" How then can one say "Your wellsprings shall spread outward"?
To this comes the directive: when it touches the essence of a Jew, who is rooted in G‑d's Essence, one does not take account of the limitations of the order of descent, and the Holy One, blessed be He, transforms and "forms the features of Yitzchak's face" so that he should resemble Avraham: that even the inner dimension of the Torah, which by the order of descent is in concealment (severity, Yitzchak), should come into revelation (kindness, Avraham).
And the Alter Rebbe says[63] that this is the intent of the parable of a king's son who became gravely ill, until there was no remedy except to crush a precious stone set in the king's crown — the stone on which the entire beauty of "the diadem of the crown" depended — and give it to the king's son to drink. The king said that however great the value of the royal crown may be, it is as nothing compared with the life of his son.
According to law, one may not make use even of the king's crown.[64] And here one entirely destroys the chief part of the crown for the sake of the king's son (although he is the king's son, he is not the king[65]). For when it touches the life of his son, who is the very essence of the king, all calculations are set aside.
And the Alter Rebbe adds to this something tremendous: even when the state of the king's son has deteriorated to such an extent that it is doubtful whether he will take in even one drop of the healing water, it is nevertheless worthwhile, and one crushes the precious stone, most of which will be lost, in case one drop may enter the mouth of the king's son.
And occupying oneself with "Your wellsprings shall spread outward" brings the Master, the King Moshiach, speedily, truly in our days.
(From a talk of Shabbos Parshas Toldos, 5725)
Key Lesson
Kindness and severity are opposites, yet G‑d formed Yitzchak's face like Avraham's. In every Jew, as heir of the Patriarchs, opposites can dwell together: weeping on one side of the heart and joy on the other. When in doubt, choose kindness. And when a Jew's soul is at stake, set aside all calculations: crush the jewel of the crown for even one drop that may reach the mouth of the King's child.