"Va'yashav Yitzchak va'yachpor es beiros hamayim asher chafru b'yimeie Avraham aviv.../And Yitzchak dug anew the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Avraham his father..." (Bereishis 26:18)
We can clearly see the praise in this pasuk of Yitzchak avinu! The fourth call went out. Open up the gates and remove Yissachar a man from the village of Barakay, who respects himself and degrades things that were consecrated to shamayim!!! This amazing story is found in the gemara (Kerisus 28:) and is talking about a bas kol (announcement from heaven) that went out in the Beis Ha'Mikdash kicking out Yissachar from Barakay, who was then the Kohen Gadol. What did he do wrong? He wore gloves while doing the korbanos/sacrifices, so that he wouldn't get his hands all bloody and gooey. This is considered a big insult to the korbanos, which are our offerings to Hashem. He didn't see the pieces of the korbanos as objects of holiness but rather as dirty pieces of meat, just like a gump of mud from the ground. The pasuk is pointing out to us the praise of Yitchak avinu in that he was willing to get down and dirty in order to do the will of Hashem. Especially when it had to do with living in the Holy Land! The lesson that we can try and learn from Yitzchak avinu is twofold. A) The importance of settling and building up the Holy Land of Eretz Yisroel!!! Yitzchak himself went to dig up wells that were dried up and filled in!!! No discouragement just pure emunah that the water would come. B) We learn from Yitzchak avinu that sometimes we just have to get down and dirty in order to do mitzvos and come closer to Hashem!!!! And no worries! The gemara we quoted above ends off on a happy note "This time a bas kol of praise! Lift up your heads gates, and allow Yochanan ben Narvay!" Yochanan ben Narvay was a kohen who could eat 400 seah (`seah'' is shown at about 6.66 dry quarts) of chicken as desert for his meal. As long as he was alive there was never any nosar/left over meat, in the Beis Ha'Mikdash. At first glance we would think that he was a pig! But really he did it as a mitzvha! So that there shouldn't be any left over meat, which is also a big insult to the korbanos!
Toldos/Offspring..... that's what its all about! If we're just living for ourselves what's the point? It's gotta be about coming closer to Hashem! and making sure that our offspring do so as well. It's hard work but if we truly want to do it, we'll get all the help that we need!! This is the the darkest month of the tear, but yet it has Chanukah which brings the greatest light into the world. Lets keep yearning and may we soon merit seeing with our own eyes the coming of Mashiach and the building of the third and final Beis Ha'Mikdash speedily!!! In our days!!! Amen!!!
A good month to one and all!
A good week!
peace & joy,
Etan
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