GENERATIONS

    The study of Biblical personalities is a most intriguing exercise in our Torah learning. Every one of our Patriarchs and Matriachs are to be studied in a way that projects images that we can learn from. Lessons for our own behavior modification that can bring about positive reinforcement, shaping our entire outlook on life.  These lessons will set forth in our lives a special and wonderful Hashkafa for ourselves and our families.  A Hashkafa for life that is positive.  A Hashkafa that searches for the essence of Torah life and not for some meaningless obsessions that are usually related to man's whims and folktales.

   That is why Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Sarah, Rivka, Leah and Rachel, are larger than life.  They can truly become our emulating figures.  We must, first, understand who they are and what they stand for in Jewish Life.

     Today, more than ever, my mind turns to the life of Yitzchak, as recorded in this week's Torah reading.

 The text relates "וישב יצחק ויחפור את בארות החיים אשר חפרו בימי אברהם ......ויקרא להם שמות כשמות אשר קרא להן אביו" 

   Here we see that Yitzchak digs, anew, the wells of Avraham and he gives them the same name his father had given them. 

  I am sensing that in the life of Yitzchak there is no new discovery. In fact, his life is all a life of rediscovery. A life that is a continuum of his father Avraham. That is not to say that Yitzchak's life was meaningless. On the contrary, he played a very important role in the promulgation of Torah. Were it not for his actions, those  wells would have remained closed and future generations would have suffered greatly. 

   Yitzchak is to serve as a very important inspirational force for all of Jewry.  He preserved his father's legacy that would have perished with Avraham's death. Yitzchak assures the lessons of Avraham will continue into the next generation. He plays a vital role in our survival for he is the link between Avraham and Yaakov and without him, that link would have ended and all that Avraham worked so hard to preserve would have been lost.

  Think well, were it not for Yitzchak there would not be a Yaakov and without Yaakov there would not be Yisrael. 

   The future legacy  of Yaakov came about through the efforts of  Yitzchak .

    The lesson is clear. We are the Yitzchaks of today. We carry forth the legacy of our parents and grandparents into the future. 

    I truly felt that link, this week, as I held my great granddaughter צפורה סימא, Kayla  in my arms a few hours after her birth to our grandchildren. It is then that I realized more and more the great responsibilities that we and our children have to assure the continuity of our Torah oriented life into the future. It is truly awesome, and it requires much effort and fortitude on our part. When we view our lives in such a magnificent way, we can really say, "It is all worth it, for we are doing Hashem's work to preserve Humanity and to assure that Yiddiskeit will remain eternal."

    My sincere Mazal Tov to our grandchildren Nina and Gavriel, and to our children Aileen and Moshe and a special Mazal Tov to the Savta Rabah Mimi and to all our Machatanim.

   May we all see the גאולה שלמה in our time, and may we all continue to enjoy Nachas from all our families. 

                                 שבת שלום