November 1978<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebecca, the daughter of Betuel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Zohar<\/em> interprets that Betuel means Bat Bito Shel El<\/em> [the daughter of God\u2019s daughter]. We should interpret that it means that when a person is forty years old, it means that he has been rewarded with Bina<\/em>, called \u201cAt forty, to Bina<\/em>,\u201d and took upon himself to observe the Torah and Mitzvot<\/em> [commandments].<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife for she was barren,\u201d meaning he did not see any understanding in Torah and Mitzvot<\/em>, namely with the same understanding he had had when he took upon himself the burden of Torah and Mitzvot<\/em>, and he did not gain any understanding, yet he longed for Banim<\/em> [sons], Havanah<\/em> [understanding].<\/p>\n\n\n\n He thought that it could not be that he observed the Torah and Mitzvot<\/em> with the same mind that he had had at the time of reception, when he had no knowledge or attainment in Torah and Mitzvot<\/em>. Rather, he took in the simplest way that was suitable for a little one when he grows up and continues with Torah and Mitzvot<\/em>, for the Torah and Mitzvot<\/em> to remain on the same level, and not a higher level, that is suitable for Gadlut<\/em> of the Torah and Mitzvot<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having no sons is regarded that \u201cshe was barren,\u201d meaning that he received no understanding, to understand and feel the greatness and importance of Torah and Mitzvot<\/em>. \u201cAnd Rebecca his wife conceived,\u201d meaning Ibur<\/em> [impregnation], which is ideas and contemplations that he already began to put together thoughts regarding the greatness and importance of Torah and Mitzvot<\/em>, and then she was glad that a son will be born out of these thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, \u201cThe children strove within her, and she said, \u2018Why then do I \u2026\u2019 and the Lord said to her, \u2018Two nations are in your womb.\u2019\u201d We should ask what satisfied her in the fact that He told her \u201ctwo nations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We should understand that when she saw that \u201cthe sons strove,\u201d meaning that the understanding they received contradicted one another, and as RASHI interpreted, our sages explained it [the strife] as \u201crunning\u201d: When she passed by the doors of Torah of Shem and Ever, Jacob ran and struggled to come out; when she passed by the doors of idol-worship, Esau would struggle to come out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They interpreted that when she was barren, the observation of Torah and Mitzvot<\/em> was with wholeness and she did not feel any lack in their actions. When he did not have time to observe the orders of Torah and Mitzvot<\/em>, he could always excuse himself and was righteous in his actions, and he could make every possible precision and did not have anything regarding observing Torah and Mitzvot<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But when he prayed for sons, he saw otherwise\u2014that his situation grew worse than when she was barren, since now that she was passing by the doors of Torah of Shem and Ever, she agreed to work in Torah and Mitzvot<\/em> in order to bestow, and when she passed by the doors of idol-worship, it means that he saw that people are working for their own sake, called \u201cin order to receive,\u201d and the desire to follow them awakens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, she always has the striving between those two sons. Therefore, now he sees that he cannot work for the sake of the Creator whatsoever, since the minute he sees the door of the Torah, which is the view of Torah, called \u201cthe Torah exists only in those who put themselves to death over it,\u201d he agrees to walk in this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, he promptly shifts to the door of people who are doing idol-worship, meaning for themselves, and then he sees that he cannot work for the sake of the Creator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thus, the current state is worse than when she was barren. So \u201cWhy then do I,\u201d why did I ask for sons? I wanted sons in order to have understanding in the work of the Creator, so I would ascend in degree. But now I see that I am worse than before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd she went to inquire with the Lord\u201d what to do now\u2014return to the previous path and remain barren without any understanding, or go forward on this path. \u201cAnd the Lord said to her, \u2018Two nations are in your womb,\u2019\u201d meaning now you received the good inclination, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Previously, you only had the evil inclination, called \u201cself-benefit,\u201d so there was no striving over self-benefit, since when he observed the Torah and Mitzvot<\/em>, he did not have other thoughts at all and felt wholeness while observing them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But now that he already has the good inclination, meaning that he is walking on the line called \u201cin order to bestow,\u201d his body rejects, and from this comes the striving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, do not say that now you are worse. Rather, previously the Torah and Mitzvot<\/em> were in order to receive and it did not occur to you to work in order to bestow. Therefore, while observing Torah and Mitzvot<\/em>, you had no objections and you felt that you were righteous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But when you want to work in order to bestow, the body objects. Therefore, now you have ascended in degree, for you already know what is the good inclination. However, you must continue on the path, \u201cand the elder will serve the young,\u201d and in the end, the good inclination, called \u201cyoung,\u201d will succeed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" November 1978 \u201cAnd Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebecca, the daughter of Betuel.\u201d The Zohar interprets that Betuel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":6246,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"topic":[26],"class_list":["post-12307","book","type-book","status-publish","hentry","topic-rabash"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n