Bereishis

The Torah records Yaakov's flight to Charan in response to his parents' directives. Why was it also necessary to record that he left Beersheva, a fact that is automatically implied? Rashi tells us that this comes to teach us that "A tzaddik's departure from a city creates a void...for when he leaves, the city's glory, splendor, and beauty departs with him".

How can we understand that a great metropolis like New York City lost its glory, splendor, and beauty when the great Gaon and Tzaddik, Maran HaRav Moshe Feinstein zt"l passed away, vacating his Lower East Side residence? The city still possessed its grandiose amenities of commerce, culture, and cuisine! I believe the understanding of this Rashi is found in an insight of Rav Chaim Berlin zt"l. The pasuk describes the epic vision and dream of Yaakov Avinu. "And behold, a ladder was stationed on the ground, its top reached toward heaven and behold, angels were ascending and descending on it. (Breishis 28:12)" The Midrash asks the obvious question. Shouldn't angels that are indigenous to heaven first descend and then ascend? Rav Chaim Berlin answers with the following example. In the Western Hemisphere, the Holy Ark is placed on the eastern side of a Shul, rendering the "Mizrach Vant" (eastern wall) the coveted place to sit. In the Orient, however, the Holy Ark is placed on the western side of a Shul, altering the desired and premium seats to the "Maariv Vant" (western wall). Whichever side the Holy Ark is placed becomes distinguished by association. The Torah tells us, "And behold, he (Yaakov) saw Hashem standing beside him (Breishis 28:13)". The Almighty left his celestial abode and was positioned near Yaakov Avinu on this ephemeral world. If so, we can very well understand why the Torah describes the angels as ascending first. When the angels came from heaven, they were, in essence, "ascending", since they were heading toward the Almighty, which is an aliya, an ascent. Therefore, when they returned to heaven, departing from the Almighty, this was described as a descent. Ascent and descent are relative terms, which fluctuate based on where the Almighty is.

We can now explain Rashi's statement that with the tzaddik's departure, even the most cosmopolitan city loses its beauty. This is true, since all the vaunted assets of commerce, culture, cuisine are of relative, not absolute value. In the words of the Navi, "The righteous walk in them, and sinners will stumble over them (Hoshea 14:10)". The very same assets can be self-serving and hedonistic or can be employed as tools for altruism and the glory of Man and G-d. It is the presence of the tzaddik that gives direction and purpose to all these impressive amenities. It is the tzaddik by dint of his example and teachings who inspires the people to use their blessings, "l'shem shamayim" (for the sake of Heaven), giving these blessings their true and authentic glory, splendor, and beauty. May we all merit to focus our blessings toward Hashem and His service, adorning all that we do with glory, splendor, and beauty.

The Torah describes our mother Leah's eyes as weak and tender. What precipitated this physical defect? Rashi explains that it was popular opinion that Leah would be wed to Eisav. Since Rivka had two sons and her brother Lavan had two daughters, it would be appropriate that the elder brother Eisav marry the elder sister Leah, and the younger brother Yaakov marry the younger sister Rachel. Leah, therefore, wept constantly in prayer that she be spared marriage to Eisav, ultimately damaging the beauty of her eyes. The sefer "N'sivos Chaim" asks the following question. The Baal Haggadah describes Lavan as the most pernicious enemy of the Jewish People - "Lavan desired to decimate the Jewish People". If Leah was successful in maintaining her high spiritual level even in her decadent father Lavan's home, what trepidation did she have marrying Eisav, who was less evil?! To the contrary, marrying Eisav was a unique opportunity to positively influence Eisav and correct his evil ways. Our Rabbis tell us that the ideal wife is one that is "oseh ritzon ba'ala". Literally, this means "One who does her husband's will". However, on a deeper level, it can be interpreted to mean that "she creates and inspires her husband's will". It is the desire of every person to serve his Creator and the ideal wife nurtures and develops that will. Why then was Leah so fearful of marrying Eisav?

The answer lies in Eliyahu HaNavi's words of admonition to the Jewish People. "How long will you dance between two opinions? If Hashem is the G-d, go after Him! And if the Baal, go after it! (Melachim 1, 18:21)." Eliyahu made an ostensibly strange suggestion to the Jewish People. Better to dedicate yourself totally to the Baal, the dominant idol worship of the time, than serve G-d and the Baal simultaneously. Wouldn't partial service of Hashem be better than no service at all? The answer is that when serving Hashem and the Baal, one may fall into a self-deceptive illusion that one is truly righteous, precluding any possibility of repentance. The dual service of Hashem and the Baal is also perilous for others, who may be deceived by this hypocritical Tzaddik and may come to emulate his ways. On the other hand, one who is totally dedicated to the Baal, openly demonstrates his evil ways. This prevents others from adopting his errant behavior while providing the offender the possibility for honest introspection and self-improvement.

Although Lavan was more wicked than Eisav, Lavan did nothing to hide his evil ways. His destructive and sadistic lifestyle was common knowledge to all the people in Padan Aram - literally, his reputation preceded him! His daughter, Leah, was therefore able to protect herself from the detrimental influences of her father. Eisav, on the other hand, appeared like a great Tzaddik. The Kotzker Rebbe zt'l described Eisav "with a shtreimel on his head, wearing the long coat of the pious, conducting a tish at Seudah Shlishis". Eisav deceived his father Yitzchak into believing he was righteous, by constantly asking tedious halachic questions. Our Rabbis tell us that Eisav is likened to a swine. Just as the swine sits with its split hooves stretched out, as if to say, "I am a kosher animal", so, too, Eisav appeared righteous but, in essence, was a rasha. Living with an Eisav was a challenge too formidable even for the determined Leah. Therefore, Leah cried unabatedly to Hashem that He save her from exposure to such a potent danger. The lesson is quite obvious. If a Ben-Torah clad in the traditional garb of righteousness performs a sin, his evil deed is far more destructive than one carried out by an individual who doesn't profess such high standards. If a Ben Torah is lax and talks during davening or demonstrates a lack of Derech Eretz, the "Kosher Pork Feet Syndrome" catapults his errant ways in geometric proportion, hindering himself and others from the proper service of Hashem.