Toledot; Genesis 25:19-28:9 by Rabbi Denise L. Eger

This week’s parasha is about the life of Isaac, the second of our Patriarchs. This week God speaks directly to Isaac, affirming the covenant and affirming Isaac’s special relationship with God. The first time God speaks directly to Isaac is in Genesis 26:2. God tells Isaac to stay in the land of Gerar during the course of a famine and promises to fulfill the blessing of the covenant through him. And then later on in this same chapter 26: 24 God says to Isaac—“I am the God of your father Abraham, Fear not for I am with you and I will bless you and increase your offspring for the sake of My servant Abraham.”

Why does God try to reassure Isaac with the words—Fear not? Isaac’s experience of his father’s God has not been for the most part a positive one. This is the God who commanded his father to sacrifice him on the altar. From Isaac’s perspective one can imagine that at times Isaac felt that his father loved God more than his own sons. From Isaac’s perspective, indeed he has something to fear -a God who would demand the sacrifice of a child. But even though in the end, God stopped the sacrifice of Isaac and came to his rescue, providing the ram, it must have been a traumatic moment for Isaac, bound to the altar by his father, with the knife poised over him. It had to have an effect on Isaac and his relationship to both his father and to God. Thus when God speaks to him, it must have had some chilling effect on Isaac.

Although God speaks twice directly to Abraham in chapter 26, one can imagine that the first direct communication is hard to believe. Even with the promise of fulfilling the covenant of his father, and the promise of wealth and offspring, there must have been some doubts on Isaac’s part—or at least a healthy skepticism and yet he does follow God’s command to dwell in Gerar. Thus the second communication, God uses words that will try to assuage Isaac’s trepidation.

In addition the passages that come immediately before God direct conversation with Isaac involve Isaac in difficult interactions with the herdsman of Gerar. Isaac has water disputes over the ownership of wells. The first well was once dug by his father and then was re-opened by Isaac. The second well the men of Gerar also claimed even though it was a new well of living water. The third well dug was dispute free.

The great Ramban (Nachmanides, Rabbi Moses ben Nachman 1195-1270) comments on this section by stating that God tells Isaac not to fear that the Philistines or the men of Gerar will gather against him. Although he has had these disputes with them over water, a precious commodity in a desert land, God comforts Isaac with the words of protection and blessing.

Isaac is touched by God’s promise of protection and the promise of blessing. Now he knows himself, with his own experience of the Divine that God’s shelter is extended to him. There have been signs all along, after all he is the child promised by God to Abraham and Sarah. He is the miracle child born in their old age. God at the altar—providing a ram to sacrifice, instead of him, protected Isaac. He is successful during his sojourn in Gerar and adds to his wealth. But this second direct communication between God and Isaac affirms the unique covenantal bond that extends to Isaac. It must have been very reassuring to Isaac and one can imagine that perhaps Isaac finally feels that he must have come into his own relationship with the Divine.

Like each of us, while we can emulate and practice the religion and customs and traditions of our parents and they often bring us comfort, but until we develop our own unique spiritual bond with our God and religious life, we cannot fully experience the deep ways in which the Divine can touch our souls. Our challenge is to come to know God, to journey towards God on our own, certainly guided and helped by our ancestors but ultimately to have our own unique bond for ourselves.

Posted by Lee at November 9, 2004 10:50 AM