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Biography of Yehuda Katz | Archives | This week's Parsha
Toldos "And Rivkah took her older son Esaws clean garments which were with her in the house, and clothed Jacob her younger son" (27:15) The Rasbam (zecher Labracha) explains that these garments were the ones which Esaw served his father, Isaac, with when Isaac ate...... In Barashis Rabbah (65:16), it is stated "Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel said, I served my father my entire life, but I did not reach even 1 % of the honor Esaw served his father. I wore soiled garments when I served my father, and wore clean garments when I went outside. When Esaw served his father, he wore only regal garments.Esaw felt that it was improper to serve his father wearing any attire other than the very best......" A person can learn a very important lesson from this Medrash in the methodology Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel employed to enhance his performance of Mitzvot.....Esaw was not a rightous man, yet he did excell in one Mitzvah , namely honoring his father. Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel seems to be lamenting the fact that in comparison to Esaw he was lacking in his performance of honoring his father......But still Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel sought guidence from a person greater than himself in the Mitzvah of honoring parents, namely Esaw........We must do the same, bezer Hash.,..............We must look towards greater men than ourselves for guidence on how we can better perform Mitzvot and Avodot Hash...........As its stated in Pirkei Avot(1:16), " Rabbon Gamliel said, Make for yourself A Rov (a Teacher)......." In essence, learn from a person greater than yourself, and thus free yourself of any doubts as to the proper path.......Have a good Shabbos, BEZER HASH.......... |
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