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Nov 25/06 — Parashat Toldot Commentary by Chazzan Aníbal Mass
“These are the generations of Isaac son of Abraham: Abraham was the
father of Isaac.” When we read this verse, we really find the second part superfluous. Why does the Torah have to repeat that Abraham was the father of Isaac immediately after saying that Isaac was Abraham’s son? This reiteration, as strange as at it may look, teaches us a lot about the different types of relationships between parents and children that we can see in the world, and the right relationship we should pursue. In general, there are three types of relationships that children can have with their parents. There are some children that put aside all that was taught by their parents and quickly forget all the sacrifices and effort put into their education, however, they keep using the name and the reputation of their parents to their own benefit. It is not strange to hear some youth in trouble shouting: “Do you know who my father is?” The second type is characterized by children that radically rebel against their parents, breaking all connection with them and all that they have been taught. In the first group, the parents don’t obtain any “naches” (satisfaction) from their children although the children benefit from the reputation of their parents. In the second group, neither parent nor children benefit. Abraham had children in these two categories. We read that his children with Ketura belonged to the second group; they didn’t have anything in common with him and they moved away from his life without any further connection. Now, his son Ishmael, on the other hand, belonged to the first group; he moved away from his father’s way, but he didn’t stop taking advantage of his lineage. Several times the Torah calls him Ishmael ben (son of) Abraham, and even in our days, the children of Ishmael are identified as descendents of Abraham as an argument for their demands. But there is a third type of relationship between parents and children that seems to be the best. In this relationship, the children respect their parents and their teachings and remember them all the time, not only when they are in trouble. Here parents and children both benefit mutually. This was the group to which Isaac belonged, and this explains why the pasuk (verse) repeats the concept from both perspectives. Isaac kept honouring and respecting Abraham’s teachings, and Abraham was always a good father to Isaac. Both felt adoration and respect for one another and each was proud to be identified with the other. This is the type of relationship which we should all strive to attain: we should reach the level of “Isaac son of Abraham” and “Abraham father of Isaac”. Almost four thousand years of Jewish history based on the teachings of the same Torah that our Patriarchs studied have demonstrated that this type of parent-child relationship is very effective.
Shabbat is a
special time when families sit together to celebrate—a special time
when we can discover how important it is to Shabbat Shalom. |
