Sunday, December 4, 2011

Toldot - History Repeats Itself

Gaza History repeats itself. In Parshat Toldot after kicking Yitzchak out of Gaza, Avimelech and his general Phicol come to Yitzchak and demand a treaty.
Yitzchak's first gut reaction is best and most correct, "Why have you come to me? You hate me and drove me away from you." (Bereishit 26:27)
Avimelech at least is a truthful adversary. "We have seen that Hashem is with you." ibis. 26:28)
And Avimelech pushes Yitzchak to a one-sided oath.
When Yitzchak left Gaza the wells dried up and the trees bore no fruit. The same thing happened thousands of years later when Yitzchak's descendants were kicked out of Gaxa. Bug free fruits and vegetables failed to grow in the same hot houses in which they had grown for decades.
And then again and again the Arabs try to force on the Jews one-way agreements to the benefit of the Palestinian Authority and its Arabs.
Maasei Avot siman lebanim. What happens to our ancestors is a signpost for their descendants. We are supposed to study the lives and events of our Patriarchs and learn from them - wrong or right.


This parsha thought is dedicated to Zeev Natah Katz and his entire family, with whom we had the pleasure to share Shabbat.
**
Please share Savta's Torah thoughts with our next generation, and let them enjoy this Parsha song of old:
http://www.chabad.org/kids/article_cdo/aid/519440/jewish/Toldot.htm

No comments:

Post a Comment