* Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
Do we notice the quiet, diligent, and devoted ones among us?
Let’s admit that the story of Yitzhak is far less dramatic than that of Avraham. Avraham was a revolutionary who rebelled against idol worship and was the founder of the Jewish faith. His son Yitzhak, on the other hand, did not rebel but chose to “revolt” by carrying on the same exact traditions of his father — something that is often not the case.
The parasha of Toldot that we will read in the synagogue this coming Shabbat deals with the life of Yitzhak. He represents a generation that goes about its business without fanfare, simply working hard to uphold the values of parents and teachers.
Successors who follow in the path of their predecessors deserve to be held in high esteem. They are not innovators but perpetuators. They are not newly observant but grew up in observant homes. They are not pioneers, but the second generation that builds on an existing foundation. It can be gray and boring at times to merely continue what your parents started. What a challenge it is to go down the same road and nevertheless be renewed, even if renewal is an internal process that does not depend on external stimulation from the outside world.
When it comes to Torah learning, raising children, marriage, and every other area of human endeavor, it is impossible to build anything of lasting value without adherence to time-honored traditions.
Although it’s true that, as our sages have said, “all beginnings are hard,” continuity is difficult too, and those who come after do not receive the acclaim of the innovators who came before them.
Search for those around you who quietly persevere in their routine without complaint and consider your own unspectacular daily tasks. It may be worthwhile to see what we do every day in a new light and as a source of renewal too.
