In our parasha we find the incredible miracle of Yitzchak Avinu’s birth and how Avraham Avinu made a great banquet on the day he was weaned. From the language of the pasuk it seems that the seudah was a very large one indeed. Yet Rashi reveals to us that the reason why it was considered great, was not because of the quantity of people, but rather because of the quality of those who were present. Shem and Avimelech were there.
There might not have been a very large crowd at all, but the seudah’s greatness was dependent on the chashivus of the individuals in attendance.
This principle is an extremely important one to know and recognize: As Chazal teach us, ‘The place does not honor the individual, it is the individual that honors the place.’
An incredible hint to this principle is actually also found in our parasha: Avraham Avinu davened for Sedom’s salvation and within his words he told Hashem Yisborach, in his immense humility, that he was but dust and ashes.
Chazal teach us that as a reward for this incredible expression of humility, Avraham merited two things: the dust of the sotah, and the ashes of the parah adumah. In order to appreciate this reward better, let us take a look at a fantastic parable from the Dubner Maggid, as brought in Otzaros Hatorah:
A great talmid chacham walked into a wedding and sat down at a back table where he could remain as inconspicuous as possible. From his seat on the dais the baal simcha spotted him, and ran down to try to bring his distinguished guest to the front. Yet as much as he tried, in his great humility the talmid chacham refused to move, expressing how he was already sitting at a table that was perfect for him.
What could the baal simcha do at this point? Then, Baruch Hashem, he thought of an idea! If the talmid chacham refused to go to the front, he would bring the front to him! And so he brought all the occupants of the dais and moved them to the talmid chacham’s table in the back of the hall; now that table became the new dais!
Avraham Avinu said to Hashem, ‘I am but dust and ashes.’ He lowered himself to actually put himself on the level of the dust and the ashes. What did Hashem do as a reward for that incredible humility? He took the dust and the ashes and raised them up to become a part of Avraham Avinu’s greatness instead!
And not just to be part of Avraham and his descendants, but to be part of the Mitzvos of the Torah itself! Just as the talmid chacham in the parable caused the table in the back to become the mizrach wall of the wedding, so did Avraham Avinu, by putting himself with the dust and ashes, raise them up to become matters of great value and worth!
Such is the effect of a great man. His presence changes everyone and everything around him. As Mesilas Yesharim writes in respect to the rocks that lay underneath Yaakov Avinu’s head: The tzaddik causes all those that come in contact with him to be uplifted. It is not the place that honors the tzaddik, but the tzaddik that honors the place.
This week marks the yahrtzeiten of three great tzaddikim who uplifted and continue to uplift our generation: R’ Nosson Tzvi Finkel zt”l (11 Cheshvan); The Chazon Ish zt”l (15 Cheshvan); and Rav Shach zt”l (16 Cheshvan). Each one in his own right made a mark on this world that is indescribable and extremely profound. May Hashem allow us to walk in their light and in the lofty footsteps which they left for us to follow...
Besiyata diShmaya.
