The Torah says (25:27) איש ציד ידע איש עשו ויהי אהלים ישב תם איש ויעקב שדה, "And Eisav was a man who understood hunting, a man of the field, whereas Yaakov was an innocent man, dwelling in tents."
The difference between a field and a tent is that a field doesn't have boundaries, while a tent has boundaries and limits.
This describes the difference between Yaakov and Eisav. Eisav doesn't want boundaries. He wants to feel free to do whatever he chooses and whenever he wants. Yaakov Avinu made boundaries.
Chazal established gedorim, boundaries and protections, so we don't come near transgressing aveiros, chalilah. They keep us several steps away from an aveirah.
One of Reb Shimon Shkop's zt'l students originated from Germany. Once, this student asked Reb Shimon Shkop, "The people of my country in Germany have a lot of yiras Shamayim; they are cautious with all the mitzvos of the Torah. But when it comes to the severe aveirah of shaving off the beard with a razor, some are lenient. How did this occur? They transgress five lavin each time they shave! How could it be that they aren't cautious with this aveirah?"
Reb Shimon Shkop told him that it is because this aveirah doesn’t have any gezeiros from Chazal. All aveiros of the Torah have gezeiros, prohibitions from Chazal, to keep us distant from transgressing a Torah prohibition, but Chazal didn't set any precautions and boundaries for the aveirah of shaving the beard. The reason they didn't establish safeguards for this aveirah is because at the time of Chazal, the goyim also grew beards, and it wasn't likely that a Jew would shave off his beard. In their times, it wasn't necessary to make a gezeirah because who would want to shave off his beard? But since Chazal didn't establish any safeguards for this aveirah, people are liable to stumble.
The Chidushei HaRim zt'l (Likutei HaRim, Acharei) also discusses the phenomenon that Chazal didn't establish prohibitions and guards to prevent the severe aveirah of shaving off the beard. This is the only prohibition of the Torah that doesn't have any Rabbinic prohibitions. The Chidushei HaRim explains that, as it is known, the chachamim suffered opposition from the Tzedokim, the apikorsim. The Tzedokim claimed that it was wrong to make gezeiros. "Why make it hard for the Jewish nation?" they said. "It is enough that they must keep the prohibitions of the Torah, why add on more?"
They said that if we are too strict with the Jewish community and have many gezeiros d'Rabbanan, in the end, they will abandon everything.
The chachamim disagreed. With proof and logic, they showed the Tzedokim that gezeiros are essential, and only in this way will the Yidden be able to keep the Torah. To prove that they are correct, the chachamim agreed that they wouldn't make any boundaries for one aveirah – the severe aveirah against shaving with a razor. They did this to test who would be correct. They would see whether the gezeiros are needed or not.
The Chidushei HaRim concluded, "But now we see what came from this leniency and lack of gezeiros. The chachamim were correct!"
The need to set up gezeiros is learned from the pasuk (Acharei 18:30) ממשמרתי את ושמרתם. Chazal (Yevamos 21.) explain that this means you should make boundaries so that you won't come to aveiros. Sifrei mussar add that each person should make his own boundaries in the places they find necessary to keep oneself away from aveiros.
Chovos HaLevavos (Shaar HaTeshuvah ch.5) says, "It is told about some chassidim, who distanced themselves from seventy permitted gates, out of fear of the one prohibited gate."
Reb Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt’l was in a taxi, and the taxi driver (who didn't realize that he was giving a ride to one of the gedolei hador) said to Reb Shlomo Zalman, "The chachamim of our generation don't let us live. Every day, they come up with new rules and strict regulations.”
Reb Shlomo Zalman didn’t respond. The taxi stopped at a red light. Reb Shlomo Zalman said, “The people in charge of the roads don’t let us live. They keep making new rules and new regulations. We can’t go on red, only on green. For driving quickly, one receives a ticket. You will be fined if you don’t wear a seatbelt, and there are many other laws. They simply don’t let us live.”
The taxi driver disagreed. “Why do you say they don't let us live? These laws give us life. People would die if it weren’t for these laws."
Reb Shlomo Zalman replied, “The laws of the chachamim are the same. They give us life."
In this week's parashah, Hashem blesses Yitzchak and tells him that the brachos are in Avraham's merit. As it states (26:3, 5) ...ואברכך משמרתי וישמר בקולי אברהם שמע אשר עקב, "I will bless you... because Avraham listened to My voice and kept My calling..." The Siforno learns from this pasuk that Hashem didn’t bless Yitzchak in his own merit. He was blessed in the merit of Avraham.
Avraham's merit was משמרתי וישמר. We will explain this in two ways:
(1) Rashi's Explanation
Rashi writes that משמרתי וישמר means that "Avraham kept the gezeiros of Chazal to distance ourselves from the aveiros of the Torah, such as לעריות שניות, the boundaries of arayos and the Rabbinic prohibitions of Shabbos." Hashem blessed Avraham, and also Yitzchak in his merit because he was cautious to keep the gezeiros that Chazal would later establish.
(2) Sforno's Explanation
The Sforno has another definition for משמרתי וישמר. He writes, "משמרתי וישמר, [Avraham] did the service that I would do, and that is to do kindness, as it states (Tehillim 25:10) ואמת חסד 'ה אורחות כל, 'All the ways of Hashem are kindness and truth,' and to teach sinners to go on the right path. Avraham did so..."
And because Avraham was occupied with chesed, and with the greatest chesed, which is to direct people to the true path of emunah, he received Hashem's brachos, and Yitzchak also received brachos in Avraham's merit.
Afterwards, Yitzchak also began teaching people emunah, as it states (26:25) מזבח שם ויבן 'ה בשם ויקרא, "He built a mizbeiach there and called out in Hashem's name." Now, Yitzchak could receive Hashem's brachos in his own merit. Therefore, after the pasuk tells us that Yitzchak was calling out in Hashem's name, it states that Avimelech came to him and said, 'ה ברוך עתה אתה, "Now, you, O blessed of Hashem!"
The Sforno adds, "We don't find that Yitzchak suffered anymore from jealousy and disputes, as had transpired beforehand." Due to Yitzchak's chesed and his teaching emunah to the masses, Hashem blessed him and granted him success and peace.
The Baal HaTanya hired a melamed to study with his young son, Rebbe Dov Ber (the "Mitteler Rebbe" zt’l). The Baal HaTanya said to the melamed, "Be aware that you are doing 'ה מלאכת, Hashem's service, and it is נפשות דיני, a matter of life and death, because your students' spiritual life is in your hands, and spiritual life is more crucial than physical life. If you do your service well, you will earn credit for all the children's good deeds and gain the merits of their children and grandchildren forever. But if you don't teach well, the children's failure will be your fault. Everything is in your hands. Think about this before you begin to teach, and Hashem will help you establish and mold good students. Your portion will be together with the great tzaddikim."
We mention this to remind melamdim, and also parents, that they are also occupied in kiruv, as were Avraham and Yitzchak. Everyone, in his own way, is teaching emunah. The reward is enormous, and the responsibility is great. But if we try, Hashem will help us succeed.
