“Toldos” is a word that is often translated as “children”, yet a more accurate translation would be “offspring”. Not every time the Torah uses the word “toldos” are we referring to physical children; sometimes, it refers to something deeper.
The parsha begins with the words “V’eile toldos Yitzchok”, and Rashi explains, “Yaakov v’Eisav hamurim b’parsha”- the pasuk is referring to Yitzchak’s children, Yaakov and Eisav, who are mentioned in this parsha. What is Rashi coming to tell us; don’t we know who Yitzchak’s children are? The sefer Eile Devarim says that Rashi was bothered with a question here. Parshas Noach begins with “Eile toldos Noach” and the parsha is called Parshas Noach, not Parshas Toldos. However, this week’s parsha begins with “Eile toldos Yitzchok” and the parsha is not called Parshas Yitzchok. Asks Rashi, either both parshios should have been called Parshas Toldos, as they both start with the same words “Eile toldos...”, or both should be called by the name following “toldos”, as in Parshas Noach and Parshas Yitzchok. The answer is that in Parshas Noach, the main idea of the parsha is Noach, so the parsha is called on his name. Here, asks Rashi, why is it called Parshas Toldos? Says Rashi, because “Yaakov v’Eisav h’amurim b’parsha”, because the main idea of the parsha is about the children of Yitzchok; that’s why it’s called Parshas Toldos.
The Tosfos Bracha says that Rashi is bothered why in Parshas Bereishis 2:4 when it says “Eile toldos ha’shomayim v’ha’aretz”, the word toldos is spelled with two vavs, where in Parshas Chaya Sara 25:12 it says “Eile toldos Yishmael” and the word toldos is spelled without any vavs. And in our parsha when it says “Eile toldos Yitzchak” the word toldos is spelled with one vav. Says the Tosfos Bracha that the reason why in Parshas Bereishis the word “toldos” has two vavs is because both the heaven and earth were created with the will of Hashem, so each vav represents something good. But the word “toldos” by Yishmael is written without any vavs because the children of Yishmael didn’t behave properly. In our parsha, it says “Eile toldos Yitzchok” with one vav since only Yaakov did the will of Hashem.
The pasuk continues with “Yitzchak ben Avraham, Avraham holid es Yitzchok...” It sounds repetitive to say, “Yitzchok the son of Avraham” and then again “Avraham fathered Yitzchok”. Rashi is bothered with this question and explains that Avraham and Yitzchok looked like each other so people should know that Yitzchok was the son of Avraham. For the cynics of that generation were saying that Sara became pregnant with Avimelech and therefore Yitzchok is not Avraham’s child. So Hashem made Yitzchok resemble Avraham so it would be very clear to all that he is the son of Avraham Avinu.
Rav Zevin (Latorah V’lamoadim) says that there are two types of offsprings in this world; one is a physical offspring, as in a child, and one is an intellectual offspring. Children are a biological extension of the father. But not every natural offspring (ben) is an intellectual offspring (holid). “Ben” means you are simply the son of so and so, whereas “holid” means that all the father’s traits are passed down to the child.
The gemara says in Sanhedrin that if you teach someone Torah, it’s considered as if you are the parent and the student is the child. It says “k’ilu yoldo” – it’s as if you bore him. That’s a “holid”, an intellectual offspring. Says Rav Zevin, a father has to aim to be both a physical father and a spiritual father, so his son should be both a “ben” and a “holid” in a Torah way. Avraham Avinu was both - he was a natural father and also a holid because he taught Yitzchok Torah. And this is what the pasuk is saying, “Yitzchok ben Avraham, Avraham holid es Yitzchak” – Avraham Avinu wasn’t just his physical father, but his spiritual father as well.
At the wedding of one of Reb Yerucham’s sons, who was also a talmid of his, a wedding guest approached Reb Yerucham and wished him mazal tov “on two accounts-the wedding of your son and the wedding of your ‘considered son.'” Reb Yerucham acknowledged the good wishes, but he corrected the man, “For us, the ‘considered son’ precedes the son.”
On another occasion, Reb Yerucham was involved in a shidduch for his son. The shidduch did not seem to be working out, running into one difficulty after another, and finally Reb Yerucham sat down and cried. One of his relatives expressed great surprise that he should be crying over such a matter. Surely Reb Yerucham did not take it so much to heart! Reb Yerucham explained, “I am not crying over the pain that this matter is causing. Rather, I’m crying because until now I thought that my son and other bachurim in the yeshiva are equal in my eyes. Now I see that I really feel some difference.”
Yes, it’s our aim to view our students as our biological children, but also to view our biological children as our students. We hope to not only raise them and care for them on a physical level, to keep them safe and healthy, but to raise them to be the ovdei Hashem that they are meant to be.
