I saw the following interesting observation in Rabbi Buchspan’s sefer. The pasuk says, “The lads grew up, and Eisav became a man who knows trapping, a man of the field; but Yaakov was a wholesome man, abiding in tents.” (Bereshis 25:27).
Chazal say that the expression “abiding in tents” indicates that Yaakov learned in yeshiva. He learned in Yeshivas Shem v’Ever. This pasuk ostensibly describes Yaakov and Eisav. However, shouldn’t the pasuk say that Yaakov yashav b’ohalim (i.e. – he sat in the yeshiva), in the past tense? Yoshev ohalim means he is sitting there, in the present.
There are two other places in Sefer Bereshis where the Torah uses the word yoshev instead of yashav, both times indicating something significant. For instance, the pasuk in Parshas Vayera says, “And the two Angels came to Sodom and Lot was sitting (yoshev) in the Gates of Sodom.” (Bereshis 19:1). The fact that the present tense was used rather than the historical past teaches us (as Rashi comments) that it was specifically that day that Lot was appointed to a judicial position in Sodom. Yoshev means that today was his first day.
A second example is in last week’s parsha: Efron was sitting (yoshev) in the midst of the children of Ches.” (Bereshis 23:10). Rashi there as well comments that it was just that day that Efron was appointed as a judge over the children of Ches. Thus, when the pasuk writes yoshev rather than yoshav, it means that he just started today.
So, what are we going to do about the pasuk “Yaakov ish tam, yoshev ohalim“? It can’t mean that this was his first day! The Medrash (on the pasuk “and the lads grew up” (Bereshis 25:27)) writes that this is reminiscent of two flowers that sprouted up next to one another – a myrtle and a thorn-bush. At the beginning of their sprouting, they look similar. However, when they grow up, one emits its beautiful aroma and the other one gives off thorns. So too, the first thirteen years of their lives, both Yaakov and Eisav attended school each day. After thirteen years, this one went off to the house of study and this one went off to the house of idolatry. They both went to the same cheder, but after their Bar Mitzvahs, Yaakov took one path and Eisav took another path.
So what does it mean “yoshev ohalim“? After all Yaakov was in cheder since age three or perhaps age five. The answer is that the special attribute of Yaakov was that it was as if it were his first day in yeshiva. Yaakov’s quest for learning was such that each day felt like it was “day one.” Each day feeling like “day one” indicates a special level of enthusiasm and excitement.
Rashi says on the pasuk “And these words that I command to you today shall be upon your heart.” (Devorim 6:6) – that they should not be upon you like an old edict but rather like a new one. This is one of the great challenges of life. It is one of the great challenges of every yeshiva bachur and of everything we do in life. It is very common that everything we do becomes “Same old; same old.” It is just another day.
If a person had this ability to treat every day as if it were new, like the first day, then our attitude would be quite different. This is a very appropriate message to any Bar Mitzvah boy. On the first day that a boy wears tefillin, it is amazing how carefully and meticulously he wraps the retzuos around his arm and puts the shel rosh on his head. The same is true on the first day of a new school year or of attending a new yeshiva. I remember the first day that I attended Ner Yisrael. It is seared into my memory for the rest of my life.
Unfortunately, that original enthusiasm wears off. It does not take too long to become “Same old; same old. Day in, day out.” The greatness of Yaakov Avinu was that he was a yoshev ohalim. Each day was a new day, like day one in yeshiva! It is hard for us to duplicate that, but the more we can appreciate every day in yeshiva (which does not last forever), the more successful we will be in yeshiva.
