דברי תורה לכבוד שבת קודש פרשת וירא - כ' מרחשון
In his beautiful Chumash Shiur, Rav Yitzchok Halevi Horowitz Shlit”a, the new Rav at Bais Medrash Chayei Yisroel on Gudz Road, shared a Moiradk’e Shmues from the Nesivos Shalom regarding the Nisyonos of Avrohom Avinu. The Nesivos Shalom begins with a Medrash which asks, “Which was a greater Nisayon, the Nisayon of לך לך מארצך in Parshas Lech Licha, or the Nisayon of לך לך אל ארץ המוריה in Parshas Vayeira, which is the Akeida?” What type of question is this, asks the Nesivos Shalom? How is it possible to compare the two? Is it possible to compare leaving one’s place to shechting one’s son? To add to the question, the Nesivos Shalom brings from the Seforim that at the time of the Akeida, Hashem took all the Ahava possible from the whole world and placed it in Avrohom Avinu’s heart with love for Yitzchok. This was in order to make the Nisayon as great as possible. So how can we understand that the Nisayon of לך לך מארצך even comes close to that level of a Nisayon? These are the Nesivos Shalom’s questions.
The Nesivos Shalom answers these questions based on a principle from the Ariza”l that there are no two people in the world since it was created who have the exact same יועד ותפקיד - destiny, mission and purpose. Every single person has his or her own יועד ותפקיד which they must accomplish and fulfil in this world. When Hashem told Avrohom Avinu לך לך מארצך, Hashem was telling him that he should leave everything that he was used to and go to fulfil his personal lifelong mission. The Nesivos Shalom says that this message to Avrohom Avinu is meant for all of Klal Yisroel, and it is possible for this to be more difficult than the Akeida. The Akeida was the greatest, most tremendous Nisayon possible, but it was only one-time, and that was it. The Nisayon of לך לך מארצך is continuous, non-stop, forever. This is why the Medrash has a question which was greater.
Perhaps we can add just a tiny Nekuda onto the beautiful explanation of the Nesivos Shalom. Perhaps a person who goes to fulfil the mission of לך לך מארצך can be compared to a person making an Akeida on himself. The person who can leave all of the things that he was used to, and a person who is able to give up all of his תאוות ורצונות, is actually making an Akeida on himself. Such a person is really making himself into a Korban for Hashem.
We are living in a society, even in the holy עיר התורה of Lakewood, which has been influenced by the American culture in so many ways. Each person can find his own לך לך מארצך - abandon that way of life and come closer to Hashem.
Have a gutten and zeesen Shabbos,
רבי גארפינקל
