Isn’t it interesting how the month of Kislev – the month of (at least the start of) Chanukkah –
coincides with Parshas Toldos? The roots of Chanukkah are found in the Parshah, the essence of
the war of the Greeks vs. the Maccabim (and all the Shomrei Torah they represent) are found in
the fundamental statement of Hashem to Rivkah Immeinu: “There are two Peoples in your
womb, and two Nations separated from within you. And the one People will struggle with the
other...” The nations that descend from Eisav – the Greeks, and later their philosophical and
spiritual inheritors, the Romans – accepted that there was a spiritual component to the
universe and to man, but considered this spiritual element secondary to man’s physicality.
Torah – the way of Kehilas Yaacov – holds the exact opposite. The physical world is only here to
serve man’s spiritual missions, the mission of serving G-d. These philosophies are obviously
incompatible, war was inevitable from the outset.
Our Sages tell us that Rivkah was deeply troubled because when she passed a Beis Medrash the
“child” inside of her would get excited, yet the same thing happened when she came near a
place of Avodah Zara. She was distressed that maybe she would give birth to a child that would
be confused, would run after everything, would have no direction in the world. She was,
therefore, comforted to know that there were two children inside of her, each with a clearly
defined direction. Even a child grounded in physicality, could – perhaps – be raised to serve
Hashem from that approach. (Note: this was Yitzchak’s hope, held until he saw the “mouth of
Gehinnom” opened before him when he was ready to bless Eisav! Rivkah, with her binah
yeseirah – and perhaps the experience of growing up as Lavan’s sister – knew better at that
point.)
This is our educational takeaway for the month. It’s so important to give our children
unequivocal lessons, and to foster unequivocal emunah and middos tovos within them. This will
save them from the many drawbacks and pains of confusion and uncertainty. Of course, we
work hard to inculcate our students and our children with a rock-solid, pure Torah education.
May haKadosh Baruch Hu grant us the blessing of many little lights in our home, each one pure
and bright and destined to give us pleasure from their light.
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