Parsha Toldos
Perek 26, Posuk 5
"Ekev asher shama Avraham b'koli, vayishmor mishmarti, mitzvosai, chukosai, v'torosai"
"Because Abraham obeyed My voice, and observed My safeguards, My commandments, My edicts, and My Torahs."
Rashi explains:
My Voice: when I tested him.
My Safeguards: decrees for keeping a distance from negative commandments.
My Commandments: matters which are logical such as stealing and bloodshed.
My Edicts: matters which we don't understand such as kashrus and sha'atnez.
My TorahS: both the written and oral Torahs.
In this pasuk Hashem tells Yitzchok why his descendants will inherit eretz yisroel and increase like the stars. Because of Abraham.
Why?
The first reason listed is because he listened to My voice. Hashem does not say because he followed the Torah. It does not say because he learned all day. It does not say because he did tons of chesed. BUT because he listened to my voice.
What is this voice??
Hashems TESTS. Avraham passed every test that Hashem presented to him. It is for this reason we were chosen to be given eretz yisroel and continue forever as a nation.
Learning Torah is great and so is doing Mitzvos. But that usually not the reason we were placed on this earth.
Misilas Yisharim - "yesod hachasidus v'shoresh haavoda temima, who shyisbera etzel kol adam mah chovaso b'olamo..."
The yesod of why we are here is to pass our tests, to each his own. Passing our tests is what bring s us closer to Hashem.
How do we know what our tests are? Usually the thing a person stuggles with and is inclined towards is his Test. That means for a good portion of us here, our test in this life is overcoming our lust issues. And passing this test is the #1 reason why we are here today. May we all pass this test.
And Observe My SafeGUARDs: (keep GYEs up and running. Donations please!)
What is the second item mention by Hashem on why we are the chosen nation? Because Avraham safeguarded the commandments. Not because Avraham kept the torah! That's listed last. But because Avraham put up fences and kept them! (Got filter?!).
I was blown away by this. Clearly we need fences. Avraham used them. And thank you Reb Guard for giving us GYE!!! This new fence is what we and so many others desperately need.
Our #1 goal in life is to pass our Test in LIFE. To do that we need to put up fences and GUARD them !!!!
Good Shabbos to all!
