The following is the Dvar Torah I gave yesterday at my grandson Shimon Greenland’s Bar Mitzvah.
This week’s
Parsha deals with the story of Yaakov and Esav. Esav was an Ish Yodeah Tzayid -a hunter.
Yaakov was an Ish Tam Yoshev Ohalos.
The word ‘Tam’ has traditionally been applied
to someone who is of simple mind. In fact one of the four sons in the Hagadah
is called a Tam - the simple son.
Was Ya’akov
a simpleton who could not think deeply?
Hardly. He was an intellectual who preferred the house of study to the open filed of the hunter.
First the word Tam also means whole. Ya'akov was a whole or wholesome person missing nothing from his intelligence or temperment. Eventhough he had the intelligence to be very clever and outwit people, he did not use those characteristics except where it was in service to God. Such as when his mother Rivkah realized via prophecy from God that the blessing of the firstborn must be given to the Ya'akov and not to Esav.
Second, in the very same Pasuk that that descries
Yaakov as a Tam, it describes him as a Yoshev Ohalos - someone who sits in
tents. Chazal explain that what the
Torah means is that Yaakov was studious. He studied Torah diligently in a house or ‘tent’ of learning.
Rashi in next
week’s Parsha - VaYetzei - tells us that when Yaakov ran away from his
home to Charan his mother’s birthplace to avoid the wrath of Esav… he took a 14 year detour into the Yeshiva of
Shem Vo’Eiver - where he studied Torah.
But Torah
was not the only area of Yaakov’s expertise. He also knew science. Rav Ahron Soloveichik points this out in his
book ‘The Warmth and the Light’.
After
serving Lavan for many years, Yaakov decided it was time to leave. Lavan
offered to pay Yaakov for all the Bracha that was bestowed upon him through
Yaakov’s efforts.
Yaakov responded
by offering to make a deal with him. Yaakov
would continue to work for Lavan tending his sheep. Over time as those sheep
gave birth to more sheep, he would take all the speckled ones of Lavan’s flock
that would be born of unspeckled members. Lavan would keep the all the un-speckled ones.
The Torah then
describes the very strange procedure Yaakov used to ensure that his share of
sheep would be substantial. He carved
out white streaks and speckles in rods of various branches… and set the rods
before flock. This would influence them
to bear speckled and spotted offspring.
The obvious
and question is - How did Ya’akov expect this procedure to influence the flocks?
It was God’s will that Ya'akov be properly rewarded for his efforts in working for Lavan all those years.The Medrash that tells
us that God sent Yaakov a ‘Malach’ to help in his dealings with Lavan.
Rav Ahron
explains that a Malach does not necessarily mean an angel. It can mean a
messenger - which might come in many forms. In this case it was in the form of
Mendelian science! The science of genetics founded by Gregor Mendel.
Rav Ahron goes
on to explain in some detail how Yaakov used those rods genetically to amass
the huge amount of speckled offspring from all those sheep. I am not going to go into those details. The point is that when Yaakov left Lavan… he left a very
wealthy man because of his knowledge of science.
As Rav Ahron
points out - Yaakov’s experience with Lavan teaches us the value of
incorporating Limudei Chol into our lives as a fulfillment of the Torah.
The amount
of Torah study we have today is unprecedented. There are more people learning
Torah in Yeshivos than at any time in our history. This has led to phenomenal
spiritual growth. But it has come at a cost.
Unfortunately - secular studies such as science have taken a hit as a result. In some day schools and Yeshiva high schools secular studies have been relegated to an almost negligible status. Some even dismiss
its value entirely and have eliminated it from their curriculum as is almost universally the case in Charedi schools.
Shimon: I
am happy to say that your parents and grandparents are not among those who
support this view. As important as Torah study is, it does not mean we abandon
the study of Limudei Chol such as science. Limudei Chol is important in
order to live a fully Torah observant life as was demonstrated by Yaakov. This
what your extended family believes.
And so did the
man for whom you were named - my father, Shimon Maryles. Having been raised in a Chasidic
family where Limudei Chol was not a big item, my father nevertheless valued Limudei
Chol and made sure that I received a good secular education while I attended
Yeshiva.
My message
to you, Shimon is this: Torah study is indeed important to your spiritual
health. It is what will make you a knowledgeable Jew. But Limudei Chol should
not be all that far behind. As Rav Ahron said, incorporating Limudei Chol into
our lives is a fulfillment of the Torah.
Take a lesson
from Yaakov… from Rav Ahron… from your
namesake - my father …and from your parents and grandparents.
As you continue to pursue your education - do
not allow Limudei Chol to be pushed aside. Value it. And try your best to excel at both Limudei Kodesh and Limudei Chol.
