Doreish Tov on Medrash Rabbah Parashas Toldos 5769 (2)

Doreish Tov on Medrash Rabbah
Parashas Toldos 5769

63:2

The Medrash

The Medrash states that it is said (Mishlei 17:6) ateres zikeinim binei vanim visiferes banim avosam, the crown of elders is grandchildren, and the glory of children is their parents. The fathers are a crown to the children, and the children are a crown to their fathers. The fathers are a crown to the children as it is said visiferes banim avosam, and the children are a crown to the fathers as it is said ateres zikeinim binei vanim. Rabbi Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak said that Avraham was only saved from the fiery furnace in the merit of Yaakov. This is akin to one who was tried before a ruler and he was sentenced to be burned to death. The ruler then saw in his astrology that this person who was indicted would have a daughter in the future who would marry the king. The ruler said that this person is deserving of being saved in the merit of the daughter that he will have in the future and he would marry the king. Similarly, Nimrod sentenced Avraham to be burned by the fire and HaShem foresaw that Yaakov would descend from Avraham. Hashem said that Avraham deserves to be saved in the merit of Yaakov. This is what is said (Yeshaya 29:22) lachein koh amar HaShem el bais Yaakov asher padah es Avraham, therefore, thus said HaShem, Who redeemed Avraham, to the House of Yaakov. Yaakov redeemed Avraham. Alternatively, ateres zikeinim binei vanim refers to what is said (Bereishis 25:19) vieileh toldos Yitzchak Ben Avraham, and these are the offspring of Yitzchak son of Avraham.


Question on the Medrash

How is it possible that Avraham could not be saved from the fiery furnace in his own merit? Why did Avraham need Yaakov to save him from death when Avraham deserved to be saved in his own merit?

An explanation of the Medrash

The Yifei Torah writes that the way HaShem conducts His judgments is that those who are willing to sacrifice their life for HaShem will not be saved and it was for this reason that Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues were not saved from death. In incidents where we find people who were saved from death, despite their willingness to sacrifice their lives, there were specific reasons for their being saved. Thus, Avraham’s life should have been forfeited, if not for the merit of Yaakov who descended from Avraham.

The deeper intention of the Medrash

Perhaps we can suggest an alternative interpretation to this Medrash. The Medrash states that children are a crown to the fathers and the fathers are a crown to the children. HaShem certainly could have saved Avraham in his own merit, as the Medrash (Bereishis Rabbah 12:9) states that the entire world was created in the merit of Avraham. Nonetheless, HaShem decided that Avraham should be saved in the merit of his grandson Yaakov, as in this way Avraham would be a crown for Yaakov and Yaakov would be a crown for Avraham. A crown is a symbol of royalty. There are those who become king because of their lineage and there are those who become king due to their own accomplishments. The Jewish people, however, are unique in that we are all connected, both in life and in death. The strongest connection is when someone living is saved in the merit of someone who has not yet been born in the physical world. This is similar to the idea expressed in the Medrash (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:23) that HaShem only was willing to give the Torah to the Jewish People when He knew that the future generations would be the guarantors. Our primary hope for salvation is in the merit of future generations. It is for this reason that HaShem saved Avraham in the merit of Yaakov.


The lesson of the Medrash

The lesson from this Medrash is that we must always realize that we can, in a sense, save previous generations. The Gemara (Sanhedrin 104a) states that a son can give merit to a father, so we should be constantly improving ourselves to give merit to our forefathers and then we will merit that our children will be a merit for us.