Against All Lions

TOLDOS generations. Yitzchak comes across pits in the desert that were filled up since Avraham dug them out. He embarked on an endeavor to dig new pits for water. However upon the first pit, shepherds who let their animals graze in that area claimed it was their pit and their water. So Yitzchak named the pit Eisek, contentious. Then he made another pit with his servants which he then named Sitnah, harassment, because he and the shepherds got into another argument over it. The last pit, however, there was no fight and Yitzchak named Rechovos, wide areas.

Sometimes we need to roll up our sleeves to fight for our values, our internal freedom, our idea of what’s in the best interest of our families. And only then are we granted Rechovos, peace of mind, an expansion of sorts! As King Dovid sings, min hameitzar, I call out to Hashem in the narrow ways. I fight, I drag it along. Anani bamerchav ka. HaShem answers me by expanding my life. In order to go min hameitzar el hamerchav, we need prayer and action. When we have a problem, we need to Daven on it very well and problem solve! Many times we dig and we try, only to have to start over again, academically, emotionally, spiritually and physically.

The Plishtim, whoever that is in our lives or spirit, fill all our hard work back up, with no results. With tons of Afar, nonsense dust, as the Parsha says the Plishtim plugged up Avraham’s wells. AFAR I say stands for Ayin Ra, Perishus, and Rechilus. Sometimes what can get in the way of good decision making and problem solving, with the goal of getting out of our own limitations min hameitzar, is having a not kind eye to others, when we can be more flexible with viewing other people. It’s more helpful to have a better, more expansive eye on others and to come with more understanding and compassion to a situation. The second obstacle is Perishus when we become too extreme, whether in a religious sense or too much strictness.

And the third obstacle of getting out of our boxes and solving our challenges can be Rechilus, peddling around not necessarily Lashon Hora. But asking too many opinions on it and then asking others about what they think about those opinions! I think we’ve all done that. So confusing and lots of peddling around dizziness! Yitzchak built the third well which was successfully and peacefully his own and the Shefa (abundance) came through. His servants ran to him saying, There’s water! There’s water! We try and we try all our lives, and we end up succeeding somehow, in some way! Yagata umatzata taamin. You work at it and you toil all night long for each other and then you win, big or small!

In order to overcome pain, regret, frustration, fear, we have to work at it and believe in ourselves, Taamin! Rivka kept prodding Yaakov to go to her husband all dressed up incognito. And he said No, no I’m too scared, what if. We all love those niggling what ifs we get sometimes, all the times. And Rivka reminds him more than once, quietly, calmly, Shema Bekoli. Listen to me. Trust me. You’ll be okay. We all have some Rivka inside of us, that quiet strength we each have, even in little droplets. We need to trust in our voices sometimes, Shema bekoli. Trust yourself, your problem solving and don’t forget to run with it! Don’t be discouraged by nobody! (Double negative, double emphasis!)

If our goal is Bracha (blessing), to fill up those wells, to break those dams and have a flood of shefa in our lives, to go from narrow to wide like Dovid, then you must go undeterred. We must charge ahead like Rivka quietly did with her son. She shechted those goats, prepared them up the way her husband liked and sent Yaakov off in a newly sown coat. We all have moments of Vayisrotzitzu! And the two children squabbled, Bekirbah (inside of her, Rivka). We all have internal conflicts, how to balance our relationship with our spouses with our kids. How we get others to see ourselves, our families the way we do. How we overcome fear, trauma, being burnt out and being many more things too.

But we listen to our internal voice, we muster up the confidence, the happiness to keep going somehow. Around each corner, there’s a lion trying to stop us. But we hear Rivka keep saying Shema Bekoli! Believe in me! And we grab the Bracha in the end. Keep going. Fill up those wells very well! Veiter! (Onwards!)