The Depth of Humility: The Secret of the Broken Heart of Yitzchak and Rivka
Lesson No. 181 | * Wednesday, Parashas Tetzaveh, Eve of 10 Adar 5759 - Lesson in Pardes Katz
In order to merit true closeness to Hashem, a person must come to the realization that they have never even begun to serve Hashem. Through contemplating the mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice) of our mother Rivka and of baalei teshuvah (returnees to Judaism) in our generation, the Rav explains how specifically one who grew up in purity can acquire the trait of lowliness and achieve a truly broken heart.
When is a person's prayer accepted? The prayer ascends on high and is accepted only when a person has a broken and contrite heart, when they feel truly lowly. Moshe Rabbeinu, who was the most humble of all men, felt himself lower than all mortals, and therefore all his prayers were accepted.
A person must believe that they have never accomplished anything in life, have never done *teshuvah* (repentance), and have never prayed a single prayer with proper intention. Rebbe Nachman brings the words of Moshe in Likutey Moharan:
"I am not a man of words, neither yesterday, nor the day before, nor since You have spoken to Your servant."
Moshe Rabbeinu, who took the Jewish people out of Egypt and performed signs and wonders, said to Hashem: "I have no words of righteousness, I have no words of teshuvah. I am completely unworthy of giving the Torah to the Jewish people." The Rambam explains that Moshe cried and begged Hashem to send anyone else, because he truly believed that every person in the world was better than him and would succeed in the mission more than him. Only in the merit of Moshe considering himself to have no fear of Heaven did Hashem choose him. The moment a person speaks this truth from the bottom of their heart, Hashem can imbue them and reveal Himself to them.
The Difference Between a Tzaddik the Son of a Tzaddik and a Tzaddik the Son of a Rasha
There is a well-known dispute regarding who is greater: a tzaddik the son of a tzaddik, or a tzaddik the son of a rasha (wicked person). The simple truth seems to be that a tzaddik the son of a tzaddik is on a higher level. However, the Rebbe of Alexander explains that specifically a tzaddik the son of a rasha possesses a tremendous advantage, because he arrives with a truly broken heart.
Our mother Rivka was the daughter of Besuel and the sister of Lavan. She came from a home of wicked people, from a place of impurity, and felt herself to be at the bottom of the ladder. She wondered in humility: "How do I merit to enter such a holy home of Avraham and Yitzchak? How was I chosen?"
"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise."
This brokenness is exactly what Hashem desires. Those who come from broken homes, from difficult places, their prayers are accepted in the merit of their truly broken heart.
"I Grew Up on Cream, She Had Tests"
When Eliezer returns with Rivka, he tells Yitzchak about the trials they endured: they tried to poison him, Besuel died, and Rivka did not even want to sit shivah (the seven days of mourning) for her wicked father. The Midrash says that her family requested, "Let the maiden remain with us a year or ten months" – at least the seven days of mourning, but she refused to stay there for even a single moment. She only wanted to flee from the impurity to holiness.
When Yitzchak saw her courage and pure spirit, his heart was deeply broken. He said to himself: "How can I even reach the dust of her ankles? A little girl who is already turning worlds upside down and sacrificing her soul!"
Yitzchak felt tremendous lowliness. He thought: "I grew up on cream and bananas, everything I had was strictly kosher. I never had such tests, I never had to hide in order to eat kosher food. She threw everything behind her and flew through the air toward holiness. Compared to her, I haven't even begun to serve Hashem." He viewed even his own mesiras nefesh at the Akeidah (Binding of Yitzchak) as absolutely nothing compared to her daily self-sacrifice.
The Purity That Gives Birth to Lowliness
Herein lies the deep explanation of the advantage of a "tzaddik the son of a tzaddik." Out of his great merit and purity, since he is clean from any flaw or blemish, he merits a truly broken heart. He looks at the baalei teshuvah, at those who come from distant homes and sacrifice their lives for their Judaism, and he feels lesser than them all.
We see in our generation boys and girls who run away from their homes at a young age, giving up everything and fighting to keep Shabbos and kashrus. There are stories of children who were forced to eat at neighbors' houses because their own home wasn't kosher, and who absorbed beatings for their Judaism, or young men who sacrifice themselves and travel to the tzaddik in Uman despite all opposition. When a pure person sees this *mesiras nefesh*, they acquire lowliness from every Jew. They understand that they have nothing to be proud of.
Earthenware vessels are purified through their breaking. We must break the body and its desires anew every single day. How do we do this? By a person saying to themselves: "What have I done in my life compared to them? How did they merit such fear of Heaven amidst tremendous difficulties?" In this way, a person is broken anew every day, but without falling into sadness or depression. On the contrary, they rejoice that everyone is a tzaddik and better than them, and they learn courage and heroism in serving Hashem from everyone.
Part 1 of 2 — Lesson No. 181
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