Vayishlach- Achrayus/ Responsibility
For this year of Parsha Lesson, I will be focusing on one area of character growth, to think about in the week ahead and the benefits that a person would have from becoming better in that area.
Background
After Yakov and Eisav had their momentous face-off, Eisav offered Yakov that he would travel with him on the way back to Eretz Yisroel. It was a moment of friendship and closeness and Eisav was offering to escort Yakov in order to help him along his journey. Yakov demurred and told Eisav that because of his responsibility to take care of his children and cattle and to not push them too fast, in order that they should not become fatigued and perhaps in danger of dying, he would have to decline the offer.
The Seforno explains that Yakov was telling Eisav that due to his wanting to properly honor Eisav, he would feel compelled to go faster to not keep him too long on the road. By going faster this may come to a situation whereby Yakov’s children were pushed too much and therefore became ill in a way which could lead to them dying and therefore failing in his responsibility to take care of them.
Question
R’ Henoch Leibowitz asked- because of Yakov’s responsibility for his children, therefore he could not do something that would be detrimental to their health!? What about the fact that he loved and cared about them? Shouldn’t that be the main driver behind his decision to not end up in a situation where his children would come to danger!?
Answer
R’ Leibowitz explained that the main, primary force within Yakov to take care of his children properly was because of his sense of responsibility for them. Responsibility, taking on the obligation to take care of something or someone is a very powerful force which connects to the character trait of ‘truth’ which is most grounded and resilient within a person.
Someone who acts out of enjoyment, love, or any other emotional prerogative will sometimes be motivated and ‘feel’ like doing their job, and at other times- not. Responsibility is enduring and a proper foundation upon which one can behave and approach the various things which is incumbent on a person to do.
Lesson
Having a strong sense of responsibility is an extremely important part of being a successful person. With a strong sense of responsibility, for that which one must be responsible, a person can persevere through different ‘emotional states’ and through the inevitable difficulties and challenges of life to successfully carry out their responsibilities.
On the flip side, if a person would not have a proper sense of responsibility, the person would hit obstacles and roadblocks which make one’s ‘job’ seem impossible.
Benefits of this…
The Baalei Mussar (ethical masters) discuss at length the tremendous benefits of someone having ‘zrezus’ or alacrity and passion for life and doing things. This will enable a person to be successful and accomplish much.
From this Seforno, we learn an additional path to acting like someone who has ‘zrezus’ and becoming an accomplished person, and that is: a strong sense of responsibility. When one has a strong sense of responsibility, they will do whatever it takes, take whatever steps necessary to faithfully fulfill their responsibilities. When these responsibilities include adhering to the Torah of Hashem, taking care of one’s family and other people around them, this sense of responsibility will lead to the person becoming accomplished in the eyes of the only One who it is important for one to be ‘successful’ before, G-d Himself.
Wishing everyone a wonderful Shabbos!
