Strife

27 Cheshvan 5782

“The measure of good is more generous [than its opposite]” (Kuntres Acharon, Essay 1)

The Alter Rebbe brings this passage from Sotah (11a) to explain how verbalized Torah study, even without awe and love, “pierces firmaments.” This also contains an important lesson for us. Hashem constructed this world asymmetrically, with the potential of good far outweighing the potential of bad.

“And he moved away from there, and he dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it” (Bereishis 26:22)

Yitzchok understood this. He moved away twice, and gave up two living wells he had painstakingly dug himself, rather than engage the Philistines in conflict. He yielded and increased his efforts in positivity, rather than fall into the distraction of fighting evil.

“Let us go to the House of the Lord.” (Tehillim 122:1)

The goal of all our activities in these final days of the exile is to hasten and sweeten the redemption. It is up to us to bring it into the world miraculously and without suffering. Similarly, on the above Chumash passage, the Ramban explains that the third well corresponds to the third Temple, hinting that engaging in light, rather than fighting with darkness, will be the way we bring Moshiach - “without animosity and strife” (Ramban).