Dear Friend,
Have you ever thought to yourself, "Why does my spouse/partner/boss/friend act like that? Why can't he/she be more like me?" Whether he is an introvert and you are an extrovert, she is a dreamer and you are practical, he is an intellectual and you are emotional, you are sure that your way is the right way.
This week’s Torah portion, Toldot, begins: “These are the generations of Isaac the son of Abraham—Abraham fathered Isaac.” Why the double wording? As Chana Weisberg writes in “Can a Square Fit into a Circle?” Abraham and Isaac looked exactly alike, yet their personalities were diametrically opposite. “Abraham was the ultimate uninhibited extrovert . . . Isaac, on the other hand, was the definitive introvert . . . yet, both were committed, in their differences, to dedicate their traits to the service of their Creator.”
If our forefathers themselves were so completely different, yet they were also holy human beings who served G‑d fully, then perhaps we can better appreciate the different qualities in our spouses, loved ones and others.
Sasha
Friedman
on
behalf of the Chabad.org Editorial Team
