Chapter III

Our patriarch Yitzchok exemplified "a well of living waters." When he merited great wealth through the mitzvah of ma'aser ,1 he was envied by the people of Plishtim.2 [In a spiritual context,] Plishtim3 is a kelipah or force of evil that opposes yiras shomayim, fear and reverence of G-d. In physical terms, a street that has a locked gate at its entrance is protected from robbers and thieves. Should it be lacking a gate,4 all manner of misfortune such as theft and murder may occur. The same is true in a spiritual sense. Yiras shomayim is the best "lock" [form of protection] against succumbing [to the blandishments of the evil inclination].

Yiras shomayim, fear of heaven, is the spiritual level of our patriarch Yitzchok, who symbolized divine service in a manner of gevurah, or severity and fear. [The level of gevurah is also indicative of] an overwhelming degree of spiritual vivification within the service of Torah, mitzvos and good character traits. The inhabitants of Plishtim wanted to receive nurture from [Yitzchok's] superior level of holiness, so he left Grar.

"The actions of our patriarchs are a lesson for their children."5 Not only were all the deeds of the patriarchs expressions of their spiritual service, but these deeds serve their progeny as examples of proper conduct in similar situations. For example, Avraham's service consisted of making the existence of G-d known to all. He also explained that G-d's providence was the source of each created being's life, and that He was the true unity.

The verse states:6 "And Kush fathered Nimrod." Nimrod was known by that name because he made the world revolt against G-d. [The name Nimrod stems from the Hebrew word merehd, which means to rebel.]

Targum Yerushalmi7 relates how Nimrod would speak to people, [trying to convince them] to distance themselves from G-d's commands and follow his own. Our patriarch Avraham did not quarrel with Nimrod, nor did he wage war against him. Rather, Avraham simply went ahead with his work, ignoring Nimrod's efforts. Avraham was unfazed by the fact that Nimrod was a mighty king. Even when Nimrod directed his might against Avraham and incarcerated him for ten years in the worst prisons of Kuteh and Karduh,8 Avraham still went on with his work of making G-dliness known to all. Ultimately Nimrod thought he would best Avraham by incinerating him,9 [but Avraham emerged from a fiery oven unscathed, and blithely continued with his sacred work].

Avraham's conduct teaches us that we should have no truck with people who revolt against G-d and Torah; we should not even argue with them, but simply ignore them, even when they are mighty and powerful. Even if, G-d forbid, a person suffers terribly as a result of his holy work, he should not abandon it. We learn from Yitzchok that kelipah, or evil, has a strong desire to attach itself to people, and we must distance ourselves from it.

Yitzchok10 left Grar and settled nearby in Nachal Grar, where he dug a well. The shepherds of Grar argued with Yitzchok's shepherds, claiming the water as theirs, so Yitzchok named the well Eisek, which means argument, and instructed his servants to dig another well. When a dispute arose over that one as well, Yitzchok named it Sitnah, which means enmity, and moved to another place, where he dug yet another well. This time no one contested his ownership, and he called it Rechovos.

In summary: Plishtim is a kelipah that opposes yiras shomayim, which is the level of Yitzchok. The people of Plishtim hated Yitzchok, but when he became wealthy they desired to be nurtured from him. Avraham thought of Nimrod as a nonentity, and did not cease his work even while in jail. Yitzchok's behavior teaches us to distance ourselves from someone evil.