Living Torah Archives

After his binding on the altar, Isaac was considered “a pure offering,” never to leave the Holy Land; Rebecca, by contrast, was born of the Diaspora, “a rose among the thorns.” She was to be brought up to the Land of Israel to be united with Isaac. More

After his binding on the altar, Isaac was considered “a pure offering,” never to leave the Holy Land; Rebecca, by contrast, was born of the Diaspora, “a rose among the thorns.” She was to be brought up to the Land of Israel to be united with Isaac.

Spiritually speaking, Isaac and Rebecca embody the two divine energies in creation—masculine energy and feminine energy. In the service of G-d these correspond to Torah and mitzvos: Torah, G-d’s wisdom, descends from heaven down to man; and through mitzvos, man elevates the physical world, connecting it upward, with G-d.

Like the union of Rebecca and Isaac, Torah and mitzvos—heaven and earth—must be fused together. To properly elevate the material world through mitzvos, one must objectively seek G-d’s instruction through Torah. He is then both grounded on earth, and reaching the heavens, thereby completing G-d’s vision for this world.

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