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Why does the Torah (תורה) state that Hashem (ה׳) answered Yitzchok's prayer for children but not Rivka's? The shiur develops a novel interpretation: each parent prayed not only for children but for their genetic legacy to be transmitted. Hashem answered only Yitzchok because the children received genes exclusively from Avrohom's line, ensuring Yaakov and Eisav would not carry Besuel and Lavan's spiritual defects.
The shiur opens with a halachic question about whose prayer is more effective: a tzaddik ben tzaddik (righteous son of a righteous person) or a baal teshuvah. A proof is brought from Parshas Toldos, where the Torah (תורה) states that Hashem (ה׳) answered Yitzchok's prayer for children rather than Rivka's, implying that a tzaddik ben tzaddik's prayer is superior. However, this raises a fundamental difficulty: why does the Torah emphasize that Rivka's prayer was not answered? If Yitzchok's prayer was primary, why explicitly mention that hers was rejected? Rashi (רש"י)'s language "lo v'lo lah" (him and not her) suggests her prayer had no effect whatsoever, which seems harsh and unjustified. Rabbi Zweig proposes a novel resolution: when parents pray for children, they are not merely asking for offspring, but also praying that their children inherit their genetic and spiritual legacy. Each parent wants their own traits, character, and spiritual DNA transmitted to the next generation. Yitzchok prayed that his children carry Avrohom's genes and righteous lineage, while Rivka—despite being a tzadekes who emerged from a wicked environment—also prayed her children would have her genetic code, which unavoidably included recessive traits from Besuel and Lavan.
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Bereishis 25:21 (Parshas Toldos)
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Full access is available to members of the TUF Alumni Association or the Yam Hagadol Foundation.
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Why didn't Noach daven for his generation while Avrohom advocated for Sedom? Noach viewed each person as an independent island responsible only for their own teshuvah. Avrohom understood that all humanity is interconnected through shared perspective and values, making prayer for others both possible and necessary.
