פרשת חיי שרה
ואברהם זקן בא בימים וה' ברך את אברהם בכל… | בראשית כ"ד, א'
And Avrohom was old, well on in years, and Hashem had blessed Avraham with everything…
Avrahom Avinu grows old and in his old age he his blessed with everything – "בכל". What does this mean?
Often, we see people who grow old and in many ways life becomes more difficult for them. Their health deteriorates, their dispositions sour. When one is young and vibrant he can truly enjoy life, and feel blessed. He has pleasure from food that he eats, the places he goes and the activities that he is involved with. Once a person loses his youthful passions, many of life’s blessings becomes just the opposite. So how did Avrohom merit that especially in his old age, everything in his life was a blessing?
The Kesav Sofer explains that the secret to Avrahom’s Blessed life was the fact that he was a giver. He utilized every day and every opportunity in life to give to others. His life was “other focused”. It wasn’t fulfilling his own needs and wants that make him happy, it was doing for others that truly give him pleasure. Therefore, even when he grew old, when the natural desires in a person die down, his level of enjoyment was not compromised and his life was a total blessing in every way.
We as mechanchim and mechanchos have dedicated our lives to fulfil the sacred mission of transmitting Torah, middos and yiras shamayim to the next generation. We spend our days and nights as “givers”. We are certainly worthy of these blessings befitting ones that are “other focused”.
About the Author: Rabbi Yisroel Meir Rubinfeld
Rabbi Rubinfeld has been in the field of Torah education for over 3 decades and serves as an Executive School Consultant for Torah Umesorah. He provides an array of services to schools across North America, including teacher and principal mentorship, school and curricula evaluations, professional development and parent education.
Rabbi Rubinfeld's expertise includes classroom management and discipline, effective instruction, bullying, cultivating sensitivity in the classroom, impulse disorders (such as ADHD and ODD), and balancing the educational needs of mainstream and special needs children in the classroom.
Rabbi Rubinfeld is the also the founder and director of Torah Umesorah's Lilmod U'Lilamed department which provides professional development for teachers and principals throughout the year.
Rabbi Rubinfeld is a talmid of the distinguished Yeshivos of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin, the Mirrer Yeshiva in Yerushalayim and Bais Medrash Govoha in Lakewood.
