A Fruit and Its Husk

by HaRav Dov Begon
Rosh HaYeshiva, Machon Meir

“These are the chronicles of Yitzhak” (B 25:19). Rashi explains that Yitzhak’s “chronicles” [toldot] were Ya'akov and Esav. Rashi is thus emphasizing that Yitzhak had two sons, one righteous and one evil, just as Avraham had two sons, Yitzhak and Yishmael, one righteous and the other evil. Only Ya'akov merited to have all his sons be righteous, as it says, “Your people are all righteous” (Yishayahu 60:21).

The fact that Avraham and Yitzhak had wicked children teaches us an important foundation: All growth and development occur in two stages. The first stage includes both good and evil, whereas in the final stage, occurring at the end of the growth and development, we merit to see that all was for the best. To what may this be compared? To a fruit and its husk. When the fruit first appears, the husk envelops and protects it, yet that husk is bitter, and sometimes hard, like a nutshell. Yishmael and Esav were bitter and hard for the Jewish People, but at the end of the process of growth, the sweet, pleasant fruit is revealed, once we remove the husk. Or, the husk itself becomes sweet (From orange peels one can make preserves).

It is similar to the history of the Jewish People. That is, at first, there are many complications and difficulties - many “husks.” In the future, however, we will merit the sweet fruit. When all of Israel are redeemed, mankind, as well, will be redeemed together with them, as it says, “Liberators shall ascend upon Mount Tzion to judge the Mountain of Esav, and dominion shall belong to the L-rd” (Ovadiah verse 21); “The L-rd shall be King over all the earth. On that day the L-rd shall be one and His name one” (Zechariah 14:9).

Currently, we are at the height of a process in which the Jewish People are rising to rebirth. The sweetness and goodness of Israel, and their benevolence towards all of mankind, shall be more and more revealed. At the same time, however, the hard, cruel husk is being revealed in the form of those evildoers who are fighting against the Jewish People. Yet the day is not far off when that bitter husk will disappear, and we will be privileged to see with our own eyes how “Yehuda shall remain forever; Yerushalayim from generation to generation” (Yo'el 4:20). A new light will then shine over Tzion, for us and for the whole world.

BeSorot Tovot. 

Looking forward to complete salvation,
With the Love of Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael,

Shabbat Shalom.