(2019/5780)

Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach was a paragon of modesty, and there are many stories speaking of his amazing humility. A noteworthy story of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach concerns how he would edit his Divrei Torah. Rather than edit his work by himself, he would send it to young Talmidei Chachamim in Yeshiva in order to ensure the legitimacy of all his Halachic opinions. Many people would wonder why he wouldn’t just edit his pieces by himself; how could these young Talmidei Chachamim know better than him? Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach backed up his young editors, explaining that because they were involved with learning that topic, they were the most knowledgeable in it. These scholars were most suitable to locate all issues involving the details of the Halachah that Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach may have missed since the information wasn’t as fresh in his mind.

You may wonder what this has to do with Parashat Toledot. We find the connection in Bereishit 28:5, which states, “Lavan… Achi Rivkah Eim Ya’akov Ve’Eisav,” “Lavan… the brother of Rivkah, who is the mother of Ya’akov and Eisav.” This Pasuk perplexed many Mefarshim. Don’t we already know that Rivkah is the mother of Yaakov and Eisav? Rashi admits, “Eini Yodei’a Mah Melamdeinu,” “I don't know what it teaches us” (ibid. s.v. Eim Ya’akov Ve’Eisav). But if Rashi doesn't know the significance of these words, why does he bother writing on this Pasuk? Rashi’s “I don’t know” teaches two very important lessons. First, we need to know that no matter how smart someone is, he doesn’t know the answer to every question; sometimes he needs to respond, “I don’t know.” Second, Rashi was emphasizing this question for later generations to answer. This is exactly what Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach was doing. The Gemara teaches that, “Makom Hinichu Lo Avotav Lehitgadeir Bo,” “His fathers left him a place with which to become great” (Chulin 7a); the Mefarshim leave over questions for later generations to answer. Just like Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach would let the younger generations have an input in his Torah, so too Rashi lets the later generations answer his question. The Chizkuni, writing a century and a half after Rashi, answers this question. He suggests that the Torah writes, “Lavan the brother of Rivkah, who is the mother of Ya’akov and Eisav,” to show the source of Eisav’s evil traits. The Chizkuni uses the prevailing theory that one inherits traits from his mother’s brother, who in this case is Lavan. 

May we learn from Rashi’s and Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach’s acts of humility that we shouldn’t be self-centered, thinking that we know it all. We should be more humble and admit to our mistakes, giving others the chance to answer the question.

[1] Rabbi Blau is a highly beloved former TABC faculty member, as well as the author of Medieval Commentary in the Modern Era: The Enduring Value of Classical Parshanut.