Slow & Steady - Toldos 5772

26:13 (וַיִּגְדַּל, הָאִישׁ; וַיֵּלֶךְ הָלוֹךְ וְגָדֵל, עַד כִּי-גָדַל מְאֹד). We are told about Yitzchok that he became wealthy as the next Posuk says (וַיְהִי-לוֹ מִקְנֵה-צֹאן וּמִקְנֵה בָקָר, וַעֲבֻדָּה רַבָּה; וַיְקַנְאוּ אֹתוֹ, פְּלִשְׁתִּים). What exactly does it mean (וַיִּגְדַּל, הָאִישׁ) that the man became big, big I assume in terms of his wealth. (וַיֵּלֶךְ הָלוֹךְ וְגָדֵל), and he went going getting bigger, (עַד כִּי-גָדַל מְאֹד). Certainly there has to be some sort of message here.

The Tosafos Beracha applies a Yesod which we learned once before (Ed. Note  - Noach 5772 – Ayin Sham). We discussed it regarding M’at M’at Agarshenu Min Ha’aretz, the idea that when Klal Yisrael entered Eretz Yisrael in the time of Yehoshua they were told beforehand that they would not conquer the land in one shot. That they would slowly conquer the land over time. Even the 7 years of Kibush was not a complete Kibush and it had to continue later. M’at M’at Agarshenu, things that are permanent come slowly. Things that come quickly leave quickly, that is the nature of Olam Hazeh. Therefore, Hakadosh Baruch Hu M’at M’at Agarshenu Min Ha’aretz.

The Tosafos Beracha here says the same idea. He says that the Posuk is telling us that there was permanence and Hatzlacha to the acquisitions of Yitzchok. (וַיִּגְדַּל, הָאִישׁ), he became wealthy, not suddenly, (וַיֵּלֶךְ הָלוֹךְ וְגָדֵל, עַד כִּי-גָדַל מְאֹד), it was a gradual increase in his wealth and that has a permanence. In addition, he points out that we find the same language by Mordechai in Esther 9:4 (כִּי-הָאִישׁ מָרְדֳּכַי, הוֹלֵךְ וְגָדוֹל) which was also that gradually he became wealthy.

With this he also explains later in the Parsha 27:28 (וְיִתֶּן-לְךָ, הָאֱלֹרים, מִטַּל הַשָּׁמַיִם, וּמִשְׁמַנֵּי הָאָרֶץ--וְרֹב דָּגָן, וְתִירֹשׁ). When Yitzchok gives his blessing to Yaakov he begins with (וְיִתֶּן). The Vav means and. You don’t usually begin a sentence with and. What is the meaning of the Vav? The Medrash says the meaning of (וְיִתֶּן-לְךָ, הָאֱלֹרים) that Yitzchok was blessing his child, Hashem should give you, Yitein V’yachzar V’yitein. Meaning he should give and give and give again. The idea is the same, Hakadosh Baruch Hu shouldn’t get it in one shot you should get it in a gradual way.

We all know that when someone wins the lottery a person has a choice of a single large payout or to get his money paid out over time. Human beings can’t resist and I doubt that there are more than a handful of cases where a person took a gradual payout. People take single large payouts. Yet, the history of lottery winners is there is no permanence to their wealth, gradually everything disappears. It comes quickly and it goes in what is typically a quicker period of time. However, the Hatzlacha (the good fortune) that a person would have is when things come in a steady way and in a continuous basis.

Nachala Mivuheles Barishona Gam Acharisa Lo Sivareich. Shlomo Hamelech tells us Nachala Mivuheles Barishona, a Nachala which comes with confusion in the beginning, Gam Acharisa Lo Sivareich in the end will not be a blessed ending. Things should come gradually the way they are supposed to come. That is the way we work on things overall. To have a gradual step by step Hatzlacha in the things we do.