Haftorah: "So that You will Succeed in All that You Do"

Haftorah: "So that You will Succeed in All that You Do"

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By: Rav Avraham Rivlin

The two parshas in Sefer Bereishit whose name contains the word "life" deal with the death of righteous people: Parshat Chayei Sara, which tells of Sara's death, and Parshat Vayechi Yaakov, which deals with Yaakov's death. Perhaps this alludes to Chazal's statement: "The righteous are called alive [even] in their death." (Brachot 18a)

Our Haftorah also deals with the death of a righteous person – King David. Parallel to what is written in our parsha, "Yisrael's days drew near to die" (Bereishit 47:29), our Haftorah begins with the pasuk, "David's days drew near to die." (Melachim I 2:1)

David's directive, the topic of our Haftorah, is well-known in regards to its practical elements: his orders regarding Yoav, Barzilai's descendents, and Shimi b. Gera – to repay each in kind. However, it actually opens with a spiritual encouragement to Shlomo to observe the way of G-d, as Chazal teach (Aggadat Bereishit, ch. 81):

When the righteous pass from this world, they do not instruct their children about money nor about property, but rather about the fear of G-d. You find, as well, regarding David, it says: "David's days drew near to die, and he instructed his son Shlomo saying: ... 'Safeguard the charge of Hashem, your G-d, to walk in His ways...'"

The end of this pasuk indicates both the reason for and the result of walking in the ways of Hashem and observing His commandments: "...so that you will succeed (taskil) in all that you do, and wherever you turn to." (Melachim I 2:3)

We would like to focus on two questions regarding this phrase. One: What is the meaning of the word "taskil?" Two: What is the point of the repetition, "all that you do, and wherever you turn to?"

The simple meaning of taskil is "succeed," as indicated in the Targum, "tatzliach." Despite the fact that this usage of the word taskil is not common nowadays, it appears many times in the Tanach. In the Torah it says: "You shall observe the words of this covenant, so that you will succeed (taskilu) in all that you do." (Devarim 29:8) In Yehoshua it says, "Only be very strong and courageous, to observe, to do, according to the entire Torah ... in order that you may succeed (taskil) wherever you will go." (Yehoshua 1:7) In addition, the verb s-k-l appears with this meaning of success not only in the context of the fulfillment of mitzvot and the observance of the Torah. Four times, in the very same chapter, David's success is describes with the verb s-k-l:

"In whatever Shaul would send him to do he would be successful (yaskil)." (Shmuel I 18:5)

"David was successful (maskil) in all his ways." (18:14)

Shaul saw that he was very successful (maskil)." (18:15)

Whenever they ventured forth, David was more successful (sakhal) than all the other servants of Shaul." (18:30)

The connection between s-k-l and success can be explained based on the Malbim: "There is a difference between matzliach and maskil. Hatzlacha depends on fortune, whereas haskala depends on the person's good intellect to always choose the proper means." Thus, while success emphasizes G-d's Hand in fulfilling one's aspirations, haskala emphasizes man's part in achieving his wants. Indeed, in order to succeed we must use our mind and all our intellectual talents. Something successful is the result of applying intelligence and thought on man's part below, and then G-d makes him successful from above.

David directs his son to act – not to wait for miracles, a free gift from heaven, but rather, "to walk in His ways, to observe His decrees, commandments, ordinances and testimonies." Then, after utilizing his intellect, the result will come: "so that you will succeed in all that you do" – success will come from G-d's Hand above.

Regarding the repetition, "all that you do, and wherever you turn to," the Malbim writes:

There is one who is successful in all that he does, but not wherever he turns. When he goes about seeking means, he finds many of them not good and avoids them, until he chooses the best means and follows them, and then he will succeed in his way. There is also one who is successful wherever he turns. Even if he chooses means that do not lead to the goal, he will turn them around into good through his intellect, so that he will achieve what he wants.

According to the Malbim, the end of the pasuk comes to add a blessing to Shlomo. He should succeed not only to find proper means to fulfill his aspirations ("succeed in all that you do"), but even when he has inferior means, and even when he lacks means – he should succeed in reaching his destination ("succeed ... wherever you turn to.)

However, the Abarbanel explains both the word taskil and the repetition differently. Taskil does not mean "succeed" according to the Abarbanel, but rather simply to acquire wisdom. The idea of the repetition is:

The mitzvot have two [kinds of] benefits ... Regarding the first benefit, which  relates to the essence of the mitzvah, he said that through doing the mitzvot he will acquire wisdom and discernment, and he will properly comprehend all that he does, because the Torah will teach him the true principles and the praiseworthy traits ... [Furthermore,] "you will succeed wherever you turn to there," i.e., wherever you turn in Torah you will understand. It is possible to explain the word "there" that the statement means ... "wherever you turn to" and seek – you will find it "there!" You will not lack anything with it, and you will not need philosophy or any other discipline except for it.

Thus, the words of the Abarbanel are similar to the words of the Midrash that we quoted in the beginning. The righteous David does not instruct his son about material things and material success. Observing the way of G-d will bring Shlomo the understanding of good traits in all that he does. However, observing the mitzvot will also expand his heart, mind, and intellect to find all that he seeks ("wherever you turn to"), and everything is "there" – everything is included in Torah. Hafoch ba vehafoch ba, dekula ba.

Shiur ID: 3638

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