Parashat Toldot

Dear Friends,

Did you ever wonder why Israel has so many playgrounds?

Parashat Toldot opens with the simple yet profound phrase: “Eleh toldot Yitzchak”, these are the generations of Yitzchak.

The Torah could have begun with the story of Yaakov and Esav, instead it starts with the unfolding of a heritage, a chain of identity passed from one generation to the next. “Toldot” literally means generations. It reminds us that we do not stand alone, we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, and we shape the world for those who will follow.

Even when the Philistines closed up the wells that Avraham made, Yitzchak dug again.

He refused to let his father's legacy be erased.

Yitzchak’s re-digging of his father's wells teaches that strength comes not only from creating something new, but even more from returning to our sources, uncovering what previous generations built, and letting those waters nourish us again.

Coming back to Israel after more than two years makes this message feel especially real. It made us realize that Israel is the living proof of Toldot, a land where the past and future meet. Everywhere you look, despite the major challenges, the country keeps building: new homes, new neighborhoods, and always, almost symbolically, playgrounds surrounding them. Spaces made for children, for the next generation, for the continuation of our people’s story.

Just as Yitzchak refused to let the wells of his father be lost, Israel refuses to stop growing, dreaming, and preparing for tomorrow. Our roots in this land make us who we are, and every child’s laughter in those playgrounds reminds us that our story is still unfolding. That is the essence of Toldot: a people grounded in its past, proud of its present, and deeply committed to its future. Am Israel Chai!

Shabbath Shalom