By Stephen Kirschenbaum
The Chumash in 25:29 ‘Va’yazed Yaakov Nazid’ — that Yaakov cooked beans, and it relays the story of the purchase of the Bechora for these beans. However, it’s an unusual language. We find this language in Parshas Mishpatim ‘V’ki Yazid Ish Al Rei’ehu,’ a Lashon of commiting an Aveira B’Maizid. We don’t find this Lashon by any of the Aveiros mentioned in the Torah.
Rav Tzadok in Tzidkas Hatzadik 250 has a beautiful explanation of the Lashon ‘Va’yazed Yaakov Nazid,’ cooking a cooked food and ‘V’ki Yazid Ish Al Rei’ehu,’ which sounds like the same Shoresh. He quotes from Yisro 18:11 ‘Ki Ba’davar Asher Zadu Aleihem’ — it’s a Lashon of Maizid; they acted cruelly and deliberately against Klal Yisrael, and so they were punished. Rashi connects the two words ‘Va’yazed’ and ‘Zadu.’ He says it’s a Lashon of cooking. The Mitzrim were cooked in the pot that they cooked up against Klal Yisrael. They said to throw the children into the Yam, and so they were drowned in the Yam. So, we have three places where it uses the Lashon of ‘Zadu’ and there seems to be some relation between the three.
Says Rav Tzadok, ‘Va’yazed’ is a Lashon of heating something up becoming heated up — Resicha V’chimum. You can heat up food to cook, but sometimes people become heated up, they become inspired to do something, and they become motivated to act. Klal Nitzuach Shel Adam — a rule regarding one’s success, regarding one’s ability to be victorious — is K’fi Resichuso V’chimum, is in accordance with the amount of drive and inspiration he has. If one is highly motivated and is driven to accomplish, generally he will succeed. When you have two regular people and one succeeded in killing the other, the key was ‘V’ki Yazid Ish Al Rei’ehu,’ the successful one had that tremendous drive to succeed; it’s a Lashon of ‘Zadu.’ A person can be a Maizid and can deliberately transgress an Aveirah, and that is one level, but if he will be heated up about something, that will foster the drive to succeed.
A person needs to have a drive for the right things that need to be done. When a person has that motivation, he will be successful. To get the Bechora from Eisav ‘Va’yazed Yaakov Nazid’ — of course Pashut Pshat is that he was cooking, but it was more than just cooking. He was driven. He was driven to find the right moment to obtain the Bechora. Yaakov was motivated and constantly searched for opportunities to attain the Bechora from Eisav. And so, one day ‘Va’yazed Yaakov Nazid’ – Pshat is he cooked. But the deeper level understanding is that Yaakov was more driven and was more motivated to obtain the Bechora than Eisav was to retain it.
When the Mitzrim had more drive than Klal Yisrael, they were able to subjugate Klal Yisrael. As Rav Gedaliah Schorr says on Shemos 1:8, the Mitzrim had the power of Hischadshus, of renewal, and that’s why they were able to enslave the Jewish people. The Refuah to this is in Shemos 12:1 ‘Ha’chodesh Ha’zeh Lachem.’ The Refuah is that Klal Yisrael must seize that Hischadshus, must capture and cultivate that newness and that enthusiasm. For this reason, Rosh Chodesh is the Yom Tov of Klal Yisrael; the moon is the calendar of Klal Yisrael. We work and we hope to have that Hischadshus of Va’yazed Yaakov Nazid, throughout the year.