The Cream Rises to the Top

Parashat Bereshit has the first story of murder. Kayin kills his brother, Hevel because he's jealous that his brother's offering was accepted. Since everyone was new to the game, when God saw Kayin’s jealousy, He came to give him a little pep talk after his korban was not accepted and said, “ Why You angry and why has your face fallen?” Why do you look despondent?” What kind of question is that? He just tried to bring an offering to God, and God didn't accept his offering while his brother's offering was accepted. God gives the answer and says, “ If you do good, you'll be uplifted.” What does that mean? Rav Wolbe, in Aleh Shur (vol1) quotes Or HaHayim HaKadosh that says, “ If you are from the quality of goodness, all your deeds will rest upon them, the quality of goodness, and they'll be uplifted on their own.” And this is the key line- Because Holiness doesn't need the approval of others. If you're doing something right, you don't need anyone else to pat you on the back. The right rises to the top. Now, this is a tremendous hiddush because God is the One that didn't accept his offering. A person could, so to say, feel that he’s not accepted by God. But it doesn't make a difference. I don't even need God's approval, because of what I'm doing this right, and I focus on what I'm doing, it'll naturally lift itself up. I don't need anybody else. Therefore, why be jealous of your brother? Why look at your brother’s approval rating, or how many thumbs up he got, how many likes he got, or any of the many approval seeking methods that we're constantly engaged in. The Or HaHayim brings a proof for this concept, from a story in the Gemara Baba Metzia 85b, that discusses a certain rabbi who was allowed to watch what was going on in the heavens as the great rabbis were going up to what's called Yeshiva Shel Malah, the Yeshiva Above. And the rabbi that gazing was told, “ Do not look at the chair of Rebi Chiya. His chair is too holy . You can't even look at it.” He asked, “ How do you know which is the chair not to look at?” Because all the other chairs have angels lifting them up, but Rav Chiya’s chair lifts up on its own. He was somebody in the Gemara that didn't care about what other people said. He was the one that went from town to town and taught young children Torah. He made sure Torah would not be forgotten. He didn't care what people might say. He didn't care if he was in the limelight. He didn't care if he was with the big boys. He did what he needed to do. And when you do what you need to do, and you know that what you're doing is right, it naturally rises to the top, and you won't care about other people say. You won’t be jealous of other people's positions. If Kayin would've gotten the message, he never would've killed his brother. But it seems, as the pasuk continues, “ And if you don't do good…” and that's what happened to Kayin. And our lesson is. If you do what's right, say it. It'll lift you up . Don't look at other people. Don't be jealous of other people. You have, with your goodness, the ability to rise to the top. Shabbat Shalom!