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bereshit Lavan did do was totally inferior to Avraham’s chessed, and lacked the
quality of taking this mitzvah and going all the way.
The mitzvah of learning doesn’t stop after we articulate its words of
wisdom. Study is not the ikar; it is the practice of what one has learnt that
counts. Learning should be done with sheleimut. This is even hinted by
the words “It happened” ( ) in the story with the Chachamim as they
recounted the Exodus from Egypt the entire night. Their learning took on
the status of deed by their actualization of Torah study.
10
“These are the sons of Yishmael, and these are
their names by their open cities and by their
strongholds, twelve chieftains for their nations.
These were the years of Yishmael’s life: one
hundred and thirty-seven years, when he
expired and died, and was gathered to his
people. They dwelt from Chavilah to Shur –
which is near Egypt-toward Assyria; over all his
brothers he dwelt”
(Bereishit 25:16-18)
