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Rabbi Haber discusses the lives of Avraham, his wives, children and their family dynamics. The Jewish people are the “tweak” of the world. That is, we are the people who must adjust and fix the nature of human exigencies on creation to align it with Hashem’s plan. Avraham is universal, many nations lay claim to Avraham. Yitzchak was narrower, and Yaakov was narrower. The 12 tribes were narrower still than the Avos. The Jewish people of today are the result of all that tweaking. The point of the Jewish people’s function in Hashem’s plan is not that we should bring people to believe in G-D, (which is a good thing), but that we should make the world into a home (a resting place) for G-D’s presence. Yishmael is not the evil person that we usually think he is, he was actually a tzadik who was not only a good person, but he got along with his brother, Yitzchak, they were friends. The Rav further focuses on the dynamics of the relationship of Avraham Avinu with Sarah Imeinu and Hagar.

Esau chose immediate gratification over the big picture. The ultimate mistake. The fatal error.

Yitzchok can inherit the Land of Israel; but only because his father was Abraham.

Yaacov saw the big picture. Esav couldn’t get past a bowl of beans. This is both the story and the message of this week’s Parsha.