Toldot II

Why does it say both that Yitzchak was the father of Avraham and that Avraham birthed Ytzchak? The Slonim tradition is that this is telling us that they each influenced the other, Avraham's trait was chesed-kindness and Yitzchak's trait was gevurah - judgment. Each of these on their own is too much, boundless love or unmitigated strength, this is why they each had one child that was unbalanced midot- character wise. So Avraham and Yitzchak balanced each other out or at least tried to. This is the meaning of the verse that speaks of fathers influencing their children and also being influenced by their descendants, and the meaning of the Medrash that cites this verse here. But full balance only came with Yaakov whose trait is tiferet - balance.

We see an example of this need for balance in the first two of the 10 Dibrot - Statements-Commandments. The first one alludes to and includes all positive mitzvot - commandments regarding loving G-d, and the second one includes all th e negative fear related commandments. We're told that they were said bedibur echad, in one utterance, as the two are intertwined and cannot stand alone.

Yeshayahu 58:13, 14 says that one who truly appreciates Shabbos inherits the heritage of Yaakov, which is boundless in its breadth. This relates to the teaching of The Rabbis that Remember and Observe were said in one utterance. That is to say that the positive/love aspects of Shabbos and the negative/fear elements of Shabbos are intertwined. By keeping both together we acheive the tifret-balance epitomized by Yaakov Avinu. When we say in Maariv of Shabbos that it is blessed and sanctified more than any day or time this is because of its balance of love and fear, the tiferet of Yaakov Avinu.