Everyone’s tolerance levels are different. Some of us can tolerate more fat in our diet. Others need to watch every ounce. Some of us can tolerate more insults. Others lose sleep over every slight. Some of us tolerate lots of sunlight. Others need layers and layers of sunblock just to go outside.
In this week’s parsha, Toldot, we learn of Yitzchak’s very low tolerance level.
The Torah tells that Yitzchak’s eyes were too dim to see. How did he lose his eyesight? Perhaps it was simply because he was old. Yet, Rashi rejects that option. Instead Rashi attributes his blindness to the smoke of the wives of Esav who would burn incense to idols.
The book of Proverbs declares, “Like vinegar to the teeth and like smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him.” It’s quite evident that smoke can cause damage to one’s eyes.
But, if so, why was only Yitzchak affected by the smoke? Wasn’t Esav himself closer to the smoke of his wives? And what about his wives themselves? Why wasn’t their vision compromised?
The type of smoke emitted by the idolatrous incense offerings of Esav's wives obviously was not the sort that could blind a person, since neither Esav nor his wives went blind, even though they came into much closer contact with the smoke than Yitzchak.
Rather, Yitzchak’s blindness was caused by his exposure to smoke coming specifically from idol-worship. Yitzchak was offered as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah. He was chosen by G-d. He spent his life in prayer and devotion. Being so pure, his eyes could not tolerate this manifestation of idolatry. He therefore went blind.
Having a low degree of tolerance doesn’t mean we are any worse off. Quite the contrary. We may be sensitive to issues that are damaging due to our spiritual status.
In matters of the body, it is G-d who chooses our tolerance level. In matters of the soul, He leaves much of that to us.
What will your tolerance level be?