One or Two Tzadikkim

And Jacob went out from Beer Sheva and went towards Haran.                                                 Genesis 28:10 The verse need tell us only that Jacob reached Haran, why then does it mention his departure from Beer Sheba? To teach us that the departure of a tzaddik (righteous person) from a place has an impact; when the tzaddik is in the city, he is its glory, splendor and radiance, when he departs, the glory splendor and radiance leave.                                     Rashi, based on Breishit Rabba

            Rashi does not quote the continuation of the Midrash which notes that the tzaddik Isaac remained in the city and therefore asks how is it possible to say that with Jacob’s departure the glory, splendor and radiance of Beer Sheba left with Jacob’s departure. The Midrash answers that the merit of a single tzaddik in the city is not comparable to that of two tzaddikim.

            Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe explains that each person has his own unique qualities, and while both Jacob and Isaac were righteous men, each had different attributes, and thus, when Jacob left Beer Sheba the lack of “glory, splendor and radiance” of his unique qualities indeed was felt, even though Beer Sheba still had the presence of the righteous Isaac.

            Rabbi Wolbe adds a profound educational insight: we have the misconception that a teacher’s job is to mold his students in his own image, if you will, to be clones of himself, while, in truth, the educator’s responsibility is to facilitate his students’ self-fulfillment.

            In a similar vein, the Hassidic master Rebbi Zusia (18^th century) was famous for saying that he was his concern was not that the Heavenly Court will ask him why he was not Moshe Rabbenu, but why he was not the best Zusia possible.