"AFTER THESE THINGS, IT WAS TOLD TO AVRAHAM...RIVKAH WAS BORN TO BESUEL.. . (Bereishis 22:20-23)"

The simple meaning of this posuk is that "After these things" referring to the events of the akeida, Avraham was informed that Rivka was born. Rashi cites the Midrashic interpretation that the words "Acharei HaDvarim" do not mean "AFTER THESE THINGS" [after the events of the Akeida], but rather, are to be translated as "AFTER THESE WORDS." What words? The words that Avrohom Avinu thought in his heart upon his return from Har HaMoriah. Rashi states: "Avrohom thought: If my son would actually have been slain, he would have died without children. I should have made him take a wife from the daughters of Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre [who were Nashim Tzidkanios aval lo meyuchasos, righteous women but not of prestigious blood, Yalkut Shimoni]. At that moment, Hashem announced to him that Rivkah, Yitzchok's future wife, was just born."

Rashi seems to be saying that the Akeida caused Avrohom to retract from his original psak din^¹. Prior to the Akeida Avrohom Avinu paskened not to marry off Yitzchok to one of the daughters of Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre, but rather, to wait and seek out an even more virtuous woman. Perhaps a woman of Avrohom Avinu's own family, descendants of the righteous Shem, the son of Noach, would be available for Yitzchok. After the Akeida, however, Avrohom realized that he should have paskened not to wait for a more meritorious shidduch, but rather to hasten the process, and to marry him off to one of the daughters of Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Thus the Akeida made him realize the possibility that Yitzchok could die without having children.

This is mystifying. Was it the Akeidah that "enlightened" Avrohom as to the possibility that Yitzchok could die? Didn't Avrohom know before the Akeida that Yitzchok - as well as anybody else - can die at anytime? Was not Avrohom aware that death, as well as life, is in the hands of Hashem? If He wills, it could befall Yitzchok at any moment! If so, even prior to the Akeida Avrohom should have realized that the correct psak din would be to marry Yitzchok to the daughters of Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre, rather than to wait for someone more virtuous. Why did Avrohom first realize the truth of this psak only after the Akeida?

We see from here one of the most important and basic principles of Mussar. Although Avrohom Avinu, was well aware before the Akeida that Yitzchok could die at any given moment, he, nevertheless, did not thoroughly feel that truth until he actually experienced Yitzchok's harrowing brush with death at the Akeida. Before the Akeida, Avrohom only knew of the temporality of life, whereas after experiencing the Akeida, he actually felt the transient nature of life within the very fibers of his soul to the deepest possible level. This difference in understanding between mere knowledge and the deepest feelings brought about by experiencing something is so great, and this gap so wide, that it is as far as East is to West. It is this difference in understanding which caused Avrohom Avinu to retract from his original psak Halacha. Prior to the Akeida when Avrohom Avinu merely knew that Yitzchok could die he ruled to wait for a more virtuous woman for Yitzchok, whereas after experiencing and feeling Yitzchok's near death, he retracted and now paskened that he should have married off Yitzchok to the daughters of Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre.

Even a person of the stature of Avraham Avinu was able to gain new insight and direction, arriving at new revelations and conclusions upon "Derherren the message of the Akeida, of the temporality of life. This caused him to retract from his original psak din. There is a paramount distinction between "Herren" and "Derherren." Hearing and understanding something only superficially is vastly different from fully feeling and understanding something to its ultimate depth.

It was this concept which was actually Reb Yisroel Salanter's mammoth revelation which he termed "Mussar BeHispaylus." This was one of his great contributions to Mussar thought. When studying a text or examining a real life situation to graphically portray, extend, and apply the issue to oneself. One must harp on it, emphasize it, and review it many times. This in turn will enable us to feel and understand its meaning to the deepest possible degree. It can even go so far as to cleanse and purify us from the most subtle of subconscious biases that we may possess. This is the meaning and underlying mechanism of Mussar BeHispaylus.

There is a story of the Chofetz Chaim zt"l, depicting how he too utilized this most powerful tool of Mussar BeHispaylus. He was overheard pacing the floor in a secluded room repeating to himself the Talmudic dictum, "Jealousy, temptation, and the urge for honor drive a man out of this world." He repeated this to himself over and over again, each time addressing it to himself, "Yisroel Meir! Jealousy, temptation, and the urge for honor drive a man from this world!" The Chofetz Chaim zt"l was fully aware of the efficacy of Mussar BeHispalelus and utilized it to correct any apparent weakness which he felt he might possess.

May we merit to realize this vast difference between "Herren" and "Derherren." Even the holy patriarch of Israel, Avraham Avinu, gained new insight, in depth and understanding, upon derherren the situation and caused him to retract from his original psak din. May we also realize that there exists a wonderful, powerful, and proven tool which can correct flaws and weaknesses in our middos and character; namely the Mussar Behispaylus of Reb Yisroel Salanter. May we utilize it to purify our hearts and our souls to serve Hashem, in truth, VeTaher Libeinu LeAvdecha BeEmes, Amen.