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December 1 • 2016 45 M ediation is an alternative that can help you retain more time, money, and privacy during your legal battle. Barbara Smith, J.D., former district court magistrate and administrative law judge with more than 25 years of legal experience, lends her unique blend of reason, calmness and tenacity to the process, helping guide opposing parties to mutually agreeable solutions. She has successfully mediated hundreds of cases over the past decade. Smith Mediation Center Bloomfi eld Hills | 248.646.8000 www.michigan-divorce-mediation.com Divorce Mediation 2043970 S T O N E ' S J E W E L R Y 6881 Orchard Lake Rd. on the Boardwalk (248) 851-5030 www.stonesfi nejewelry.com 2088630 NEW MERCHANDISE ARRIVING DAILY I s it better to be a leader or a fol- lower? Clearly both are necessary. A leader can only exist if he or she has followers, and followers are often lost without a leader. Our forefather, Yitzchak, seems to be the ultimate follower. His father, Avraham, was a trailblazer. He intro- duced monotheism to the world and demonstrated and created standards for moral and ethical behavior. The Torah seems, however, to go out of its way to dem- onstrate that Yitzchak con- tinued and maintained that legacy. He mimics his father's every move. When there is a famine, he, like his father, heads south toward Egypt. He only turns around when he reaches Gerar, at the border of Canaan, at God's insistence. In addition, Yitzchak, after they had been filled in, dug, once again, every well that his father had once created. Similar to his father, he also raised two very different sons who ultimately opted for two divergent and often conflicting paths in life. According to the Midrash, Yitzchak even had an uncanny physical resem- blance to his father. It would seem that our Torah, by conveying these similarities, is high- lighting the ultimate success of our forefather, Avraham. He wasn't a "one and done." His efforts and lessons were, indeed, transmitted to the next generation. Yitzchak's greatest task was not to create something new but, rather, to maintain and strengthen what Avraham had begun. By mimicking his father's actions, he tangibly displayed that he inculcated the values that were imparted to him in his home. At the same time, he heard and heeded the word of God when instructed to turn around and not to descend to Egypt as his father had once done. A responsible follower must also, with wisdom and nuance, recognize when maintaining previous practices will no longer prove effective and beneficial. On the other hand, Yitzchak stubbornly and valiantly maintained his father's legacy even when it wasn't popular. Digging his father's wells that the local ruler Avimelech and his people had filled in showed strength, courage and commitment. Yitzchak power- fully demonstrated that main- taining his family's legacy and traditions were more important and valuable than fitting in and gaining acceptance by the local population. Some people are born leaders. Others grow into that role. However, not only is there often nothing wrong with being a follower, in many cases, that also can be the greatest compli- ment and role one can play. By main- taining the legacy of those who came before us, we demonstrate the great- ness, success and value of their efforts, beliefs and accomplishments. We, of course, adapt and respond to the challenges and opportunities that each generation confronts, but we do so responsibly and with caution. By continuing to emulate our parents and forefathers' actions and values, even when unpopular or seem- ingly old-fashioned, we vividly display the timelessness and truthfulness of their teachings, thinking and tradi- tions. * Yechiel Morris is the rabbi of Young Israel of Southfield. Rabbi Yechiel Morris Parshat Toldot: Genesis 25:19-28:9; Malachi 1:1-2:7 » t o r a h p o r t i o n Leaders And Followers