Why does Hashem never attach His name to a tzaddik while they're still alive? And why did He make an exception for Yitzchak? What does it mean that a person who no longer has a Yetzer Hara is considered "like dead"—even while still breathing, still learning Torah?

Rashi reveals something startling in Parshas Vayeitzei. When Yitzchak went blind and became homebound, the Yetzer Hara stopped pursuing him. And because of that—not despite it—Hashem considered him as if he had already passed on. Rabbi Klapper uncovers the radical implication: our daily battles with temptation, with lashon hara, with the pull of gashmius—these aren't obstacles to living. They are living. The very struggles we wish would disappear are what make us alive in Hashem's eyes.

Discover why your hardest moments are proof that Hashem believes in you. Learn how every test is actually Hashem saying, "I know you can win this—and I'm fighting alongside you."

Hosted by Rabbi Ari Klapper and produced by Eli Podcast Productions, this episode is part of the Why Did Rashi Say That series, available on RealJudaism.org. Don't forget to subscribe and share to stay connected with our weekly Torah insights!