“And these are the names of the sons of Yisrael who came to Mitzrayim; with Yaakov, each man and his household came.” (Shemos 1:1)

Shlomo Hamelech writes in Koheles (7:1): “A good name is better than good oil.”

The Midrash states: “A good name” alludes to Chananya and Mishael, who emerged alive from the fire. They were better than Nadav and Avihu, who were anointed with “good oil,” yet perished in fire. (Sfas Emes)

When we were first married, we lived in Yerushalayim in a square of ten buildings that surrounded a large cement courtyard. Residents often jested that it was akin to living in a shtetl. Afternoons would find the courtyard packed with girls in braids jumping rope, boys hurrying home from cheder, and the smells of home-cooked meals wafting out of windows, all lending a homey feeling to the sheltered atmosphere.

My babysitter at the time was a chassidishe woman — grandmother and great-grandmother of many. Mrs. Weiss spoke a beautiful Yiddish, and her home was always filled with the sweet smell of kokosh cake.

One day she told me she was taking the following week off. One of her daughters had married someone from Williamsburg, and she was going to America.

“For the first time?” I asked.

“This is practically the first time I’m leaving Yerushalayim!” she answered.

The whole week long, I tried to imagine her impressions of New York. No one in her family spoke a word of English. How would she manage? And what would she make of the cars, the shopping, and the conveniences of life in the good ol’ US of A.? Personally, I missed those conveniences a lot.

A week later she was back, her house once again operating on schedule, freshly baked cakes lining the counter.

“So how was it?” I eyed her, trying to see if her travels had made any visible differences.

“Nu, so the buildings were a little taller. But I don’t know why everyone makes such a big deal about America.”

And with a wave of her hand, she dismissed any grandeur of international travel. You can take the Yerushalmi out of Yerushalayim….

“Good oil” refers to those who are given greatness directly from Heaven — like the Kohanim, specifically picked for the service of Hashem.

But those who receive Divine greatness are surpassed by those who achieve greatness for themselves, through their own hard work. Those people are referred to as having a “good name.”

In the same courtyard, several buildings over, lived an American couple with a baby the same age as mine. Sandy and her husband were baalei teshuvah from Los Angeles. Leaving the Golden State and the goldeneh medinah behind, they were struggling to acclimate to a society so foreign to their upbringing.

I often dropped by to visit, and Sandy would call to ask me important things like how many teaspoons are in a packet of baking powder and why don’t they sell vegetables on Sunday.

When looking at the Avos, one realizes that they were above physical nature and had a unique, eternal connection with Hashem. However, the Shevatim represented a different sort of relationship with Hashem, achieving kedushah through their own efforts in the physical domain. 

They were therefore sent down to Mitzrayim to spread kedushah in a place that seemed devoid of any spirituality. Hence the Shevatim are referred to as those who have a “good name.”

One day, I was walking to pick up my baby when Sandy fell in step with me. “Want to stop by my babysitter with me?” I offered. “It’s a Yerushalmi experience you don’t want to miss.”

I introduced her to Mrs. Weiss, and they each broke their teeth trying to communicate.

Hoisting my baby on my hip, Sandy and I continued across the courtyard.

“That was something else,” she said, a wistful tone in her voice. “Stepping into that house is like stepping back a hundred years. And my house will never be like that, even in a hundred years.”

“But you’ve traveled hundreds of years on your own,” I protested. “You’ve reached places that Mrs. Weiss never had to travel to. And while she may be building her home on hundreds of years of yichus, you’ve made a name for yourself by building your home on hundreds of acts of mesirus nefesh.” (Originally featured in Family First, Issue 623)