"Who is This Man Who Walks in the Field Towards Us?"

What is Yitzchak's mission? Yitzchak is born into something that already exists, and his job is to preserve it even under the most difficult conditions. The enthusiasm aroused by Avraham's revolution has died down; the environment is sometimes even suspicious and hostile. Yitzchak is "he who sows with tears," his spirit unbroken by the treachery of the land and the jealousy of those around him, faithfully maintaining his father's achievements and bequeathing them to his own progeny. Yitzchak is a man of the Land of Israel, stubbornly holding onto its soil and bearing the message of his rootedness in it as the sole condition for ensuring its continuation.