Our ancestors did too. In fact, there's a fascinating passage in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, that digs into just that feeling. It centers around a single word: lulei.

Lulei (לולא) is a Hebrew word meaning "had not" or "if not." It pops up in several key moments in the Torah, and the Rabbis of the Talmud were always keen to understand the nuances and deeper meanings of these repeated words. The passage we're looking at today, from Bereshit Rabbah 74, focuses on Jacob's words to Laban in Genesis 31:42: "Had the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, not been with me, then now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my hardship and the toil of my hands, and proved it last night.”

So what's so special about this "lulei"?

The discussion begins with Zavdi ben Levi, who claims that every instance of lulei in the Torah is connected to the merit of the patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In other words, when things could have gone terribly wrong, it was the patriarchs' righteousness that saved the day.

But Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi raises an objection. What about Genesis 43:10, where Judah says to Jacob, "For, had we not tarried [lulei], surely now we would have returned the second time"? This is Judah trying to convince his father to send Benjamin with them to Egypt. Was that also due to the patriarchs' merit?

According to some interpretations relayed by Rabbi Tanhuma, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi conceded that that particular lulei might be an exception. But then, another voice, that of Rabbi Yochanan, chimes in, suggesting that even that instance was connected to the patriarchs, saying it was "Due to the sanctity of the Name," implying that God saved them so they could sanctify His name.

And Rabbi Levi offers yet another perspective: that these moments of salvation came about "By the merit of faith and by the merit of Torah." He finds support in scripture: “had I not [lulei] believed” (Psalms 27:13); and “had Your Torah not been my delight” (Psalms 119:92).

It's like a rabbinic roundtable, each sage offering a slightly different angle on the same question: what saves us in times of trouble? Is it the legacy of our ancestors? Is it our own faith? Is it our connection to Torah?

But the discussion doesn't end there. Rabbi Yirmeya throws a curveball into the mix. He argues that "Labor is more beloved than the merit of the patriarchs." Strong words! Why? Because, he says, "the merit of the patriarchs salvaged money, while labor saved lives."

He points back to Jacob's statement: "Had the God of my father…not been…[then now you would have sent me away empty-handed]." That's about money, about Jacob not being cheated. But when God saw Jacob's "hardship and the toil of my hands," that's when God intervened to protect his life, warning Laban not to harm him. This is the real point of the passage.

So, what are we to make of all this? It seems the Rabbis are teaching us that while we can certainly draw strength from our heritage and our faith, there's also immense value in our own hard work and perseverance. The sich (sweat) we put in matters, not just in a practical sense, but in a spiritual one as well.

It's a powerful reminder that we're not just passive recipients of blessings. We're active participants in our own salvation, partners with the Divine in creating a better world, one day, one task, one act of labor at a time. And maybe, just maybe, that's the most enduring merit of all.