Vaera: Aspiring for Greatness is Great

וארא אל אברשהם אל יצחק ואל יעקב

And I appeared to Avraham, to Yitzchak and to Yaakov.

On the words, "to Avraham Yitzchak and Yaakov" Rashi explains "This means the Avos - the forefathers." We know that Rashi's goal is to explain the Torah so that even the most simple of students to understand, but this seems to be restating the obvious. What is the novelty in telling us who our ancestors are?

Says R' Meir HaLevi M'Apt in the Ohr LaShomayim: Rashi is coming to teach us how this particular piece of the dialuge between Moshe and HaKAdosh Baruch Hu is relevant to us as well.

Sometimes we feel that we are so far from spirituality that Hashem isn't concerned with us. "He's interested in the major-league players of the generation. As for little me? Not so much. Hey, we can prove it too! Hashem told Moshe that He only appears to people on the level of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov!"

Rashi is coming to teach us that this is not true. Who are Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov? They are the Avos. But the word Av (singular) doesn't only mean 'father' - it means desire. "כי לא אבו" "אולי לא תאבה" (and many other examples as well). Hashem didn't relate to our forfathers because of their greatness. He appeared to them because of their deep desire to connect to Him. Success is a wonderful thing, but it's the inner drive that is really valuable in Shomayim.

This is why Rashi tells us that Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov were the Avos; their true value came from their thirst and hunger for holiness, more so than their technical achievements, and it is specifically this attribute that garners them the title Avos.