Rashi explains the apparent redundancy of the verb listen with the comment “If you will listen to the old, then you will listen to the new.” The old and the new each have their own distinct advantages and disadvantages. The old maintains a certain authoritative authenticity which is not characteristic of the new. The old has demonstrated stability and strength by withstanding the test of time. On the other hand, the old lacks the freshness which is a unique component of the new. The heritage of the past should guide and inspire the framework during every new step. While novelty and innovation are exciting, the uncharted should be explored within the framework of the old, so that we do not deviate from the guidelines of the Torah. The utopian approach is represented by a symbiotic fusion of the old and the new, one complementing the other. Innovation built upon a heritage of stability and authenticity can stimulate one to serve Hashem with heightened excitement and joy. Rashi alludes to this in his commentary; “If the new is established upon the foundation of the old, then you shall heed it.”
