Parshat Toldot

SO JACOB DREW CLOSE TO HIS FATHER ISAAC, WHO FELT HIM AND WONDERED. "THE VOICE IS THE VOICE OF JACOB, YET THE HANDS ARE THE HANDS OF ESAU.

 (Bereishit 27:22)

 

The voice is the voice of Jacob - No prayer is ever effective without the participation of Jacob's offspring.

 Yet the hands are the hands of Esau - No war is ever won without the participation of Esau's offspring in it.

 

Caution is Required when we try to Understand the Present on the Basis of the Past

These blessings invite several difficult questions. If the blessing was a prophecy, how could he not know who he was blessing?... it seems correct to me that the prophet's blessing is a kind of prayer, and God hears his prayer, since this blessing principally concerns their offspring. There are those who have not awakened from their foolish slumber who think that we are still in the exile of Edom. But this is not so - Edom was under Judah's control, and so it is written, Thus Edom fell away from Judah's control (II Kings 8:22). Yoav also killed off every male in Edom (I Kings 11:16). Since it [Edom]was under Judah's control, they rejoiced on the day of our catastrophe [the destruction of the first Temple], and told the Babylonians, Strip her, strip her, to her very foundations (Tehillim 137:7). It was especially humiliating for Israel that Edom would humiliate them in their evil... In the days of Agripas, when Jerusalem was under siege and the Edomite forces came to Judah's aid. The people which exiled us was derived from the Kittim, and so the translator rendered Ships came from the quarter of Kittim (Bamidbar 24:24) [as referring to Rome], that is the Greek Kingdom, as I explained in my commentary on the Book of Daniel. There were but a few people who believed in the new faith [Christianity]. When many came to believe in it in the days of Constantine, who had renewed the religion entirely, and there had been [until that time] no one in the world who observed the religion [Christianity], besides the Edomites [and so, Roman Christendom is referred to as "Edom"]. [Similarly], today the people of Egypt and Ethiopia and Elam are referred to as Ishmaelites, but there but a few real descendents of the Ishmaelites among them.

(Ibn Ezra on Bereishit 27:40)

 

 

Jacob and Esau - Our Father Abraham's Two Grandsons

Aviad A. Stollman

For generations, Jews have read the story of Jacob and Esau as offering the background to the difficult relations between Judah and Rome and between Israel and Christianity. This viewpoint is reflected in some of the sages midrashim and the exegesis written in their wake. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's pronouncement, "Esau hates Israel" (Sifri, 69, page 65 in the Horowitz edition), which is quoted in Rashi's commentary to the Torah (on Bereishit 33:4), served many as a foundational ethos. Sometimes they even mobilized it to support certain halakhic decisions regarding relationships between Jews and gentiles.

My grandfather, Rabbi Yitzhak Stolman z"l (Belarus-U.S.A.-Israel; 1894-1979), attempted to dislodge the story from the context mentioned above. In his eyes, Jacob and Esau did not represent two peoples, but rather two brothers - the grandsons of Abraham the Hebrew. In this way, he attempted to project the story upon contemporary existential issues which are internal to Judaism. I would like to present ideas written up by my grandfather in Detroit, USA, seventy years ago, while adding a contemporary dimension to them.

Esau, who is called a skilled hunter, a man of the outdoors (Bereishit 25:27), is described by my grandfather as if he had no "interest in his life besides the acquisition of possessions and property. He was a man who devoted himself to life's passions. He was a man with prey in his mouth, one who fights for his bodily desires. He finds no rest in his life" (Minhat Yitzhak, 1:131). Jacob, who is called a mild man who stayed in camp (ibid), is Esau's mirror image: "A man of plain and eternal views; a man who planted his entire being between the walls of the beit midrash of Shem and Eber; a man who viewed life from within the "four cubits of the halakha" (Minhat Yitzhak, loc cit.). Jacob finds tranquility in careful introspection, while Esau, known as Edom ("red") finds satisfaction in bodily ruddiness, in excitement and stimulation of the senses. Jacob possesses a sense of history which brings him patience and spiritual tranquility. For example, he understands the significance of the birthright correctly, in the context of the unique family into which he was born. In contrast, Esau the materialist who throws himself into hunting and the acquisition of property sees no importance in history - future or past.

The midrash proposes that the day the birthright was sold was the day of mourning for Abraham's death. Abraham's passing left a deep impression on the two brothers. They coped with the terrible tragedy - the dominant and beloved grandfather's death - in different ways. Jacob contemplated his grandfather's life, which was full of goodness and justice, and the significance of the chain of generations in the world - one passing away while the other arrives. Abraham had, in fact, died, but God had testified: I have singled him out , that he may instruct his children and his posterity to keep the way of he Lord by doing what is just and right, in order that the Lord may bring about for Abraham what He has promised him (Bereishit 18:19). Jacob, who recognized the gravity of the mission assigned to him and to his descendants after him, was left meditating in his tent. Abraham's death taught Esau about the attribute of justice which holds sway over all, even over Abraham. All will meet life's end, and Esau concluded from this that he had nothing better to do than run and quickly snatch enjoyment of this world's pleasures. Esau went out to the field that very day to grab and enjoy; the midrash relates that "that wicked man transgressed five prohibitions that day," including murder and adultery. Little time past before he returned exhausted from the field: "From whence did all this tiredness come upon him? Who is it who disturbs his spirit and blocks his repose? What was Esau lacking in Isaac's house?...He senses an internal tumult, a terrible emotional storm, a failure to achieve self-control" (p. 132). Esau does not know why he is tired, but Jacob knows that "when the soul lacks spiritual sustenance, all of the bodily satisfactions together will not quiet the longings of man's heart" (p. 133).

For many years, Esau boasted against Jacob that he was the "winner," that he knew how to enjoy "the good life," while Jacob was a repressed wretch. "Then, unintentionally, Esau let words escape his mouth that were born of the depths of his soul's confusion: for I am exhausted... did you know, my brother Jacob, that I am exhausted? (p. 134) Jacob's response to Esau's words also rise from his soul's depths: and Jacob said, "First sell me your birthright"; that is to say: Admit that I am the first-born [bekhor]! That my way of life is to be preferred [levakher]! And Esau replies: "I am at the point of death, so of what use is my birthright to me?" Esau lives for the moment; he does not appreciate long-term spiritual considerations. In exchange for the birthright, Jacob feeds Esau the stew of round lentils that had been prepared as a mourner's meal. Ironically, the vegetarian meal prepared by the pale tent-dwelling brother restores the ruddy and tanned brother - the brother who loved red meat - to life. It was spiritual nourishment that finally brought relief to Esau's physical and spiritual weariness. Modern society's restless life-style can sink us in terrible exhaustion. This weariness results from our failure to recognize the importance of the birthright, that is to say, from our failure to understand our unique spiritual mission. It can make us like Esau, returning exhausted from the field. Do we take care to devote time to Torah and wisdom? Are we too lazy to sit with the children and teach them a chapter of Scripture, of midrash, or of science? How often, after a grueling day of work, do we sit down in front of our jittery televisions and grow tired of them? Do we possess historical awareness? Do we internalize the values passed down to us by our parents, or do we allow ourselves to be dragged along after life's tired pageant?

How is our feeling of finitude expressed? Are we like Esau, who concluded that the birthright was valueless, or are we like Jacob, who came to the opposite conclusion - that the birthright is of great importance. My grandfather concluded his derasha with these words: "When mortal man becomes aware of his end, he sees transient life and he must aspire to the birthright, after a life-goal, and leave his children their spiritual inheritance. Has not our time come, to perform our own reckoning?"

Rabbi Aviad A. Stollman is a doctoral candidate in the Talmud Department of Bar Ilan University.

 

 

A Blessing is not Transmitted Through Inheritance; a Person Must Deserve it.

God blessed Abraham in that the Treasured [People] would be among his descendents, the nation He chose for His possession, for whom God would be their God whose presence dwells among them, and they would inherit the land and be sacred to God. But Abraham did not transmit this blessing to Isaac, because no man is empowered to bequeath such a blessing, for it is dependent upon the people's holiness and the virtue of their deeds. God blessed Isaac with this blessing only after Abraham's death. Similarly, Isaac did not want to bless his sons with Abraham's blessing, because he did not know whether it would be effective - only one prepared for that blessing will receive it from God.

(Malbim on Bereishit 27:1)

 

Rebecca is the "Mother of Jacob and Esau"

Why did the Torah see fit to remind us once more - after Rebecca sent/smuggled Jacob away from Esau's vicinity, keeping Esau from venting his rage - why did the Torah remind us that she was mother to both Jacob and Esau?

The words of the super commentary Tzeida La-Derekh on Rashi ring true: This comes to tell us that she did not act only as Jacob's mother when she smuggled out Jacob, saving him from death. Rather, she was also acting as Esau's mother, saving him from murdering his brother. Although throughout the chapter she had been viewed as acting solely for the sake of Jacob, her younger son (27:42), at the moment of greatest danger her actions are explained by her role as mother of Jacob and Esau (28:5); she did not want to be bereft of them both in the same day.

(Prof. Nehama Leibowitz, z"l, Iyyunim be-Sefer Bereishit, pg. 202)

 

The Many Faces of Esau

His name is Esau [Eisav] for he is formed [asuy] and completed. Eisav, whose numerical value is shalom, for if he had not been named "peace," he would have destroyed the world. Another idea: Eisav is [the letter] "ayin [= 70, followed by the word,] shav." This shav [pointless one] completed the number of 70 nations that I created in my world.

(Baal ha-Turim, Bereishit 25:25).

 

Shalom: Its numerical value is [the same as] Eisav, for one should be first to greet every person, even a gentile.

(Baal ha-Turim Bamidbar 6:26)

 

...the Baal ha-Turim's second explanation is much deeper, when he says "Shalom: Its numerical value is [the same as] Eisav"... and as has been stated, this is talking about the priestly blessing, meaning - the blessing of peace to Israel is not complete as long as there is no peace for Esau as well. It may be said that in Toldot, the numerical value of Eisav is shalom in order to restrain Esau, while in the priestly blessing, the numerical value of Eisav is shalom in order to inform the People Israel how important peace is, and that there will be no peace for Israel as long as there is no peace between Jacob and Esau.

(Prof. Y. Leibowitz, z"l, Sheva Shanim Shel Sihot al Parashat ha-Shavua, pg. 110).

 

The Sages do not Hesitate to Criticize the Patriarchs' Deeds in Order to Derive a Moral Lesson

When evening came... (Bereishit 29:23) - He made love to her all night, thinking she was Rachel. When he rose up in the morning, there was Leah (29:25). He said to her: "Cheater's daughter, why did you cheat me?"

She told him: "And did you not cheat your father when he asked you Is that you, Esau, my first-born? And you answered, "I am Esau, your first-born" (Bereishit 27:19), and you ask why I cheated you?! Did your father not say, "Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing"(27:35)?

(Midrash Agadat Bereishit 49)

 

Jacob's Moral Conflict

He went and got them and brought them to his mother (Bereishit 27:14) - Coerced, bent-over, and crying.

(Bereishit Rabbah 65)

 

One can make a derasha - Vayeilekh, vayikah, vayavo [He went and got and brought] "Vay!" for those three deeds.

(RaDaL's commentary on Bereishit Rabbah)

 

The Third Temple will Only be Built Amidst Peace

Regarding the third well, it says, they did not quarrel over it (Bereishit 26:22) - because the third Temple will be built by King Messiah, of whom it is said, In token of abundant authority and of peace without limit (Isaiah 9:6), for there will be only peace and truth in his days. That is why it [the well] was called Rehovot, for then God will expand [yarhiv] their borders: When there is enmity or competing sides, even if they are in a city as large as Antioch, they cannot dwell together. Even a very broad place is too constricting and unbearable. In our iniquity, such has been our customary situation, to this day. The opposite is true when there is peace upon Israel - then, even if we are fruitful in the land, and there be many inhabitants upon it, it will still be a broad place for them, and not constricting... For in times of peace, we shall increase in the land (Bereishit loc.cit.), for we shall not have to leave it.

(Keli Yakar on Bereishit 26:22)