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 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

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)