Parshat Toldot

The children agitated within her and she said:

If so, why am I thus?

And she went to inquire of the lord.

Bereishit 25:22

 

They agitated - When they were created and the time for movement arrived they were extremely active, until it seemed to her that they were running into each other.

And she said: If so - Upon sensing this change, she wondered and asked other women if there was someone who experienced similar sensation, and they said 'No', she said: "If so, why am I thus" different from all the other women in this respect.

She went to inquire of the Lord - Our rabbis (Bereishit Rabba 63, 6) relate that she went to the study house of Shem there to inquire of the Lord through Shem what is happening to her. And it may be believed that Shem was, indeed, still alive, for he lived 31 years after Avraham, and if he was Malkizedek, he dwelt in Jerusalem. And why she ignored our father Avraham, who lived together in the same dwelling, and was a great prophet, instead going to Jerusalem, to Shem, to inquire of the Lord, for our father Avraham lived until Yaakov and Esav were 15 years old. The reason it says "She went to inquire of the Lord" - perhaps Avraham dwelt in a house together with Ketura and her children.

(RaDaK, ibid, ibid.)

 

The correct interpretation in my opinion is as follows: If so it is to be with me, why am I in this world; better that I were not, [better] that I die or would never have existed, as is written "Let me be as if I never was" (Job 10). And she went to inquire of the Lord - Rashi explains she went to find out what her end would be, but I have never found the word drisha (inquiry) used in reference to [inquiring of] God; the meaning [when referring to God] is to pray..."

                                                                                                                                    (RaMBaN, ibid. ibid.)

 

 

Yitzchak and avimelech -

Second generation cultural confrontation

Ephraim Hamiel

Inserted between the birth of the twins and the sale of the birthright, and the story of the struggle over the blessings, is the story of Yitzchak's confrontation with Avimelech King of the Philistines to whom Yitzchak had wandered as a result of drought and famine in the land of Canaan. It seems that Yitzchak - as did his father before him - wanted to continue on to Egypt, a land watered by the Nile and not affected by the drought. God, however, appears to him and orders him not to go down to Egypt but to remain in regions of Canaan as per His directions. For the present, until further notice, he is to remain in the area of the Philistines, and God will be with him and will bless him.¹ It seems that this occurred during the twenty years between the marriage of Yitzchak to Rivkah and the birth of the twins, and thus Yitzchak could - as did his father before him - mislead the local inhabitants into thinking that beautiful Rivkah was his sister, lest the Philistines - whom he suspected of licentiousness² - would do him harm. We are reminded of the two incidents involving Avraham and Sarah with Pharaoh and Avimelech, although, in contrast to the past events, Avimelech makes no attempt to harm Yitzchak and Rivkah. Perhaps this was because of the memory of the earlier difficulties which he (or his father) and Pharaoh had with Yitzchak's father and his God who, this time, protected Yitzchak and Rivkah from him, forcing him to respect them³. Perhaps it was the covenant which he (or his father) cut with Avraham and his seed that protected Yitzchak and Rivkah.⁴ In any case, one day Avimelech observes through their window Yitzchak and Rivkah fondling each other like a married couple. Even though he realizes that Yitzchak had lied to him and is furious with him, Avimelech permits Yitzchak to dwell in Gerar and forbids his subjects from harming Yitzchak and Rivkah. Yitzchak strikes roots in the land, becoming a wealthy landowner, thereby arousing the envy and subsequent hatred of the stranger. The Philistines stopped up the wells which had been dug by Avraham's servants, wells used by Yitzchak to water his fields and his livestock. Ultimately Avimelech is pressured by his subjects to violate his covenant with Avraham; he expels Yitzchak, claiming: "Because you have become far too big for us" (26:16). You are too big for us. Yet more, all your gains have been at our expense, you exploit us and our generosity, it's best that you leave.⁵ Yitzchak's endeavors to remain in the area were unsuccessful, and two wells that he had dug were filled in. Only in distant Rehoboth was there no friction regarding the new well. Yitzchak finally settles in Beer Sheva, outside the Philistine regions. He understands that under the extant physical conditions, Avimelech and his army are too powerful, and he cuts off contact. God appears to him at Beer Sheva, reassures him that he need not fear anyone, and blesses him with the promise of progeny (presaging His taking note of his barren wife). Yitzchak is thankful; he erects an altar and calls out in the name of the Lord as did Avraham following his promise to Avimelech (21:22-34), but whereas Avraham plants a tamarisk and returns to Gerar without having erected an altar, Yitzchak remains in Beer Sheva. To his surprise, Avimelech and Pichol, head of his army, decide to conclude a pact with him, appearing before him accompanied by a royal company.⁶ It would seem that Yitzchak's departure had a negative effect upon the Philistines' economy and trade, while Yitzchak had prospered without them. Israel-haters throughout the generations feel the results of their envy and hate in their pockets, understanding only too late that in expelling Israelites from their midst, they harm themselves. In a move redolent of sycophancy, Avimelech and his officials admit: "We have indeed seen that the Lord is with you" and they hypocritically boast that they never harmed soul or property of Yitzchak, and therefore Yitzchak should be grateful to them, should conclude a pact with them, should influence his God not to harm them, and should return and do business with them. Yitzchak is not interested in quarreling. He hosts a feast of reconciliation, concludes a pact, and they make vows and he sends them off in peace. The story concludes with Yitzchak again naming the place Beer Sheva, in honor of the pact concluded with Avimelech.

1. R' Saadya Gaon, Ramban, 26:2,3

2. SHaDaL, 26:1

3. Hizkuni 26:1. Adherents of the Documentary Hypothesis explained the three stories as three separate sources; Cassuto claimed that there we three ancient tradition which existed in Israel prior to the writing of the Torah.

4.[1] Ramban, Hizkuni, Radak 21:1)

5. See Midrash Rabba 64, 6. Compare with RaSHar Hirsch 21:15-16, Haamek Davaar, and N. Leibowitz, Studies in Sefer Bereishit, pp. 182-183.

6. Onkelos. R' Saadya Gaon and others, basing themselves upon R' Yehuda in Bereishit Rabba 64, 8, suggest that "achuzat" (21:21) may be a name.

Dr. Effie Hamiel researches contemporary Jewish thought and teaches in the Hebrew University

 

The Many Faces of Esav

His name is Esav, because he was well-formed and complete, Esav, in gematriya Shalom, for if not for his name which means peace, he would have destroyed the world. An alternative explanation: [Translator's note: The first letter of 'Esav" is an 'ayin' - which has a numerical equivalent of 70. The second syllable, 'sav' , composed of 'sin' and 'vav' can also be read as 'shav' = 'usless'] E' sav' - this useless one completed to seventy the number of nations which I created in my world.

 (Baal HaTurim Bereishit 25:25)

 

"Shalom": In gematriya is 'Esav' ...Always be first to greet a person with "Shalom", even if he is a gentile.           

(Baal Ha Turim, Bamidbar 6:26)

 

...But the second explanation proffered by the Baal HaTurim is much deeper - Shalom" in gematriya is 'Esav" ...this appears in conjunction with the Priestly Benediction, meaning that the blessing of peace for Israel is deficient as long as there is no peace for Esav as well. Is can be said that in (the parasha of) Toledoth, the gematriya "Esav=Shalom" comes to restrain Esav, whereas in the Priestly Benediction, the gematriya "Esav=Shalom" is intended to teach the Jewish people to what degree it is obligated to peace, and that there will be no peace for Israel, as long as peace is not established between Yaakov and Esav.

(Leibowitz, Seven Years of Discussions of the Weekly Parasha, p. 110)

 

"Who is Esav? Who is Edom?" - The caution which must be exercised when interpreting the present according to the past.

...And slumberers who have not awakened from the sleep of foolishness think that we are in the exile of Edom. This is not the case, and so it is written "Thus Edom fell away from Judah" (II Kings 8:22). And Yoav killed every male in Edom (II Kings 11:16). And because they had been subservient to Judah, they reveled on the day of our destruction, and they urged on the Babylonians "Strip her! Strip her!" (Psalms 137:7). Israel's shame was intensified, as Edom denigrated them for their iniquity ["and the humiliation which the Edomites besmirched Israel on the day which Yerushalyim was captured, and the Temple was burned down by the Casdeans, was more painful to Israel than his own sorrow" - Ibn Ezra on the verse in Psalms 137:7]. This explains "Rejoice and exult, Fair Edom" (Lamentations 4:21), and also "How could you gloat over the people of Judah" (Obadiah 1:12). In the days of the Horkanos the Elder, he appointed them guards over Yerushalayim, and had them circumcised. And also in the days of Agrippas, when Yerushalayim was conquered, troops of Edomites came to Judah's assistance. And the nation [variant reading, probably authentic: "And Rome"] which exiled us is the seed of the Kittim, and thus says the translator of "Ships come from the quarter of Kittim" [Onkelos: "Kittim = Romans"] and that was the Kingdom of Greece itself, as we explained in the Book of Daniel "And there were a few people" - who believed in the new faith [Christianity]; and when they believed in the times of Constantine, who initiated the religion, there were none who observed the new teaching but a few Edomites [Therefore, Rome is called "The Kingdom of Edom"]. Similarly, today, the inhabitants of Egypt and Elam are called Ishmaelites, yet none but a few are from the seed of Ishmael.

(Ibn Ezra, Bereishit 27:40)

 

The Third Temple Will Only Be Built Only Through Peace

They did not fight over the third well, because the third Temple will be built by the Messiah of whom it is said, In token of abundant authority and of peace without limit (Isaiah 9:6), for there shall only be peace and truth in his day, that is why it was called Rehovot, for then God will expand (yirhav) their borders. When conflict is afoot or two sides combat each other, even if they be in a city as large as Antioch it will not offer enough room for them to live together. Even the most spacious location will be too small for them and will not be able to bear them, as is, in our iniquity, our custom to this day. The opposite will be true when there is peace upon Israel. Even though we will be fruitful in the land and many will be its inhabitants, in any case the Land shall be spacious for them and no one will trouble them... for in a time of peace, we shall increase in the land, for they will have no cause to leave it.

(Keli Yakar 26: 22)

 

A blessing cannot be inherited. Rather a person must be worthy of it.

The Lord blessed Abraham, that his seed would be chosen to be the nation that He chose as a heritage, so that God would be their Lord and place His presence within them, and they would inherit the land and be holy to their God. Abraham did not pass this blessing on to Isaac, because it is not within human power to bequeath it to one's children, because it depends on the sanctity of the people and the goodness of their actions, Only after the death of Abraham did God give this blessing to Isaac, and Isaac did not intend to bless his sons with the blessing of Abraham, because he knew that his blessing would not be effective, for only someone ready for it can be blessed that way by God.

(The commentary of the Malbim to Genesis 27,1).

 

Jacob's Moral Conflict

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

 (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 voice is the voice of Jacob": there is no effective prayer that is not from the seed of Jacob, "The hands are the hands of Esau": you have no victorious war which is not from the seed of Esau.

(Babylonian Talmud, Gittin, 57b)

 

Did esau disguise himself as jacob or vice versa? The mistake is possible in both directions.

"The voice is the voice of Jacob and the hands are the hands of Esau"- he could not have said, "the voice is Jacob's and the hands are Esau's," for then he would have sworn that he had judged according to the voice, and that he was certainly Jacob, and according to the hands, that he was certainly Esau, which is impossible. For if he is Jacob he is not Esau, and if he is Esau, he is not Jacob. But here is the explanation of the matter: he meant that the voice was similar to Jacob's voice, and perhaps he is falsifying his voice, and the truth is that he was Esau, and that he is falsifying himself and speaking in pleas, saying that he was worthy of receiving the blessings. Or else the hands are similar to the hands of Esau, and he is Jacob, who is falsifying himself to make his hands hairy, so that I will think that it is Esau. And why is there an "and" in "and the hands"? It comes from the verse, "and he strikes his father and his mother," meaning "or" his mother. Thus he meant, "or the hands are similar to the hands of Esau."

(Kli Yakar,(Genesis, 27,22)).

 

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)

 

It is said in Midrash Rabba that our father Yaakov was punished for causing Esav to burst into a wild and bitter sobbing, [generations later we find] Mordecai bursting into a wild and bitter sobbing. The thought arises: why was Yaakov punished more for causing Esav to cry than for his causing his righteous father, Yitzhak, to be seized with very violent trembling?... It would seem that when he sinned for the sake of sin he derived no enjoyment from Yitzchak's trembling; certainly he was sorry about it, but he had been coerced [by his mother to deceive his father]. This was not so with regard to Esav's scream; then he rejoiced in his heart, and therefore he was punished; he had sinned by lying, and it is forbidden to derive any pleasure from it.

(Netziv "Harchev Davar", Bereishit 27:9, note 1).

 

"And God Seeks the Pursued" (Kohellet 3): Rav Huna said in the name of Rav Yosef: "and God seeks the pursued" - always. You find a tzaddik pursuing a tzaddik, "and God seeks the pursued"; a wicked person pursues a tzaddik, - "and God seeks the pursued"; the wicked pursues the wicked, - "and God seeks the pursued"; even when the tzaddik pursues the wicked - "and God seeks the pursued." "God always seeks the pursued".

(Vayikra Rabba, 27)

 

Rebecca is the "mother of jacob and esau

Why did the Torah remind us again, after Rebecca spirited Jacob away from Esau and prevented him from carrying out his plan, that she is the mother of Jacob and Esau? The author of "Tseda Laderekh," a commentary on Rashi, wrote: "...to remind us that she was not only the mother of Jacob when she was sending Jacob away to save him from death; but she was also the mother of Esau, in saving Esau from murdering his brother. Although throughout the entire chapter we have seen her doing good deeds for "Jacob her younger son," now, at the moment of great danger, she acts wisely as "the mother of Jacob and Esau," so that she would not lose both of them on the same day.  

From "Comments on the book of Exodus" by Professor Nehama Leibovitz (p. 202).

 

 

 

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