A Thought on Parshas Toldos
A Thought on Parshas Toldos
"...va'yar Esav...va'yar Esav..."
"...and Esau saw... and Esau saw..." (27:6; 28:5)
The Torah highlights how Esav saw the events unfolding as his brother Yaakov received the blessings of their father. The Torah then relates how he saw events unfolding as father Yitzchak set preferences as to whom his sons should marry. As Yaakov fled to his mother's family for refuge, Esav headed to his half-uncle Yishmael to seek another wife. His father had already disapproved of his first choice of wives, a Canaanite woman. It seems strange that if Esav saw so many things so clearly (as our verses imply) that he would still opt now to take a Yishmaeli woman, hardly approved by his father. The Torah has already told us how Yishmael harassed Yitzchak and how he was ordered to leave the camp of Avraham. What was Esav thinking, and seeing, that would propel him to the land of his father's foe?
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel offers an original and profound analysis. It may also give us a perspective on events unfolding in our world in our own times, when we recall the Torah tenet that the lives of our patriarchs foreshadow the events of later Jewish history. Our tradition includes a contemporary identification of the nations who stem from Yishmael and Esav.
Initially, Esav had no difficulty disregarding Yitzchak's order to Yaakov that he not take a wife from Canaan. He resented Yaakov for getting the birthright and its blessings and privileges, but was not concerned about the fact that Yaakov now had some restrictions to observe as well. Esav wanted the bounty and the wealth which was promised to his brother but could forego the limitations which went along with that "firstborn" status. So, he assumed that Yaakov also was after the birthright for its gifts alone but would not really take the restrictions seriously.
However, when Esav saw that Yaakov ran away from Canaan and headed east to the land of their mother, Rivka, he got uneasy. He worried that Yitzchak had revealed to Yaakov a deeper reason why he must avoid intermarrying with that nation. It must be that there was more to the birthright than was obvious. This re-ignited his jealous rage for his brother.
Why did he then head for the women of Yishmael? Surely that was contrary to the wishes of Yitzchak and would be a further dismissal of the birthright? Why would he feed into the hands of Yaakov by despising father's orders and further empowering his brother as the good and compliant son? What did Esav see? What was his scheme and vision?
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel suggests that Esav's plan was to marry a daughter of Yishmael, which would make Yishmael his father-in-law. He would then advise Yishmael that they had both been wronged. He had been wronged by Yaakov who "stole" his birthright, and Yishmael had been wronged by Yitzchak who had "stolen" the birthright to which the older son Yishmael was entitled! Esav's plan was to foment jealousy and rage in Yishmael so that he would go and murder his half-brother Yitzchak (Esav's own father!) and reclaim his right to be the blessed firstborn of Avraham.
Meanwhile, Esav hoped that his own brother Yaakov would avenge the murder of father Yitzchak (a relative has that obligation, as we know from the law of go'el ha'dam) and would execute Yishmael, his half uncle. By this time, however, Yishmael would have become Esav's own father-in-law. His new wife, the daughter, would now have rights of go'el ha'dam to avenge her father's murder. Gallantly, because of the law of ba'al ka'ishto - a man can fill the role of his wife - Esav would avenge the murder of his father-in-law and be able to kill his own brother Yaakov according to the "law"! He would be fulfilling a mitzva! A fatwa--in-law! Moreover, he would then inherit the birthright of Yaakov. He would then inherit the birthright of Yishmael too. A double play.
This is what Esav saw. This is what he mused about when he muttered (27:41) "let the days of mourning for my father come soon."
_________
The working of the verses is brilliant. We are left to ponder the deeper and symbolic meanings of this view of the conflicts which wage in our times. "Al tira avdi Yaakov" (Yeshayahu 44:2) - Fear not, My servant Yaakov!. Good Shabbos. D Fox
"...va'yar Esav...va'yar Esav..."
"...and Esau saw... and Esau saw..." (27:6; 28:5)
The Torah highlights how Esav saw the events unfolding as his brother Yaakov received the blessings of their father. The Torah then relates how he saw events unfolding as father Yitzchak set preferences as to whom his sons should marry. As Yaakov fled to his mother's family for refuge, Esav headed to his half-uncle Yishmael to seek another wife. His father had already disapproved of his first choice of wives, a Canaanite woman. It seems strange that if Esav saw so many things so clearly (as our verses imply) that he would still opt now to take a Yishmaeli woman, hardly approved by his father. The Torah has already told us how Yishmael harassed Yitzchak and how he was ordered to leave the camp of Avraham. What was Esav thinking, and seeing, that would propel him to the land of his father's foe?
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel offers an original and profound analysis. It may also give us a perspective on events unfolding in our world in our own times, when we recall the Torah tenet that the lives of our patriarchs foreshadow the events of later Jewish history. Our tradition includes a contemporary identification of the nations who stem from Yishmael and Esav.
Initially, Esav had no difficulty disregarding Yitzchak's order to Yaakov that he not take a wife from Canaan. He resented Yaakov for getting the birthright and its blessings and privileges, but was not concerned about the fact that Yaakov now had some restrictions to observe as well. Esav wanted the bounty and the wealth which was promised to his brother but could forego the limitations which went along with that "firstborn" status. So, he assumed that Yaakov also was after the birthright for its gifts alone but would not really take the restrictions seriously.
However, when Esav saw that Yaakov ran away from Canaan and headed east to the land of their mother, Rivka, he got uneasy. He worried that Yitzchak had revealed to Yaakov a deeper reason why he must avoid intermarrying with that nation. It must be that there was more to the birthright than was obvious. This re-ignited his jealous rage for his brother.
Why did he then head for the women of Yishmael? Surely that was contrary to the wishes of Yitzchak and would be a further dismissal of the birthright? Why would he feed into the hands of Yaakov by despising father's orders and further empowering his brother as the good and compliant son? What did Esav see? What was his scheme and vision?
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel suggests that Esav's plan was to marry a daughter of Yishmael, which would make Yishmael his father-in-law. He would then advise Yishmael that they had both been wronged. He had been wronged by Yaakov who "stole" his birthright, and Yishmael had been wronged by Yitzchak who had "stolen" the birthright to which the older son Yishmael was entitled! Esav's plan was to foment jealousy and rage in Yishmael so that he would go and murder his half-brother Yitzchak (Esav's own father!) and reclaim his right to be the blessed firstborn of Avraham.
Meanwhile, Esav hoped that his own brother Yaakov would avenge the murder of father Yitzchak (a relative has that obligation, as we know from the law of go'el ha'dam) and would execute Yishmael, his half uncle. By this time, however, Yishmael would have become Esav's own father-in-law. His new wife, the daughter, would now have rights of go'el ha'dam to avenge her father's murder. Gallantly, because of the law of ba'al ka'ishto - a man can fill the role of his wife - Esav would avenge the murder of his father-in-law and be able to kill his own brother Yaakov according to the "law"! He would be fulfilling a mitzva! A fatwa--in-law! Moreover, he would then inherit the birthright of Yaakov. He would then inherit the birthright of Yishmael too. A double play.
This is what Esav saw. This is what he mused about when he muttered (27:41) "let the days of mourning for my father come soon."
_________
The working of the verses is brilliant. We are left to ponder the deeper and symbolic meanings of this view of the conflicts which wage in our times. "Al tira avdi Yaakov" (Yeshayahu 44:2) - Fear not, My servant Yaakov!. Good Shabbos. D Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 9:37 PM
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