[Par-lite] for PARSHAT TOLDOT - shiur #1
Menachem Leibtag
tsc at bezeqint.net
Wed Nov 3 11:59:02 EDT 2010
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THE TANACH STUDY CENTER [http://www.tanach.org]
In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag
Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem Leibtag
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PARSHAT TOLDOT - ' the chosen son'
Are Yitzchak are Rivka playing 'favorites'? Indeed,
a
cursory reading of Parshat Toldot certainly leaves that
impression.
Furthermore, why does Yitzchak choose to bless only
one
of his children? Would it have been so terrible had he
planned to bless both Esav and Yaakov?
In the following shiur, we search for the deeper
meaning
of these events. To enable our discussion, we must first
consider the distinction between two concepts that we
encounter in Sefer Breishit - 'bechira' [choosing] and
'beracha' [blessing].
INTRODUCTION
Our shiurim thus far on Sefer Breishit have focused
on
its theme of "bechira" - i.e. God's designation of Avraham
and
his offspring to become His special nation. We made
special
note of the numerous times that God had promised Avraham
that
his offspring ('zera') would become a great nation in a
special land ('aretz'). Even though each promise added a
unique dimension to Avraham's destiny, they all shared an
element of the same phrase:
"le-ZAR'ACHA natati et ha-ARETZ ha-zot...
- to your OFFSPRING, I have given this LAND."
[See 12:7, 13:15, 15:18, 17:8]
However, despite these numerous blessings suggesting
that
this nation will emerge from all of Avraham's offspring,
God
later informs Avraham that specifically Sarah's son -
Yitzchak
- to the exclusion of all other offspring - has been
chosen to
fulfill this destiny:
"For it is [only] through Yitzchak that there shall be
called for you ZARA [your offspring]." (see 21:12)
Parshat Toldot opens as God Himself confirms this
blessing of 'bechira' to Yitzchak, when He forbids him to
leave the land during a famine:
"Reside in this land and I will bless you... for I will
assign all this LAND to YOU and to YOUR OFFSPRING."
(26:2-5)
What will happen when Yitzchak has children? Will
only
ONE of his children be chosen, as was the case with
Avraham,
or will ALL his offspring be chosen?
Considering that the reason for God's 'bechira'
(selection) of Avraham was for his offspring to become a
NATION (see 12:1-2), obviously this 'filtering' process of
choosing only ONE son over the others could not continue
forever. Should only one 'favorite son' be chosen in each
generation, obviously - a nation could never develop.
Sooner
or later, this 'filtering process' must end, and an entire
family must be chosen.
Thanks to our 20/20 hindsight, we know that this
process
ends after THREE generations (Avraham, Yitzchak, and
Yaakov).
However, the Avot themselves may have been unaware of when
this 'bechira' process was to end.
Let's consider this possibility in regard to
Yitzchak.
ALL IN THE FAMILY
A priori, Yitzchak has no reason to assume that only
ONE
son would be chosen and the other rejected. Unlike
Yitzchak
and Yishmael, who had DIFFERENT mothers, both Yaakov and
Esav
are born from the same mother. What more, they are twins!
Therefore, it is only logical for Yitzchak to assume
that
BOTH Yaakov and Esav will join the 'chosen family'.
Furthermore, even if there is some divine reason to
choose only one son, it should be GOD's choice and NOT
Yitzchak's! After all, God alone had been involved in this
BECHIRA process heretofore. He had chosen Avraham and He
alone had chosen Yitzchak over Yishmael. Without a
specific
divine command, why would Yitzchak even consider making
such a
bold decision?
Thus, it would only be logical to assume that
Yitzchak
believed that all of his children were chosen, and hence
both
Yaakov and Esav would be chosen - and their offspring
would
become the nation of Israel.
So why does Yitzchak intend to bless only ONE of them?
'BRACHA' OR 'BECHIRA'?
To answer this question, we must differentiate
between
TWO basic types of blessings found in Sefer Breishit. For
the
sake of clarity, we will refer to one as BECHIRA and the
other
as BRACHA. Let's explain what each word refers to:
BECHIRA*
We use the term BECHIRA (selection) to describe God's
blessing of 'ZERA va-ARETZ' to the Avot, the privilege of
fathering God's special nation. BECHIRA implies that only
one
son is chosen while the others are rejected. As we
explained,
this process began with God's designation of Avraham Avinu
and
continued with His choice of Yitzchak over Yishmael. It
is
not clear, however, when this bechira process will end.
'BRACHA'
We will use the term BRACHA to describe a father's
blessing of personal destiny to his sons. For example,
when
Noach bestows a BRACHA on each of his three sons (see
9:24-
27), he does not choose one son over the others to become
a
special nation - rather, he blesses (or curses) each son
based
on their individual potential.
The best example of BRACHA (in contrast to BECHIRA)
is
Yaakov Avinu's blessings to his twelve sons prior to his
death, in Parshat Vayechi (see 49:1-28). Clearly, Yaakov
does
not choose one or several of his children to become God's
special nation. Rather, he bestows a blessing of personal
destiny upon each son, according to his understanding of
each
son's individual character and potential (see 49:28).
Thus, according to these definitions - BRACHA is
bestowed
by a father, while BECHIRA is established by God.
The following diagram illustrates the primary points
of
our discussion thus far:
n=3 BECHIRA [by God]
=======
\ AVRAHAM /
\ | / Yishmael rejected
\ YITZHAK /
\ | / Eisav - rejected
YAAKOV
/ 12 \
/ TRIBES \ [blessings by father]
/ \
BRACHA [by the father]
=======
The above diagram reflects the final outcome of the
bechira' process - that there were THREE stages, God
original
choice of Avraham Avinu (#1); his subsequent choice
Yitzchak
(#2) - to the exclusion of Yishmael; and his choice of
Yaakov
(#3) over Eisav. Once Yaakov has been chosen, we reach a
'critical point' - where ALL of his children are chosen,
and
hence the 'bechira' process is complete. At this point,
the
father bestows 'blessings' on his children, which reflect
the
interrelationships among the different tribes - but all
'within the chosen family'.
Using an analogy from 'algebra', one could say that in
this
diagram n=3, where the variable 'n' refers to the number
of
stages in the "bechira" process. In our shiur, we will
claim
that Yitzchak assumes that n=-2, i.e. that there were
supposed
to be only two stages in this process - Avraham &
Yitzchak;
and hence both of his children would be chosen, and plans
to
bless both.
The following diagram reflects what may have been
Yitzchak's
understanding [n=2]:
n=2 BECHIRA [by God]
=======
\ /
\ AVRAHAM/
\ | / Yishmael rejected
YITZCHAK
/ 2 \
/ TRIBES \ [blessings by father]
/ \
BRACHA [by the father]
=======
YITZCHAK'S BRACHA TO ESAV
With this distinction in mind, we return to our
opening
question regarding the kind of blessing that Yitzchak
intends
to bestow upon Esav. Is it a blessing of BRACHA or
BECHIRA?
Considering that Yitzchak has no apparent reason to
choose only one son, we should expect that his intended
blessing to Esav was one of BRACHA (and not BECHIRA).
To determine if this assumption is indeed correct,
let's
examine the content of the actual blessing that Yitzchak
bestowed - intended for Esav but deceptively seized by
Yaakov:
"May God give you of the dew of heaven
and the FAT of the land,
and an abundance of GRAIN and WINE.
Other nations shall SERVE you and bow down to you;
be MASTER over your brother,
and let your mother's sons bow down to you ..."
(27:28-29)
Note how this blessing focuses on prosperity and
leadership, and hence would fall under our category of
BRACHA.
It cannot be BECHIRA, as it does NOT contain the phrase of
'ZERA va-ARETZ'. In fact, this blessing strongly
resembles
the blessings of prosperity and leadership which Yaakov
himself later bestows upon Yehuda (see 49:8) and Yosef
(see
49:25-26).
But if indeed if this is a blessing of BRACHA, why
does
Yitzchak (intend to) bestow this blessing only on Esav?
Would
it not have made sense had he blessed both sons?
THE RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB
As we posited above, Yitzchak expects that both his
children will be chosen. Realizing that this nation (that
will ultimately evolve from his two sons) will require
leadership, Yitzchak must first appoint one of his sons to
take family leadership; afterward he can bless the other.
But
which son should he choose for this responsibility?
One could suggest that Yitzchak concluded that Esav -
the
"ish sadeh" [a 'man of the world' (see 25:27)] - was the
more
suitable candidate for this job. Let's explain why:
Yaakov & Esav are over sixty years old - Esav is married
with children, has a job, and can thus care for himself
(and
for others). Yaakov, on the other hand, is still single
and
'living at home'. It is readily understandable, then, why
Yitzchak chooses Esav to become the family provider and
leader.
We can even presume that Yitzchak had a blessing in
store
for Yaakov as well - most probably one that involves
spiritual
leadership. Yaakov - the "ish tam yoshev ohalim," a man
of
the book (see 25:27) - can provide the family with
spiritual
guidance.
[This 'theoretical blessing' to Yaakov resembles the
ultimate responsibility of shevet Levi (see Devarim
33:10).]
However, without FIRST establishing a nation (with the
help
of Esav), there would be no one around for Yaakov to
guide.
]
The fact that Yitzchak had called upon Esav to
receive
his blessing FIRST, does not rule out the possibility that
he
may have intended to bless Yaakov afterward. Note that in
Parshat Vayechi, Yaakov FIRST blesses Yosef - bestowing
upon
him family leadership- before proceeding to bless all
twelve
children.
So what went wrong? Why does Rivka intervene? Why
must
Yaakov 'steal' Esav's BRACHA? Or, to put it more bluntly,
is
Rivka simply standing up for her 'favorite son' or did she
perceive the situation differently?
To answer this question, we must return to the
beginning
of the Parsha.
RIVKA KNOWS BEST
Apparently, Rivka knows something that Yitzchak
doesn't.
Recall that Rivka suffered from an unusually difficult
pregnancy and seeks God for an explanation (see 25:22).
Note how God's answer to HER (and not to Yitzchak!)
already alludes to the fact that the BECHIRA process has
not
yet ended:
"And God answered HER saying: There are TWO NATIONS in
your
womb, and TWO SEPARATE PEOPLES shall issue from your
body.
One people shall be mightier than the other, and the
older
shall serve the YOUNGER." (25:23)
Rivka here learns that her twins are destined to
become
TWO NATIONS, and as such, only ONE - the younger one (see
25:23, "ve-rav ya'avod tza'ir") - can be chosen. Thus,
Rivka
knows that YAAKOV is destined to receive the BECHIRA, and
not
Esav. Or using our analogy, she knows that n=3, or at
least
3.
Yitzchak, however, is unaware of this prophecy. [Note
25:23: "va-yomer Hashem LAH" - to HER, and not to him!]
It is unclear why Rivka never informs Yitzchak of
this
prophecy. She may assume that Yitzchak also knows, and
only
later realizes that he doesn't (see Ramban 27:4).
Alternatively, the very fact that she was privy to this
special prophecy may have led her the logical conclusion
that
God wanted specifically ONLY HER to know, and NOT
Yitzchak.
However, whatever the reason may be, each parent has a
different perception of their children's destiny as they
grow
up. Yitzchak ASSUMES that both Yaakov and Esav are
chosen,
while Rivka KNOWS that it will only be Yaakov, but cannot
share he secret. The day will come, she may assume, when
she
will ultimately understand why God has given her this
information
RIVKA'S DILEMMA
After overhearing Yitzchak's intention to bless Esav
(27:5), Rivka now faces a serious dilemma:
* Does Yitzchak plan to bless Esav with the BECHIRA (or
that God should grant him the BECHIRA)? If so, she must
act
quickly, as the future of "Am Yisrael" rests on her
shoulders.
* Does Yitzchak think that BOTH children are chosen?
Is he
giving a BRACHA of leadership to Esav? The result of this
blessing could be no less disastrous!
* Can Rivka just tell Yitzchak that he is making a
mistake?
Is it too late? Will he listen? Would he be willing now,
after so many years, to change his perception?
Rivka has limited time to act, yet feels responsible
to
the prophecy she had received and hence obligated to
rectify
the situation. In her eyes, this may have been the very
reason why God had originally granted her this
information.
Unfortunately, however, Rivka must resort to trickery to
ensure that Yaakov receives the blessing.
Now that we have explained Rivka's course of action,
we
must explain Yitzchak's, as the plot thickens.
YITZCHAK'S BLESSINGS
After Yitzchak grants Yaakov (whom he thought was
Esav) a
BRACHA of prosperity and leadership, the real Esav arrives
and
begs his father for another blessing (see 27:34,36).
Yitzchak's initial response is that the special blessing
intended for Esav (prosperity and power) had already been
given to Yaakov (27:35,37). Hence, Esav cannot receive
any
other BRACHA, since the BRACHA of spirituality, originally
intended for Yaakov, would be unsuitable for Esav.
However,
after Esav pleads with his father, Yitzchak grants Esav a
different BRACHA of prosperity.
"And Isaac his father answered and said: Behold, of the
fat
places of the earth shall be thy dwelling, and of the
dew of
heaven from above; And by your sword you shall live and
serve your brother; but should you [or him /see Rashi]
fall,
then you shall shake his yoke from off thy neck."
(27:39-
40)
In light of our above interpretation, this second
blessing
is quite understandable. Let's explain why.
Review this blessing "[tal ha-shamayim u-shmanei ha-
aretz" (27:38-39)], noting how it speaks of prosperity in
a
manner very similar to the first blessing. This makes
sense,
because 'prosperity' can be shared by both brothers.
However, the second half of the original blessing - that
of
political leadership ("hevei gvir le-achicha - see 27:29)
-
can only be given to one son. Yitzchak therefore blesses
Esav
that - should Yaakov's leadership falter - he shall take
his
place (see 27:40 & Rashi).
At this point of the story, it appears that Yitzchak
still understands that both sons will be chosen. When
does he
find out the 'truth' that the 'bechira' process is not
over
yet?
CLEARING THE AIR
Even though the Torah never reveals the details, it
would
be safe to assume that Rivka must have finally explained
her
actions to Yitzchak after this incident. Upon hearing the
details of God's earlier prophecy to Rivka, Yitzchak
finally
realizes that only ONE son, Yaakov, is to be chosen.
[Using
our analogy, he now realizes that n=3.] To his dismay, he
must now accept the fact that the BECHIRA process must
continue into yet another generation.
This explains the final blessing that Yitzchak grants
Yaakov, before he embarks on his journey to Padan Aram (in
search of a wife). Review this blessing, noting how it
obviously relates directly to the blessing of BECHIRA:
"May God grant the BLESSING OF AVRAHAM [i.e. BECHIRA] to
you
and your OFFSPRING, that you may inherit the LAND which
Elokim has given to Avraham..." (28:4).
Note once again the key phrase - "zera va-aretz" - of
the
BECHIRA blessing! In contrast to the BRACHA of prosperity
and
power discussed earlier, this blessing involves the
familiar
concept of God's special NATION inheriting a special LAND.
Clearly, Yitzchak now understands that the 'bechira'
process
is not over yet.
Note as well that Yitzchak does not actually grant
this
blessing to Yaakov, rather he blesses him that God should
grant him the 'bechira' - "ve-Kel Sha-kai yevarech
otcha..."
(28:4). As we explained earlier in our shiur, the
'bechira'
process is God's decision. Yitzchak is now 'rooting' for
Yaakov that God should grant him the BECHIRA, but that
decision must ultimately be confirmed by God - and that's
exactly what takes place a few psukim later, at the
beginning
of Parshat Vayetze! (see 28:12-14)
MA'ASEH AVOT, SIMAN LA-BANIM
Despite our 'technical' explanation for Yitzchak and
Rivka's behavior in this Parsha, a more fundamental
question
remains: Why must the BECHIRA process be so complex? In
other
words, why is it that at the very inception of our
national
history, trickery must be employed for us to arrive to our
divine destiny?
Or re-phrased in terms of our shiur - why does God
want
Yitzchak to think that n=2, while telling Rivka that n=3.
It
appears that God wanted these events to unfold in this
manner!
Although this is a very difficult question to answer,
one
could suggest that this entire episode may carry an
important
message concerning how the spiritual goals of our nation
relate to the necessities of entering the physical world
of
prosperity and political leadership.
Indeed, to become a nation, there are times when the
'aggressive' qualities of an Esav type individual are
needed.
However, there is a popular notion that these physical
responsibilities should be delegated to the 'ish sadeh',
the
son who is expert in the physical realm, but ONLY in that
realm [the 'chiloni' son]. Similarly, the spiritual realm
should be delegated to the Yaakov type individual, the
delicate 'ish tam' who knows only how to study in the
tents of
Torah [the 'dati' son].
Yitzchak's original intention to bless Esav may reflect
this
notion, as Esav will be the provider, 'serve in the army',
and
enter the political realm; while Yaakov will dedicate his
life
immersed in the tents of Torah. Separating these
responsibilities between two sons may reflect the notion
that
spirituality cannot be found in the physical world of
establishing a nation.
To negate this notion, despite its simplicity and
logic,
the Torah presents it as Yitzchak's original plan.
However,
the other option (possibly Rivka's original plan), that
Yaakov
- the 'ish tam' - alone can manage both realms remains
equally
unacceptable.
At the time of these 'brachot', Yaakov himself is not
yet
ready to take on the responsibilities of the 'ish sadeh',
but
sooner or later it will become incumbent upon him to do
so.
To establish God's special nation, there are times when it
is
necessary for the 'ish tam' to take on the
responsibilities of
the 'ish sadeh'.
To solve this 'dialectic', it was necessary for Yaakov
to
first don the 'hands of Esav', i.e. to pretend to act like
Esav, but not actually become an Esav. It remains
significant
that the primal character of Am Yisrael is that of Yaakov,
the
'ish tam'.
If this interpretation is correct, then we can better
appreciate why Yaakov must endure so much hardship during
his
twenty some years in Charan. Before God can bestow on him
the
'bechira' - to become the final stage of this complex
process,
Yaakov must learn to become an "ish sadeh", while
remaining an
"ish tam". Not only will he need to learn how to deal
with
the trickery of Lavan, upon his return to Eretz Yisrael,
Yaakov must finally confront the 'angel of Esav', and
later
Esav himself, to prove that he is indeed worthy of that
leadership task. That battle may leave him 'limping',
nonetheless triumphant; as he has learned the proper
balance
between these two character traits.
Even though many situations in our history will arise
when we must don the 'hands of Esav' - i.e. when we must
act
as an 'ish sadeh' - our dominant trait must always remain
that
of an 'ish tam'. For when God provides Am Yisrael with
prosperity and political leadership, it is towards the
purpose
that they serve mankind with personal example and
spiritual
guidance.
Throughout our history, even though we must
periodically
'don the hands of Esav', our voice must always remain 'the
voice of Yaakov' [see 27:22]!
shabbat shalom
menachem
===========
FOR FURTHER IYUN
A. See Ramban (on 27:4), noting how he would bascially
disagree with the entire approach presented in the above
shiur. From the very beginning, he understands that
Yitzchak's intention is to bless Esav with the BECHIRA.
1. How does Ramban understand why Rivka doesn't tell
Yitzchak
about her nevua? How, if at all, does this affect his
understanding of the entire parsha?
2. With which basic assumption of the above shiur does
Ramban
disagree?
3. Does Ramban (see 27:28) find any hint to "zera
va-aretz"
in Yitzchak's first bracha to Yaakov/Esav?
4. How does Rashi understand this sugya?
5. Try to relate this issue to the klal of MA'ASEH AVOT,
SIMAN LA-BANIM. [Iy"H, this will be the topic of a future
shiur.]
6. See also Radak on 27:4, noting how he explains that
Yitzchak knew all along that Yaakov would receive the
'bechira'. Nonetheless, he still wanted to grant Esav a
'bracha'.
B. Towards the beginning of the Parsha, Esav sells his
birthright to Yaakov and makes a striking statement:
"Hinei anochi holeich lamut, ve-lama zeh li bchora?"
Esav seems very practical. He sees no reason to have
the
'bchora', as he lives only for the present with no dreams
or
goals for the future.
1. Relate this to the above shiur and the reason why Esav
is
rejected.
2. Could it be that this attitude, a lack of appreciation
of
his destiny and purpose, leads to his ultimate rejection?
3. Can this explain why Yaakov is interested in buying
the
birthright?
4. Does Yitzchak know about this incident? If so (or
even if
not), how may this affect the blessing that he later
intended
to give his children?
C. The blessing of BECHIRA to Yaakov in 28:3-5 contains
several key phrases found in earlier blessings to Avraham
Avinu. Try to find these parallels.
1. Are most of them from the parsha Brit Mila? (see
Breishit
17:1-10).
If so, can you explain why? [What additional message
did
Avraham receive after Brit Mila?]
2. When did Hashem actually confirm this blessing? (See
35:9-13!)
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