<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2995" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV>
<P><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=718182222-22112006>Dedicated in
</SPAN>memory of Chana Friedman (Chana bat Yaakov u'Devorah) A"H on her 11th
yahrzeit</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial
size=2>*************************************************************<BR>
THE TANACH STUDY CENTER
[http://www.tanach.org]<BR>
In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag<BR> Shiurim in
Chumash & Navi by Menachem
Leibtag<BR>*************************************************************</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial
size=2>
PARSHAT TOLDOT - ' the chosen son'</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> Are Yitzchak are Rivka
playing 'favorites'? Indeed, a<BR>cursory reading of Parshat Toldot
certainly leaves that<BR>impression.<BR> Furthermore,
why does Yitzchak choose to bless only one<BR>of his children? Would it
have been so terrible had he<BR>planned to bless both Esav and
Yaakov?<BR> In the following shiur, we search for the
deeper meaning<BR>of these events. To enable our discussion, we must
first<BR>consider the distinction between two concepts that we<BR>encounter in
Sefer Breishit - ’bechira’ [choosing] and<BR>’beracha’ [blessing].</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>INTRODUCTION<BR> Our shiurim
thus far on Sefer Breishit have focused on<BR>its theme of "bechira" - i.e.
God's designation of Avraham and<BR>his offspring to become His special
nation. We made special<BR>note of the numerous times that God had
promised Avraham that<BR>his offspring (’zera’) would become a great nation in
a<BR>special land (‘aretz’). Even though each promise added a<BR>unique
dimension to Avraham's destiny, they all shared an<BR>element of the same
phrase:<BR> "le-ZAR'ACHA natati et ha-ARETZ
ha-zot...<BR> - to your OFFSPRING, I have given
this
LAND."<BR>
[See 12:7, 13:15, 15:18, 17:8]</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> However, despite these
numerous blessings suggesting that<BR>this nation will emerge from all of
Avraham's offspring, God<BR>later informs Avraham that specifically Sarah's son
- Yitzchak<BR>- to the exclusion of all other offspring - has been chosen
to<BR>fulfill this destiny:<BR> "For it is [only] through Yitzchak that
there shall be<BR> called for you ZARA [your offspring]." (see
21:12)</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> Parshat Toldot opens as God
Himself confirms this<BR>blessing of 'bechira' to Yitzchak, when He forbids him
to<BR>leave the land during a famine:<BR> "Reside in this land and I will
bless you... for I will<BR> assign all this LAND to YOU and to YOUR
OFFSPRING." (26:2-5)</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> What will happen when
Yitzchak has children? Will only<BR>ONE of his children be chosen, as was
the case with Avraham,<BR>or will ALL his offspring be
chosen?<BR> Considering that the reason for God's
’bechira’<BR>(selection) of Avraham was for his offspring to become a<BR>NATION
(see 12:1-2), obviously this 'filtering' process of<BR>choosing only ONE son
over the others could not continue<BR>forever. Should only one 'favorite
son' be chosen in each<BR>generation, obviously - a nation could never
develop. Sooner<BR>or later, this 'filtering process' must end, and an
entire<BR>family must be chosen.<BR> Thanks to our 20/20
hindsight, we know that this process<BR>ends after THREE generations (Avraham,
Yitzchak, and Yaakov).<BR>However, the Avot themselves may have been unaware of
when<BR>this ’bechira’ process was to end.<BR> Let's
consider this possibility in regard to Yitzchak.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>ALL IN THE FAMILY<BR> A
priori, Yitzchak has no reason to assume that only ONE<BR>son would be chosen
and the other rejected. Unlike Yitzchak<BR>and Yishmael, who had DIFFERENT
mothers, both Yaakov and Esav<BR>are born from the same mother. What more,
they are twins!<BR> Therefore, it is only logical for
Yitzchak to assume that<BR>BOTH Yaakov and Esav will join the ’chosen
family’.<BR> Furthermore, even if there is some
divine reason to<BR>choose only one son, it should be GOD's choice and
NOT<BR>Yitzchak's! After all, God alone had been involved in this<BR>BECHIRA
process heretofore. He had chosen Avraham and He<BR>alone had chosen
Yitzchak over Yishmael. Without a specific<BR>divine command, why would
Yitzchak even consider making such a<BR>bold decision?</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> Thus, it would only be
logical to assume that Yitzchak<BR>believed that all of his children were
chosen, and hence both<BR>Yaakov and Esav would be chosen - and their offspring
would<BR>become the nation of Israel.<BR> So why does Yitzchak intend to
bless only ONE of them?</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>’BRACHA’ OR ’BECHIRA’?<BR> To
answer this question, we must differentiate between<BR>TWO basic types of
blessings found in Sefer Breishit. For the<BR>sake of clarity, we will
refer to one as BECHIRA and the other<BR>as BRACHA. Let's explain what
each word refers to:</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>BECHIRA*<BR> We use the term
BECHIRA (selection) to describe God's<BR>blessing of ’ZERA va-ARETZ’ to the
Avot, the privilege of<BR>fathering God's special nation. BECHIRA implies
that only one<BR>son is chosen while the others are rejected. As we
explained,<BR>this process began with God's designation of Avraham Avinu
and<BR>continued with His choice of Yitzchak over Yishmael. It is<BR>not
clear, however, when this bechira process will end.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>‘BRACHA’<BR> We will use the
term BRACHA to describe a father's<BR>blessing of personal destiny to his
sons. For example, when<BR>Noach bestows a BRACHA on each of his three
sons (see 9:24-<BR>27), he does not choose one son over the others to become
a<BR>special nation - rather, he blesses (or curses) each son based<BR>on their
individual potential.<BR> The best example of BRACHA (in
contrast to BECHIRA) is<BR>Yaakov Avinu's blessings to his twelve sons prior to
his<BR>death, in Parshat Vayechi (see 49:1-28). Clearly, Yaakov
does<BR>not choose one or several of his children to become God's<BR>special
nation. Rather, he bestows a blessing of personal<BR>destiny upon each
son, according to his understanding of each<BR>son's individual character and
potential (see 49:28).<BR> Thus, according to these
definitions - BRACHA is bestowed<BR>by a father, while BECHIRA is established by
God.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> The following diagram
illustrates the primary points of<BR>our discussion thus far:</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial
size=2>n=3 BECHIRA [by
God]<BR>
=======<BR> \
AVRAHAM /<BR>
\ | / Yishmael
rejected<BR> \ YITZHAK
/<BR> \
| / Eisav -
rejected<BR>
YAAKOV<BR>
/ 12
\<BR> /
TRIBES \ [blessings by
father]<BR>
/
\<BR>
BRACHA [by the
father]<BR>
=======</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> The above diagram reflects
the final outcome of the<BR>bechira' process - that there were THREE stages, God
original<BR>choice of Avraham Avinu (#1); his subsequent choice Yitzchak<BR>(#2)
- to the exclusion of Yishmael; and his choice of Yaakov<BR>(#3) over
Eisav. Once Yaakov has been chosen, we reach a<BR>'critical point' - where
ALL of his children are chosen, and<BR>hence the 'bechira' process is
complete. At this point, the<BR>father bestows 'blessings' on his
children, which reflect the<BR>interrelationships among the different tribes -
but all<BR>'within the chosen family'.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> Using an analogy from 'algebra', one could say
that in this<BR>diagram n=3, where the variable 'n' refers to the number
of<BR>stages in the "bechira" process. In our shiur, we will claim<BR>that
Yitzchak assumes that n=-2, i.e. that there were supposed<BR>to be only two
stages in this process - Avraham & Yitzchak;<BR>and hence both of his
children would be chosen, and plans to<BR>bless both.<BR> <BR> The
following diagram reflects what may have been Yitzchak's<BR>understanding
[n=2]:<BR> <BR>n=2 BECHIRA [by
God]<BR>
=======<BR>
\
/<BR> \
AVRAHAM/<BR> \
| / Yishmael
rejected<BR>
YITZCHAK<BR> /
2 \<BR> /
TRIBES \ [blessings by
father]<BR>
/
\<BR> BRACHA [by the
father]<BR>
=======</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>YITZCHAK'S BRACHA TO ESAV<BR>
With this distinction in mind, we return to our opening<BR>question regarding
the kind of blessing that Yitzchak intends<BR>to bestow upon Esav. Is it a
blessing of BRACHA or BECHIRA?<BR> Considering that
Yitzchak has no apparent reason to<BR>choose only one son, we should expect that
his intended<BR>blessing to Esav was one of BRACHA (and not BECHIRA).</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> To determine if this
assumption is indeed correct, let's<BR>examine the content of the actual
blessing that Yitzchak<BR>bestowed - intended for Esav but deceptively seized by
Yaakov:<BR> "May God give you of the dew of
heaven<BR> and the FAT of the
land,<BR> and an abundance of GRAIN and
WINE.<BR> Other nations shall SERVE you and bow down to
you;<BR> be MASTER over your
brother,<BR> and let your mother's sons bow down to you
..."<BR>
(27:28-29)</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> Note how this blessing
focuses on prosperity and<BR>leadership, and hence would fall under our category
of BRACHA.<BR>It cannot be BECHIRA, as it does NOT contain the phrase
of<BR>’ZERA va-ARETZ’. In fact, this blessing strongly resembles<BR>the
blessings of prosperity and leadership which Yaakov<BR>himself later bestows
upon Yehuda (see 49:8) and Yosef (see<BR>49:25-26).</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> But if indeed if this is a
blessing of BRACHA, why does<BR>Yitzchak (intend to) bestow this blessing only
on Esav? Would<BR>it not have made sense had he blessed both
sons?</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>THE RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB<BR>
As we posited above, Yitzchak expects that both his<BR>children will be
chosen. Realizing that this nation (that<BR>will ultimately evolve from
his two sons) will require<BR>leadership, Yitzchak must first appoint one of his
sons to<BR>take family leadership; afterward he can bless the other.
But<BR>which son should he choose for this
responsibility?<BR> One could suggest that Yitzchak
concluded that Esav - the<BR>"ish sadeh" [a 'man of the world' (see 25:27)] -
was the more<BR>suitable candidate for this job. Let's explain
why:<BR> Yaakov & Esav are over sixty years old - Esav is
married<BR>with children, has a job, and can thus care for himself (and<BR>for
others). Yaakov, on the other hand, is still single and<BR>'living at
home’. It is readily understandable, then, why<BR>Yitzchak chooses Esav to
become the family provider and<BR>leader.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> We can even presume that
Yitzchak had a blessing in store<BR>for Yaakov as well - most probably one that
involves spiritual<BR>leadership. Yaakov - the "ish tam yoshev ohalim," a
man of<BR>the book (see 25:27) - can provide the family with
spiritual<BR>guidance.<BR> [This 'theoretical blessing' to Yaakov
resembles the<BR> ultimate responsibility of shevet Levi (see Devarim
33:10).]<BR> However, without FIRST establishing a nation (with the
help<BR> of Esav), there would be no one around for Yaakov to
guide.<BR> ]<BR> <BR> The fact that Yitzchak
had called upon Esav to receive<BR>his blessing FIRST, does not rule out the
possibility that he<BR>may have intended to bless Yaakov afterward. Note
that in<BR>Parshat Vayechi, Yaakov FIRST blesses Yosef - bestowing upon<BR>him
family leadership- before proceeding to bless all twelve<BR>children.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> So what went wrong?
Why does Rivka intervene? Why must<BR>Yaakov 'steal' Esav's BRACHA?
Or, to put it more bluntly, is<BR>Rivka simply standing up for her 'favorite
son' or did she<BR>perceive the situation
differently?<BR> To answer this question, we must return
to the beginning<BR>of the Parsha.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>RIVKA KNOWS BEST<BR>
Apparently, Rivka knows something that Yitzchak doesn't.<BR>Recall that Rivka
suffered from an unusually difficult<BR>pregnancy and seeks God for an
explanation (see 25:22).<BR> Note how God's answer to
HER (and not to Yitzchak!)<BR>already alludes to the fact that the BECHIRA
process has not<BR>yet ended:<BR> "And God answered HER saying: There are
TWO NATIONS in your<BR> womb, and TWO SEPARATE PEOPLES shall issue from
your body.<BR> One people shall be mightier than the other, and the
older<BR> shall serve the YOUNGER." (25:23)</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> Rivka here learns that her
twins are destined to become<BR>TWO NATIONS, and as such, only ONE - the younger
one (see<BR>25:23, "ve-rav ya'avod tza'ir") - can be chosen. Thus,
Rivka<BR>knows that YAAKOV is destined to receive the BECHIRA, and
not<BR>Esav. Or using our analogy, she knows that n=3, or at
least<BR>3.<BR> Yitzchak, however, is unaware of this prophecy.
[Note<BR>25:23: "va-yomer Hashem LAH" - to HER, and not to him!]</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> It is unclear why Rivka
never informs Yitzchak of this<BR>prophecy. She may assume that Yitzchak
also knows, and only<BR>later realizes that he doesn't (see Ramban
27:4).<BR>Alternatively, the very fact that she was privy to this<BR>special
prophecy may have led her the logical conclusion that<BR>God wanted specifically
ONLY HER to know, and NOT Yitzchak.<BR> However, whatever the reason may
be, each parent has a<BR>different perception of their children's destiny as
they grow<BR>up. Yitzchak ASSUMES that both Yaakov and Esav are
chosen,<BR>while Rivka KNOWS that it will only be Yaakov, but cannot<BR>share he
secret. The day will come, she may assume, when she<BR>will ultimately
understand why God has given her this<BR>information</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>RIVKA'S DILEMMA<BR> After
overhearing Yitzchak's intention to bless Esav<BR>(27:5), Rivka now faces a
serious dilemma:<BR>* Does Yitzchak plan to bless Esav with
the BECHIRA (or<BR>that God should grant him the BECHIRA)? If so, she must
act<BR>quickly, as the future of "Am Yisrael" rests on her
shoulders.<BR> * Does Yitzchak think that BOTH children are
chosen? Is he<BR>giving a BRACHA of leadership to Esav? The result
of this<BR>blessing could be no less disastrous!<BR> * Can
Rivka just tell Yitzchak that he is making a mistake?<BR>Is it too late?
Will he listen? Would he be willing now,<BR>after so many years, to change
his perception?<BR> Rivka has limited time to act, yet
feels responsible to<BR>the prophecy she had received and hence obligated to
rectify<BR>the situation. In her eyes, this may have been the
very<BR>reason why God had originally granted her this
information.<BR>Unfortunately, however, Rivka must resort to trickery
to<BR>ensure that Yaakov receives the blessing.<BR> Now
that we have explained Rivka's course of action, we<BR>must explain Yitzchak's,
as the plot thickens.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>YITZCHAK'S BLESSINGS<BR>
After Yitzchak grants Yaakov (whom he thought was Esav) a<BR>BRACHA of
prosperity and leadership, the real Esav arrives and<BR>begs his father for
another blessing (see 27:34,36).<BR>Yitzchak's initial response is that the
special blessing<BR>intended for Esav (prosperity and power) had already
been<BR>given to Yaakov (27:35,37). Hence, Esav cannot receive
any<BR>other BRACHA, since the BRACHA of spirituality, originally<BR>intended
for Yaakov, would be unsuitable for Esav. However,<BR>after Esav pleads
with his father, Yitzchak grants Esav a<BR>different BRACHA of
prosperity.<BR> "And Isaac his father answered and said: Behold, of the
fat<BR> places of the earth shall be thy dwelling, and of the dew
of<BR> heaven from above; And by your sword you shall live
and<BR> serve your brother; but should you [or him /see Rashi]
fall,<BR> then you shall shake his yoke from off thy neck."
(27:39-<BR> 40)</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> In light of our above interpretation, this
second blessing<BR>is quite understandable. Let's explain
why.<BR> Review this blessing "[tal ha-shamayim
u-shmanei ha-<BR>aretz" (27:38-39)], noting how it speaks of prosperity in
a<BR>manner very similar to the first blessing. This makes
sense,<BR>because 'prosperity' can be shared by both brothers.<BR>However, the
second half of the original blessing - that of<BR>political leadership ("hevei
gvir le-achicha - see 27:29) -<BR>can only be given to one son. Yitzchak
therefore blesses Esav<BR>that - should Yaakov's leadership falter - he shall
take his<BR>place (see 27:40 & Rashi).<BR> At this
point of the story, it appears that Yitzchak<BR>still understands that both sons
will be chosen. When does he<BR>find out the 'truth' that the ‘bechira’
process is not over<BR>yet?</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>CLEARING THE AIR<BR> Even
though the Torah never reveals the details, it would<BR>be safe to assume that
Rivka must have finally explained her<BR>actions to Yitzchak after this
incident. Upon hearing the<BR>details of God's earlier prophecy to Rivka,
Yitzchak finally<BR>realizes that only ONE son, Yaakov, is to be chosen.
[Using<BR>our analogy, he now realizes that n=3.] To his dismay,
he<BR>must now accept the fact that the BECHIRA process must<BR>continue into
yet another generation.<BR> This explains the final
blessing that Yitzchak grants<BR>Yaakov, before he embarks on his journey to
Padan Aram (in<BR>search of a wife). Review this blessing, noting how
it<BR>obviously relates directly to the blessing of BECHIRA:<BR> "May God
grant the BLESSING OF AVRAHAM [i.e. BECHIRA] to you<BR> and your
OFFSPRING, that you may inherit the LAND which<BR> Elokim has given to
Avraham..." (28:4).</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> Note once again the key
phrase - "zera va-aretz" - of the<BR>BECHIRA blessing! In contrast to the
BRACHA of prosperity and<BR>power discussed earlier, this blessing involves the
familiar<BR>concept of God's special NATION inheriting a special
LAND.<BR>Clearly, Yitzchak now understands that the ‘bechira’ process<BR>is not
over yet.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> Note as well that Yitzchak
does not actually grant this<BR>blessing to Yaakov, rather he blesses him that
God should<BR>grant him the ‘bechira’ - "ve-Kel Sha-kai yevarech
otcha..."<BR>(28:4). As we explained earlier in our shiur, the
‘bechira’<BR>process is God's decision. Yitzchak is now 'rooting'
for<BR>Yaakov that God should grant him the BECHIRA, but that<BR>decision must
ultimately be confirmed by God - and that's<BR>exactly what takes place a few
psukim later, at the beginning<BR>of Parshat Vayetze! (see
28:12-14)</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>MA'ASEH AVOT, SIMAN
LA-BANIM<BR> Despite our 'technical' explanation for
Yitzchak and<BR>Rivka's behavior in this Parsha, a more fundamental
question<BR>remains: Why must the BECHIRA process be so complex? In
other<BR>words, why is it that at the very inception of our national<BR>history,
trickery must be employed for us to arrive to our<BR>divine
destiny?<BR> Or re-phrased in terms of our shiur - why
does God want<BR>Yitzchak to think that n=2, while telling Rivka that n=3.
It<BR>appears that God wanted these events to unfold in this
manner!<BR> Although this is a very difficult question
to answer, one<BR>could suggest that this entire episode may carry an
important<BR>message concerning how the spiritual goals of our nation<BR>relate
to the necessities of entering the physical world of<BR>prosperity and political
leadership.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> Indeed, to become a nation,
there are times when the<BR>'aggressive' qualities of an Esav type individual
are needed.<BR>However, there is a popular notion that these
physical<BR>responsibilities should be delegated to the ’ish sadeh’, the<BR>son
who is expert in the physical realm, but ONLY in that<BR>realm [the ’chiloni’
son]. Similarly, the spiritual realm<BR>should be delegated to the Yaakov
type individual, the<BR>delicate ’ish tam’ who knows only how to study in the
tents of<BR>Torah [the ’dati’ son].<BR> Yitzchak's original intention to
bless Esav may reflect this<BR>notion, as Esav will be the provider, 'serve in
the army', and<BR>enter the political realm; while Yaakov will dedicate his
life<BR>immersed in the tents of Torah. Separating
these<BR>responsibilities between two sons may reflect the notion
that<BR>spirituality cannot be found in the physical world of<BR>establishing a
nation.<BR> To negate this notion, despite its
simplicity and logic,<BR>the Torah presents it as Yitzchak's original
plan. However,<BR>the other option (possibly Rivka's original plan), that
Yaakov<BR>- the ’ish tam’ - alone can manage both realms remains
equally<BR>unacceptable.<BR> At the time of these
’brachot’, Yaakov himself is not yet<BR>ready to take on the responsibilities of
the ’ish sadeh’, but<BR>sooner or later it will become incumbent upon him to do
so.<BR>To establish God's special nation, there are times when it
is<BR>necessary for the ’ish tam’ to take on the responsibilities of<BR>the ’ish
sadeh’.<BR> To solve this 'dialectic', it was necessary for Yaakov
to<BR>first don the 'hands of Esav', i.e. to pretend to act like<BR>Esav, but
not actually become an Esav. It remains significant<BR>that the primal
character of Am Yisrael is that of Yaakov, the<BR>’ish tam’.<BR>
<BR> If this interpretation is correct, then we can better<BR>appreciate
why Yaakov must endure so much hardship during his<BR>twenty some years in
Charan. Before God can bestow on him the<BR>'bechira' - to become the
final stage of this complex process,<BR>Yaakov must learn to become an "ish
sadeh", while remaining an<BR>"ish tam". Not only will he need to learn
how to deal with<BR>the trickery of Lavan, upon his return to Eretz
Yisrael,<BR>Yaakov must finally confront the 'angel of Esav’, and later<BR>Esav
himself, to prove that he is indeed worthy of that<BR>leadership task. That
battle may leave him 'limping',<BR>nonetheless triumphant; as he has learned the
proper balance<BR>between these two character traits.<BR>
<BR> Even though many situations in our history will
arise<BR>when we must don the 'hands of Esav' - i.e. when we must act<BR>as an
’ish sadeh’ - our dominant trait must always remain that<BR>of an ’ish
tam’. For when God provides Am Yisrael with<BR>prosperity and political
leadership, it is towards the purpose<BR>that they serve mankind with personal
example and spiritual<BR>guidance.<BR> Throughout our
history, even though we must periodically<BR>'don the hands of Esav’, our voice
must always remain 'the<BR>voice of Yaakov' [see 27:22]!</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial
size=2>
shabbat
shalom<BR>
menachem</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>===========<BR>FOR FURTHER IYUN</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>A. See Ramban (on 27:4), noting how he would
bascially<BR>disagree with the entire approach presented in the
above<BR>shiur. From the very beginning, he understands that<BR>Yitzchak's
intention is to bless Esav with the BECHIRA.<BR>1. How does Ramban
understand why Rivka doesn't tell Yitzchak<BR>about her nevua? How, if at
all, does this affect his<BR>understanding of the entire parsha?<BR>2.
With which basic assumption of the above shiur does
Ramban<BR>disagree?<BR>3. Does Ramban (see 27:28) find any hint to "zera
va-aretz"<BR>in Yitzchak's first bracha to Yaakov/Esav?<BR>4. How does
Rashi understand this sugya?<BR>5. Try to relate this issue to the klal of
MA'ASEH AVOT,<BR>SIMAN LA-BANIM. [Iy"H, this will be the topic of a
future<BR>shiur.]<BR>6. See also Radak on 27:4, noting how he explains
that<BR>Yitzchak knew all along that Yaakov would receive
the<BR>‘bechira’. Nonetheless, he still wanted to grant Esav
a<BR>‘bracha’.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>B. Towards the beginning of the Parsha, Esav
sells his<BR>birthright to Yaakov and makes a striking
statement:<BR> "Hinei anochi holeich lamut, ve-lama zeh li
bchora?"<BR> Esav seems very practical. He sees no reason to have
the<BR>’bchora’, as he lives only for the present with no dreams or<BR>goals for
the future.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>1. Relate this to the above shiur and the
reason why Esav is<BR>rejected.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>2. Could it be that this attitude, a lack of
appreciation of<BR>his destiny and purpose, leads to his ultimate
rejection?</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>3. Can this explain why Yaakov is interested in
buying the<BR>birthright?</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>4. Does Yitzchak know about this
incident? If so (or even if<BR>not), how may this affect the blessing that
he later intended<BR>to give his children?</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>C. The blessing of BECHIRA to Yaakov in 28:3-5
contains<BR>several key phrases found in earlier blessings to
Avraham<BR>Avinu. Try to find these parallels.<BR>1. Are most of
them from the parsha Brit Mila? (see
Breishit<BR>17:1-10).<BR> If so, can you explain
why? [What additional message did<BR>Avraham receive after Brit
Mila?]<BR>2. When did Hashem actually confirm this blessing? (See
35:9-13!)</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </P></DIV></BODY></HTML>