[Par-reg] For Parshat Toldot

[Menachem Leibtag]

*************************************************************
     THE TANACH STUDY CENTER [http://www.tanach.org]
          In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag
     Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem Leibtag
*************************************************************

              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 by considering the distinction between what we
will refer to as ’bechira’ and ’beracha’.

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]." (21:12)

     Parshat Toldot opens as God Himself confirms this
blessing 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, a nation could obviously 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, Yitzchak most likely believed that both Yaakov and
Esav were included within the divine promise to Avraham's
progeny.  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 convenience, we will refer to one as BECHIRA and the
other as BRACHA.  Let's explain:

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 name BRACHA to describe a father's
blessing for the personal destiny (e.g. prosperity, power) of
his sons.  Noach, for example, bestows a BRACHA on each of his
three sons (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 his individual potential.
     The classic example of BRACHA (as opposed 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.

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, lets
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 suggested 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 appoint one of his sons to take
family leadership. But which son should he choose for this
responsiblity?
     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.
  Considering that Yaakov & Esav are over sixty years old,
note that Esav is married with children, has a job, and can
take care of himself and 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 has 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 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.  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, she may have thought that God specifically
wants ONLY HER to know, and NOT Yitzchak.  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.

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 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, is unsuitable for Esav.  However, after
Esav pleads with him, Yitzchak grants Esav a different BRACHA
of prosperity.  In fact, in light of our explanation, this
second blessing is quite understandable.  Let's explain why.

     Review this blessing of: "tal ha-shamayim u-shmanei ha-
aretz" (27:38-39), noting how it also 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).
     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 the incident of the ’brachot’.  Upon
hearing the details of God's earlier prophecy to Rivka,
Yitzchak finally realizes that only ONE son, Yaakov, is to be
chosen.  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 he receive 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!

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?

     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 and
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’.
  [Note that later in his own life (upon his return to Eretz
  Yisrael), Yaakov must finally confront the 'angel of Esav’,
  this time without trickery, to prove that he is indeed
  worthy of that leadership task.]

     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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