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When Jacob outsmarted Esau and received his father Isaac's blessings, Esau was outraged. "He cried out a great and bitter cry, and he said to his father, 'Bless me too, O my father!'… And Esau raised his voice and wept." Esau had been anticipating these blessings for many years,1 and for decades long Esau had feigned religious observance because he wanted his father to believe that he was worthy of these blessings. He was utterly devastated when he realized that he, the on-the-ball, worldly hunter, had been outwitted by his religious "goody-goody" brother.
It is remarkable that this person who was a murderer, rapist and glutton was so eager to receive the blessing of a tzaddik (righteous person). Esau wasn't out for a large inheritance; after all, Isaac was an elderly, blind person who had nothing to offer other than his blessings.2 Rather, as someone who was raised in the households of Abraham3 and Isaac, he was well aware of the value of a tzaddik's blessing. Esau was a Jew who was born to a Jewish mother,4 and therefore possessed a Jewish soul which imbued him with a strong belief in G-d and the super-natural. His "Jewish heart," however, did not manifest itself in his immoral lifestyle, which was contrary to all he had learned in his father's home. He knew what was right, but was unwilling to make the necessary sacrifices to live an ethical, spiritual life.
It is remarkable that this person who was a murderer, rapist and glutton was so eager to receive the blessing of a tzaddikThe Divine plan determined that Jacob, not Esau, receive the blessings. For Jacob was a Jew not only at heart, but in practice as well. With faith alone we cannot accomplish the mission of revealing G-dliness in this world, and transforming ourselves and the world around us into a Divine abode. Only through actually practicing Torah and mitzvot can this goal be achieved.
In microcosm, many can relate to Esau's dilemma. Most people know what is proper, but oftentimes lack the strength and willpower to implement that which is proper into their daily lives. We must always remember that only the practice of Torah and mitzvot makes us a worthy receptacle for Divine blessings. Faith isn't a product of our labor; it naturally exists within every Jew due to our G-dly soul which was instilled within us. Blessings must be earned. Only the hard work of applying the faith in everyday life makes a person worthy of all of G-d's blessings.
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The Cr-ater said "Very Good". This world that H- just created included the serpent. So, the serpent was part of "Very Good". IF not for the serpent, the Family of God would contain 2 individuals living blissful eternal lives. But, The Serpent in meaning it for evil (as Joseph said about his treatment by his brothers), -od meant it for good. Thus A&E were shown the door and told to be fruitful and multiply. But, inside Eve was The Seed (the seed of the fruit of knowledge of good and evil?) that would ultimately crush the seed of the serpent. Just as in the Amidah the prayer for the Seed Of David to flourish points to the time when Messiah will bring in a harvest far greater than 2!
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Actually by scripted I meant G_d as storyteller, if one believes of course that G_d is active in our lives in this way, and much commentary on Chabad does point to this belief, and as for me, I feel this, deeply. This leads to paradox and deep conundrums, that do involve free will and determinism. But also lessons.
I see something coded within words, and I do believe there are hidden meanings everywhere, and certainly within words. If you listen to script you will hear, within "crypt". For me, what' encrypted is a deeper meaning that encompasses all stories. Cryptic of course if for hidden. Perhaps the hidden face of G_d.
And yes, for me, this story does not "wash".
Perhaps we are meant to question as we do, and there's the fire, there's the dialogue, and there's the ethical questioning that makes us deeply, think.
If life is scripted there is still an ongoing learning curve, and that for me has to do with a raising of consciousness about compassion and love.
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Ruth Houseman's comment aroused an old problem in my mind, and I appreciater her mentioning an aspect of the story that does not "wash". The story looks like a set-up (probably what Ms Houseman meant by "scripted". Here's an illustration: "granny set an aluminium pot full of popcorn on the floor and told little granddaughter "that's hot. Don't touch it!" Grandaughter gets third degree arm burns. Granny's defense: "I warned her". The "Free Will" argument does not hold water. I confess, I do not know the answer to this enigmatic story; but, I "ain't buying it"!
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There is no known explanation for God's rejection of Esau, Ishmael, or even Cain. That would be the honest commentary. God will do what He will do. Commentators, parse and pare and construct complicated scenarios to justify that which appears to us to be unjust. The presumption of Esau's being a rapist and murderer in order to explain his loss of birthright, is much like Job's "friends" proposing that he must be guilty of secretly sinning. Yet, they are rebuked. The Creator of The Entire Universe need not justify His actions and choices.
The Genealogy of Genesis, through the maternal: Sarah, Rivka, Rachel/Leah; and paternal: Abraham Isaac Jacob and Jacob's 12 sons, with the tribe of Joseph given a double portion, is a deliberate and directed series of algorithms, all pointing towards first Saul (the Benjaminite; son of Rachel), then David, and Solomon (the Judeans, sons of Leah.) The meaning must exist, and we must clearly keep our terminology clear!
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Is it not ludicrous to describe Esau, Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham as Jews? The Jewish People are those remnants from the Southern Kingdom, Judea, who rededicated the second temple after the return of the Babylonian Captivity. Ezekial, who lived in Babylon, knew full well that "the stick with 'Ephraim and his associated Tribes' written on it" referred to the remnants of the Lost Tribes of the northern kingdom, called "Israel". He did not presume that the individual refugees from the north two hundred years prior represented the Kingdom of Israel, (led by Joseph, Ephraim).
Judaism is misappropriating the rightful place of Israel, on the one hand. and Churchianity misappropriates the name "Spiritual Israel" for itself.
Ezekial's prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. Therefore, there exists to this day, the remnant of the Kingdom of Israel.
When Joseph awakens to his identity, and makes his return to Samaria, the worldly wise will be stunned. Almost as much as the awakened returners.
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Didn't G-d tell Rebekah that there were two nations in her womb, and two manner of people and one people shall be stronger than the other people. The elder shall serve the younger. And the first was red all over a hairy garment and they called his name Esau. But then G-d changed Easu's name to Edom when Esau sold his birthright for the bowl of red pottage. - G-d changed Jacobs name to Israel. G-d tells us a secret in one's name what does Edom mean in Hebrew and what does Israel mean in Hebrew? And wasn't the Edomites a enemy of the Hebrews? In Numbers Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him. Moses and all the tribes where trying to get to our promise land and was refused to go through their country. Read the histroy of the Edomites before you make a judgement. Read what G-d says about Edom in Jeremiah.
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Are we told before the trickery that Esau is a "murderer and a rapist"? Did Jacob deceive his father, too, with the connivance of his mother, to wear the clothing of his brother so as to smell like him, and to wear the hairy covering so as to feel like his brother? It seem clear enough that Esau was a stupid dolt driven by his gut. Did not G-d struggle with Jacob after this fraud? Did not Jacob get his own back when his uncle tricked him? The essay makes it seem that the trickery was HaShem's plan from the start. Perhaps G-d was permissive after the fact?
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Actually, I never liked this story, because it was a story of deceit, and I don't think Jacob came out all that "stellar" in this story, nor his Mother.
I think it's wrong, and when I think about the Esau story, I feel somehow this major wrong needs to be righted.
I didn't know Esau was a rapist and murderer, as has been written here. I will have to revisit the story. I honestly don't remember reading this as part of the birthright story.I do remember being astonished by the deceit, and it bothered me, and still does.
As to the "sin" of Adam, that garden story. I deeply feel it was so totally scripted, and that snake was G_d playing snake, because surely, this story was concocted to get them out of the Garden so the story could continue. I actually don't see the sin part when they were tempted in this way, and when G_d very well knew what was going to happen and it was so directed.
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RE This week's portion: I am studying CONTRACT LAW and because I apply everything in my life to Torah, it is obvious to me that any 'contract' or 'blessing' which includes fraud is not valid. So I ask, what is the deeper message for us here regarding Jacob, and even Tamar with Yehuda? Trick or Treat? We know that at our true essence, even Esau is a perfect child of GOD. So for Jacob to have 'corrected Adam's sin' by 'trickery' seems ridiculous to me now.
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Wasn't Rivkah a Syrian?
"Esau was a Jew who was born to a Jewish mother"
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