“And these are the offspring of Isaac…” Genesis 30:3

“Who are his offspring? Esau and his children.”—Midrash Rabbah

Although the hero of the story is Jacob, Jacob’s ultimate goal is the rescue of Esau.

Isaac wished to rescue Esau with a blessing, lifting him from the dirt and overwhelming him with a downpour of intense light.

Rebecca, however, saw this would only further feed Esau’s wickedness. The one to rescue Esau was not his father, but his twin brother, Jacob.

Only Jacob could dress in the clothes of Esau, experience the world of Esau from within, and then heal himself from there.

And in healing himself from within Esau’s world, the precious good within Esau would be rescued and reconnected to its true place.

That is the entire history of Jacob and Esau, the offspring of Isaac. It is also the entire story of Israel and the rest of humanity.

So that within this story is the secret of healing:

When you want to heal another, get inside their skin, identify with them, and heal together with them.

Likutei Sichot, vol. 15, pp. 191-199 (Toldot 1).