Rashi cites Chazal, who explain that the word ummr,hu is derived from the root .r, which means, “to run.” Hence, Rashi interprets the pasuk to suggest that when Rivkah walked by the yeshivah of Shem and Ever, Yaakov would “run” in an attempt to come forth. In a similar manner, when she walked by a temple of idol worship, Eisav would “run” and struggle to escape.
Horav Yerucham Levovitz, z.l., questions Yaakov’s “ability” to perceive the presence of the Bais Ha’Midrash and Eisav’s tendency to sense the tumah, impurity, of the temple of idol worship. He explains that we, regrettably, do not associate the concepts of corporeality and structure with spiritual matters.
There are, however, tangible entities connected to spirituality. In the corporeal world, for example, a compass always points North. Similarly, a spiritual individual gravitates towards kedushah, towards areas of sanctity. In contrast, tumah has a natural proclivity to lean toward other areas of impurity and spiritual uncleanliness. Thus, Yaakov, whose essence was kedushah, had a natural tendency to “run” towards an environment of holiness. His counterpart, Eisav, on the other hand, gravitated instinctively towards spiritual impurity.
In a homiletic exposition of the pasuk, Horav Tzvi Hirsch Ferber, z.l., suggests that the disparity between the tendencies of these two unborn children provides a lesson for parents regarding the places they frequent and the spiritual environment of which they permit themselves to be a part. When a mother makes it her business to frequent the Batei Midrash to hear Torah lectures; when she attends shul for the purpose of praying to Hashem; when the material she reads is of a sublime spiritual nature, then the children she rears will intuitively gravitate towards the Bais Ha’Midrash. When the mother, however, frequents places which leave much to be desired spiritually, when “going out” is defined as going out of the boundary of a Torah oriented social climate, we may, unfortunately, expect her children to follow suit. The example we set for our children becomes an integral part of their educational and spiritual development.
