Toldos – Page 14 – Peninim on the Torah

And Eisav was forty years old and he took a wife…and they were a source of bitterness for Yitzchak and Rivkah. (26:35)

Rivkah Imeinu is compared to a rose among thorns. She remained righteous despite the thorn of evil which surrounded her: her father, her brother; indeed, her entire environment was replete with evil. She rose above her environment, above the negative influences that permeated her background. Chazal describe her exemplary virtue. When Yitzchak married Rivkah and brought her home to his mother’s tent, the three blessings which had been present during Sarah’s lifetime returned: a lamp burning from one Shabbos eve to the next; her dough was blessed; a cloud signifying the Divine Presence hung over her tent. All of these…

Home -> 5759 -> Toldos

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Toldos, 5759

And Eisav saw that the daughters of Canaan were evil in the eyes of Yitzchak, his father…He took Machlas, the daughter of Yishmael…in addition to his wives, as a wife for himself. (28:8,9)

Thus ends part one of the narrative about Yaakov and Eisav. Many commentators have devoted much to telling about their relationship. Their apparent discord climaxed when Yaakov received the berachos in Eisav’s place. This incident provoked Eisav’s anger, and hatred toward Yaakov, to the point that Eisav took it upon himself to kill Yaakov. While Yaakov fled Eisav’s fury, Eisav decided to take another wife for himself. Does the Torah present this in accurate chronological sequence or simply as an historical vignette about Eisav? The Shem Mishmuel opines that Eisav’s decision to marry another wife was a critical component in…

Home -> 5758 -> Toldos

Moshe Marcovich In Toldos, 5758

And Yitzchak was forty years old when he took Rivkah, daughter of Besuel the Arami from Paddan Aram, sister of Lavan the Arami (25:20)

Rashi remarks that although Rivkah’s background was well-known, the Torah repeats it to reinforce its praise of her. She was the daughter of a wicked man and the sister of a wicked man; she was raised in an environment that was wicked. Yet, she was able to maintain herself on a high level of virtue, remaining uninfluenced by her environment. We may question this statement. Is there nothing else about Rivkah that evokes praise for her? In Parashas Chayei Sarah, the Torah lauds her remarkable sensitivity and her commitment to performing acts of loving-kindness. The Torah teaches us that…

Home -> 5758 -> Toldos

Moshe Marcovich In Toldos, 5758

Perhaps my father will feel me and I shall be as a mocker in his eyes; I will thus bring upon myself a curse rather than a blessing. (27:12)

Yaakov feared that his deception would be discovered. If so, rather than receive blessing, he would have been cursed. We may question Yaakov’s concern. In the final analysis, he did serve his father. Yitzchak noted that the “voice” was not consistent with the “hands”; yet, he blessed Yaakov. What prompted Yaakov to fear a curse? Horav Ze’ev Weinberger, Shlita, renders a thoughtful explanation. When Yitzchak discovered that there was “something” inconsistent about the person who stood before him, he felt it could be attributed to one of two factors. Yaakov could have been dressed as Eisav, which would give…

Home -> 5758 -> Toldos

Moshe Marcovich In Toldos, 5758

Rivkah took her older son Eisav’s clean garments and clothed Yaakov her young son. (27:15)

Rashi explains that these garments were actually Eisav’s precious garments, which he had stolen from the great King Nimrod. Eisav, who was meticulous in the honor he bestowed on his father, always served Yitzchak while wearing these precious garments. Obviously Eisav’s attitude towards Kibbud Av, honoring his father; did not transform him into a moral human being. He continued in his evil ways, despite his meticulous performance of a single mitzvah. How are we to understand the paradox that was Eisav? How can someone who dons precious clothes to serve his father “moonlight” as a murderer? The commentators respond in…

Home -> 5758 -> Toldos

Moshe Marcovich In Toldos, 5758

And Eisav raised up his voice and wept. (27:37)

Eisav’s tears have had a significant impact on the fate of Klal Yisrael. We have been considered unscrupulous for stealing Eisav’s birthright. Eisav was rewarded for his tears. He experienced peace and tranquillity as a result of his weeping. Moreover, the Zohar Hakadosh says that Moshiach will not come until Eisav’s tears will dry. This is the analogy: We will remain under Eisav’s power until we repent and shed tears that will overwhelm Eisav’s tears. What do Chazal mean by this? Ostensibly, Klal Yisrael has long ago surpassed the level of Eisav’s tears. What aspect of his tears condemned us…

Home -> 5758 -> Toldos

Moshe Marcovich In Toldos, 5758

And Yaakov listened to his father and to his mother. (28:7)

Yaakov followed his parents’ instructions not to take a wife from the girls of Canaan. The Midrash refers to Yaakov as a chacham, wise man, because he listened to his parents’ advice. They cite a pasuk in Mishlei 12:14, “One who listens to advice is a chacham.” Let us analyze Yaakov’s remarkable wisdom. Eisav is waiting to kill him. His parents told him that his “bashert,” future wife, was waiting for him in Charan. He did not have many options. He had the choice to stay and be killed or to leave and meet his destined wife. Horav Baruch Mordechai…

Home -> 5757 -> Toldos

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Toldos, 5757

“And the children agitated within her.” (25:22)

Chazal teach us that even prior to their birth, Yaakov and Eisav clearly exhibited their innate tendencies. They explain that the word, “ummur,hu,” is derived from the word, .r, which means “to run.” When Rivkah passed the Bais Ha’Midrash of Shem and Ever, Yaakov “ran,” struggling to come forth to study Torah. In contrast, when she passed a house of idol-worship, Eisav “ran,” trying to emerge. This Midrash has long been a source of discussion regarding the relative quality of Torah study, given the nature of the spiritual environment. This is inferred from the fact that Yaakov desired to “escape”…

Home -> 5757 -> Toldos

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Toldos, 5757

“And the boys grew up and Eisav was a man who knew hunting, a man of the field; Yaakov was a wholesome man dwelling in tents. ” (25:27)

With these few words, the Torah characterizes the essence of Yaakov and the essence of Eisav. Indeed, it seems that the text pinpoints the predominant difference between the two brothers. One question is readily apparent. Eisav was a rasha m’rusha, evil incarnate. Even before his birth, in his mother’s womb, his wicked tendencies were already manifest. Chazal teach us that when Rivkah passed by a house of idolatry, Eisav gravitated towards it. All this while he was still in the womb! On the day that he sold his birthright, he committed five cardinal sins. Is this a man who should…

Home -> 5757 -> Toldos

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Toldos, 5757

“And Eisav was a man who knew hunting, a man of the field, and Yaakov was a wholesome man dwelling in tents.” (25:27)

Eisav is not depicted as a hunter, but as a man who “knew” hunting, a professional hunter who is an expert at his chosen vocation. Eisav is the consummate hunter, the one who sets the standard for excellence in the field of hunting, the one to whom everybody looks up. Eisav is a “doer;” his entire essence bespeaks accomplishment and success. Yaakov, on the other hand, is portrayed as a man who dwells in tents, the quiescent scholar who remains cloistered from society, his mind buried in his books. Undoubtedly he is successful at what he is doing. In the…

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Back to Home -> Toldos ->

And Eisav was forty years old and he took a wife…and they were a source of bitterness for Yitzchak and Rivkah. (26:35)

And Eisav saw that the daughters of Canaan were evil in the eyes of Yitzchak, his father…He took Machlas, the daughter of Yishmael…in addition to his wives, as a wife for himself. (28:8,9)

And Yitzchak was forty years old when he took Rivkah, daughter of Besuel the Arami from Paddan Aram, sister of Lavan the Arami (25:20)

Perhaps my father will feel me and I shall be as a mocker in his eyes; I will thus bring upon myself a curse rather than a blessing. (27:12)

Rivkah took her older son Eisav’s clean garments and clothed Yaakov her young son. (27:15)

And Eisav raised up his voice and wept. (27:37)

And Yaakov listened to his father and to his mother. (28:7)

“And the children agitated within her.” (25:22)

“And the boys grew up and Eisav was a man who knew hunting, a man of the field; Yaakov was a wholesome man dwelling in tents. ” (25:27)

“And Eisav was a man who knew hunting, a man of the field, and Yaakov was a wholesome man dwelling in tents.” (25:27)

YEARS

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

You have Successfully Subscribed!