Eisav’s actions were atypical of a man who harbored an implacable hatred for Yaakov. Rashi quotes Chazal that, indeed, Eisav sonei l’Yaakov, his hatred is immutable and without rationale. It is part of his DNA. It is just that, at that moment, his feelings of compassion were aroused. We seem to have a problem accepting the verity that Eisav sonei l’Yaakov. Does this apply to all eino Yehudim, or just those who fall under the rubric of Eisav/Amalek? Obviously, this is a discussion that goes beyond the scope of this d’var Torah.
Horav Yosef Shur was appointed chief district judge in the city of Tarnopal. As such, he sat at the head of the court and was given final say with regard to verdicts. One day, five men came before the magistrate claiming to have seen a Jew set fire to someone’s house. This was a serious allegation, given that houses were made of wood and highly flammable. One fire could cause serious damage. Each of the five witnesses took an oath, and each described in great detail how the Jewish offender went about preparing the fire and stoking it to burn with greater intensity. The prosecutor who presented the case felt that it was an open-and-shut case. Rav Yosef, the presiding judge, listened to each word, but said nothing. This was surprising, since the judge who was to render judgment would always question the witnesses. The other judges attributed the presiding judge’s silence to his embarrassment. After all, the defendant was Jewish, which certainly must have made Rav Shur uncomfortable.
All the judges wrote “guilty,” and they were discussing a lengthy sentence for the defendant, as they waited patiently for Rav Shur to render the final decision. Rav Shur declared, “I find the five witnesses guilty of starting the blaze and covering up their iniquitous actions by framing the defendant.” He let the words sink in, then he explained the reason for his decision: “Five able-bodied men stood watch as a weak Jew set fire to a house that could have destroyed our entire city. Why did they not stop him? They not only did nothing; they meticulously watched every single thing that he did, maintaining a presence of mind to record it perfectly. This is clearly a case of Eisav sonei l’Yaakov, anti-Semitic bias and false testimony.
They are the ones who should be on trial and found guilty!”
Indeed, Horav Chaim Shmuelevitz, zl, was wont to say concerning the maxim, Eisav sonei l’Yaakov, “The only reason they do not regularly harm us physically is their laziness.” Sad, but true. What is even sadder and more pathetic are the many secular-driven Jews who refuse to accept this.
