Day: November 25, 2022

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By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum

ויאכל וישת ויקם וילך ויבז עשו את הבכורה (פרק כה פסוק לד)
Our Parsha relates the story of Eisav selling the בכורה, the privilege and responsibility of the oldest son, to his brother Yaakov. It describes how Eisav returned from a tiring day in the field and saw Yaakov with a red lentil dish. He asked Yaakov for the food, which Yaakov agreed to give him in exchange for Eisav’s בכורה. The בכורה entitles the oldest son to many privileges including serving in the Bais Hamikdash and being the primary son in terms of spiritual inheritance. It would seem to be foolish to give away eternal opportunities such as these and yet Eisav readily agreed to the sale. The פסוק then states that Eisav “ate, drank, stood up, left, and Eisav disgraced the בכורה”. Rashi explains that the last part of the פסוק is a declaration of Eisav’s wickedness in reference to his foolish behavior that was previously described. The Ramban, however, says that the entire verse is providing us with insight into how Eisav could have possibly done something so irrational. After all, Eisav was raised by Yitzchak Avinu and surely understood the value of the בכורה and the spiritual acquisitions that came with it. How could he have stooped so low as to sell this priceless possession in exchange for some food? The Ramban explains that Eisav’s behavior is described as eating, drinking, and then returning to the field for more hunting. His entire focus was on the here and now, always looking for immediate gratification. This is how he could make the mistake of selling, and thereby disgracing, the בכורה. When someone’s entire mindset is to seek instantaneous enjoyment then they can forgo priceless spiritual gifts in favor of fulfilling today’s physical desires.

ויאמר הקול קול יעקב והידים ידי עשו (פרק כז פסוק כב)
The end of the Parsha describes how Yitzchak Avinu, realizing that he is getting older, desires to bless Eisav before he dies. Rivkah recognizes that Yaakov is the son who is truly deserving of the blessing and therefore commands him and go to his father to receive the blessing. The plan was that Yaakov would wear Eisav’s clothing and because Yitzchak was blind, he would only identify Eisav by feeling him and will then give the blessing being unaware of the recipient’s identity. Yaakov, following his mother’s instructions, enters his father’s room wearing Eisav’s clothing and gently invites Yitzchak to eat the food he has brought to him. Yitzchak notices that the manner of speech that his son is using is the way that Yaakov speaks so he feels Yaakov’s arms to confirm his identity. He comments on the seemingly contradictory signs “the voice is that of Yaakov’s and the hands are those of Eisav’s”. He then goes on to bless Yaakov. The Beis Halevi asks that it seems as though it wasn’t clear to Yitzchak who this person is- his voice and his arms are incongruent; if so, why did he go on to bless Yaakov? Shouldn’t he be concerned that it is Yaakov, based on his voice? The Beis Halevi answers that Eisav knew that Yaakov would attempt to steal the blessing by pretending to be him. He assumed that Yaakov would wear his clothes and feign his voice and manner of speech so that he would feel and sound like Eisav. Therefore, Eisav made a signal with Yitzchak that when he returns from hunting, he will pretend to sound like Yaakov. So, Yitzchak was planning to bless the person that sounds like Yaakov (which Eisav will pretend to do) and feels like Eisav. Yitzchak’s declaration that this person sounds like Yaakov and feels like Eisav was a confirmation of the sign that this is the proper recipient of the blessing. Yaakov knew that they would suspect him and make up a signal such as the one that they did, therefore he kept his voice as usual and merely donned Eisav’s clothing. This was how Yaakov successfully took the blessing.

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By Rabbi Naftoly Bier

The תורה tells us in פרק כ”ה, “…And Esav came from the field and he was ‘exhausted’ (עיף) … And he said to Yaakov, ‘Please pour from the red stew into me for I am exhausted’, therefore he is called Edom (the one with the ruddy complexion)”.

It seems strange, for one who is exhausted does not ask for food, but would rather sleep and then eat a meal.

In איוב, Job, chapter 10, verse 22, it says: ארץ עפתה כמו אפל צלמות ולא סדרים ותפע כמו אפל, “A land of thick darkness, as darkness itself, a land of the shadow of death without any order, and where light is in darkness.”

This pasuk, says the Medrash (שמות רבה פרק ל”ח, ג), is referring to Gehinnom; who is placed in Gehinnom? Those who don’t habitually learn Torah at exact times and respect the idea of “seder”, timeliness – “a place of no סדרים”…

What is the connection between the concept of Gehinnom and עייפות, literally exhaustion?

All lack of doing Hashem’s will, all of negating our obligation to be constantly productive, a lack of binding structure, is a result of lacking focus, determination, relentless commitment, dedication, and subjugation, which are all a result of loss of enthusiasm.

This in turn creates a lack of responsibility, a lack of sincere coordination and efforts. As the Ramchal, Mesilas Yeshorim, writes in Chapter 9, when one is involved with comfort and desire, it disallows one from achievement. To be truly successful in one’s mission – one has to be constantly focused, determined… and ask for and accept advice.

Esav is the antithesis of this. When realizing that only one heartbeat, his father’s, separated him from the mantle of world leadership to promulgate Avraham and Yitzchak’s teachings, he shirked all responsibility and instead of defining the lentil stew which represented the mourning for Avraham, he said, “Give me the red stuff, I’m not interested in the obligation of responsibility.”
In Gehinnom, measure for measure, one is placed in an environment where there is no systematic order, no rhythm to one’s living experience. This is the mantra of Esav, “No one is obligated to G-d or to one another.”

The opposite is the verse in Iyov, “כי אדם לעמל יולד”- “for a person is born to be responsible”. Iyov taught that all of one’s life is measured not by how great or successful a person is, but rather on נשיאות עול, living with unequivocal constancy to judiciously actualize one’s talents and responsibilities. When one comes to davening on time, to work on time, to a meeting or meal on time, to learn at an appointed time without delay, full of enthusiasm to discharge one’s responsibilities to utilize the talents Hashem has gifted; one is not an עיף but a יגע!

Before משיח, the doctrine of society will be to live in comfort, to be selfish and dishonest and compete to dominate others. This is the epitome of Edom/Esav. It is incumbent on us more than ever to dedicate ourselves to structure, accountability, and unequivocal truth, negating a philosophy antithetical to all of what Iyov taught us is Hashem’s will. By judiciously actualizing the talents and imperatives endowed to us by Hashem, we can all aspire to human greatness.

Esav is described as “a person who knows trapping (manipulating), a man of the field” while Yaakov is described as “a wholesome (honest) person who sits in the tents (studying Torah).”
Though endowed with the aptitude of leadership (manipulation is the ability to understand others and to guide them selflessly in a positive manner (i.e. Dovid Hamelech) or selfishly) he chose to be a hunter (“manipulating animals”) and spend his time alone, disconnecting from all obligation. In contradistinction, Yaakov Avinu studiously inquired and examined how to fully actualize his potential by studying Torah, in order to be a true בעל חסד, a magnanimous person for all of humankind.

The result was as חז”ל teach us. Esav was “ציד בפיו”, a manipulator with his mouth; and a dishonest person while Yaakov was an “איש תם”, an honest, caring individual.