Toldot answers

Toldot 5729

Alef.

1. Yitchak asked Eisav to hunt and catch game implying a wild animal (27:3) . Rikva asks Yaakov to prepare a kid, a domesticated animal (Ibid. 9). If the taste of the two animals was significantly different, Yitzchak would have immediately wondered about the identity of the person standing before him.

2.  Sefer HaZikaron, cited in the Alon HaDeracha attached to this Gilayon, suggests that the problem for RaShI is that adjectives are not formed from nouns that are natural, e.g., בשר, שער, מטר, גשם, or from manufactured objects, e.g., מטה, שלחן, ,כסא, מנרה. Therefore the although the phrase in the Tora seems to use שער as an adjective, it has to be understood as if it states איש בעל שער, thereby allowing for the understanding that Eisav was a hairy individual.

3.  The problem would appear to be why should Eisav tell Yitzchak to stand and then immediately to sit? The Targum suggests that the sitting is not in a vacuum, but at the table in order that Yitzchak be able to eat.

4.  א. RaShI, based upon the Midrash, interprets Yaakov’s words as “white lies” in the sense that he ambiguously states things in such a way that Yitchak would be misled by them.

R. Aharon states that what is of the essence is what Yitzchak heard, not what or how Yaakov said these things. Consequently it must be concluded that Yaakov lied to Yitzchak since Yitzchak had drawn a false impression. 

The principle that words depend upon what people hear rather than what a person says is exemplified in the following passage from Nedarim 25a

But it was taught: When an oath is administered, he [the man swearing] is admonished: 'Know that we do not adjure you according to your own mind, but according to our mind  and the mind of the Court.' Now, what does this exclude? Surely the case of one who gave [his creditor] checkers [tokens in game] and [mentally] dubbed them coins; and since he is admonished, 'according to our intention,' it follows that [otherwise] one may swear in his own sense? — No. It excludes such an incident as Raba's cane. A man with a monetary claim upon his neighbor once came before Raba, demanding of the debtor, 'Come and pay me.' 'I have repaid you,' pleaded he. 'If so,' said Raba to him, 'go and swear to him that you have repaid.' Thereupon he went and brought a [hollow] cane, placed the money therein, and came before the Court, walking and leaning on it. [Before swearing] he said to the plaintiff: 'Hold the cane in your hand'. He then took a scroll of the Law and swore that he had repaid him all that he [the creditor] held in his hand. The creditor thereupon broke the cane in his rage and the money poured out on the ground; it was thus seen that he had [literally] sworn to the truth:

ב.  The second half of the verse in Hoshea has nothing to do with trickery or deception, but rather a physical struggle. That would not be relevant in terms of Yaakov’s tricking Eisav. On the other hand, the first portion of the verse is a form of trickery, in the sense that Yaakov was holding onto to Eisav’s heel as they emerged from the womb, taking advantage of his brother’s struggles, rather than making his own way out of the womb.

  הושע פרק יב

 ד) בַּבֶּטֶן עָקַב אֶת אָחִיו וּבְאוֹנוֹ שָׂרָה אֶת אֱלֹקים  :ל' רש"י: "ובאונו רמה את אביו".

In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and by his strength he strove with a godlike being (a reference to Yaakov’s struggle with the angel prior to his encounter with Eisav in Beraishit 32:25-33.)

5. If Yitzchak was interested in Yaakov’s voice, then why did he not reflect upon it immediately after Yaakov’s first speaking in v. 18? The fact that Yitzchak waits, and also touches Yaakov suggests that he was not drawn to the timber in Yaakov’s voice, but rather in his style and idiom. Because in v. 19 he uses the word נא, which could mean “please” and in v. 20 Yaakov attributes his rapid “return” to God Smoothing the way so that he was successful quickly, Yitzchak realizes that this is neither Eisav’s idiom or style, and consequently asks for Yaakov to come closer for a tactile inspection.

בראשית פרק כז

(יח) וַיָּבֹא אֶל אָבִיו וַיֹּאמֶר אָבִי וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֶּנִּי מִי אַתָּה בְּנִי:

(יט) וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֶל אָבִיו אָנֹכִי עֵשָׂו בְּכֹרֶךָ עָשִׂיתִי כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ אֵלָי קוּם נָא שְׁבָה וְאָכְלָה מִצֵּידִי בַּעֲבוּר תְּבָרֲכַנִּי נַפְשֶׁךָ:

(כ) וַיֹּאמֶר יִצְחָק אֶל בְּנוֹ מַה זֶּה מִהַרְתָּ לִמְצֹא בְּנִי וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי הִקְרָה יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקֶיךָ לְפָנָי:

(כא) וַיֹּאמֶר יִצְחָק אֶל יַעֲקֹב גְּשָׁה נָּא וַאֲמֻשְׁךָ בְּנִי הַאַתָּה זֶה בְּנִי עֵשָׂו אִם לֹא:

(כב) וַיִּגַּשׁ יַעֲקֹב אֶל יִצְחָק אָבִיו וַיְמֻשֵּׁהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר הַקֹּל קוֹל יַעֲקֹב וְהַיָּדַיִם יְדֵי עֵשָׂו:...

(לא) וַיַּעַשׂ גַּם הוּא מַטְעַמִּים וַיָּבֵא לְאָבִיו וַיֹּאמֶר לְאָבִיו יָקֻם אָבִי וְיֹאכַל מִצֵּיד בְּנוֹ בַּעֲבֻר תְּבָרֲכַנִּי נַפְשֶׁךָ:

6. (The RaShI that is being referenced is on v. 39, not v. 28).

א. In addition to Eisav serving as the progenitor of the land of Edom in the short term, he is viewed by the Rabbis as the spiritual father of Rome in the long term. (See for e.g., RaDaK on Daniel 8:23.) Consequently to associate him with the geographical area of Rome in terms of Yitzchak’s blessing solidifies that association.

ב.  In verse 28, when Yitzchak was speaking to Yaakov, who was taking Eisav’s place, there was not the sense of the competition of cultures between Yaakov and Eisav and therefore “fertile places of the land” could carry a generic connotation. When, however, Yitzchak realizes that Yaakov was prepared to use extreme measures to obtain the blessing, he realized that this was a matter of a clash of civilizations, and therefore referencing the tension between Hellenism and Judaism in general, and Rome and Jerusalem in particular is apt.

7. א.  In verse 36,

לו) וַיֹּאמֶר הֲכִי קָרָא שְׁמוֹ יַעֲקֹב וַיַּעְקְבֵנִי זֶה פַעֲמַיִם אֶת בְּכֹרָתִי לָקָח וְהִנֵּה עַתָּה לָקַח בִּרְכָתִי וַיֹּאמַר הֲלֹא אָצַלְתָּ לִּי בְּרָכָה:

Eisav is musing, wondering whether Yaakov’s name not only described his hanging onto Eisav’s foot during the birth process, but also predicted the usurpment of the blessing that he has now experienced.

In verse 38,

לח) וַיֹּאמֶר עֵשָׂו אֶל אָבִיו הַבְרָכָה אַחַת הִוא לְךָ אָבִי בָּרֲכֵנִי גַם אָנִי אָבִי וַיִּשָּׂא עֵשָׂו קֹלוֹ וַיֵּבְךְּ:

Eisav is not asking a question of his father, but rather is expressing a feeling of shock and hurt that ostensibly the blessing that he was counting on receiving, has been obtained by his brother. He is not simply asking a question that has a yes or no answer, but rather demanding his own blessing, expressing his incredulity that no blessings remain for him, despite Yaakov’s act of dishonesty.

ב. In the two cases in Beraishit there is a rhetorical positive quality to the usage of הכי—“Isn’t he rightly named Jacob?”—yes.  “Aren’t you my brother (relative)?”—yes.

However in the case of Iyov, it is a rhetorical negative statement—“Did I ask you to give?”—no.

בראשית כז

לו) וַיֹּאמֶר הֲכִי קָרָא שְׁמוֹ יַעֲקֹב וַיַּעְקְבֵנִי זֶה פַעֲמַיִם אֶת בְּכֹרָתִי לָקָח וְהִנֵּה עַתָּה לָקַח בִּרְכָתִי וַיֹּאמַר הֲלֹא אָצַלְתָּ לִּי בְּרָכָה:

And he said: 'Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing.' And he said: 'Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?'

בראשית פרק כט

(טו) וַיֹּאמֶר לָבָן לְיַעֲקֹב הֲכִי אָחִי אַתָּה וַעֲבַדְתַּנִי חִנָּם הַגִּידָה לִּי מַה מַּשְׂכֻּרְתֶּךָ:

And Laban said unto Jacob: 'Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?'

איוב פרק ו

כב) הֲכִי אָמַרְתִּי הָבוּ לִי וּמִכֹּחֲכֶם שִׁחֲדוּ בַעֲדִי:

Did I say: 'Give unto me'? or: 'Offer a present for me of your substance'?

ג.  While there may be many instances of the ה indicating a question, there are not that many instances of either multiple possibilities presented from which one needs to choose, or rhetorical questions being asked. These examples are not pure questions but rather unique types and that is why RaShI had to scrounge them up from distant locations.

במדבר פרק יג

יט) וּמָה הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר הוּא יֹשֵׁב בָּהּ הֲטוֹבָה הִוא אִם רָעָה וּמָה הֶעָרִים אֲשֶׁר הוּא יוֹשֵׁב בָּהֵנָּה הַבְּמַחֲנִים אִם בְּמִבְצָרִים:

כ( וּמָה הָאָרֶץ הַשְּׁמֵנָה הִוא אִם רָזָה הֲיֵשׁ בָּהּ עֵץ אִם אַיִן וְהִתְחַזַּקְתֶּם וּלְקַחְתֶּם מִפְּרִי הָאָרֶץ וְהַיָּמִים יְמֵי בִּכּוּרֵי עֲנָבִים:

and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it is good or bad; and what cities they are that they dwell in, whether in camps, or in strongholds; and what the land is, whether it is fat or lean, whether there is wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land.'--Now the time was the time of the first-ripe grapes.-- 

שמואל ב פרק ג

(לג) וַיְקֹנֵן הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל אַבְנֵר וַיֹּאמַר הַכְּמוֹת נָבָל יָמוּת אַבְנֵר:

And the king lamented for Abner, and said: Should Abner die as a churl dieth?--no .

Beit.

1. א. Sephorno’s problem is that despite the fact that the end of the verse states ויברכהו, Yitzchak continues to attempt to establish the identity of the individual before him.

בראשית פרק כז

(כג) וְלֹא הִכִּירוֹ כִּי הָיוּ יָדָיו כִּידֵי עֵשָׂו אָחִיו שְׂעִרֹת וַיְבָרְכֵהוּ:

(כד) וַיֹּאמֶר אַתָּה זֶה בְּנִי עֵשָׂו וַיֹּאמֶר אָנִי:

(כה) וַיֹּאמֶר הַגִּשָׁה לִּי וְאֹכְלָה מִצֵּיד בְּנִי לְמַעַן תְּבָרֶכְךָ נַפְשִׁי וַיַּגֶּשׁ לוֹ וַיֹּאכַל וַיָּבֵא לוֹ יַיִן וַיֵּשְׁתְּ:

(כו) וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו יִצְחָק אָבִיו גְּשָׁה נָּא וּשְׁקָה לִּי בְּנִי:

(כז) וַיִּגַּשׁ וַיִּשַּׁק לוֹ וַיָּרַח אֶת רֵיחַ בְּגָדָיו וַיְבָרֲכֵהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר רְאֵה רֵיחַ בְּנִי כְּרֵיחַ שָׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרֲכוֹ יְקֹוָק:

(כח) וְיִתֶּן לְךָ הָאֱלֹקים מִטַּל הַשָּׁמַיִם וּמִשְׁמַנֵּי הָאָרֶץ וְרֹב דָּגָן וְתִירֹשׁ:

The implication is that Yitzchak was struggling with his suspicions, leading him to regret that he doubted the person and therefore should bless him, but then being plunged into doubt yet again.

ב. See א. above.

2. א. Since in v. 23 the text already showed Yitzchak’s readiness to bless the individual standing before him, why does it state ויברכהו yet again in v. 27. It seems that Yitzchak was looking for some sort of sensual stimulus to overcome his reservations. In that sense, his entire desire to eat venison before blessing Eisav (27:4) could be viewed in a similar light, i.e., that without the sensual stimulus, that time taste, as opposed to this time smell, he would be unable to summon up the passion to be able to impart the desired blessing.

ב. 1. Although the word ויברכהו now appears for a second time in v. 27 after being mentioned in v. 23, nevertheless the actual blessing begins in v. 28, only after another statement is made concerning the sensual smell that Yitzchak is experiencing.

    2. The juxtaposition between the experience of smell and the imparting of the blessing

         reflects the connection between sensual experience and spiritual sensibility. Similarly, in II Melachim 3:15 the prophet Elisha triggers his Divine Inspiration by listening to music.

ג. 1. To whom is Yitzchak addressing this comment? Is he rhetorically reflecting on his experience essentially to himself, or is there someone else to whom his comments are directed?

2. Most commentators would link ריח בני together, i.e., the smell of my son. Sephorno is interpreting ראה ריח as separate from בני, suggesting that he is teaching a lesson to his son about the combination of nutritive value and smell. Sephorno reverses the order of the words, placing בני before ראה ריח.

ד. 1. Sephorno is attempting to account for the “ו” at the beginning of v. 28 which is the beginning of the blessing that Yitzchak is imparting. If this is the beginning of the actual blessing, why does the “ו” suggest that it is the continuation of what has come before?

2. The Tetragrammaton is usually associated with the Attribute of Compassion. Out of Compassion, HaShem associated smell with food. However, when it comes to doling out land to someone, since nature is associated with the Name אלקים, it is this Name that will be associated with such an action.

Gimel.

Rivka instructed Yaakov to wear Eisav’s clothing.

(טו) וַתִּקַּח רִבְקָה אֶת בִּגְדֵי עֵשָׂו בְּנָהּ הַגָּדֹל הַחֲמֻדֹת אֲשֶׁר אִתָּהּ בַּבָּיִת וַתַּלְבֵּשׁ אֶת יַעֲקֹב בְּנָהּ הַקָּטָן:

Since Eisav was a hunter and outdoorsman,

בראשית פרק כה

(כז) וַיִּגְדְּלוּ הַנְּעָרִים וַיְהִי עֵשָׂו אִישׁ יֹדֵעַ צַיִד אִישׁ שָׂדֶה וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם יֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים:

it is logical to assume that his clothing did not smell all that good. Furthermore, Yaakov’s obtaining the goats from which Rikva was going to prepare the food,

בראשית פרק כז

(ט) לֶךְ נָא אֶל הַצֹּאן וְקַח לִי מִשָּׁם שְׁנֵי גְּדָיֵי עִזִּים טֹבִים וְאֶעֱשֶׂה אֹתָם מַטְעַמִּים לְאָבִיךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר אָהֵב:

would also have contributed to a less-than-pleasant smell. Consequently the problem is what was Yitzchak smelling that made such a positive impression upon him?

RaShI: A metaphysical component was added, i.e., the smell of a special field—the Garden of Eden.

RaShBaM: These weren’t outdoor clothes, but rather perfumed indoor clothes which overwhelmed any negative smells.

Ibn Kaspi: The actual smell was irrelevant because Yitzchak in his mind’s eye was assuming a positive attitude towards the individual standing before him.

Daled.

The rule that Onkelos follows for the root ישב is that a distinction is to be made between sitting at a table to eat, as opposed to dwelling in a location.

בראשית פרק כז

(יט) וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֶל אָבִיו אָנֹכִי עֵשָׂו בְּכֹרֶךָ עָשִׂיתִי כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ אֵלָי קוּם נָא שְׁבָה וְאָכְלָה מִצֵּידִי בַּעֲבוּר תְּבָרֲכַנִּי נַפְשֶׁךָ:

בראשית פרק כט

(יד) וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ לָבָן אַךְ עַצְמִי וּבְשָׂרִי אָתָּה וַיֵּשֶׁב עִמּוֹ חֹדֶשׁ יָמִים:

בראשית פרק כט

(יט) וַיֹּאמֶר לָבָן טוֹב תִּתִּי אֹתָהּ לָךְ מִתִּתִּי אֹתָהּ לְאִישׁ אַחֵר שְׁבָה עִמָּדִי:

בראשית פרק לז

(א) וַיֵּשֶׁב יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן:

בראשית פרק לז

(כה) וַיֵּשְׁבוּ לֶאֱכָל לֶחֶם וַיִּשְׂאוּ עֵינֵיהֶם וַיִּרְאוּ וְהִנֵּה אֹרְחַת יִשְׁמְעֵאלִים בָּאָה מִגִּלְעָד וּגְמַלֵּיהֶם נֹשְׂאִים נְכֹאת וּצְרִי וָלֹט הוֹלְכִים לְהוֹרִיד מִצְרָיְמָה:

בראשית פרק מג

(לב) וַיָּשִׂימוּ לוֹ לְבַדּוֹ וְלָהֶם לְבַדָּם וְלַמִּצְרִים הָאֹכְלִים אִתּוֹ לְבַדָּם כִּי לֹא יוּכְלוּן הַמִּצְרִים לֶאֱכֹל אֶת הָעִבְרִים לֶחֶם כִּי תוֹעֵבָה הִוא לְמִצְרָיִם:

(לג) וַיֵּשְׁבוּ לְפָנָיו הַבְּכֹר כִּבְכֹרָתוֹ וְהַצָּעִיר כִּצְעִרָתוֹ וַיִּתְמְהוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ: