ToldotGenesis 25:19-28:9This Torah passage is covers a very well known Bible story.
It is the birth of Jacob and Esau, their relationship with their parents, their growing up, the taking of the birthright from Esau, and the blessing. In the end, Jacob runs off to the north and will get married while Esau marries a third wife the daughter of Ishmael.
Many messages have been written about these stories, and in fact they are worthy of a great deal of study, but I will center in on just a couple items of note; specifically the character of the two.
Esau-
These two are twins (as our story reveals). I have always held a fascination for me. The identical twin is God’s equal vent of a human photocopy produced at the same time. It was this concept of identical twins that inspired the medical possibility of cloning. Identical twins are born identical and are generally born into the same home, so they are raised in the same environment. These twins will often find different ways to differentiate each other. One might become successful in sports while the other in music. One might become and introvert while the other an extrovert. They often find ways to adjust their appearance so people recognise them from their sibling. Yet, their lives are walking experiments about how the same person (genetically) can live out two different lives.
The non-identical twins are also interesting. These non-identical twins are the same as siblings who would have grown up in different environments separated by years except that their birth happened at the same moment. My eldest son, grew up with a couple of parents in their twenties. It was just us 3. I was a grad school student living on a Seminary campus. We lived in a trailer, which was a very modest home for the three of us. Today, my wife is expecting with our 8th child. This child will enter a world with 5 brothers and 2 sisters. His father will be 39 before he/she is born. I am retired, and we live in a mortgage free home in a small town in Saskatchewan. Josh and baby 8 are raised in two very different worlds. This is understandable. Siblings separated by years don’t grow up in the same environment.
Now, back to our story. These people will be two separate nations. Jacob (Yisrael) and Esau (Edom). These nations will be antagonistic. These babies did not look alike.
When I first taught this story to my own family the first year we became Torah observant, I grabbed a couple of my children’s’ to act as my “babies”. The first one, I used Elmo (from Sesame Street) and that was my Esau. The second one was a plastic baby doll (they used to call these Kewpie dolls) that was Jacob. Now years later, I still see them that way and I think my children do as well.
Esau was the first born. He became a the big strong outdoorsmen. He was a hunter, and man’s man! No doubt, Isaac favoured Esau.
The sages also have something else to say about Esau:
Isaac loved Esau because [his] game was in his mouth (25:28)
Esau would deceive him with his mouth. He would inquire of him: "Father, how does one tithe salt? Father, how does one tithe straw?" And Isaac would muse: "This son of mine, how diligent he is in the fulfillment of the commandments!"
(Midrash Tanchuma; Rashi)
Now, I can’t confirm that this is actually the way Esau was, but this is the way he is cast among the ancient scholars.
His actions of throwing away his birthright for some food, choosing his own wives against the family custom, desiring to kill his brother after his father dies, paint a character of the basest quality. He is almost seen as a mass of selfishness. His is a victim of his own hypothalamus. He is the opposite of “self control”. He is the picture of self gratification. His is in stark contrast to the man who would become “Israel”.
Jacob-
Now Jacob is a different cut. He is a quiet (or innocent) man (depending on your translation), who lived among the tents. I have to admit when I first read this I didn’t admire him much for this. What, he’s some sort of wimp? (no, he really wasn’t, he’ll later wrestle with an angel). I actually sort of saw him the way people talk about their neighbours when they found out the neighbours are being arrested as an axe murder. “yes,” they would say, “nice fella, but definitely a quiet man pretty much kept to himself.” (not a pretty image)
Yet, my perspective on this changed a few years ago as I did some math.
Gen 21:5 And Abraham was a hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.
Gen 25:7 And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, a hundred threescore and fifteen years. (175 years)
Gen 24:1 And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age
Gen 25:26 And after that came forth his brother, and his hand had hold on Esau's
heel. And his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them. (60 years)
From these last few passages you can see that Jacob, if he were the kind of man who “hung around the tents” would have had the chance to hear and learn from Abraham who would have still been alive until he was about 15.
Esau would not. He’s out in the forest doing manly things.
However, the story get better.
There is another character who is still alive as well.
The entire direct line of descent from Noah down to Abraham's father was still alive up until Abraham was 49 years old, and Noah did not die until Abraham was 60 years old. Abraham left Haran with Lot only 15 years after Noah died, and Shem was still alive when Abraham finally died 100 years after that. Shem did not die until Jacob (Israel) was 50 years old. Here we find a very important bit of information. Abraham may have received historical information directly from Noah while Jacob could have gathered historical facts directly from Shem. This leaves us with Jacob, the father of the nation of Israel, as having only third-hand knowledge, second-hand knowledge, first-hand knowledge or direct eyewitness knowledge of all the history of mankind from the creation through to his day
Where was Esau? Hmmmmm, I guess he must have been out in the fields. Too bad. That’s not a chance he’d ever get back the learning opportunity.
This contact with these people I believe shaped completely different characters.
Jacob, understood the work God was doing. He saw the importance of the “firstborn”, and he also knew History that biology is not the only criteria for this spiritual lineage. (Shem was the second born, and Isaac had at least one older brother). He could usurp his brother in this, and in fact, it was his duty an honour to be a part of the Godly lineage. It would be terrible to let the centuries of God’s work fall into someone who had no regard for it. (quoted from the electronic Biblical Commentary)
Now the taking of the birthright:The ancient sages believe that there is something important about what Jacob was doing
Jacob cooked pottage (25:29)
That was the day on which Abraham died, and Jacob made a broth of lentils to comfort his father Isaac.
Why lentils? Just as the lentil has no mouth, so is the mourner speechless... Just as the lentil is round, so mourning comes round to all the inhabitants of this world.
(The Talmud)
It is uncertain how this bit of knowledge is arrived at but if it is true then it makes the event all the more dramatic.
Into this scene of kindness and sorrow for the death of the great patriarch walks the brash
Esau. Is he mourning? No, he’s hunting. He sees the lentils and broth (still popular in the Mideast) and asks for it. Jacob sees this as the opportunity to usurp his brother.
It is assumed that Esau knew what he was doing. The right of the firstborn would mean that he would receive a double portion of the inheritance at the death of his father. It would also mean that there would be a higher level of responsibility to care for surviving family members. The firstborn was seen as the “future leader” of the household (dynasty). Esau had no regard for this. In fact, he hated this whole situation. In fact, the Bible says, “…So Esau despised his birthright.”
Esau, says he’s no need for the birthright because he was dying. I have never read anywhere that anyone seems to believe this. Jacob asks him to swear to his loss of the birthright. The author of the passage makes it clear. Esau swears, not after he gets the meal, but before. He’s so quick to be rid of the birthright, but just so that you can see the contract is complete, Jacob gives him some bread and the lentils. Jacob has seen that he (who had much higher regard) for being a part of the lineage of God’s work, now was placed in that lineage. If he could take the blessing of the firstborn, that would make it complete.
The next chapter is really about Isaac’s adventures, but it does end with a section about Esau. He’s 40 years old now, apparently later then when he lost his birthright (I suggested 15 years old he lost the birthright).
Gen 26:34 And when Esau was forty years old he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite.
Just the wording of this verse, without the next sentence shows us that Esau is on his own path. He wants a wife. He takes one. He wants two, no problem. Supposedly, he knows the story of how his mother and father met. He knows that Abraham did not want his family to marry among the locals. Great effort was made to make sure Isaac didn’t marry one of those. Yet, Esau has a desire and he acts. Are his parents involved? Not according to this passage. Anyone who knows anything about ancient mid-Eastern culture knows that this is outside the norms. Even today, marriage is a family event.
Although, I am not completely sold on the modern Christian courtship concept, I have to acknowledge that is much more closely matches what we see among God’s people in marriage. Esau has no regard for this.
This concept is punctuated by the last verse of the passage.
Gen 26:35 And they were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.
The Blessing of the FirstbornIsaac is old. He doesn’t see well. He is roughly (within 5 years) of the age his mother was when she died. For some reason, he thinks this event could happen very soon, and he calls his favourite son to do a duty for him and then Isaac can bless him.
A question should be asked here. It’s pretty well established the character of Esau. Why would Isaac bless this base character who has so little regard to the things which are important to the family? Specifically, their God, their history, and their promise? Also, you see from the blessing given that it’s a dramatic blessing. It’s a good one. He is not obligated
To bless the oldest. In fact, he actually doesn’t bless the oldest. Why?
In truth, we really don’t know. Some have speculated that Isaac, was acting against God’s will. Isaac still saw Esau as his favourite, and was going to act regardless whether God was his choice of not. Some suggest, that Isaac may have found common ground in Esau’s pleasure seeking style. The word choice does almost suggest that. Perhaps, Isaac thought that a good blessing would put Esau back on the straight and narrow. We don’t have the information.
Rebecca, overhears this offer and is quick to help her son steal this blessing. She is so sincere in her desire for this that she is willing to accept a curse instead of Jacob just to be sure her son get’s this blessing. She gets Jacob to dress as Esau. She cooks the food. She disguises Jacob. She tells him what to do and calms his fears and protests. In no other passage is Rebecca seen as so intent to carry on the theft. Her life (and the future of the kingdom of God) so it would seem depends on her success.
Jacob arrives dressed so only a blind man could be fooled. Isaac senses this isn’t right. How could this happen so fast? Jacob answered in his best Esau attempt “Because Jehovah thy God sent me good speed.” Esau did not have this God as his, so Jacob attempts to talk that way. Of course, when Esau does arrive he never mentions this God. He’s married to a couple of idol worshippers. Isaac still seeks to confirm which son he really has. He feels and smells his son. The moment of truth. Isaac believes it is Esau.
The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau (27:22)
"The voice is the voice of Jacob" -- no prayer is effective unless the descendants of Jacob have a part in it. "The hands are the hands of Esau" -- no war is successful unless the descendants of Esau have a part in it.
(The Talmud)
The blessing:See, the smell of my son Is as the smell of a field which Jehovah hath blessed.
Gen 27:28 And God give thee of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain and new wine.
Gen 27:29 Let peoples serve thee, And nations bow down to thee. Be lord over thy brethren, And let thy mother's sons bow down to thee. Cursed be every one that curseth thee, And blessed be every one that blesseth thee.
So, what is the importance of a blessing? We live in a Western culture which doesn’t have the same regard for blessings and I think that is to our own shame. From my earliest days as a father, I have regularly tried to “bless” my children (and I have 7, very soon to be 8). I pray benefits into their lives. I ask God to shape and mold them into the people that he desires. At the start of every Sabbath, the children know that there will be a time of blessing for each of the children before each other and by name individually. In all honesty, I can’t tell you whether it does do anything. Time may tell that, but our Biblical fathers did it, and I think we miss an opportunity if we chose not to act in the same path. If God intended this to be a way of passing on eternal benefits, it would be a terrible shame to miss that opportunity and walk as practical atheists.
Jacob leaves and Esau arrives. The deception is revealed. Esau begs for some sort of blessing. Isaac offers some “weak blessing”. In fact, it’s almost a curse. This, by the way, would have been the only blessing he would have offered for Jacob. Isaac says his blessing to Jacob left no room for any benefit to the other son.
Esau decides that he’ll wait and then just kill Jacob. Rebecca again intercedes and has Isaac send him off to find a wife from the place where Rebecca (and Abraham) would be from. Isaac again blesses Jacob. This time knowing who he is blessing and you get the impression that he understands the “why” Jacob would pull this deception. In fact, the tone of this final departure shows no sign of anger. Jacob is God’s man. Esau is not. Isaac charges him and sends him away.
Esau, still not understanding the situation, but seeing his wife choice did not please his family he seeks his uncle and takes a 3rd wife. This one is Ishmael’s daughter. Still no sense that this pleased Isaac or Rebecca.
