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Weekly Reading Insights:
Toldot
5782 |  |
Overview
of the Torah Reading To
be read on Shabbat Toldot, 2 Kislev 5782/Nov.6
Torah:
25:19-28:9; Haftorah: Malachi 1:1-2:7 (because
the second verse mentions Yaakov & Esav)
Toldot is
the 6th Reading out of 12 in Genesis and it contains 5426 letters,
in 1432 words, in 106 verses Yitzchak married
Rivkah when he was forty. When he was sixty, Rivkah gave birth to twins, Esav
and Yacov. At age fifteen, Esav returned one day from hunting in the fields, tired
and hungry, and asked Yacov for some food. Yacov told him to sell him his birthright,
which he did. There was a famine in the land, but G-d told Yitzchak to remain
in the land. Yitzchak went to Gerar, near the border, where he said to the people
there that Rivkah was his sister, as he was afraid that he would be killed because
of her. When king Avimelech found out he issued a decree that should anyone touch
Yitzchak or Rivkah they would be killed. Yitzchak farmed and became wealthy. The
Philistines became jealous and filled in his wells. Avimelech told him to leave.
Yitzchak eventually arrived in Be’er Sheva. He made a peace treaty with Avimelech.
When Esav was forty he married Judith and Basemath. Yitzchak became old and his
eyesight was fading. He told Esav to prepare him a meal, and he would bless him
before he died. Rivkah heard this and told Yacov that she would prepare a meal
for his father, and he should take the blessing instead of Esav. Esav was furious,
and planned to kill Yacov after his father’s death. Rivkah heard of this and sent
Yacov away. Yitzchak blessed Yacov and told him not to marry a Canaanite girl.
Yacov left for the house of Lavan, Rivkah’s brother. Esav understood that his
father was displeased with his Canaanite wives, and married Ishmael’s daughter
Machlat.
 An
Essay from
Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, Director of Ascent
(for
a free weekly email subscription, click
here)
In this week's Torah portion, Toldot, we learn about the relationships
between Rivka, Yitzchak, and their twin sons, Esav and Yaakov. We read that Rivka
loved Yaakov, and that Yitzchak loved Esav because tzayid [hunted meat]
was in his mouth", (Bereishit/ Genesis 25:28). Rashi teaches that Yaakov
was a "man of the tents" who studied Torah but Esav, the "man of
the field," was connected to the world with every part of his being. Rashi
explains that the reference to tzayid tells us that Esav was a hunter who
not only trapped animals, but also fooled (trapped) Yitzchak with his words, giving
the impression that he was righteous (Rashi on Bereishit/Genesis 25:27).
How
is it possible that Yitzchak was so blind to Esav's personality and behavior that
he wanted to grant him the blessing of the firstborn?
Later commentaries do
not accept that Yitzchak was so easily misled . The Mei Hashiloach suggests that
Yitzchak loved Esav more because he saw Esav's potential to do great things. Some
people, he writes, take risks in life and others play it safe. Those who take
chances may fail but, when they do succeed, they can accomplish much more that
those who are cautious. This was the basis of Yitzchak's greater love for Esav.
Yitzchak felt that Esav could bring the redemption much more quickly than Yaakov.
The Divrei Meir teaches that, in fact, Yitzchak was smarter than everyone,
and giving the blessings to Esav were all part of his plan. The Talmud says that
in the future, Yitzchak will say to G d, "Half on You and half on me",
teaching us that Yitzchak would take the responsibility to defend the Jewish people
before G d. Yitzchak loved Esav - even with all of his failings - in order that
he should be able to claim "even though Esav was filled with faults, I did
not stop truly loving him as a father must. But you, Almighty, are not limited
like flesh and blood. Your love is unlimited! How much more so must You love the
Jewish people, who are Your firstborn, even though they have sinned grievously."
This
is the meaning of the phrase, "tzayid in his mouth". "Tzayid"
can also be translated as "sustenance". Yitzchak loved Esav so there
would be in the future to come, "sustenance", a compelling argument
in his, Yitzchak's, mouth, to argue for the sake of Jewish people on our Day of
Judgment. May we take a lesson from Yitzchak and see the great potential in every
Jew.
May we all keep the commandment of loving our fellow Jew by judging one
another favorably. May G d always judge us positively, too.
As a young
man, Rabbi Yaacov Yitzchak, known as the Chozeh (Seer) of Lublin,
would fast, undergo physical suffering and withdraw from worldly matters. When
he was learning at the yeshiva of Reb Shmelke of Nikolsberg, Reb Shmelke
saw that the young man was endangering his health. He sent the Chozeh to
Annipoli, to Rabbi Zusha, with a letter requesting that Reb Zusha "Restore
the soul of our Itzikl
Rabbi Zusha invited the youngster to lunch, and they
ate together with extraordinary joy
When the Chozeh had already become
a renowned rebbe of many chassidim, he said: "Reb Zusha taught me to eat.
Since I ate with him, eating does not satisfy me, but rather is in itself a way
of serving G-d.
(Sichat HaShavua #1088)
Shabbat Shalom, Shaul.
(for
a free weekly email subscription, click
here)
For last year's essay by Rabbi
Leiter on this week's Reading, see the archive.
FROM
THE SAGES OF KABBALAH ON KabbalaOnline.org Specifically,
for an overview of the recommended articles in the columns:
Holy Zohar,
Holy Ari, Mystic Classics, Chasidic Masters, Contemporary Kabbalists, and
more,
click to Toldot one
sample:
Ascent Lights 
A
Walk on the Wild Side
By Shaul Yosef Leiter
Although the Torah does
not paint a positive picture of Esau, according to the Mei Hashiloach, Isaac really
did love him more than he did Jacob, for Isaac perceived Esau's wildness as an
indication of his potential to do great things
To
continue, click
here. For a free email subscription to our weekly
anthology, click
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For another taste of recommended Kabbalah articles on a variety of subjects,
click to the our
weekly Kabbalah magazine
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