B'reshith/Genesis
CHAPTER 25

19. Now this is the history [tol'doth] of Yitzhaq the son of Avraham:

Avraham fathered Yitzhaq,

20. and when Yitzhaq was 40 years old he took Rivqah, the daughter of B'thuel the Aramaean from Paddan-Aram, the sister of Lavan the Aramaean, for himself as a wife.

21. And Yitzhaq prayed to YHWH on behalf of his wife, because she was barren.  And YHWH accepted his prayer, and his wife Rivqah conceived.

22. But the sons struggled against each other within her. And she said, "If so, why am I this way?" So she went to ask YHWH.

23. And YHWH told her, "Two nations are in your womb; indeed, two peoples will be separated from within your body. And one people will be stronger than the other, but the elder will serve the younger."


[c. year 2110 from creation; 1890 B.C.E.]

24. When her days [of readiness] to give birth were fully accomplished, it did turn out that twins were in her womb.

25. And the first came out, ruddy all over as if he had a disheveled fur coat, so they named him Esau.

Disheveled fur coat: hairy garment.  The term for this coat (aderet) is used elsewhere of the mantle of Eliyahu which he passed on to Elisha, signifying that he was the next prophet to take his place. (1 Kings 19:19; compare 2 Kings 1:8)  Z’kharyah 13:4 speaks of prophets wearing an aderet of coarse hair (se’ar, related to Se’ir, the shaggy goat for which Esau’s territory was named).  Yochanan the Immerser wore a hairy garment (Mat. 3:4).  Thus if one wore a hairy cloak, he was perceived to be a prophet.  Esau was born already “clothed”, with the sign of the prophetic gift right on his body.  There was no doubt he should be next in line.  Who could challenge his position upon seeing him?  The firstborn has the right of priesthood, for the Levites are taken in their stead.  (Num. 3:12).  He is responsible for the family’s order and well-being before YHWH.  So why did Esau not become a prophet or a priest?  His life will answer this question, beginning even in this chapter.

26. Then afterward, his brother came out, and his hand was holding onto the heel of his brother Esau, so he was named Yaaqov. And Yitzhaq was 60 years old when she gave birth to them.

Yaaqov means, "He will take by the heel"—an idiom for a supplanter or circumventor, who stealthily takes another's place. Even while still in the womb, he wanted the job that was expected of Esau, and though he could not come first, part of him came out with the firstborn. 

27. When the boys grew up, Esau became a man who knew hunting—a man of the field. But Yaaqov was a wholesome man, living in tents.

Knew hunting: was very adept at the chase, like an aggressive businessman in modern terms—a prudent investor and an opportunist, which made him successful in a way, which his father admired.  He had talent, courage, the ability to concentrate, and great patience.  He brought a type of security to the family. He may have even used his prophetic gift to that end.  Yet to become so skillful, he had to concentrate on earning rather than learning--which when taken too far pits YHWH against mammon (wealth).  While his gift is not presented as positive or negative here, he was consumed with the hunt—with “overcoming the world”, but not in the spiritual sense.  The word for hunter literally means “one who lies in wait”.  The best way to catch an animal is to become like a wild animal.  He was like Kanaan in this regard.  As a "man of the field" (or, as Yahshua interpreted it, a "man of the world", Mat. 13:38), he shows that he sought his security in the present world.  Yaaqov, however, was "wholesome": mature, and therefore complete, lacking in nothing, a well-rounded man of integrity, in spite of his name.  Though he was only one of the pair of twins, he is somehow still complete in himself, for he has made the right choice. (Mat. 6:33)  "Dwelling in tents" is often an idiom for one who is a student of YHWH's instruction. (Num. 24:5)  The first use of the term speaks of the tents of Shem. (9:27)  Israel Koschitzky writes, "Our Sages say that the Torah -- not the actual document, but the substance of the Commandments and the attachment to the Divine -- was revealed by [Elohim] to our forefathers. Shem the son of Noah, and Ever his great-grandson, even opened a Yeshiva (“seminary”), and Yaaqov went to study there.  And they took upon themselves to perform the Commandments, even though they were not obligated by [Elohim] to do so."  This may very well be true, since Shem outlived even Avraham.  A tent-dweller puts less value on his possessions, for he has to pack them up and leave more often. He is not attached to one place, but moves when the source of food moves, a picture of the pillar of fire in the wilderness which his descendants would follow. Tent-dwellers do not depend on hunting, but raise their own flocks (also making kosher preparation).  Living in tents is also the wartime lifestyle. While he lacks some of Esau’s drive, and he does not have the natural gifting as a prophet that Esau had, Yaaqov’s perfection is that he was hungry for the fullness of the path of YHWH and was determined to do whatever was necessary to obtain it.  The words of YHWH did not just roll off his lips; he fought for every bit of understanding, while Esau was off serving his belly.  Yaaqov also had his underhanded side, but by such study he would learn how to subdue it and make it subservient to him.

28. Now Yitzhaq preferred Esau, because game was in his mouth, but Rivqah prefers Yaaqov.

In his mouth: i.e., he had something to show for it (as opposed to Yaaqov's more abstract interests), or he had a "taste" for game.


… 

We will skip over the accounts of Esau, the elder, sold his birthright to his younger brother Yaaqov, and how Yaaqov tricked Yitzhaq into giving him the blessing—sort of.  Yitzhaq seems to have been a willing victim. 


CHAPTER 27

...

41. Then Esau hated Yaaqov, because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him. And Esau said in his heart, "The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Yaaqov."

42. But Rivqah was told the words of her older son Esau, and she sent [someone] to call her younger son Yaaqov, and she told him, "Look, your brother Esau is going to console himself by killing you.

43. "So now, my son, listen to my voice, and get up and flee for your life to my brother Lavan in Haran,

44. "and stay with him for a few days until your brother's rage subsides—

45. "until your brother's anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him, then I will send for you, and bring you back from there. Why should I, too, be bereft of both of you in one day?"

46. But to Yitzhaq, Rivqah said, "I am weary of my life on account of the daughters of the Hittites. If Yaaqov also takes a wife from among the daughters of Heth, like those from the daughters of the land, of what value is my life to me?"


CHAPTER 28

1. So Yitzhaq called Yaaqov, and he blessed him and gave him orders, saying, "Do not take a wife from the daughters of Kanaan!

Orders: a military term.  This was not a request.  When a superior in the army gives a command, it is not something negotiable that we can stop to ponder to determine if we agree with it or feel like carrying it out.  It is to be followed no matter what—and right away.  The blessing was a command, but the command was also a blessing.  If we do as our father instructs, we will inevitably be blessed, even if it does not seem so at first.  Keep the Torah and soon it will be keeping you.  It is a test of whether we really trust YHWH to take care of any consequences there may be.  If we fail, we have to take it again in a different way.  It is embarrassing to be 25 years old and still in the third grade!  Removing some of our options gives us better structure and highlights our priorities more clearly.  When we are speaking of the Torah, a distinction should not be seen between blessing and command.  And Yitzhaq was indeed echoing the words of his wife Rivqah (27:46), whom we have seen is also a picture of the Torah.  He starts with a prohibition against connecting ourselves with the people of Kanaan, who molested his grandfather Noakh when he was drunk.  Kanaan means “knee-bender”, with overtones of being about only fleshly pursuits, hungering for pleasure at any cost.  If we bend the knees too far, we end up down on all fours like an animal—a picture of those who primarily follow animal instincts.  The serpent was cursed even further (Gen.  3:1-15)—having its belly right down on the earth.  It hungers for the dust of the earth (therefore being in direct opposition to YHWH, who has chosen the “dust of the earth”--Avraham’s descendants).  So YHWH puts it all the way down in the dust.  Yaaqov cannot be attached to those who would influence him in this direction.  If the descendants of Avraham get down where the serpent is, it will devour us.  Kanaan is like an animal.  The land named after him is under that curse, but YHWH had sent Avraham there as a teacher and to establish the covenant that would make it holy again.  In contrast, YHWH’s pet name for Israel when obedient is Yeshurun—the one who is upright—that is, on two feet, standing up straight.  Yaaqov is now in a position to continue to guard the covenant of Avraham, but if this seed gets mixed in with those who are down on all fours, his success will be greatly inhibited.  We are not talking about being so heavenly-minded that we are of no earthly use, because that is unbalanced in the other direction, but our inclination needs to be toward bring heavenly things to earth.  Animals walk with their bellies parallel with the earth, but men are meant to walk perpendicular to the ground—with the things of heaven and earth in balance.  What we hunger for will determine our actions.  If we surround ourselves with selfishness, we tend to become selfish too.  The promise cannot be carried by one who is about himself.  YHWH’s gifts are meant to be passed on to the whole community.  This is one of the reasons Esau had lost his birthright.  Yitzhaq’s eyes had grown dim, because he was becoming more interested in Esau’s ability to satisfy his belly.  But now that Yaaqov has the blessing, thanks to Rivqah’s influence, he realizes that the covenant cannot be attached to anyone who is only about the flesh or the earth.  If Yaaqov wants to be able to continue seeking the things that satisfy the soul, and if he wants his children and grandchildren to be upright too, he must not connect himself to one who is not upright.  He has proven that more than anything he wants to uphold the covenant, but even he can be influenced or impeded if his mate does not share the same concerns, appreciate the fact that he is a man of tents, not the field, and uphold his higher pursuits.  His wife must thus come from the line of Shem, whom Noakh made the master of Kanaan and the teacher of Yefeth.  She, too, must have Kingdom priorities if he is to carry on the work of Shem, the teacher. 

2. "Get up, go into Paddan-Aram to the household of B'thuel your mother’s father, and take yourself a wife from there—from the daughters of Lavan, your mother's brother.

The scope of his search for a wife is much narrower than his father’s, for the bar has been raised.  Not just any Aramean would do.  She had to follow the pattern that had proven best: Rivqah was Sarah’s niece, so Yaaqov’s wife would be Rivqah’s niece.  She had to come from this very special group of women—a queenly family, who are pictures of the Torah, as we have seen.  Rivqah was taken into Sarah’s tent, taking her place.  The same picture must continue wit the next generation for the blessing to continue.

3. "Then El Shaddai can bless you, make you fruitful, and multiply you, and you will come to be an assembly of peoples.

An assembly of nations: an organized body, gathering, or congregation.  Even in the first generation, Yaaqov’s household would become this.  In contrast with Avraham’s many descendants who spread far and wide, Yaaqov’s were intended to remain together and remain concerned about one another, not just self.  They are not to be just a group of individuals, but an “individual group” whose strength lies in the fact that they are an assembly, not just one man.  Each one dopes not just add strength, but multiplies it. 

4. "May He also give to you Avraham's blessing—to you and your seed along with you, so you may possess the land of your sojournings, which Elohim gave to Avraham."

Avraham’s blessing: This is what it is really all about.  That Land is supposed to be our inheritance, too.  We can inherit it, not just visit it, if we connect ourselves to the right things now.  The promise of inheriting the Land is again narrowed, for the last time, to Yaaqov's descendants alone.  Now that, as per verse 8, Yitzhaq’s eyes have been opened again (no longer being blinded by Esau’s gifts) and he knows to whom he is talking, he gives him the fullest birthright blessing.  Avraham’s covenant was not mentioned in the first blessing that he intended to be for Esau.  Yitzhaq had trembled greatly (27:33), waking up from his dreamy stupor.  He recognized again that Esau was not the right man for the job of teaching.  It was now in the right man’s hands.  But the blessing is still contingent on his maintaining the right attachments and accepting the command along with the blessing. 

5. Then Yitzhaq sent Yaaqov away, and he went into Paddan-Aram, to Lavan the son of B'thuel the Aramean, the brother of Rivqah, who was Yaaqov and Esau's mother.

Notice the order the two sons’ names are listed in, contrary to their birth order, but in agreement with the way their mother saw them.  In contrast with 25:5, Yaaqov is now counted the elder. Esau was called, but Yaaqov was chosen. (Mat. 20:16)  The last became first and the first last.  The calling is general, but who is chosen depends on how we serve YHWH.  One is chosen if he makes the right choice to not just hear the word but carry it out. (Yaaqov/James 1:22)  Yaaqov was willing to take on the role of servant and teacher, so his father chose him.  It is interesting that the church has been known as the “called-out”, but even it has continued to refer to the Jews as the “chosen people”.

6. When Esau saw that Yitzhaq had blessed Yaaqov and sent him away to Paddan-Aram to take a wife for himself from there (how in his blessing he had commanded him: "You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Kanaan"),

7. and that Yaaqov had obeyed his parents and gone to Paddan-Aram,

8. and when Esau saw that the daughters of Kanaan were disagreeable in the sight of his father Yitzhaq,

9. [only] then did Esau go to Yishmael and take Machalath, the daughter of Yishmael the son of Avraham (Nevayoth's sister), as his wife, adding her to his other wives.

Esau perceives that there is something different in this relationship that he could have had if he had not married the Kanaanites.  He understands that his parents wanted him to marry a cousin.  Like the Protestant Reformation, he tried to make amends for his earlier errors by taking a more worthy wife also but without putting away all the paganism in the process.  He tried to please his father, but did not follow orders completely.  He went to Yishma’el’s camp, which was much closer than Paddan-Aram. Machalath: from a root meaning "weak, sick, or diseased". (See 26:34, 36:3).  He should have been following Yaaqov, not to kill him, but to marry Lavan’s other daughter.  Leah, who by the pattern of his ancestors’ marriages, should have been Esau’s wife, was 100% Semitic (from the line of Shem).  She could have helped him become a man who made better decisions.  Instead, while doing what looked right, he actually compounded the problem.  Machalath was a descendant of Shem, but not through his mother, and she was actually only 25% Semitic, the remaining 75% being Hamitic as his other two wives were. Likewise many Christians are eager to repent, but no matter how bad they feel about their sin, they cannot succeed if they do not return all the way to the Torah, because without the proper knowledge they would be turning away from one type of sin, but continuing to break many others because they ignore the Torah, which reveals what sin is, though it is right in their Bibles.  Repenting, in Hebrew, means going back to where one came from.  To know how to go back, we have to know where we are supposed to be, and what our context is meant to be.  So Yaaqov turned back to the ancestors who were worthy of emulation.  Dwelling in the tents of Shem (25:27) had made him complete.  By studying, he had gained the knowledge it took to make the right decisions. If we do things our fathers’ way despite our own preferences, and do not use our giftings to further our own desires, but for the betterment of the set-apart community, we too can inherit from this ancestor, Yaaqov.





Commentary on
Parashat Tol'doth
Perpendicular
to the Earth