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Friday 3 Kislev 5787

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קטגוריה משנית

IT'S IN THE BLOOD

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A Lesson for the RoadShorts AreaFemale LessonParashat HashavuaSeriesLibraryPiskei Din (Hebrew)Test Yourself
Seems so obvious, so cut & dry, a real no-brainer: Yakov was the "good guy" in the twin-ship; while Esav was the unrepentant scoundrel. At least, that's the way Jewish tradition has always portrayed it. But, as we know, nothing in the Torah is as simple as it may seem. Because if it was, how do we explain Yitzchak the Navi's inability to see (or see through) the charade of his first-born, Esav? Was it due to "tzayid b'fiv," the clever way Esav supposedly "trapped" his father into a false belief by saying noble-sounding things only a Tzadik might say? And as for Rivka, was she indeed the wise, "with it" lady, always ready to sacrifice for her son Yakov? Did she have extra intuition into the twins' basic character because A) she was a woman (they always see things clearer!) & B) she had grown up around con-men Lavan & Betuel? Consider another slant on the family dynamics; Yitzchak is many years younger than his aggressive older brother Yishmael & to some extent, lives in his shadow. He is also traumatized by the Akeida, where he does not act, but is acted upon. He will only marry at age 40, in an arranged shidduch at that. In short, Yitzchak is withdrawn, living apart from - if not in fear - of society at large. No wonder he goes alone, into the field, to pray. But then Yitzchak will father two boys - very different boys. The older, Esav, is the physically stronger son, an aggressive, fearless outdoorsman who loves to hunt. Yakov is a different type: a loner, a home-body who sits passively in tents, alone with his books. Perhaps Yitzchak sees in Esav the person he never was; someone strong, confident, impulsive. Yitzchak may believe it's important to have someone like that in the family, someone who can take charge, especially in emergencies. Indeed, Chazal suggest that while Esav is not considered one of the Patriarchs, his DNA filters down to some of Yakov's kids, such as the bold Levi who rises up and avenges the family's honor. Rivka, for her part, has seen her crooked family close-up, & so she wants at least one of her sons to have a very different, righteous persona. She sees in Yakov the opposite of her brother Lavan: a pure, studious, spiritual being who wants to be an "ish chalak," an honest, decent man with no "rough edges." The Torah's sweet irony takes these two brothers & reverses their natural tendencies: Yakov (& mom) act out a play of dubious morality in which Esav plays the victim and is essentially stripped of his Bechora; Yakov will battle the Angel & win the wrestling belt. Similarly, the seemingly aggressive Esav will meekly back down against Yakov in their fateful reunion, where he doesn't lift a finger against him. In truth, both Yakov & Esav are part of us: we are Torah scholars, brave soldiers, brilliant military strategists, clever, peace-seeking warriors who may sometimes have to "stretch" the law and deviate from our natural tendencies. Even if seemingly random, the DNA of both Yakov & Esav are ever-present in us, so that in the end – whether we realize it or not - we are who we were meant to be. ASK THE RABBI: WAS YEHUDIT AN EVIL, OR A RIGHTEOUS WOMAN? That depends upon which Yehudit you are referring to! The Yehudit mentioned in our sedra was a Hittite woman who married Avraham’s grandson, Esav. She and Esav's other wife Adah practiced Avoda Zara, which brought great grief & bitterness to Esav's righteous parents, Yitzchak & Rivka. Adah's real name was Bas'mat, which connects to prostitution, as she would perfume herself (m'vasemet) in the style of that which was done by prostitutes. Yehudit's real name was Ohlibama, connecting to idolatry via the word, "Bamah," which refers to a "high place" where idols were worshipped. Esav tried to hide her character behind the holier name, "Yehudit." Esav's 3rd wife was Machalat, daughter of Yishmael. Some say she was righteous & even helped Esav to be forgiven ("m'chila"); others say she was equally undesirable & an added affliction ("machala") to the family. Note that all 3 names – Basmat, Ada & Machla - today are acceptable; & of course the latter Yehudit, one of the main heroines of Chanuka.
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