Cyberdov

My colleague Eytan gave me a lovely gift last week - a new 2-volume book on Chumash by Rabbi Yitz Twersky, who I first met at KBY many years ago, and whose wife Geulah taught my kids at SAR.

His chapter on Toldot discusses the section of Isaac’s disputes with the Philistines over wells. This always seemed rather superfluous to me - what do we learn about Isaac from these stories? R Yitz explains that this was a formative experience for Isaac - he learned what one needs to do to survive - one has to be able to defend oneself. This, in turn, explains his preference for Esau over Jacob - Esau was a provider, a hunter. Although he may not have been the best spiritual heir, he would be able to look after himself, unlike Jacob, who had no experience with confrontation.

It also explains the significance of the sale of the birthright for the bean soup. Esau, for all his ability to fend for himself, came back from the field empty-handed - and, by his own words, on the verge of death! Jacob, on the other hand, showed how he was more than able to outsmart his brother/adversary. Moreover, when Isaac discovered Jacob’s subterfuge, he exclaimed (Genesis 27:33): ‘Who then is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.’

In this context, we may say that when Isaac suddenly realized what Jacob had done, he also realized that Jacob was the appropriate choice - in addition to being the bearer of the spiritual heritage, he would also be able to fend for himself against his adversaries.

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