Parashat Toledot Genesis 25:19 - Genesis 28:9 פָּרָשַׁת תּוֹלְדֹת
SYNOPSIS:
Parashat Toledot contains three sidrot. The first deals with the birth of Esau and Jacob and their rivalry, and Isaac's dealing with the Philistines; the second, Isaac's blessing (part 1); and the third, Isaac's blessing (part 2), and Jacob flees to his uncle Laban.
First Sidra՚ (Gen. 25:19-26:35): The birth of Esau and Jacob and their rivalry, and Isaac's dealing with the Philistines
Again we see symmetry between the closing of one parasha and the opening of the other. The previous parasha closed with the linage of Ishmael, while this parasha opens with the 'generations' [תּוֹלְדֹת] of Isaac. The Torah tells us that Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah. Rebekah has problems conceiving so Isaac prays to YHWH on her behalf of Rebekah; she conceives with twins. However, Rebekah does not have a good pregnancy as the twins crush against one another causing her great stress and grief. Rebekah enquires of YHWH as to the reason why this is happening to her. YHWH tells Rebekah, "Two nations are in your belly, and two peoples, from your bowels they shall be separated; and one people will be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger" (Gen. 25:23). The children are born. The first is red and hairy all over; they call him Esau [עֵשָׂו - press, squeeze]. The second is born grasping his brother's heel; so they call him Jacob [יַעֲקֹב - he who follows; עָקֵב - heel]. Isaac is sixty years old when his sons are born. Esau grows up to become a skilled hunter and because of this skill becomes Isaac's favourite, while Jacob - who is Rebekah's favourite - is a plain man dwelling in tents. One day Jacob is cooking a pottage (possibly red lentils) when Esau comes in tired from the field. Esau asks for some of the red pottage - hence his latter name of Edom [אֱדוֹם derived from אָדֹם - red], Jacob agrees in exchange for Esau's firstborn-right. Esau responds, "Here I am going to die; so what is this firstborn-right to me" (Gen. 25:32); Esau is obviously exaggerating. Jacob makes Esau swear that the firstborn-right will be his, Esau swears and Jacob gives him to eat. Esau eats and leaves. The Torah tells us that Esau showed contempt towards his firstborn-right. There is once again famine in the land, so Isaac follows in his father's footsteps and goes to the Philistine city of Gerar. Isaac probably stopped of at Gerar on his way to Egypt for YHWH appears to him and says to him, "Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land, that I tell you of. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you; for to you and to your seed I give all these lands, and will establish the oath, that I swore to Abraham your father. I will make your seed many like the stars of the heavens, and to your seed I will give, all these lands; and they shall be blessed through your seed, all the nations of the earth. As a consequence, of Abraham harkening to My voice; and keeping My charge, My commandments My laws and My instructions" (Gen. 26:2-5). Like his father before him and for the same reason, Isaac tells the inhabitants of Gerar that his wife was his sister. After they had been there for sometime, Avimelekh (a title rather than a true name, as is the name Pharaoh) king of the Philistines is looking out of his window and notices Isaac and Rebekah caressing each other. Avimelekh becomes angry with Isaac for deceiving him, "What is this you have done to us; one of the people almost lay with your wife, and then you would have brought guilt upon us" (Gen. 26:10). Avimelekh commands the Philistines under pain of death not to harm Isaac or Rebekah. Isaac then sows in the land and in the same year his yield is one hundred fold, for YHWH blessed him. Isaac goes from strength to strength and amasses flocks, herds, and many servants. The Philistines become jealous of Isaac's success and become nasty; stopping up with earth all the wells that Abraham's servants had dug. Avimelekh tells Isaac to leave them because he is mightier than they are. Isaac settles in the wadi of Gerar and digs up again the wells that Abraham had dug. Later, Isaac's servants dig in the wadi and find a well of fresh water, but the shepherds of Gerar argue with them over the rights to the well. Isaac's servants dig another well, and the shepherds of Gerar argue with him over that one too; although the third well that Isaac digs is not contested by the shepherds of Gerar. Isaac leaves the wadi and goes to Beer-Sheba. That night YHWH appears to him and reaffirms the promise to Abraham that He will multiply his descendants and they will inherit the land. Isaac builds an altar and calls upon the name of YHWH. Isaac's servants dig yet another well. Avimelekh, accompanied by his advisor and commander of his army, goes to see Isaac. When Isaac sees them he retorts, "Why have you come to me; for you hate me, and have sent me away from you" (Gen. 26:27). All the same, Avimelekh has realized that YHWH is with Isaac, so he has come to make a peace treaty with him. The treaty is sealed with a feast, and another well is dug by Isaac's servants. Esau at the age of forty - the same age that Isaac was when he married Rebekah - marries Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite; this gives Isaac and Rebekah untold grief.
Second Sidra՚ (Gen. 27:1-27): Isaac's blessing (part 1)
Isaac is now old and blind; he calls for Esau his first-born and asks him to hunt some game and to cook him a delicacy - just how he likes it. Once Isaac has eaten the meal he will bless Esau. Rebekah over hears Isaac's conversation with Esau. When Esau goes out to hunt, Rebekah tells Jacob all that she heard. Nevertheless, Rebekah has a plan; Jacob is to take two goat kids and she will cook a delicacy as Isaac likes, Jacob will then bring it to Isaac who after eating it will bless him thinking he is Esau. Jacob however sees a flaw, "Here Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. Perhaps my father will feel me, and I will be like a deceiver in his eyes; and I will bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing" (Gen. 27:11-12). Rebekah responds, "Upon me shall be your curse my son; thus listen to my voice and go take for me" (Gen. 27:13). Isaac carries out his mother's bidding. Rebekah prepares the meal and takes some of Esau's clothes dressing Jacob in them while placing the skins of the goat kids on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. Once everything is prepared and ready, Jacob pretending to be Esau takes the food into Isaac. At first Isaac is dubious that the person before him is in fact Esau and so requests them to come closer to know if the person is truly Esau. Isaac feels Jacob saying, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are Esau's hands" (Gen. 27:22). Isaac is convinced that it is Esau stood before him - the plan is working so far. Isaac asks again if it is truly Esau stood before him, Jacob answers in the affirmative. Isaac then eats the delicacy and drinks some wine that Jacob has brought him. Isaac asks his son to come nearer so he can be kissed by him. When Jacob kisses Isaac, Isaac smells the scent of Esau's garments and exclaims, "See the smell of my son, is like the smell of the field, that YHWH has blessed" (Gen. 27:27).
Third Sidra՚ (Gen. 27:28-28:9): Isaac's blessing (part 2), and Jacob flees to Laban.
The third sidra՚ opens with Isaac pronouncing his blessing over Jacob, "May God give to you, from the dew of the heavens, and from the fat of the earth; and abundance of grain and new-wine. May peoples serve you and may nations bow down to you, be a lord over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you; those who curse you are cursed, and those who bless you are blessed" (Gen. 27:28-29). As soon as Jacob has been blessed he leaves, and not long after in walks Esau carrying a delicacy that he has cooked from the game he hunted. Esau tells Isaac to sit up and eat so that he may receive his father's blessing. Isaac asks Esau who is he; Esau replies that it is Esau Isaac's firstborn. Isaac is now very frightened and wants to know who it was that had just received his blessing. Esau realizing what has occurred lets out a long and bitter cry and asks of Isaac to bless him too. But he cannot, for Isaac's blessing is upon Jacob. Esau responds, "That is why his name was called Jacob[1] for he sneaked against[2] me twice, my firstborn-right he took, and here - now he has taken my blessing" (Gen. 27:36). Esau asks Isaac if he has a blessing for him also. Isaac tells Esau that he has bestowed all his blessing upon Jacob and that there is nothing left to bless him with. Nevertheless, Esau continues pleading for his father's blessing and then begins to cry. Isaac answers him, "Here from the fat of the earth shall be your settling, and from the dew of the heavens above. And by your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but it shall be that when you are restless, you will tear away his yoke from upon your neck" (Gen. 27:39-40). Esau now hates Jacob even more and plans his revenge - once Isaac dies he will kill Jacob! Rebekah finds out about Esau's plan and informs Jacob telling him to flee to her brother Laban in Ḥaran until Esau's anger subsides. Rebekah comes up with a pretext for Jacob to go to Laban. She tells Isaac that she does not want Jacob to marry a local girl, as Esau had done, for it would be more than she could bear. Isaac calls Jacob and tells him that he must not take a Canaanite girl for a wife, but that he should marry one of his uncle Laban's daughters. Isaac blesses Jacob before he sends him on his way, "May El Shaddai bless you, may He make you fruitful and may He make you many; and you shall become an assembly of peoples. And may He give to you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your seed with you; for you to inherit the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham" (Gen. 28:3-4). Esau realizes that his parents aren't pleased with him for marrying local girls, so addition to his other wives he decides to take Mahalath a daughter of Ishmael for a wife hoping it will please his parents; for Mahalath is family after all!
THE AUTHOR'S THOUGHTS:
When we compare Isaac's personality with that of his father Abraham, Abraham comes across as a 'doer' - a man of action. While Isaac, on the other hand, seems to be of a rather passive nature. He accepts the things that happen to him as they occur, for instance the ՙAḳeda [binding]. But as the old saying goes, "still waters run deep". Isaac is a passionate man; Avimelekh realizes that Rebekah is not Isaac's sister but his wife when he sees them being intimate with each other. When Sarah was barren Abraham did not behave like a man of action he just simply accepted his lot. There is no evidence in the Torah that he petitioned YHWH to take away Sarah's infertility. Isaac on the other hand does not accept Rebekah's barrenness and prays to YHWH to grant her a child. When the Philistines become jealous of Isaac, blocking off his father's wells and kicking him out of town, Isaac does not accept the situation. He doesn't go to war with the Philistines as Abraham might have done - no - Isaac's way is more pragmatic. He reopens the wells that Abraham had dug calling them by the names given to them by his father. By this act Isaac is asserting his proprietary rights; this is an act of defiance. Isaac does not use physical force in overcoming the Philistines, nor does he succumb to their bullying tactics, but offers "passive resistance". It is as if the Philistines are nothing more than a nuisance, like a fly that keeps buzzing around Isaac's head. This is Isaac's strength: he simply doesn't let anything get the better of him - if something is destroyed don't cry about it rebuild it. This is the legacy that Isaac has left us - don't let life beat you down; conquer it. By making YHWH a partner in our lives' and by also incorporating Isaac's legacy of "tenacious pragmatism" we can over come all that life throws at us even if we do end up a little bruised and battered at times.
[1] יַעֲקֹב - he who follows; עָקֵב - heel
[2] עָקַב - to follow at the heel, assail insidiously
Parashat Toledot contains three sidrot. The first deals with the birth of Esau and Jacob and their rivalry, and Isaac's dealing with the Philistines; the second, Isaac's blessing (part 1); and the third, Isaac's blessing (part 2), and Jacob flees to his uncle Laban.
First Sidra՚ (Gen. 25:19-26:35): The birth of Esau and Jacob and their rivalry, and Isaac's dealing with the Philistines
Again we see symmetry between the closing of one parasha and the opening of the other. The previous parasha closed with the linage of Ishmael, while this parasha opens with the 'generations' [תּוֹלְדֹת] of Isaac. The Torah tells us that Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah. Rebekah has problems conceiving so Isaac prays to YHWH on her behalf of Rebekah; she conceives with twins. However, Rebekah does not have a good pregnancy as the twins crush against one another causing her great stress and grief. Rebekah enquires of YHWH as to the reason why this is happening to her. YHWH tells Rebekah, "Two nations are in your belly, and two peoples, from your bowels they shall be separated; and one people will be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger" (Gen. 25:23). The children are born. The first is red and hairy all over; they call him Esau [עֵשָׂו - press, squeeze]. The second is born grasping his brother's heel; so they call him Jacob [יַעֲקֹב - he who follows; עָקֵב - heel]. Isaac is sixty years old when his sons are born. Esau grows up to become a skilled hunter and because of this skill becomes Isaac's favourite, while Jacob - who is Rebekah's favourite - is a plain man dwelling in tents. One day Jacob is cooking a pottage (possibly red lentils) when Esau comes in tired from the field. Esau asks for some of the red pottage - hence his latter name of Edom [אֱדוֹם derived from אָדֹם - red], Jacob agrees in exchange for Esau's firstborn-right. Esau responds, "Here I am going to die; so what is this firstborn-right to me" (Gen. 25:32); Esau is obviously exaggerating. Jacob makes Esau swear that the firstborn-right will be his, Esau swears and Jacob gives him to eat. Esau eats and leaves. The Torah tells us that Esau showed contempt towards his firstborn-right. There is once again famine in the land, so Isaac follows in his father's footsteps and goes to the Philistine city of Gerar. Isaac probably stopped of at Gerar on his way to Egypt for YHWH appears to him and says to him, "Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land, that I tell you of. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you; for to you and to your seed I give all these lands, and will establish the oath, that I swore to Abraham your father. I will make your seed many like the stars of the heavens, and to your seed I will give, all these lands; and they shall be blessed through your seed, all the nations of the earth. As a consequence, of Abraham harkening to My voice; and keeping My charge, My commandments My laws and My instructions" (Gen. 26:2-5). Like his father before him and for the same reason, Isaac tells the inhabitants of Gerar that his wife was his sister. After they had been there for sometime, Avimelekh (a title rather than a true name, as is the name Pharaoh) king of the Philistines is looking out of his window and notices Isaac and Rebekah caressing each other. Avimelekh becomes angry with Isaac for deceiving him, "What is this you have done to us; one of the people almost lay with your wife, and then you would have brought guilt upon us" (Gen. 26:10). Avimelekh commands the Philistines under pain of death not to harm Isaac or Rebekah. Isaac then sows in the land and in the same year his yield is one hundred fold, for YHWH blessed him. Isaac goes from strength to strength and amasses flocks, herds, and many servants. The Philistines become jealous of Isaac's success and become nasty; stopping up with earth all the wells that Abraham's servants had dug. Avimelekh tells Isaac to leave them because he is mightier than they are. Isaac settles in the wadi of Gerar and digs up again the wells that Abraham had dug. Later, Isaac's servants dig in the wadi and find a well of fresh water, but the shepherds of Gerar argue with them over the rights to the well. Isaac's servants dig another well, and the shepherds of Gerar argue with him over that one too; although the third well that Isaac digs is not contested by the shepherds of Gerar. Isaac leaves the wadi and goes to Beer-Sheba. That night YHWH appears to him and reaffirms the promise to Abraham that He will multiply his descendants and they will inherit the land. Isaac builds an altar and calls upon the name of YHWH. Isaac's servants dig yet another well. Avimelekh, accompanied by his advisor and commander of his army, goes to see Isaac. When Isaac sees them he retorts, "Why have you come to me; for you hate me, and have sent me away from you" (Gen. 26:27). All the same, Avimelekh has realized that YHWH is with Isaac, so he has come to make a peace treaty with him. The treaty is sealed with a feast, and another well is dug by Isaac's servants. Esau at the age of forty - the same age that Isaac was when he married Rebekah - marries Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite; this gives Isaac and Rebekah untold grief.
Second Sidra՚ (Gen. 27:1-27): Isaac's blessing (part 1)
Isaac is now old and blind; he calls for Esau his first-born and asks him to hunt some game and to cook him a delicacy - just how he likes it. Once Isaac has eaten the meal he will bless Esau. Rebekah over hears Isaac's conversation with Esau. When Esau goes out to hunt, Rebekah tells Jacob all that she heard. Nevertheless, Rebekah has a plan; Jacob is to take two goat kids and she will cook a delicacy as Isaac likes, Jacob will then bring it to Isaac who after eating it will bless him thinking he is Esau. Jacob however sees a flaw, "Here Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. Perhaps my father will feel me, and I will be like a deceiver in his eyes; and I will bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing" (Gen. 27:11-12). Rebekah responds, "Upon me shall be your curse my son; thus listen to my voice and go take for me" (Gen. 27:13). Isaac carries out his mother's bidding. Rebekah prepares the meal and takes some of Esau's clothes dressing Jacob in them while placing the skins of the goat kids on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. Once everything is prepared and ready, Jacob pretending to be Esau takes the food into Isaac. At first Isaac is dubious that the person before him is in fact Esau and so requests them to come closer to know if the person is truly Esau. Isaac feels Jacob saying, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are Esau's hands" (Gen. 27:22). Isaac is convinced that it is Esau stood before him - the plan is working so far. Isaac asks again if it is truly Esau stood before him, Jacob answers in the affirmative. Isaac then eats the delicacy and drinks some wine that Jacob has brought him. Isaac asks his son to come nearer so he can be kissed by him. When Jacob kisses Isaac, Isaac smells the scent of Esau's garments and exclaims, "See the smell of my son, is like the smell of the field, that YHWH has blessed" (Gen. 27:27).
Third Sidra՚ (Gen. 27:28-28:9): Isaac's blessing (part 2), and Jacob flees to Laban.
The third sidra՚ opens with Isaac pronouncing his blessing over Jacob, "May God give to you, from the dew of the heavens, and from the fat of the earth; and abundance of grain and new-wine. May peoples serve you and may nations bow down to you, be a lord over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you; those who curse you are cursed, and those who bless you are blessed" (Gen. 27:28-29). As soon as Jacob has been blessed he leaves, and not long after in walks Esau carrying a delicacy that he has cooked from the game he hunted. Esau tells Isaac to sit up and eat so that he may receive his father's blessing. Isaac asks Esau who is he; Esau replies that it is Esau Isaac's firstborn. Isaac is now very frightened and wants to know who it was that had just received his blessing. Esau realizing what has occurred lets out a long and bitter cry and asks of Isaac to bless him too. But he cannot, for Isaac's blessing is upon Jacob. Esau responds, "That is why his name was called Jacob[1] for he sneaked against[2] me twice, my firstborn-right he took, and here - now he has taken my blessing" (Gen. 27:36). Esau asks Isaac if he has a blessing for him also. Isaac tells Esau that he has bestowed all his blessing upon Jacob and that there is nothing left to bless him with. Nevertheless, Esau continues pleading for his father's blessing and then begins to cry. Isaac answers him, "Here from the fat of the earth shall be your settling, and from the dew of the heavens above. And by your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but it shall be that when you are restless, you will tear away his yoke from upon your neck" (Gen. 27:39-40). Esau now hates Jacob even more and plans his revenge - once Isaac dies he will kill Jacob! Rebekah finds out about Esau's plan and informs Jacob telling him to flee to her brother Laban in Ḥaran until Esau's anger subsides. Rebekah comes up with a pretext for Jacob to go to Laban. She tells Isaac that she does not want Jacob to marry a local girl, as Esau had done, for it would be more than she could bear. Isaac calls Jacob and tells him that he must not take a Canaanite girl for a wife, but that he should marry one of his uncle Laban's daughters. Isaac blesses Jacob before he sends him on his way, "May El Shaddai bless you, may He make you fruitful and may He make you many; and you shall become an assembly of peoples. And may He give to you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your seed with you; for you to inherit the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham" (Gen. 28:3-4). Esau realizes that his parents aren't pleased with him for marrying local girls, so addition to his other wives he decides to take Mahalath a daughter of Ishmael for a wife hoping it will please his parents; for Mahalath is family after all!
THE AUTHOR'S THOUGHTS:
When we compare Isaac's personality with that of his father Abraham, Abraham comes across as a 'doer' - a man of action. While Isaac, on the other hand, seems to be of a rather passive nature. He accepts the things that happen to him as they occur, for instance the ՙAḳeda [binding]. But as the old saying goes, "still waters run deep". Isaac is a passionate man; Avimelekh realizes that Rebekah is not Isaac's sister but his wife when he sees them being intimate with each other. When Sarah was barren Abraham did not behave like a man of action he just simply accepted his lot. There is no evidence in the Torah that he petitioned YHWH to take away Sarah's infertility. Isaac on the other hand does not accept Rebekah's barrenness and prays to YHWH to grant her a child. When the Philistines become jealous of Isaac, blocking off his father's wells and kicking him out of town, Isaac does not accept the situation. He doesn't go to war with the Philistines as Abraham might have done - no - Isaac's way is more pragmatic. He reopens the wells that Abraham had dug calling them by the names given to them by his father. By this act Isaac is asserting his proprietary rights; this is an act of defiance. Isaac does not use physical force in overcoming the Philistines, nor does he succumb to their bullying tactics, but offers "passive resistance". It is as if the Philistines are nothing more than a nuisance, like a fly that keeps buzzing around Isaac's head. This is Isaac's strength: he simply doesn't let anything get the better of him - if something is destroyed don't cry about it rebuild it. This is the legacy that Isaac has left us - don't let life beat you down; conquer it. By making YHWH a partner in our lives' and by also incorporating Isaac's legacy of "tenacious pragmatism" we can over come all that life throws at us even if we do end up a little bruised and battered at times.
[1] יַעֲקֹב - he who follows; עָקֵב - heel
[2] עָקַב - to follow at the heel, assail insidiously