CHOCHMAS NASHIM: TOLDOS: OH WHAT A TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE
By: Suri Davis
Truth, the Hebrew word Emet, are core values to the Torah. The Hebrew word consists of three letters, Aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Mem, the middle letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and Taf, the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is all encompassing, and there can be no foundation without truth.
Let’s look at Jacob and Esau, twins. Esau was born first, in a system of primogeniture, which provides the eldest with the father’s signature inheritance. As is still true in Britain’s royal family. Esau comes home from hunting hungry and wants some of Jacob’s beans. Jacob says sure, I will trade you some beans for the position of elder brother, and all its benefits. Esau agrees.
From a purely legal sense, if Esau is competent, he has a right to trade his position for beans as long as he is not coerced. One might think that maybe Jacob was kidding, asking Esau to trade his inheritance for a bowl of beans, that no one would consider it seriously. I am not sure that there was any trickery in this instance, although it is quite serious. The commentary tells us that Esau did not want the obligations of sacrifice required of the firstborn and was happy to sell it away.
Isaac wanted to give Esau the blessing of the eldest. He asked Esau to go out and hunt and prepare him a meal. While Esau hunted, Rivkah dressed Jacob in furry animal skins to imitate the hairiness of Esau, and had Jacob feed Isaac to receive the blessing of the eldest. Isaac was blind, and was tricked by Jacob and gave the firstborn blessing to Jacob instead of Esau. It is true that Esau sold his inheritance to Jacob, therefore Jacob legitimately received the blessing of the eldest. One would have hoped that Jacob would explain to Isaac that he should receive the blessing of the eldest, instead Jacob tricked Isaac. This is the seed of deceit.
Jacob runs away for his life is threatened by Esau. He runs to relatives, his cousin Lavan, who has two daughters Leah and Rachel. Jacob strikes a deal with Lavan to work seven years for Rachel’s hand in marriage. When it came time for the wedding, Lavan switched daughters and gave Jacob Leah instead of Rachel.
Later in life, Jacob was to be deceived again by his own sons, who threw Jacob’s beloved son, Joseph into a pit, ripped off the special tunic his father gave him, told Jacob that a wild animal killed Joseph, when in fact, they sold Joseph to Egyptians as a slave. Think of this: There were ten adult men who conspired to kill their brother, sell their brother as a slave, saw their father in anguish of mourning for his beloved son for DECADES, and not one of those sons had a conscience to say to their father that indeed Joseph was alive and could be found. What kind of evil each of those sons had to see their father in such pain for so long and remain quiet. After Joseph was revealed, thinking again of the anguish Jacob felt knowing that his sons lied and were indifferent to his pain for so long. Deception begets deception.
Yet, Jacob and his sons were righteous, not to justify their actions in any way, as always, the plan was divinely sourced and carried out. Emet is one of the names of G-d which should not be desecrated. The concept is divine as well, and should be honored.
Toldos, descendants, what is passed down from generation to generation.
Gut Chodesh.
-Suri