"And Jacob cooked a pottage..."

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon discourses on the character of Jacob, and the fact that Esau despised his birthright. The Torah tells us that Isaac bestowed numerous blessings upon his son Jacob, all the while thinking it was Esau. Although Isaac did not know Esau's evil side, this was in order to preserve the purity of his blessing of Jacob. However, Jacob did know about Esau, and he dealt with his brother in a manner that enabled him to avoid defilement. The discussion also describes the exact manner in which Jacob embodied judgment, mercy, and subtlety.

Relevance

Despite his highly spiritual nature, Jacob was cunning enough to receive his father's blessing - for he was fully aware of the enemy he confronted in his brother Esau. The dark side of our nature is cunning and sly, endlessly deceiving us into making wrong choices. We must be as cunning and clever as our Evil Inclination. If we remain passive and complacent, our negative traits will control us. Summoning the shrewdness of Jacob through the spiritual influences of this passage, imbues us with artful and deft intellectual power to outwit the Other Side.

Birthright Esau Isaac Jacob Lentils Pottage

77. תָּא חֲזֵי זִמְנָא חָדָא, הֲוָה יָתִיב רָבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, וּשְׁאָר חַבְרַיָיא, עָאל קַמֵּיהּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרֵיהּ, אֲמָרוּ לֵיהּ לְר' שִׁמְעוֹן, מִלְתָא רַבְּתָא בְּעִינָן לְמִבָּעֵי קַמָּךְ, בְּעִנְיָינָא דְיַעֲקֹב וְעֵשָׂו, אֵיךְ לָא בָּעָא יַעֲקֹב, לְמֵיהַב לְעֵשָׂו, תַּבְשִׁיל דִּטְלוֹפְחִין, עַד דְּזַבִּין לֵיהּ בְּכֵירוּתָא דִילֵיהּ, וְעוֹד דַּאֲמַר עֵשָׂו לְיִצְחָק אֲבוּהִי, וַיַּעַקְבֵנִי זֶה פַּעֲמָיִם.

Birthright Esau Jacob Witnesses

78. He responded, Now you deserve a whipping, because you believed Esau and lied about Ya'akov's words. The scripture bears witness that "Jacob was a plain man" (Beresheet 25:27), WHICH MEANS THAT HE CAN NOT CHEAT. Also, it is written, "You will show truth to Jacob" (Michah 7:20). This was the situation concerning Jacob and Esau. Even before, Esau detested his birthright, and he asked Jacob to take the birthright without payment! Thus, it is as written, "And he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way, thus Esau despised the birthright" (Beresheet 25:34).

78. אֲמַר לוֹן, בַּהֲדֵין שַׁעְתָּא, אַתּוּן חַיָּבִים לְקַבָּלָא מַלְקוֹת, דְּהֶאֱמַנְתּוּן לְפִתְגָמֵי דְעֵשָׂו, וְשִׁקַּרְתּוּן לְפִתְגָמֵי דְיַעֲקֹב, דְּהָא קְרָא אַסְהַד עֲלֵיהּ, וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם, וְתוּ כְּתִיב תִּתֵּן אֱמֶת לְיַעֲקֹב. אֶלָּא, כָּךְ הוּא עִנְיָינֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב עִם עֵשָׂו, בְּגִין דְּעֵשָׂו הֲוָה סָנֵי לִבְכֵירוּתָא בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, וַהֲוָה בָּעֵי מִנֵּיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב, דְּלִסְבָּהּ לֵיהּ אֲפִילּוּ בְּלָא כֶסֶף, הה"ד וַיֹּאכַל וַיֵּשְׁתְּ וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלַךְ וַיִּבֶז עֵשָׂו אֶת הַבְּכוֹרָה.

Abraham Blood Esau Isaac Jacob Lentils Pottage Red

79. Of the verse, "And Jacob cooked a pottage, and Esau came from the field, and he was faint," Rabbi Elazar explained that, "And Jacob cooked," refers to the mourning for Abraham, WHO HAD DIED ON THAT DAY. AND JACOB COOKED ROUND LENTILS, WHICH HAVE NO MOUTH. THIS ALLUDES TO THE MOURNERS, WHO ARE WITHOUT A MOUTH. HE ASKS, But should not it have been written, 'And Isaac cooked a pottage,' SINCE HE, AND NOT JACOB, WAS THE MOURNER? HE ANSWERS, "Jacob cooked a pottage," because Jacob knew the origin of Esau and the side he cleaved to. Therefore, he cooked red dishes, namely, red lentils, for this dish breaks the power and might of the red blood, and can break the power and might of Esau, who is the secret of the red blood, as it is written, "And the first came out red" (Beresheet 25:25).

79. וַיָּזֶד יַעֲקֹב נָזִיד וַיָּבֹא עֵשָׂו מִן הַשָּׂדֶה וְהוּא עָיֵף. אֲמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, וַיָּזֶד יַעֲקֹב, הָא אוֹקְמוּהָ דְּהָא בְּגִין אֲבֵלוּתָא דְאַבְרָהָם הֲוָה, אֲבָל וַיָּזֶד יִצְחָק נָזִיד מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, אֶלָא וַיָּזֶד יַעֲקֹב נָזִיד, דְּאִיהוּ הֲוָה יָדַע עִקָּרָא דִילֵיהּ, בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא דְּאִתְדַּבַּק בֵּיהּ, וּבְגִין כָּך עֲבַד תַּבְשִׁילִין סוּמְקִין, עֲדָשִׁים, תַּבְשִׁיל סוּמְקָא, דְּתַבְשִׁילָא דָא, מִתְבַּר חֵילָא וְתוֹקְפָא דְּדָמָא סוּמְקָא בָּגִין לְתַבָּרָא תּוֹקְפֵיהּ וְחֵילֵיהּ, וּבְגִין כָּךְ, עֲבַד לֵיהּ בְּחָכְמְתָא, כְּהַהוּא גַּוְונָא סוּמְקָא.

Azazel Birthright Esau Goats Grades Jacob Samael Slavery Wisdom Yom Kippur

80. For that dish, by selling Jacob his birthright, Esau became a slave. Instantly, Jacob knew that for the one goat that the children of Yisrael sacrificed on Yom Kippur to his level - NAMELY, "TO AZAZEL INTO THE WILDERNESS," (VAYIKRA 16:10) THE SECRET OF THE SAMAEL, THE MINISTER OF ESAU - he becomes a slave to his descendants and will not accuse them. And because of the level of wisdom of Esau, Jacob dealt wisely with Esau everywhere, so that Esau was unable to rule and was submissive. Jacob was not defiled by him, but ruled over him.

80. וְעַל הַהוּא תַּבְשִׁילָא, אִזְדַּבַּן לֵיהּ לְעַבְדָא, וְזַבִּין בְּכֵירוּתֵיהּ לְיַעֲקֹב וּבְהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא יָדַע יַעֲקֹב, דִּבְגִין שָׂעִיר חַד, דְּיִקְרְבוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל לְגַבֵּי דַרְגָּא דִּילֵיהּ, יִתְהַפַּךְ לְעַבְדָא לִבְנוֹי, וְלָא יְקַטְרֵג לוֹן, וּבְכֹלָּא אֲזַל יַעֲקֹב לְגַבֵּי דְעֵשָׂו בְּחָכְמָה, בְּגִין הַהוּא דַרְגָא חַכִּים דְּעֵשָׂו, וְלָא יָכֵיל לְשַׁלְטָאָה, וְאִתְכַּפְיָא וְלָא אִסְתָּאַב בֵּיתֵיהּ וְאִיהוּ יָגִין עֲלֵיהּ.

81. וַיֹּאמֶר עֵשָׂו אֶל יַעֲקֹב הַלְעִיטֵנִי נָא מִן הָאָדֹם הָאָדֹם הַזֶּה, אַמַּאי כְּתִיב תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי הָאָדוֹם, אֶלָּא, בְּגִין דְּכֹל מַה דְּאִית בֵּיהּ אָדוֹם, כְּדָּבָר אֲחֵר וַיֵּצֵא הָרִאשׁוֹן אַדְמוֹנִי. וְתַבְשִׁילוֹ אָדוֹם, דִּכְתִיב מִן הָאָדוֹם הָאָדוֹם הַזֶּה, וְאַרְעָא דִילֵיהּ אֲדוּמָה, דִּכְתִיב אַרְצָה שֵׂעִיר שְׂדֵה אֱדוֹם, וְגוּבְרִין דִּילֵיהּ אֲדוּמִין, דִּכְתִיב הוּא עֵשָׂו אֲבִי אֱדוֹם, וּמַאן דְּזַמִּין לְאִתְפָּרְעָא מִנֵּיהּ אָדוֹם, דִּכְתִיב דּוֹדִי צַח וְאָדוֹם, וּלְבוּשֵׁיהּ אָדוֹם, דִּכְתִיב מַדּוּעַ אָדוֹם לִלְבוּשֶׁךָ, וּכְתִיב מִי זֶה בָּא מֵאֱדוֹם.

Jacob Judgment Laban

82. Rabbi Yehuda said that this should have been true of Laban as well, because he was also a sorcerer, as it is written, "I have learned by signs that Hashem has blessed me for your sake" (Beresheet 30:27). THEREFORE JACOB WAS DECEITFUL TOWARD HIM. And although Jacob was a plain and whole man, he was merciful with whomever he had to be merciful. He was strict in judgment and deceitful when necessary. For he consisted of two parts, CHESED AND JUDGMENT, FOR JACOB IS THE SECRET OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN, WHICH COMPRISES THE TWO COLUMNS, CHESED AND GVURAH. It is written of him, "With the merciful you will show yourself merciful; ...and with the perverse you will show yourself subtle" (Tehilim 18:26), which means that with the merciful HE DEALT on the side of Chesed, and with the perverse on the side of Strict Judgment, all as it ought to be.

82. אָמַר רָבִּי יְהוּדָה, וְכֵן בְּלָבָן אִתְחֲזֵי הָכֵי, בְּגִין דְּהָא אִיהוּ חֳרָשָׁא הֲוָה, כְּמָה דִכְתִיב נִחַשְׁתִּי וַיְבָרֲכֵנִי יי' בִּגְלָלֶךָ, וְאַף עַל גָּב דְּיַעֲקֹב אִקְרֵי גְּבַר שְׁלִים, בְּגִין כָּךְ הֲוָה שְׁלִים, עִם מַאן דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְמֵיהַךְ עִמֵּיהּ בְּרַחֲמֵי הֲוָה אָזֵיל, וְעִם מַאן דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לְמֵיהַךְ עִמֵיהּ בְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא, וּבַעֲקִימוּ, הֲוָה אָזֵיל, בְּגִין דִּתְרֵי חוּלָקֵי הֲווֹ בֵיהּ, וַעֲלֵיהּ כְּתִיב עִם חָסִיד תִּתְחַסָּד, וְעִם עִקֵּשׁ תִּתְפַּתָּל. עִם חָסִיד בְּסִטְרָא דְּחֶסֶ"ד, וְעִם עִקֵּשׁ בְּסִטְרָא דְדִינָא קַשְׁיָא, כֹּלָּא כִּדְקָא יָאוֹת.