"The best clothes of her eldest son Esau"

Synopsis

In this section the Rabbis continue their analysis of events leading to Yitzchak's "mistaken" blessing of Jacob. They explain the origin of Esau's clothing, which was given by Rivkah to Jacob. In truth, Isaac was not deceived into believing Jacob was actually Esau. Jacob's clothing radiated a scent direct from the Garden of Eden. Isaac blessed Jacob because the garments emitted this holy aroma - not because he was deceived. Isaac realized that this fragrance could only accompany someone worthy of the blessing. Thus, we learn that Jacob embodied the power and soul of Adam. Rabbi Elazar describes the relationship of Jacob to Adam in terms of Jacob's beauty. This also illuminates his relationship to the realm of Binah.

Relevance

Adam originally wore the garments mentioned above in the Garden of Eden -- hence, the garments' Divine scent when Jacob wore them. Jacob, we are told, is the embodiment of Adam, and his original clothes are returned to him by Rivkah. The Zohar is developing a lesson concerning a natural law: all things eventually return to their rightful owners. Nothing that truly belongs to us can ever really leave us. Whatever we lose, we never really had. This enlightened view of life is awakened within us. The scent of the Garden of Eden is infused within us, so that we emit this fragrance [Light] in our lives, wherever we go. People around us will sense this Light.

Adam Esau Garments Hands Jeremiah Nimrod Rebecca Soul, The

131. "And Rivkah took the best clothes of her eldest son Esau" (Beresheet 27:15). These are the garments Esau took from Nimrod. They are the precious garments from Adam, which came to the hands of Nimrod, who used them when he hunted, as it is written, "He was a mighty hunter before Hashem" (Beresheet 10:9). And Esau went into the field, where he fought with and killed Nimrod, removing the garments from him. This is the meaning of "and Esau came the field, and he was faint" (Beresheet 25:29). It has already been explained why it is here written, "And he was faint," and elsewhere, "for my soul faints before the slayers" (Yirmeyah 4:31). THESE ARE ANALOGOUS. THERE IT IS WRITTEN "FAINT" TO REFER TO KILLING. HERE TOO, THERE IS KILLING, BECAUSE ESAU MURDERED NIMROD.

131. וַתִּקַּח רִבְקָה אֶת בִּגְדֵי עֵשָׂו וגו', אִלֵּין אִינוּן לְבוּשִׁין דְּרָוַוח עֵשָׂו מִנִּמְרוֹד, וְאִלֵּין לְבוּשֵׁי יְקָר, דַּהֲווֹ מִן אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, וַאֲתוֹ לְיָדָא דְּנִמְרוֹד, וּבְהוֹ הֲוָה צָד צֵידָה, נִמְרוֹד, דִּכְתִיב הוּא הָיָה גִּבּוֹר צַיִד לִפְנֵי יי' וגו', וְעֵשָׂו נְפַק לְחַקְלָא, וְאַגַּח בֵּיהּ קְרָבָא בְּנִמְרוֹד, וְקָטַל לֵיהּ, וּנְסַב אִלֵּין לְבוּשִׁין מִנֵּיהּ, הה"ד וַיָּבֹא עֵשָׂו מִן הַשָּׂדֶה וְהוּא עָיֵף, וְאוֹקְמוּהָ, כְּתִיב הָכָא וְהוּא עָיֵף, וּכְתִיב הָתָם כִּי עָיְפָה נַפְשִׁי לְהֹרְגִים.

Adam Blessing Esau Fragrance Garments Isaac Jacob Rebecca

132. וְעֵשָׂו הֲוָה סָלֵיק לוֹן לְאִינוּן לְבוּשִׁין, לְגַבָּהּ דְּרִבְקָה, וּבְהוֹ הֲוָה נָפֵיק וְצָד צֵידָה, וְהַהוּא יוֹמָא לָא נְטַל לוֹן, וּנְפַק לְחַקְלָא, וְאִתְעַכַּב תַּמָּן. וְכַד הֲוָה לָבֵישׁ לוֹן עֵשָׂו, לָא הֲווֹ סָלְקִין רֵיחִין כְּלָל, כֵּיוָן דְּלָבֵישׁ לוֹן יַעֲקֹב, כְּדֵין תָבַת אֲבֵדָה לְאַתְרָהּ, וּסְלִיקוּ רֵיחִין, בְּגִין דְּשׁוּפְרֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב, שׁוּפְרֵיהּ דְּאָדָם הֲוָה. וּבְגִין כָּך אַהֲדָרוּ בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא לְאַתְרַיְיהוּ, וּסְלִיקוּ רֵיחִין.

Adam Adonai Apples Cubits Earth Faith Heaven Heel Hundred Jacob Light Sin Sun

133. Rabbi Yosi said, YOU SAY THAT Jacob's beauty was the beauty of Adam. How could this be? We learned that the apple of Adam's heel eclipsed the orb of the sun. Could you say that for Jacob? Rabbi Elazar replied, assuredly before Adam sinned no creature could behold his beauty. But after he sinned, his beauty changed, his stature diminished, and he was a hundred cubits high. BUT BEFORE THE SIN, HIS HEIGHT WAS FROM EARTH TO HEAVEN. THE BEAUTY OF JACOB WAS LIKE THE BEAUTY OF ADAM AFTER HE SINNED. Come and behold, Adam's beauty is a mystery on which supernal faith, BINAH, stems. THAT IS, HE ACHIEVED THE LIGHT OF BINAH AND THERE ATTAINED THIS BEAUTY. Of this, the scripture says "And let the beauty of Adonai our Elohim be upon us" (Tehilim 90:17), AS THE LIGHT OF BINAH IS CALLED 'BEAUTY.' It is also written, "to behold the beauty of Hashem" (Tehilim 27:4). This is, assuredly, the beauty of Jacob, THAT IS, HE ACHIEVED THE LIGHT OF BINAH, AS DID ADAM. And all is in the supernal mystery.

133. אֲמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, שׁוּפְרֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב דְּאִיהוּ שׁוּפְרֵיהּ דְּאָדָם אֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר, וְהָא תָּנִינָן, תַּפּוּחַ עֲקֵבוֹ דְּאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, מַכְּהֶה גַּלְגַּל חַמָּה, וְאִי תֵימָא דְּכָךְ הֲוָה יַעֲקֹב. אָמַר לוֹ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, וַדַּאי הָכֵי הֲוָה, בְּקַדְמֵיתָא עַד לָא חָב אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, לֹא הֲווֹ יָכְלִין כָּל בְּרִיָין לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בְּשׁוּפְרֵיהּ, כֵּיוָן דְּחָטָא, אִשְׁתַּנֵּי שׁוּפְרֵיהּ, וְנִתְמָאֵךְ רוּמֵיהּ, וְאִתְעֲבֵיד בַּר מְאָה אַמִּין. וְתָּא חֲזֵי, שׁוּפְרֵיהּ דְּאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, רָזָא אִיהוּ, דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא עִלָּאָה תַּלְיָא בְּהַהוּא שׁוּפְרָא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ, וִיהִי נֹעַם יי' אֱלֹהֵינוּ עָלֵינוּ. וּכְתִיב לַחֲזוֹת בְּנֹעַם יי', וְדָא הוּא שׁוּפְרֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב וַדַּאי, וְכֹלָּא רָזָא עִלָּאָה אִיהוּ.

Curtain Garments Heavens Isaac Jacob Light

134. "And he smelled the smell of his garments, and blessed him" (Beresheet 27:27). Come and behold, It is not written, "and he smelled the smell of the garments" but "the smell of his garments." This is according to the verse, "Who covers Himself with light as with a garment, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain" (Tehilim 104:2). Another explanation is that once Jacob wore them, they emitted an aroma. As long as Isaac did not smell the aroma of the garments, he did not bless him. But then, WHEN THEY EMITTED AN AROMA, he knew that the wearer was worthy of being blessed. For if he did not deserve to be blessed, no holy aroma would be put forth. This is the meaning of the verse "and he smelled the smell of his garments, and blessed him."

134. וַיָּרַח אֶת רֵיחַ בְּגָדָיו וַיְבָרֲכֵהוּ. תָּא חֲזֵי, וַיָּרַח אֶת רֵיחַ הַבְּגָדִים לֹא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא רֵיחַ בְּגָדָיו, כְּדָּבָר אֲחֵר עוֹטֶה אוֹר כַּשַּׂלְמָה נוֹטֶה שָׁמַיִם כַּיְרִיעָה. דָּבָר אֲחֵר וַיָּרַח אֶת רֵיחַ בְּגָדָיו וַיְבָרֲכֵהוּ. דְּכֵיוָן דְּאַלְבֵּישׁ לוֹן יַעֲקֹב, סְלִיקוּ רֵיחִין בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא, וְעַד דְּלָא אָרַח רֵיחִין דִּלְבוּשֵׁיהּ, לָא בָּרֲכֵיהּ, דְּהָא כְּדֵין יָדַע דְּאִתְחֲזֵי הוּא לְאִתְבָּרְכָא, דְּאי לָא אִתְחֲזֵי לְאִתְבָּרְכָא, לָא סְלִיקוּ כָּל הַנֵּי רֵיחִין קַדִּישִׁין בַּהֲדֵיהּ, הה"ד וַיָּרַח אֶת רֵיחַ בְּגָדָיו וַיְבָרֲכֵהוּ.

Apples Isaac Nukva Patriarchs Shechinah Zeir Anpin

135. "And said, See, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field which Hashem has blessed" (Beresheet 27:27). The meaning of "and said" is not clear, FOR IT IS NOT KNOWN WHO SAID IT. Some say it is the Shechinah; some say it was Isaac who said "like the smell of a field which Hashem has blessed." HE ASKS, What is this field? AND HE ANSWERS, This is a field of apple trees, NAMELY, THE NUKVA CALLED 'THE FIELD OF HOLY APPLES,' which the supernal Patriarchs, CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN support and cultivate.

135. וַיֹּאמֶר רְאֵה רֵיחַ בְּנִי כְּרֵיחַ שָׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרֲכוֹ יי'. וַיֹּאמֶר: מִלָּה סְתִים הוּא. אִית דְּאַמְרֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא הֲוַת, וְאִית דְּאַמְרֵי יִצְחָק הֲוָה. כְּרֵיחַ שָׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרֲכוֹ יי', מַאן שָׂדֶה, דָּא שָׂדֶה דְּתַפּוּחִים. שָׂדֶה דַּאֲבָהָן עִלָּאִין סְמִיכוּ לֵיהּ וּמְתַקְנִין לֵיהּ.