"And the boys grew...for he relished his venison"

Synopsis

The discussion moves to a more profound understanding of the metaphor of Esau as a hunter. Even in the womb, Jacob was drawn to the Creator, while Esau was drawn to idolatry. As a cunning hunter, Esau stole the minds of men and led them astray so that they would rebel against the Creator. As the Rabbis probe the issue of why Isaac did not know these things about his son, we discover that the Shechinah wanted only Jacob to be blessed with the spirit of the Creator, which is precisely what transpired.

Relevance

The verses pertaining to Esau's coercing men into idolatry, function as a kind of spiritual homeopathy. Just as the cure for a deadly snake bite resides within the venom of the snake, the remedy for strengthening our consciousness against temptations of the material world resides within the verses that speak of these matters. We also draw the Light of the Shechinah into our lives through the merit of Jacob.

Abraham Chassadim Esau Faith Holiness (Kedushah) Idolatry Jacob Kedushah (Holiness) Merit Precepts

73. "And the boys grew..." (Beresheet 25:27). This refers to the side of Abraham, THE RIGHT SIDE, WHICH IS CHASSADIM AND which caused them to grow. His merit supported them, for he was teaching them the precepts, as it is written, "For I know him, that he will command (Et) his children" (Beresheet 18:19). THE PARTICLE ET means that Jacob and Esau are included AMONG HIS SONS. Therefore, the explanation of, "And the boys grew," IS THAT THEY GREW IN HOLINESS, ONLY AFTERWARDS ESAU BECAME CORRUPTED. Rabbi Elazar disagreed. HE BELIEVES THAT each went his own way - one towards faith, and the other towards idolatry.

73. וַיִּגְדְּלוּ הַנְּעָרִים. סִטְרָא דְאַבְרָהָם גָּרִים לוֹן לְאִתְגַּדָּלָא, וּזְכוּתֵיהּ סִיַּיע לוֹן, הוּא הֲוָה מְחַנֵּךְ לוֹן בְּמִצְוֹת, דִּכְתִיב, כִּי יְדַעְתִּיו לְמַעַן אֲשֶׁר יְצַוֶּה אֶת בָּנָיו וגו', לְאַסְגָּאָה יַעֲקֹב וְעֵשָׂו. וַיִּגְדְּלוּ הַנְּעָרִים וַיְהִי עֵשָׂו אִישׁ יוֹדֵעַ צַיִד וגו'. אֲמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, כָּל חַד וְחַד, אִתְפְּרַשׁ לְאָרְחֵיהּ דָּא לְסִטְרָא דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא, וְדָא לְסִטְרָא דַּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה.

Deeds Esau Idolatry Jacob Precepts Rebecca Torah Wicked Wickedness

74. So it was. While still in Rivkah's womb, each went toward his own side. When she was performing good deeds or passing near a place that is favorable to the precepts of Torah, Jacob was glad and struggled to come out. And when she walked past a place of idolatry, the wicked one struggled to come out. This has already been explained. For that reason, when they were born into the world, each was drawn to the place he deserved. Therefore it is written, "And the boys grew, and Esau was a cunning hunter...," WHICH MEANS THAT HE LED PEOPLE ASTRAY TO REBEL AGAINST HASHEM.

74. וְכֵן הֲוָה בְּמֵעוֹי דְרִבְקָה, דְּתַמָּן כָּל חַד אָזֵיל לְסִטְרֵיהּ, דְּכַד אִיהִי אִשְׁתַּדְּלַת בְּעוֹבָדִין דְּכָשְׁרָן, אוֹ עֲבָרַת סְמִיךְ לַאֲתַר טַב, לְמֶעְבַּד פִּקּוּדֵי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא, הֲוָה יַעֲקֹב חָדֵי, וְדָחִיק לְנָפְקָא, וְכַד הֲוַות אָזְלָא, סְמִיךְ לַאֲתַר ע"ז, הַהוּא רָשָׁע בָּטַשׁ לְנָפְקָא, וְאוֹקְמוּהָ. וּבְגִין כָּך, כַּד אִתְבְּרִיאוּ וּנְפָקוּ לְעַלְמָא, כָּל חַד אִתְפְּרַשׁ, וְאָזֵיל וְאִתְמְשַׁךְ בְּדוּכְתֵּיהּ. דְּאִתְחֲזֵי לֵיהּ, וְעַל דָּא, וַיִּגְדְּלוּ הַנְּעָרִים וַיְהִי עֵשָׂו אִישׁ יוֹדֵעַ צַיִד וגו'.

Esau Isaac Prayer

75. "And Isaac loved Esau, for he relished his venison" (Beresheet 24:28). This verse has been explained. Here, it is written, "a cunning hunter, a man of the field," while elsewhere it is written, "he was a mighty hunter" (Beresheet 10:9). THERE IT MEANS THAT HE DELUDED MEN AND LED THEM ASTRAY TO REBEL AGAINST HASHEM; HERE, IT MEANS THE SAME. THUS, "a man of the field" is one who robbed and murdered people. And ESAU said HE WENT TO THE FIELD to pray, AS IT IS WRITTEN OF ISAAC, "AND ISAAC WENT OUT TO MEDITATE IN THE FIELD" (BERESHEET 24:63). He hunted AND CHEATED ISAAC through his mouth, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "HE RELISHED HIS VENISON (LIT. THERE WAS VENISON IN HIS MOUTH)." HE WAS CALLED "a man of the field," because his lot was not in a populated place, but in a desolate place, in the open wilderness, in the field. Thus, he was called "a man of the field."

75. וַיֶּאֱהַב יִצְחָק אֶת עֵשָׂו כִּי צַיִד בְּפִיו, הָא אוֹקְמוּהָ, דִּכְתִיב, אִישׁ יוֹדֵעַ צַיִד אִישׁ שָׂדֶה. וּכְתִיב הָתָם, הוּא הָיָה גִבּוֹר צַיִד אִישׁ שָׂדֶה, לְקַפְּחָא לוֹן לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא, וּלְקָטְלָא לוֹן, וְאִיהוּ אֲמַר דַּעֲבֵיד צְלוֹתָא, וְצַיֵּיד לֵיהּ בְּפוּמֵיהּ. אִישׁ שָׂדֶה, בְּגִין דְּחוּלַק עַדְבֵיהּ, לַאו אִיהִי בְּיִשּׁוּבָא, אֶלָּא בַּאֲתַר חָרוּב, בְּמַדְבְּרָא, בְּחַקְלָא, וְעַל דָּא אִישׁ שָׂדֶה.

Deeds Esau Isaac Jacob Shechinah Wicked Wickedness

76. You may ask why Isaac did not know of all the wicked deeds of Esau, as the Shechinah was with him AND HE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN IT THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT. For without the Shechinah, how could he have blessed Jacob when he did? Assuredly, the Shechinah dwelt in his house and was with him always. But the Shechinah did not inform him of that, because Jacob was to be blessed only with the knowledge of the Holy One, blessed be He. And so it had to be. For when Jacob came before his father, the Shechinah came with him, and then Isaac saw in his mind that Jacob was worthy of being blessed and that he would be blessed by the approval of the Shechinah.

76. וְאִי תֵימָא, הֵיךְ לָא יָדַע יִצְחָק, כָּל עוֹבָדוֹי בִּישִׁין דְּעֵשָׂו, וְהָא שְׁכִינְתָּא הֲוַת עִמֵּיהּ, דְּאִי לָא שַׁרְיָא עִמֵּיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא, הֵיךְ יָכֵיל לְבָרְכָא לֵיהּ לְיַעֲקֹב, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּבָרְכֵיהּ. אֶלָּא וַדַּאי, שְׁכִינְתָּא הֲוַת דָּיְירָא עִמֵּיהּ בְּבֵיתָא, וְדָיְירָא עִמֵּיהּ תָּדִיר, אֲבָל לָא אוֹדְעָא לֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּיִתְבָּרֵךְ יַעֲקֹב בְּלָא דַעְתֵּיהּ, אֶלָּא בְּדַעְתֵּיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְהָכֵי אִצְטְרִיךְ, דִּבְהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא דְּעָאל יַעֲקֹב קַמֵּי אֲבוּהִי, עָאלַת עִמֵּיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא, וּכְדֵין חָמָא בְּדַעְתּוֹי יִצְחָק, דְּאִתְחֲזֵי לִבְרָכָא, וְיִתְבְּרִיךְ מִדַּעְתָּא דִשְׁכִינְתָּא.