25. Rabbi Yitzchak said, It is written, "And the children struggled together within her; and she said, 'If it be so, why am I thus?' And she went to inquire of Hashem" (Beresheet 25:22). Where did she go? To the academy of Shem and Ever. "...The children struggled together within her," because the wicked Esau was warring against Jacob there. The term 'struggle' (Heb. vayitrotzatzu) is similar to the expression 'to break' (Heb. ratzatz) one's head, for they struggled and were divided. Come and behold, ESAU was of the side of he who rides the serpent, SAMAEL, while JACOB was of the side who rides the perfect Holy Throne, of the side of the sun, ZEIR ANPIN, that is united with the moon, THE NUKVA.

26. Come and behold, since Esau followed on the serpent, Jacob dealt with him slyly, as the serpent was cunning and had crooked ways. As it is written, "the serpent was craftier" (Beresheet 3:1), which means that he was cunning AND SLY. What Jacob did with Esau was serpent-like. This was as it ought to have been -- making Esau go after that serpent, so that he would be separated from Jacob, and thus share nothing with him in this world or in the World to Come. Thus we learn, "He who comes to kill you, hasten to kill him first." It is written, "In the womb he took his brother by the (Hoshea 12:4), which means that he lowered him down by the heel, THAT IS, SEPARATED HIM FROM HOLINESS AND LOWERED HIM INTO THE SIDE OF DEFILEMENT CALLED 'HEEL,' WHICH WAS AT THE END OF HOLINESS. This is the meaning of, "and his hand took hold of Esau's heel" (Beresheet 25:26), for he put his hands on the heel to subjugate him TO HOLINESS.

27. Another explanation of the verse, "and his hand took hold..." is that Jacob could not be separated from him entirely, so his hand held the heel of Esau. His hand is the moon, WHICH IS THE NUKVA, CALLED THE 'HAND OF TIFERET,' WHICH IS JACOB, whose light was darkened because he held Esau's heel. Therefore, Jacob needed to be clever with him, to push him down, so he would cleave to his place IN THE OTHER SIDE AND BE COMPLETELY SEVERED FROM HOLINESS.

28. "And he called his name Jacob," MEANS THAT the Holy One, blessed be He, assuredly called him 'Jacob.' Come and behold, it is written, "and he called his name 'Jacob'" (Beresheet 27:36), and not, 'and his name was called Jacob.' But "Did he not rightly call him "Jacob,' for he has supplanted me (Heb. ya'akveni)?" (Ibid.) THIS REFERS TO THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, WHO CALLED HIM 'JACOB.' Surely the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that the primordial serpent was wise in an evil way. When Jacob came, THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, said that he must be wiser than the serpent. Therefore He called him 'Jacob,' WHO BECAME KNOWN FOR HIS WISDOM. HE KNEW HOW TO DECEIVE THE SERPENT AND TO SEPARATE HIM FROM ALL THINGS HOLY.

29. We have already explained that wherever it is written, "He called," WITHOUT ALLUDING TO WHO CALLED, it is the lower grade, THE NUKVA, as it is written, "And ...called Moses" (Vayikra 1:1). IT IS THE NUKVA, WHO CALLED TO MOSES. And here it is written, "and he called his name 'Jacob'" (Beresheet 25:26). HERE, TOO, IT IS THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN WHO CALLED HIS NAME 'JACOB.' For no man even named Jacob, as it is written elsewhere, "And called it (lit. 'him') El the Elohim Yisrael" (Beresheet 33:20). This is the Holy One, blessed be He, who called Jacob 'El.' He said to him: 'I am El among the upper, and you are El among the lower.' THIS IS TO SHOW THAT HE WAS NOT NAMED BY FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT BY THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE.

30. Come and behold, Jacob knew that Esau had to cleave to the tortuous serpent. As a result, in all that Esau did, he acted as slyly and crookedly, just like another tortuous serpent. This is as it ought to be. This agrees with the words of Rabbi Shimon, "And Elohim created the great crocodiles," which refer to Jacob and Esau, "and every living creature that moves" (Beresheet 1:21), refers to the levels between them. FOR JACOB AND ESAU ARE CALLED 'CROCODILES,' THAT IS, 'SERPENTS,' AS HAS BEEN EXPLAINED. ESAU WAS THE TORTUOUS SERPENT, AND JACOB DREW AGAINST HIMSELF A KIND OF TORTUOUS SERPENT. By necessity, Jacob needed to behave wisely TO STAND against the other serpent. This is as it must be.

31. For that reason, one he goat is sacrificed monthly, to draw the serpent to his place so that he will be separated from the moon, THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHOSE LIGHT WAS COVERED BY ESAU'S HEEL. In addition, a he-goat should be sacrificed on Yom Kippur. This is done with wisdom, so as to control the serpent, so that he can not do evil. This is the meaning of the verse: "and the goat (Heb. sa'ir) shall bear upon it all their iniquities..." (Vayikra 16:22). This refers to Esau, who is hairy (Heb. sa'ir). All of this was done wisely and cleverly. Why? Because it is written, "and with the perverse you will show yourself subtle" (Tehilim 18:27). This is the evil serpent, the tortuous spirit, wise in wickedness, who accuses above and incites below.

32. For this reason, Yisrael hasten to treat him with sly wisdom, so he will not be able to cause evil and rule. Therefore Jacob, who is imbued with the true Faith, treated Esau in all that he did so that there would be no place for that serpent to defile the Temple, or approach it and thereby rule the world. Thus, Abraham did not need to behave slyly, and neither did Isaac. For Esau, who was on the side of the serpent, had not yet come into the world. But Jacob, the landlord, THE HUSBAND OF THE SHECHINAH, had to stand against that serpent to prevent him from ruling and defiling the Temple of Jacob, THE NUKVA. Therefore, Jacob had to FIGHT HIM more CLEVERLY than the rest of the people in the world. Hence, BECAUSE JACOB FOUGHT WITH HIM SLYLY AND BOUGHT HIS BIRTHRIGHT AND BLESSINGS FROM HIM, Holy Yisrael was chosen to be the part and portion of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written, "For Hashem's portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance" (Devarim 32:9).