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Parsha Toldot
Gabrielle Javit at her Bat Mitzvah
There's an old saying that history is written by the winners and that the winners like to say good things about themselves and their forefathers. We, as Jews are Bnei Yisrael, both spiritually and, as we learned two weeks ago, genetically as well. Yisrael is the younger son of Yitzchak, whom we first meet in my parsha, Parshat Toldot. Except, his name was not yet Yisrael, a name that means one who wrestles with God. It was Yaakov. Not a very dignified name. Some say it comes from the fact that he was holding onto Esav's heel. Some say it's because he was a trickster - "Vayakveni ze paamayim" as Esav said, "he tricked me twice." Either way, not the name for the ancestor of the entire Jewish people.
Let's look at who this Yaakov was and what merit he had to father a great nation..Toldot tells us rather little. He sits around at home. He doesn't tend the sheep. He doesn't hunt. He doesn't look after his parents needs. He sits in tents. Now the Rabbis came along 2,000 years later and told us in their wisdom that means he was studying torah. Unfortunately those commentators don't seem to remember that the torah would not be given at har Sinai for another hundred years.
Esav is the one who cares for his parents. He sees to their sustenance. There was no sin in being a hunter in those days. It's how people ate before Katz's and Kosher mart. Our sages had a tolerant view of Esav. Midrash Agadah says that
"God prohibited israel from making war against edom
because Esav was exemplary in Kibud Av, Respecting his parents."
Breshit Raba says that "David's victory against Edom was not complete and Edomwill endure until the moschiach comes as a reward for
Esav's piety." So who is the good guy and who is the bad guy in this story?
We first meet Yaakov when Esav comes in from the field, tired and hungry. Yaakov has just made a pot of soup and Esav wants some. Naturally, we would expect Yaakov to show at least as much hospitality to Esav as Avraham showed to those who came to Avraham's tent. When the strangers came, Avraham immediately welcomed them, washed their feet, and fed them. When Yaakov's own brother comes, he refuses him sustenance unless Esav is willing to part with his birthright. It's hard to believe that Esav was even serious when he verbally traded the birthright. First of all, that's not something you can trade. Secondly, what brother would demand such a thing for a bowl of soup. Thirdly, what birthright is there? Some sheep and tents? it's not like they owned Potomac.
At least from the opening of Toldot, there doesn't seem to be much to like about Yaakov. He is happy to let others care for his needs, he is stingy with what he has, and he is jealous of his brother's standing. The rest of the Parsha will not make him look much better. He will go on to deceive Yitzchak to secure his bracha and will then flee his home to avoid being killed by a justifiably outraged Esav.
As the author of "the Torah of Rivka", Rabbi Riskin has already taught us (and may teach us again) that Rivka is the heroine of Toldot and of the Jewish people. She took the sin that Yaakov committed on her own shoulders and propelled Yaakov to center stage. Why did she do it? What was that fantastic quality of Yaakov's that made her tear her family apart and deceive her husband.
My suggestion is that there was no fantastic quality. The Yaakov of Toldot is just the self-centered, jealous, trickster the torah says he is. Sometimes the plain meaning of the text is really the plain meaning. It's not that Yaakov is great, it's that Rivka has no choice but to choose him. Right before the "voice is the voice of Jacob's" scene is the answer to the whole riddle.
ESAV MARRIED OUT!!!!! HE MARRIED A CANAANITE, A HITTITE!!! HE COULD NEVER CARRY THE INHERITANCE OF AVRAHAM!!!
The torah is very clear on this, Vatihiyena Marat Ruach l'Yitzcak u'l'Rivka. Yitzchak and Rivka were miserable over this. Rivka had no choice but to bet the whole future on Yakov, imperfect though he was. Yitzchak too, but Yitzchak had a larger problem. If he openly gave the bracha to Yakov, Esav would be publicly humiliated by his father and might even kill his parents. Yakov has to go along with the charade and then hope that Yakov can outrun Esav.
So where does Toldot leave us? Esav is furious and on the warpath. Yakov is on the run and certainly no role model for the Jewish people. It's a good thing we have the rest of sefer Breishit. That's because the rest of Breishit is about the transformation of Yakov into Yisrael. It's about how someone who starts out as a conniver ends up wrestling with an angel and living to tell about it.
Yaakov is like a young Luke Skywalker, slowly becoming a Jeddi Knight, always at risk of succumbing to the dark side. Yaakov will have many trials. He will be treated cruelly by Lavan and he will accept his fate. He will face his brother and summon sufficient courage that he gains Esav's grudging respect. He will be challenged by his own sons and know great pain. Not only will he have to deal with the way his children treat Yosef, he will have to deal with the way his children will treat Shechem. Becoming Yisrael will not be easy and it will be painful, but he will do it.
It's interesting to me that the stories we tell of our great leaders do not include them being born great. Look at the heros of others. King Arthur was great from the moment he was born. He was the chosen one to pull the sword from the stone. On the other hand, our great king, David HaMelech was born a simple shepherd, descended from a Moabite, with many imperfections. Even as Israel's greatest king, his flaws were visible for all and cost him dearly. Moshe Rabbeinu, grew up as a spoiled Prince in a Pharo's palace. When God called, he tried to flee. Like Yaakov, he had his own wrestling to do with God before he was ready to lead a people.
Maybe we Jews don't believe in great leaders who are born by magic and lead charmed lives. Instead, we believe that flawed people can become great leaders by engaging with Hashem and not fleeing the challenge. What was the secret of Yakov in Toldot? He was the wrong man, in the right place, at the right time. The challenge was given to him because Rivka had no other choice. Ultimately he accepted the challenge and wrestled the angel. It's a good thing he did, because otherwise we wouldn't be here today.
