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Toldos

Written by Daniel King

“these are the descendants (toldos) of Yitzchak” Rashi tells us that these are Yaakov and Esav mentioned in the Parsha. Why are both sons mentioned in the Parsha?

According to Chasidic teachings Yaakov represents the soul and Esav the body. The parsha is therefore named after both sons because the soul and the body each have their own qualities.

The soul is descirbed as a “child” of Hashem because the love shared between the soul and Hashem is a natural love like the parent-child relationship.

The body however, has no inherent love for Hashem, in fact it hides Hashem. All bodies look similar to one another. But the body is necessary in this world in order to bring the spiritual into the physical (hence why Mitzvos done with the body).

Judaism is not a religion that believes in abstaining from the physical (eating on Shabbos is a mitzva, post-marital relations are a mitzva). However, we do not over-indulge in the physical. Rather Judaism teaches us to engage in physical actions but to bring spirituality into them.

This is why Yaakov, the soul, and Esav, the body, are both mentioned in the Parsha, as both are important.

Adapted from the Gutnik Chumash

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