"So Esau went to Ismael and took Mochalot,the daughter of Ismael son of Abraham,sister of Neboath, in addition to his wives, as a wife for himself." (28:9)
After Issac instructed his son Jacob not to marry a Cannanite woman, Esau then takes a wife from the house of Ismael. Esau realizes his father's displeasure with the Cannanite woman so he then marries from the house of Abraham. However, the verse clearly states that Esau does not divorce any of his Cannanite wives. This is very preculiar? This will perhapes help us understand Esau. We find a very interesting Talmud Yerushalmi (Nedarim 3:8), as follows: "Rabbi Acha says in the name of Rabbi Huna: In the future, the evil Esau will don his tallis and go sit among the righteous in Gan Edan, and G-d will drag him out of there."
There is a common problem that many of us have that causes us to despair and give up. We may be doing well when all of a sudden we fall down. Consequently, we get depressed and give up. If you want to know how to deal with this, see the dvar Torah on Toldos.
Parshas Toldos
This week was the Yahrzeit of my Uncle Jack, Yaccov ben Dovid, 27 Cheshvan. I'm writing this for his merit.
The Torah elaborates on the wells that Yitzchok dug [Breishis 26:19]. First he dug and couldn't find water. He then continued digging until he found some, but then others quarreled with him and took over his wells. He finally found a well with water that he was able to use in peace and he called the area Rechovot
Parshas Toldos
The Torah tells us that when Yacov cooked the red lentils Eisav said, “Pour into me, now, some of that very red stuff...” and since red is Edom in Hebrew, that’s why he was called Edom. [Breishis 25:30]
The Sefer Tallelei Oros brings the Skulener Rebbe who asks that how is it that just because Eisav said once the word “red” that he was named Edom for all the generations?
He answers that this wasn’t just a chance expression that came out of this wicked man’s mouth
Toldos
I have brought from the Lev Eliyahu-Rav Eliyahu Lopian,z’tl (Parshas Lech Lecho-last year’s dvar Torah) how important it is to work on midos-characteristic traits.
One who is used to living according to his characteristic traits and desires and does not take to his heart to work against his desires and conquer the evil inclination, then when an impulse and desire enter his heart he runs after it as an animal runs after a beautiful tree. And the waves of the ocean of his imagination are pulling him from all sides. And even if his intellect tells him that the end will be bitter, his heart won’t budge one iota from following his desire into the deepest pits of destruction.
The Lev Eliyahu , Rav Eliyahu Lopian,z’tl,in Parshas Toldos brings two
This week we have the mighty Parashas Toldos in which the next generation in our genealogy is introduced in the Torah. Given over in this week's sedra are the events surrounding the birth of Yaakov and Esav which include the initial description of Rivka's barrenness and the consequent short account of the successful praying which led to her pregnancy. We then see how Rivka was told by Hashem some incredible prophetic details that “two nations are in your womb” and that “the elder shall serve the younger” [both 25:23]. The famous birth of Yaakov and Esav is then presented with the Torah describing how Esav was born both red and hairy and that Yaakov “emerged with his hand grasping on to the heel of Esav” [25:26]. We then see how the two sons grew up with Esav being described as an “איש שדה/ish sadeh”, a man of the field, and Yaakov an “איש תם/ish tam”, a wholesome man, who was said to abide in tents... which Rashi teaches us
Early in this week's Parsha, upon discovering a strange pushing in her stomach, Rivka asks, "If so, why am I thus?" and consequently "she went to inquire of Hashem" (Genesis 25:22). Rashi interprets that she went to the academy of the prophet Shem son of Noah who would be able to tell her what was happening.
In reference to this "pushing", Rashi explains that Esav and Yaakov were pushing and fighting one another in her womb, engaging in "the battle for the settlement of the two worlds". The Maharal of Prague clarifies that these "two worlds" refer to this world and the World to Come. He then asks according to this simple understanding of Rashi, why were the brothers already fighting while still in the womb, even before entering this world where the battle should take place?
At the end of this week's Parsha, Esav hears that his brother Yaacov has been sent away to find a wife so that he will not have to marry a Canaanite woman. Let us put ourselves into Esav's position. He has just experienced one of the greatest tragedies in history, watching helplessly as the ever-important blessings slipped through his fingers. At the time of the blessings, Esav was already married to two idolatrous Canaanite women, as is mentioned earlier in the parsha. Although the Torah writes in no uncertain terms that his parents had disapproved of his marriages from the very beginning, apparently that fact did not make a substantial impression on Esav until now
1)There’s only three Avimelechs!
In pasuk 26:1 Yitzchak goes to Avimelech, king of the Plishtim because of the famine in the land. Now we’ve heard the name Avimelech before; he was the Plishtim king in the days of Avraham. Was he the same person? The Tur al HaTorah gives two approaches here. Either he was the very same Avimelech, or Avimelech was a generic name given to the Plishtim king - just like Pharaoh in Egypt. This is why, says the Tur, there was an Avimelech in the days of David too.
2) MISGUIDED LOVE
In 25:28 we are told that Yitzchak loved Eisav, seemingly over Yaakov. Could Yitzchak really have got it that wrong in loving the wicked son over the righteous one? The Netziv notes that there are two types of love. The first is a real love for the person himself. The second type, however, is just a love in that one realises that this person can give you things/make you happy. It is this second type of love which Yitzchak had for Eisav; Yitzchak’s love for Eisav was merely
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Site Dedication
This website is dedicated to the memories of
Moshe Shlomo ben R'Shmuel | Shlomo ben R'Chaim | Aryeh Leib ben Pinchas Tzvi
