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Torah Portion -
Toldos
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Written by d fine
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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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Torah Portion -
Toldos
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Written by d fine
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The second pasuk of our sedra tells us that ‘Yitzchak was 40 years when he married Rivkah…’ Why, asks the Netziv, is it important for us to know how old Yitzchak was when he got married? The Netziv answers that this is to praise Yitzchak. For Yitzchak did not just marry any girl when he realised he was getting old; he made sure he found the right one. Thus, when he realised that there were no appropriate girls in his area, Eliezer was sent to find a wife for Yitzchak from further a field. Indeed, the Netziv continues that this is why Yaakov did not marry until he was 80 years old - for he simply had not found the right girl for him. The message is to make sure one does not settle for any old partner just because one feels that they will find no-one else. A marriage is about caring for each other and facilitating each other’s maximisation of their potentials. If there’s no-one appropriate then do not sell yourself short. Indeed, the concept behind this stretches further than marriage; when you do something, make sure you do it properly
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Torah Portion -
Toldos
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Written by Rafi Jager
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We all know the story of how Yitzhak loved Esav, and Rivka loved Yaakov. Chazal tell us that Yitzhak was fooled by Esav who made him think that he was very righteous. He would ask him Halachic questions so as to give the impression that he was very observant and wanted to learn the laws. Rivka, on the other had
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Torah Portion -
Toldos
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Written by Rafi Jager
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Rivka was having problems with her pregnancy and went to ask from the prophet of her time why she was having trouble. She was told that she was going to give birth to SHNE LE’UMIM, two nations. The usual word for nations is AMIM. Here the word LE’UMIM is used. R' Shimshon Raphael Hirsch in his commentary on the Torah refers us to the statement of Chazal: EYN LE’OM ELA MALCHUT, “the word LE’OM implies a kingdom”. (Avoda Zara 2b) This
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Torah Portion -
Toldos
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Written by Rafi Jager
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Esav came home from the fields hungry and his brother Yaakov was preparing food. Esav asked for some food and Yaakov agreed on condition that he gives over his birthright to him. Esav readily agreed to this feeling that he did not need it. After eating, the Torah tells us that Esav “ate and drank, got up and left” and then it
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