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, was able to see through Esav’s charades and did not fall for such shams.
Why was it that Yitzhak could be deceived while Rivka saw through these shenanigans? The difference between the backgrounds of the two parents could be the answer. Yitzhak grew up in the household of Avraham who was a Tzadik and his word was to be trusted. Yitzhak took people’s statements at face value and did not question their honesty.
Rivka. However, grew up in the same household as her brother Lavan. He was a dishonest man and Rivka knew that you cannot always believe what people say. She questioned Esav’s motives and so was able to see through his actions.
We live in a world where people are not always honest. We should be suspicious of people and try to really understand their intentions. We should not be so naïve to believe everything we see and hear. That does not mean that we should suspect everyone and their motives. It simply means that we cannot take everything at face value. We have to be wise enough to discern between what is true and what is not.
