Tol-dot -- Jacob's a jerk

In Tol-dot, we are given the story of Isaac after his father has died. He and Rebekah have two sons, twins, born to them: Esau and Jacob, who were struggling in the womb; they emerged, Esau first with Jacob clinging to his heel.

We are told that Isaac re-digs the wells his father had dug which were plugged up by the Philistines. He gives them the same names. This seems to have two meanings: It refers back to the notion of comfort that we saw in parsha Hayyei Sarah. Isaac is remembering his father and making sure that his good acts were not lost. But it can also be seen as a way of re-affirming what his father taught him. To remember God and to follow the teachings his great father had given him. To keep digging deeper to find the source of all life and make it accessible to others. This act says "I remember and I will do."

After this, though, the portion gets more dificult. The story of the brothers is really disturbing to me. The younger, Jacob, tricks the elder, Esau, out of his birthright and his father's blessing. And this is the forefather of our people? Are we supposed to be proud of the way Jacob tricked his old, dying father into giving him a blessing instead of the brother whom it was intended for? It's appalling! And it leaves Esau crying, begging for SOME kind of blessing from his father. Isaac states specifically that he is going to give his innermost blessing to Esau when he returns with a meal for him; instead, Rebekah dresses Jacob up in Esau's clothes and sends him in to get the blessing. Why? Why? Why? And when Isaac asks how he was able to capture game and prepare it so quickly, Jacob answers, "The Lord your god granted me good fortune." So, he's lying to his father, and he's claiming that God made it easy for him. For this he's blessed? When Esau comes back and all is understood, he stands crying, pleading, begging his father for a blessing, but Isaac has given it to Jacob. I feel so badly for Esau. What am I supposed to learn from this heinous scene?? It certainly doesn't make me want to follow in the steps of Jacob, though that's where the bloodline flows and from whence Judaism will spring.

But there has to be something. Torah is not about how to screw your brother.

Is this a lesson in mind over muscle? Esau was a man who relied on his brawn to make a living, while Jacob was more of a thinker. A tiller of soil, he had to plan and plant, seed and sow. He had to think about what would come from his work and plan for what to do after that. Esau wanted, he got, but his plans were for the immediate, never thinking ahead. When he asks Jacob for some lentil soup early on in the portion, he readily sells Jacob his birthright without a thought to the ramifications therein. His only concern is "Gosh, I'm hungry, that soup looks good; sure, you can have my birthright for a bowl of soup!" Not too clever, he. Are we to learn here that brute force is not the way? One must use their brain to move ahead? One must make plans, one must look ahead and examine the possible outcomes of our actions? We can't dance all summer away without preparing for the cold winter. We cannot only live for immediate gratification. We must also plan for bad times. "Hope for the best, expect the worst/ You could be Tolstoy or Fannie Hurst."

Jacob's a jerk...but he's clever, and he knew what had to be done. Esau had no foresight and that's what Judaism needed before there was Judaism.

Still, I can't help feeling badly for Esau and I cry with him, "Bless me too!!"

Shalom rav!
Lev