Researching the current fad for being the biggest nebach i.e. victim. I would like to nominate the original red neck - Esau. Why do Orthodox Jews want to emulate him? Esau was deceived by his own mother and brother and forced to sell his birth right to save his life. He was later defeated in a cosmic wrestling match and cheated out of marrying Leah. The real problem is that Esau is the prototype of the goy - so why aspire to be like him? Yitzchok seemed to be his only champion and admirer According to Malbim Yitzchok envisioned a partnership between the worldly manly Esau and the delicate yeshiva avreich in Yaakov.
If Shimon and Levi could emulate him, why not the Chareidim?
ReplyDeleteHow about Hevel?
ReplyDeleteGoing back to the subject of yaakov and esav - I'm wondering whether Yitzhak avinu had a hidden message _ ha kol kol yaakov, hayadayim ydey esav ? Is he perhaps saying that you can't just be kol yaakov, you also need to conduct your business affairs with ydei yaakov, not ydei esav?
ReplyDeleteNah, it's the basis for "Speak softly and carry a big stick"
DeleteThe gemara says be careful of those Perushim who act like Zimri, but want a reward like Pinchas
DeleteActual there is a tradition that says Yitzchok felt that Yakov needed a partnership with Esav and this was a fundamental disagreement he had with his wife who insisted that Yakov should avoid the evil Esav and not be partners
DeleteWhat relevance ?
DeleteThe gemora Sotah 22b simply says to avoid hypocrites
DeleteThere are several ways to understand what Yitzhak avinu is saying to Yaakov. (Arizal said there are 600,000 panim to the Torah)
DeleteWhat good is it to speak like Yaakov (righteous sage) if you make your hands like esav (criminal, mafia, Thief)
If Yaakov is deserving of a high reward, how can he use crime to achieve it?
There are commentators who explain that Yitzchok thought Eisav was materialistic but honest and righteous in that. His hope was that the two brothers, both tzadikim, would combine the spiritual and material together to build the nation.
DeleteRivkah, on the other hand, knew what Eisav's true nature was but she knew she couldn't convince Yitzchak.
Yitzhak and yaakov were neviim. Rivka, if she was a neviah, was not a great one.
Deleteאוּלַ֤י יְמֻשֵּׁ֙נִי֙ אָבִ֔י וְהָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינָ֖יו כִּמְתַעְתֵּ֑עַ וְהֵבֵאתִ֥י עָלַ֛י קְלָלָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א בְרָכָֽה׃
If my father touches me, I shall appear to him as a trickster and bring upon myself a curse, not a blessing.”
Empirical study shows that yaakov brought a curse upon himself more than a blessing.
As I said before, unlike with Sarah and Ishmael, in this case G-d does not tell itzhak to accept his wife's plot.