Parashat Toldot - A Journey of Choice (5 min read)

רפואה מן התורה
Healing from the Torah

     Torah has taught us so far some reoccurring themes (among others). First, mankind is a partner with God in maintaining and repairing the world.  Second, mankind is called into this role despite being flawed, thus being “righteous” means allowing the higher values and wisdom of Torah to be a guide as opposed to being better than one’s neighbor and/or without error.  We have seen this beginning with Adam and it continues this week.  In a world where we have been conditioned to excel, or conversely think we are not good enough, perhaps the theme of the normality of those who partner with God is a message that makes Torah more accessible in support of our spirituality?   This week we are in Parashat Toldot, Genesis 25:18-28:9, where we further learn from the lives of these early men and women who were partners for tikkun in their world.

     Although there are different story lines in Toldot our concern will be the sons of Isaac and Rebekah: Jacob and Esau.  We are told that when they were born Jacob was grasping his brother’s ankle after “crushing” each other within their mother’s womb.  We are also told that Jacob and Esau would represent two “regimes,” two ways of being (Gen. 25:23-26). Upon their birth Rashi wants us to know that although Jacob and Esau had varied interests growing up, as brothers they were also indistinguishable until they were 13, but then their choices were nothing alike in terms of looks, personality and desires.  Rashi further explains that the word crushing (רצץ) is also read as running (רוץ), so the crushing/running that Rebekah experienced foretold of Jacobs’ role as opposed to Esau.  According to that same Midrash the crushing/running happened when Rebekah would walk by the Ark holding the Torah and Jacob would leap in response.  Likewise, when Rebekah walked past a place of iniquity Esau would leap in her womb.  So when we read that Esau was a large hairy man whose passions were hunting for game, and Jacob was a quiet homebody who “dwelt in tents,” our traditions on this text teach that we are learning something about their sense of spirituality.  This is why Rashi further says that Jacob and Esau after 13 took different paths, hence Jacob went to study Torah at Yeshiva, whereas Esau set out for a life of idolatry.

     Let’s not make any mistakes here, Jacob would take advantage of his brother and deceived his father, not good traits.  However, when given the choice, Jacob and Esau responded to life very differently.  We learn that when Abraham died Jacob grieved and mourned the loss of his grandfather by cooking a mourner’s stew (see. Gen. 26:29; also Bava Batra 16b and M. Tanachuma on Gen. 26:29).  Conversely, Esau’s concern was not his grandfather but his need to fill his stomach.  There is nothing wrong with being an outside person, it’s about Esau's choices not his profession or hobby.  Lastly, Rashi makes another interesting observation.  When Esau is born it says, “and they called him” (ויקראו) whereas when Jacob is named it says, “and he called him” (ויקרא).  Esau was red and hairy so all who saw him named him Esau.  Jacob was actually the first born son to be named by his father alone, so perhaps even after Jacob deceived his father, Isaac did not withdrawal his blessing from his younger son but knew what others did not.  Clearly our Rabbi’s believe that Jacob's negative actions did not take away that he was the better choice, because unlike Esau, Jacob cared about the ways of God and choose Torah (See Rashi on Gen. 27:33). 

     Our tradition has taken these two boys/men and has made them into conflicting standards of being.  This is taught in the Mystical tradition that says while Jacob and Esau are direct opposites they are also adjoining siblings, meaning that in order to win a battle one must know who they are fighting.  Still this battle is not one of external foes but internal conflicts and divisions. We can refer back to the Midrash that says Jacob and Esau had differing reasons why they leaped in Rebekah’s womb; one for Torah and the other for iniquity.  That teaching then illuminates why Jacob and Esau would represent two mighty nations that would battle each other, a battle that continues today (cf. Gen. 25:23).    Rabbi Berg uses the example of the ego for both good and bad to make his point.  On its own the good of the ego is required to regulate how we respond.  Hence Freud would teach that the id is the part of the mind that contains human drives and hidden memories and the super-ego controls our moral conscience; the job of the ego mediates between the desires of the id and the super-ego.  When the ego is compromised (for whatever reason) feelings associated with anxiety are experienced and defense mechanisms are employed (think about how Esau responded to his need to be fed). The result can be selfish behavior that seeks too often the wrong solution, even if personally and/or publicly are bad and destructive. The Ego can be both bad and good based on how it is used. 

     Jacob is presented as a good man who first and foremost puts spiritual things before him, but with Esau his darkness was necessary to wage the battle within.  Simple ... maybe ... but I think we all can identify with the battle of good and bad within us?  The scary part of Esau sent his brother Jacob running away from home and therefore can symbolize the relationship, as well as the perceived fierceness, of the battle (or battles) before us or within us.  The thing is that people can spend a lifetime both accepting the fight and finding the means to overcome. We know later that when Jacob eventually meets up again with Esau he realizes that his fear was misplaced as his own battle within turned out better than he might have imagined.  Another take away from this parasha; we are asked to use our spiritual energies for the right things although they can also be hijacked for the wrong reasons.  Our journey within is one of choices.