The Stolen Blessing

"And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man" (Genesis 27:11), a man of demons, as you say, "and satyrs shall dance there" (Isaiah 13:21). "and I am a smooth man" (Genesis 27:11), [read as a man who is a portion] as you say, "For the LORD's portion is his people" (Deuteronomy 32:9). Rabbi Levi said: This may be compared to a man with thick curly hair and a bald man who were standing at the edge of the threshing floor. The chaff flew up onto the curly-haired man and became entangled in his hair; the chaff flew up onto the bald man, and he put his hand upon his head and brushed it off. So too, wicked Esau becomes soiled with sins all the days of the year and has nothing with which to atone, but Jacob becomes soiled with sins all the days of the year, and the Day of Atonement comes and he has that with which to atone, as it is said, "For on this day shall he make atonement for you" (Leviticus 16:30). Rabbi Isaac said: It (the Day of Atonement) is not lent by him to him (Esau), nor is it lent by him to him; rather, "And the goat shall bear upon him" (Leviticus 16:22), this is Esau, as it is said, "Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy (sa'ir) man." "all their iniquities" (Leviticus 16:22), [read as] the iniquities of the perfect one (avonot tam), as it is said, "And Jacob was a perfect (tam) man" (Genesis 25:27). "Peradventure my father will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver" (Genesis 27:12), like one dead, and like one gone astray, and like one who serves idolatry. "and I shall bring a curse upon me" (Genesis 27:12), even the one blessing that he is destined to give in the end, he will not give to me. "And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son" (Genesis 27:13). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: The man (Adam) who sinned, was it not his mother (the earth) that was cursed, as it is said, "Cursed is the ground for thy sake" (Genesis 3:17)? You too, "Upon me be thy curse, my son." Rabbi Isaac said: It is upon me to go in and say to your father, Jacob is righteous and Esau is wicked. "And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother" (Genesis 27:14), compelled, bent over, and weeping.