“Oholivama bore Yeush, and Yalam, and Koraḥ; these are the sons of Esau, who were born to him in the land of Canaan” (Genesis 36:5). “Oholivama bore…” – that is what is written: “How has Esau been searched?” (Obadiah 1:6). Rabbi Simon said: Like the peeling of an onion.37Just as one peels away the layers of an onion and exposes what is underneath, the Torah lists the genealogical records of Esau to reveal their secrets (Yefeh To’ar).
Why to that extent? “I have exposed his hidden places” (Jeremiah 49:10) – in order to expose the mamzerim among them. How many mamzerim did he produce? Rav said three.38They were Ana (see below, 82:15), Oholivama (see Rashi, Genesis 36:2), and Timna (see Rashi, Genesis 36:12).
Alternatively, the reference is to the three sons of Oholivama mentioned in this verse (Yefeh To’ar). Rabbi Levi said four.39He includes the Koraḥ mentioned in this verse, or according to the second approach mentioned above, he includes Timna. Rabbi Binyamin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Koraḥ mentioned here was a mamzer.40Koraḥ is mentioned as a son of Esau’s wife Oholivama in this verse, and as a son of Esau’s son Elifaz (Genesis 36:16), indicating that he was the illegitimate child of Oholivama and Elifaz (Rashi, Genesis 36:5).