Why Isaac Blessed Jacob With Justice and Esau Without It

Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Toldot 14:2

(Genesis 27:28:) "SO MAY GOD GIVE TO YOU." What is the meaning of "GOD"? With justice. If you were worthy, He will give to you; and if not, He will not give to you. But to Esau he did not speak so. Rather (Genesis 27:39:) "Of the fat places of the earth, etc." Whether righteous or wicked, He will give to you. Why? Rather, thus said Isaac: Esau is wicked, and Jacob is the righteous one. Even when he performs a commandment and is afflicted, he does not voice a complaint against the attribute of justice. But the wicked one, if he performs a single commandment, or prays and is not answered, he begins to say: Just as I prayed before idolatry and found nothing tangible, so too I prayed before the Holy One and found nothing tangible. And so too Solomon said. When he built the Temple, he began to pray before the Holy One, as it is stated (1 Kings 8:12): "Then Solomon said: The LORD said that He would dwell in thick darkness." He began to arrange his prayer and said: Master of the World, when a person from Israel comes and prays in this place and asks for children or for some other thing, if he is worthy, give to him; and if not, do not give to him, as it is stated (1 Kings 8:39): "And give to each one according to all his ways, as You know his heart." But the foreigner, if he comes and prays within it, whatever he asks, give to him, as it is stated (1 Kings 8:41): "And also unto the foreigner, etc.," (and 1 Kings 8:43): "You shall hear in heaven, etc." And why? For if you do not do for him all that he asks, he will talk and say: So it is with this house of Solomon. I went from one end of the world to its other end, and I wearied myself with so many journeys, and I came and prayed within it, and I found nothing tangible in it, just as I found nothing in idolatry. Therefore of Esau it says, "See, of the fat places of the earth, etc." Why? Because he lacks faith. But to Jacob, who is a man of faith and righteous, he said, "So may God give to you," with justice.

Themes

Biblical References