Yalkut Shimoni on Torah Reader

"Sojourn in this land" (Genesis 26:3). [The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Isaac:] You are an unblemished burnt-offering. Just as a burnt-offering, if it goes outside the curtains [of the courtyard], is disqualified, so too you, if you go outside the land, are disqualified. "For to you and to your seed I will give all these lands" (Genesis 26:3). The Hebrew word "ha-El" [usually "the"] is read as "these" but [the sages note it implies] a portion of them. When do I give you the rest? In the time to come. "Because Abraham obeyed My voice" (Genesis 26:5). At the age of forty-eight Abraham recognized his Creator. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: at the age of three he recognized his Creator, as it is said, "because [ekev] Abraham obeyed," the numerical value of [the letters of] ekev being one hundred and seventy-two [the years Abraham lived after age three, by this reckoning].

Rav said: Abraham our father kept the entire Torah, all of it, as it is said, "because Abraham obeyed My voice [and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws]" (Genesis 26:5). One might say [he kept only] the seven [Noahide] commandments and circumcision. If so, why does it say "My commandments, My statutes, and My laws"? Abraham kept even the law of the commingling of cooked dishes [eruv tavshilin, a rabbinic ordinance for cooking on a festival before the Sabbath], as it is said "My laws" [in the plural] one [referring to] the words of the written Torah, and one [referring to] the words of the scribes [the rabbinic teachings].

"And it came to pass, when the days had grown long for him there" (Genesis 26:8). Rabbi Yochanan said: a hard dream and a hard prophecy and foolish mourning length of days nullifies them. A hard prophecy, as it is written, "the days are prolonged and every vision fails" (Ezekiel 12:22); foolish mourning [is likewise undone by time]; [and a hard dream] from Isaac, "when the days had grown long for him there." "And he looked, and behold, Isaac was sporting [with Rebekah his wife]" (Genesis 26:8). Was he doing this thing because the days had grown long? Did not Rabbi Yochanan say: one who has marital relations by day is disgraceful, for Rabbi Yochanan said marital union is only at night, as it is said, "in the evening she comes and in the morning she returns" (Esther 2:14)? Job cursed the day of his birth and the night of his conception, as it is written, "let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night that said, a man-child is conceived" (Job 3:3). Job said: would that my mother had been menstruant when my father came to be intimate with her, so that she would have said to him, "a man-child is conceived" [i.e., warned him off]. Jeremiah cursed the day of his birth and the day of his conception, "cursed be the day wherein I was born" (Jeremiah 20:14) this is the day of conception; "the day that my mother bore me" this is the day of birth. Is it possible that Hilkiah, a righteous man, would do such a thing [as have relations by day]? Rather, because Jezebel was killing the prophets, he had relations by day and fled.

"And Isaac sowed [in that land and found in that year a hundredfold]" (Genesis 26:12). He took all the tithe from his wealth and sowed [it as] charity for the poor, just as you say, "sow for yourselves according to charity" (Hosea 10:13). And for each and every thing that he tithed, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him a hundred gates of blessings. "And Abimelech charged all the people, saying: he that touches [this man or his wife shall surely be put to death]" (Genesis 26:11). Rabbi Aibo said: [it was forbidden] that a man should not even throw a pebble at him.

"And the man grew great, and went on growing greater [until he became very great]" (Genesis 26:13) until they would say, the dung of Isaac's mules, and not the silver and gold of Abimelech [is preferable]. "And he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great household [avuddah]" (Genesis 26:14). It is written "avuddah" [labor / servitude]: if a man does not make himself like a servant to it [his property], he does not acquire it. "Go from us, for you have become far mightier than we" (Genesis 26:16). He said to him: all the might you have grown was it not from us? In the past you had one little flask [kukya]; now you have many flasks. "[And Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found there a well of living water]" (Genesis 26:18-22). Rabbi Chanina said: one who sees a well in a dream sees peace, as it is said, "and Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found there a well of living water." Rabbi Natan says: he has found Torah, as it is said, "whoever finds me finds life" (Proverbs 8:35). Rava said: literally life. One who sees a well in a dream should rise early and recite "and Isaac's servants dug in the valley," before another verse precedes it [a verse of ill omen]: "as a cistern wells up its waters" (Jeremiah 6:7).

How many wells did Isaac our father dig in Beersheba? Rabbi Yehudah son of Rabbi Simon said: four, corresponding to which his descendants became four banners [encampments] in the wilderness. And the Rabbis say: five, corresponding to the five fifths of the Torah [the five books]. "And he called the name of the well Esek" (Genesis 26:20) corresponding to the book of Genesis, in which the Holy One, blessed be He, occupied Himself [nit'asek] and created His world. "And he called its name Sitnah" (Genesis 26:21) corresponding to the book "And these are the names" [Exodus], on account of "and they embittered their lives" (Exodus 1:14). "And found there a well of living water" corresponding to the book of Leviticus, which is filled with many laws. "And he called it Sheva" [seven] (Genesis 26:33) corresponding to the book of Numbers, which completes [the count] to seven fifths of the Torah. But are they not five? Bar Kappara treats from the beginning of the book of Numbers until "and it came to pass when the ark set out" (Numbers 10:35) as one book; "and it came to pass when the ark set out" and the verse after it [Numbers 10:35-36] as a book in itself; and from there until the end of the book as a book in itself. "And he called its name [Rehoboth]" (Genesis 26:22) corresponding to Deuteronomy [the Second Torah / Mishneh Torah].

"And Abimelech went to him from Gerar" (Genesis 26:26) [the word "mi-Gerar" is read as] "mi-gorer" [dragged / scraped]: this teaches that robbers entered his house and were braying [or making noise] at him all night. Another interpretation of "mi-Gerar": "megorar" [scabbed over] that growths [sores] had come up upon him. "And Ahuzzath his friend [me-re'ehu]" Rav Yehudah says: Ahuzzath of his friend was his name. Rabbi Nechemiah said: [it means] a band of his companions [a company of those who loved him]. "And Phicol the captain of his army" Rav Yehudah says: Phicol was his name. Rabbi Nechemiah says: [it means] "the mouth that all his hosts" kiss [obey] upon his command [pi, mouth, plus kol, all].

(Genesis 26:28-29) "And they said: We have indeed seen that the LORD has been with you... and we said: Let there now be an oath between us... that you will do us no harm." The word "only" [in their speech] teaches that they did not deal with him in complete goodness, but only in part. In the days of Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah, the [Roman] empire decreed that the Temple should be rebuilt. Pappus and Lulianus set up money-tables from Acco to Antioch and supplied the needs of those coming up from the exile. The Cutheans [Samaritans] went and said to the emperor: "Let it be known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls completed, they will pay no tribute, no toll, and no land-tax." "Tribute" is the king's portion; "toll" is the poll-money; "land-tax" is the corvee. He said to them: "But what shall I do, for I have already decreed [that it be built]?" They said to him: "Send and tell them either to move it from its place, or to add five cubits to it, or to subtract five cubits from it, and of their own accord they will withdraw from the project." The congregations were gathered in the valley of Beth Rimmon. When the [new] letters arrived they began to weep, and they wanted to rebel against the empire. They said: "Let a wise man go up and persuade the people." They said: "Let Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah go up, for he is a master of the Torah." He went up and expounded: A lion was tearing its prey, and a bone stuck in its throat. It said: "Whoever comes and removes it, I will give him his reward." An Egyptian heron, whose beak is long, came, put in its head, and drew it out. It said to the lion: "Give me my reward." The lion answered: "Go and boast that you entered a lion's mouth in peace and came out in peace, and there is no greater reward for you than this." So too for us: it is enough that we entered under this nation in peace and came out in peace. (Genesis 26:32) "And the servants of Isaac came and told him." We do not know whether they had found [water] or not, but from what is written (above, verse 20) "And they found there a well of living water," you learn that they indeed found living water.

(Genesis 26:34) "And Esau was forty years old." It is written (Psalms 80:14) "The boar from the forest gnaws at it." Of all the prophets, only Asaph and Moses publicized her [Rome, by likening her to a pig]. Asaph said "The boar from the forest gnaws at it," and Moses said (Leviticus 11:7) "And the swine, because it parts the hoof." Why does he compare her to a pig? Just as this pig, when it lies down, stretches out its hooves, as if to say, "See, I am pure" [since it has split hooves, though it does not chew the cud and is in fact unclean], so too Esau: for all forty years he hunted the wives of men and tortured them, and when he reached forty he imitated his father. He said: "Just as my father took a wife at forty, I too will take a wife at forty." "And he took to wife Judith." Rabbi Yudan son of Rabbi Simon opened: (Psalms 68:7) "God settles the solitary in a home." Even a single illegitimate man at one end of the world and a single illegitimate woman at the other end, the Holy One, blessed be He, brings them and pairs them with one another. Since it is written (Deuteronomy 20:17) "For you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite," and so on, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: "Let this one who is destined to be blotted out [the Hittite woman] come," as it is written (Obadiah 1:18) "And there shall be no survivor to the house of Esau," "and let him join himself to this one [Esau's line] that is destined to be blotted out."

"And he took to wife Judith." He went to his own kind, [as it is written] (Leviticus 11:15) "every raven after its kind." In the days of Rabbi Hiyya a starling came to the Land of Israel. They brought it to him and asked: "How shall we tell [whether it is clean or unclean]?" He said to them: "Go and place it on the roof, and whatever bird settles upon it is of its kind." They did so, and this Egyptian raven came and settled beside it. He said to them: "It is unclean," as it is written "every raven after its kind." He said: "Not for nothing did the starling go to the raven, but because it is its kind." So too: just as it is written (Deuteronomy 20:17) "For you shall utterly destroy them," and it is written (Obadiah 1:18) "There shall be no survivor to the house of Esau," "let this one who is destined to be blotted out come and join himself to that one that is destined to be blotted out."

(Genesis 26:35) "And they were a bitterness of spirit to Isaac and to Rebecca." Why is Isaac mentioned first? Because Rebecca, since she was the daughter of an idolater, was not strict about idol-worshippers, [and the conduct of Esau's idolatrous wives did not grieve her as much]. But Isaac, who was the son of holy ones and was strict about idol-worshippers, [was grieved first]; therefore Isaac is mentioned first. Another explanation: why is Isaac mentioned first? Because the matter depended upon her [Rebecca], as it is said (Genesis 25:23) "And the LORD said to her: Two nations are in your womb" [so she bore some responsibility and the grief weighed more openly on Isaac]; therefore Isaac is mentioned first.

Another explanation [of why Isaac is mentioned first]: It is the way of a woman to sit at home, and the way of a man to go out and learn understanding from other people. But this one [Isaac], because his eyes had dimmed and he sat inside his house [and could not go out to ease his mind among people], therefore Isaac is mentioned first.

Another explanation [of why Isaac is mentioned first]: because [Esau's wives] caused the holy spirit [the divine inspiration of prophecy] to depart from him [Isaac].

(Genesis 27:1) "And it came to pass, when Isaac was old, that his eyes were dim." Rabbi Isaac opened: (Isaiah 5:23) "Those who justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him." Anyone who takes a bribe in order to justify the wicked, this is Isaac: because he justified the wicked [Esau, accepting the savory dishes Esau brought him as a kind of bribe], his eyes grew dim, [as it is written] "And it came to pass, when Isaac was old, that his eyes were dim," and so forth. (Proverbs 17:15) "He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, both alike are an abomination to the LORD." It was not because Rebecca loved Jacob more than Esau that she did this thing [arranging for Jacob to receive the blessing]; rather she said: "Let him not enter and lead that old man astray," on account of "both alike are an abomination to the LORD." And because he [Isaac] justified the wicked, his eyes grew dim.

Rabbi Isaac opened: (Deuteronomy 16:19) "And you shall not take a bribe," and so forth. If one who took [a favor] from someone to whom he was already obligated had his eyes dimmed [namely Isaac, who owed Esau a father's love yet was led astray], then one who takes a bribe from someone to whom he owes nothing, how much more so [will he be punished]. Rabbi Hanina bar Pappa opened: (Psalms 40:6) "Many things have You done, O LORD my God; Your wonders and Your thoughts are toward us." All the deeds that You wrought toward us were for our sake. Why were Isaac's eyes dimmed? So that Jacob would come and take the blessings. Isaac had asked for sufferings, and so forth (as is written in remez 105). "And his eyes were dim from seeing" (Genesis 27:1): from seeing the wickedness of that wicked one [Esau]. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: "Shall Isaac go out into the marketplace and have people say, There goes the father of that wicked man? Rather, behold, I will dim his eyes, and he will sit within his house," as it is written (Isaiah 26:20) "When the wicked arise, a man hides himself." From here [we learn that] anyone who raises a wicked son or a wicked disciple, his eyes grow dim. A wicked disciple, [we learn] from Ahijah the Shilonite (1 Kings 14:4) "And Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were set by reason of his age," because he had raised up Jeroboam the wicked. A wicked son, [we learn] from Isaac, "and his eyes were dim from seeing," because he had raised up Esau the wicked.

Another interpretation of "from seeing" (Genesis 27:1): it was from the force of that seeing. At the hour when Abraham our father bound Isaac his son upon the altar, the ministering angels wept, as it is written, "Behold, their valiant ones cry out in the street" (Isaiah 33:7). And their tears dropped down into the eyes of Isaac and were imprinted within his eyes. And so, when he grew old, his eyes dimmed.

Another interpretation: at the hour when he was bound upon the altar, he lifted his eyes on high and looked at the Divine Presence. They offer a parable. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who was strolling at the entrance of his palace and saw the son of his beloved friend peeking in at him through the window. He said: If I kill him, I distress my friend; rather, I decree that his windows be sealed shut. So too, at the hour when Isaac was bound, he lifted his eyes and looked at the Divine Presence. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: If I slay him, I distress Abraham My friend; rather, I decree that his eyes dim. So he looked upon the glory of the Divine Presence. But is it not written, "For no man shall see Me and live" (Exodus 33:20)? Rather, in place of death his eyes dimmed in his old age. From here you learn that a blind man is reckoned as dead. It is forbidden to gaze at the image of a wicked man, as it is said, "Were it not for the presence of Jehoshaphat... I would not look toward you, nor see you" (2 Kings 3:14). And Rabbi Eliezer said his eyes were dim, as it is said, "And it came to pass when Isaac was old, that his eyes were dim from seeing" (Genesis 27:1), because he had gazed at the wicked Esau. But did that cause it? Did not Rabbi Yitzchak say: Never let the curse of a common man be light in your eyes, for Abimelech cursed Sarah and it was fulfilled in her offspring, as it is said, "Behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes" (Genesis 20:16). Do not read "a covering [kesut] of the eyes" but "dimming [kehot] of the eyes," as it is said, "his eyes were dim from seeing." So this and that together caused it. Another interpretation: it is like a great man who had a fine and praised hall, and his neighbors were burning straw and stubble and sending smoke in through the window, so he went and sealed up the window. So too, the wives of Esau worshipped idols, and Isaac would see and be grieved; at once his eyes dimmed.

"And he called Esau his elder son" (Genesis 27:1). The night of Passover arrived. Isaac called Esau his son and said to him: My son, this night the heavenly ones recite song; this night the storehouses of dews are opened. Make me savory food. But the Holy Spirit answers him, "Do not eat the bread of one with a grudging eye, nor desire his delicacies" (Proverbs 23:6). And he was delayed there. Rebekah said to Jacob her son: This night the heavenly ones recite song, and so forth; this day is the blessing of the dews. Make savory food for your father, that while he is still in his world he may bless you. "And bring me two kids of the goats" (Genesis 27:9). Now, were two kids of the goats the food of Isaac? Rather, one he offered as the Passover sacrifice, and one he made into savory food. Ten blessings did Isaac bless Jacob, corresponding to the ten utterances by which the world was created. And when Jacob went out, crowned like a bridegroom and like a bride in her ornaments, the reviving dew came down upon him from heaven, and his bones were made hearty, and he became a mighty man of valor. Therefore it is said, "From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob" (Genesis 49:24).

"And he called Esau his elder [literally, great] son" (Genesis 27:1). This is like a province that was enrolling recruits for the king, and there was a certain woman there who had a dwarf son, and she would call him Tall-Stride. She said to them: My son is Tall-Stride, and you do not enroll him? They said to her: If in your eyes he is Tall-Stride, in our eyes he is a dwarf. So too, his father called him great: "And he called Esau his great son." His mother called him great: "And Rebekah took the garments of Esau her great son" (Genesis 27:15). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: In your eyes he is great; in My eyes he is small, as it is said, "Behold, I have made you small among the nations; you are greatly despised" (Obadiah 1:2). Rabbi Berechiah said: Like an ox set for slaughter; this is what is written, "For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom" (Isaiah 34:6). "And he said to him, My son; and he said to him, Here I am" (Genesis 27:18). This is what is written, "When he speaks graciously, do not trust him, for there are seven abominations in his heart" (Proverbs 26:25). You find one abomination written in the Torah, and ten things written concerning it: "There shall not be found among you one who passes his son or daughter through fire," and so forth. Here it is written "seven"; how much more so. So, "seven abominations in his heart." "Behold now, I am old, I do not know the day of my death" (Genesis 27:2). Rabbi Yehoshua said: If a man reaches the age at which his forebears died, five years before he should worry about death. For so Isaac said: If I am to reach my father's years, until now I am still being sought; and if my mother's years, behold now I am old, I do not know the day of my death. It is taught: seven things are hidden from human beings, and these are they. The day of death, as it is said, "For man does not know his time" (Ecclesiastes 9:12). The day of consolation: "I am the LORD; in its time I will hasten it." The depth of judgment, as it is said, "For the judgment is God's" (Deuteronomy 1:17). And a man does not know by what he will profit, as it is written, "It is the gift of God" (Ecclesiastes 5:18). And a man does not know what is in his fellow's heart: "I the LORD search the heart." And a man does not know what is in a woman's womb, as it is written, "Like the bones in the womb of her who is full" (Ecclesiastes 11:5). And when the fourth kingdom will fall, as it is written, "For the day of vengeance is in My heart" (Isaiah 63:4). "And now take up your weapons" (Genesis 27:3). Sharpen your hunting tools, that you may not feed me carrion or torn beasts. Take your gear, that you may not feed me what is stolen or seized by violence. "Your quiver": he said to him, behold, blessings hang ready; the one whom He loves is the one to be blessed.

Another interpretation: "Take up your weapons" (Genesis 27:3). This is Babylon, as it is written, "And he brought the vessels," and so forth (Daniel 1:2). "Your quiver": this is Media, as it is written, "And they hanged Haman." "Your bow": this is Greece, as it is written, "For I have bent Judah for Me as a bow... and I have stirred up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece" (Zechariah 9:13). "And go out to the field": this is Edom, as it is written, "to the land of Seir, the field of Edom." "And make me savory food such as I love" (Genesis 27:4). He said to him: At first I took pleasure from sight, but now I take pleasure only from taste. And so Solomon says, "When goods increase, those who eat them increase" (Ecclesiastes 5:10). The one who sees an empty basket and is hungry is not like the one who sees a full basket and is satisfied. "And Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to Esau" (Genesis 27:5), "to hunt game and to bring it": if he found it, good; and if not, to bring from what is stolen and from what is seized by violence. "And now, my son, hear... go now to the flock" (Genesis 27:8-9). Go and meet first the nation that is likened to a flock, "And you, My flock, the flock of My pasture" (Ezekiel 34:31). "And take me from there two kids of the goats." If you find them, good; and if not, bring me from my marriage settlement, for so he had written for her, that he would supply her two kids every day. "Good kids of the goats": good for you, good for your sons. Good for you, for through them you take the blessings. Good for your sons, for through them atonement is made for them, as it is written, "For on this day He shall atone for you" (Leviticus 16:30). "Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man" (Genesis 27:11): a man of demons, as you say, "And hairy goat-demons shall dance there" (Isaiah 13:21). "And I am a smooth man," as you say, "For the LORD's portion is His people" (Deuteronomy 32:9). Rabbi Levi said: like a man with thick hair and a bald man standing at the edge of the threshing floor. The chaff blew onto the hairy one and tangled in his hair; the chaff blew onto the bald one, and he put his hand on his head and brushed it off. So the wicked Esau is soiled all year and has nothing by which to be atoned for, but Jacob comes to the Day of Atonement and is cleansed, as you say, "For on this day He shall atone for you" (Leviticus 16:30).

Rabbi Yitzchak said: He did not ask of him, nor did she ask of him. "And the goat shall carry" (Leviticus 16:22): this is Esau, "Esau my brother is a hairy man." "All their iniquities [avonotam]": read as "all the iniquities of the perfect one [avonot tam]," "And Jacob was a perfect [tam] man" (Genesis 25:27). "Perhaps my father will touch me, and I shall be in his eyes like a deceiver [metate'a]" (Genesis 27:12): like one who goes astray and like one who worships idols. "And I shall bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing": even the one blessing that he is destined to give me in the end he will not give me. Rabbi Eleazar said: Whoever changes his word is as if he worships idols. It is written here "like a deceiver [metate'a]," and it is written there, "They are vanity, the work of delusions [tatuim]" (Jeremiah 10:15). "And his mother said to him, Upon me be your curse, my son" (Genesis 27:13). She said: The first man sinned; was it not his mother who was cursed, as it is said, "Cursed is the ground" (Genesis 3:17)? You too: upon me be your curse, my son. Rabbi Yitzchak said: Upon me is it to go in and say to him, your son Jacob is righteous and Esau is wicked. "And he went and took and brought to his mother" (Genesis 27:14): forced, bent over, and weeping. "And Rebekah took the garments of Esau her elder son, the precious ones" (Genesis 27:15), which he had coveted from the wicked Nimrod; this is what is written, "The wicked covets the catch of evil men" (Proverbs 12:12). Rabbi Meir says: Esau saw the tunic upon Nimrod and coveted it in his heart and killed him and took it from him. And when he wore it he too became mighty, as it is said, "And Esau became a man skilled in hunting" (Genesis 25:27). Jacob said: The wicked one is not worthy to wear these garments. What did he do? He dug in the ground and hid them, as it is said, "His rope is hidden in the ground" (Job 18:10).

"Which were with her in the house" (Genesis 27:15): the garments in which he served his father. Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel said: All my days I served my father, and I did not serve him one hundredth of the way the wicked Esau served his father. When I served my father I would serve him in soiled clothes, and when I went out to the marketplace I would go out in clean clothes. But Esau, when he served his father, would serve him only in royal garments. "Which were with her in the house": how many wives did he have, and you say "which were with her in the house"? Rather, she knew their deeds. There was a case among a band of loose men in a certain village of wheat, who were accustomed to eat and drink in the synagogue every Sabbath eve. After they ate they would take the bones and scatter them upon the teacher. One of them was dying. They said to him: To whom do you entrust your children? He said to them: To the teacher. He said: How dear they were to him, that he entrusted them to the teacher; rather, it was because he knew their deeds. So too, how many wives did he have, and you say "which were with her in the house"; rather, it was because she knew their deeds. "And the skins of the kids of the goats" (Genesis 27:16). Rabbi Yochanan said: The two forearms of our father Jacob were like two pillars of marble, and you say "she put them on him"? Rather, we should say she sewed them on. [Rav Huna in the name of Rabbi Yose said:] The two daily lambs that Israel would offer on the festival, they would mount upon two carts, and their legs trailed on the ground. Cinnamon grew in the land of Israel, and goats and gazelles would eat from it. Rabbi Chanina said: Are not calves slaughtered, olives pressed, and the dust of the mountains the work of miracles?

There we learned: the flesh of a clean animal cooked in the milk of a clean animal is forbidden to cook and forbidden to derive benefit from. From where are these matters derived? Rabbi Eleazar said: Because the verse says, "And Judah sent the kid of the goats" (Genesis 38:20). So, in every place where "kid" is stated without qualification, even a calf or a lamb is implied. And let us learn from it. Another verse is written, "And the skins of the kids of the goats" (Genesis 27:16). Thus they are two verses that come as one, and any two verses that come as one do not teach a general rule. This works well for the one who says they do not teach; but for the one who says they do teach, what is there to say? Two limiting expressions are written.

"And she gave the savory food" (Genesis 27:17). She accompanied him to the door and said: Until here I was obligated to you; from here onward let your Creator stand by you. "And Jacob said... I am Esau your firstborn" (Genesis 27:19). Rabbi Levi said: "I am [the one] whose children are destined to receive the Ten Commandments [I am the one for whom the word 'I am the LORD' will be spoken at Sinai], but Esau is your firstborn." "Arise, I pray, and sit" - the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Jacob: You said "Arise, I pray, and sit" as a request; by your life, in that same language I will repay you, "Arise, O LORD, and let Your enemies be scattered." "There is one swept away without judgment" (cf. Proverbs) - this is Esau. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Esau: You said "let my father arise"; I too will repay you in that language, "Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered" (Psalms 68:2). "And Isaac said to his son: How is it that you found it so quickly, my son? And he said: Because the LORD your God brought it before me" (Genesis 27:20). "How is it that you found the blessing so quickly, my son? Your father was blessed at seventy-five and you are sixty-three." "And he said: Because the LORD your God brought it before me" - Rabbi Yochanan and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish: one of them said, If for your offering He provided you a ram, as it is written "and behold a ram" (Genesis 22:13), how much more so for your food. The other said, If for your mate He provided you, as it is written "send me good speed" and "he lifted his eyes and saw, and behold camels coming" (Genesis 24), how much more so for your food. "Because the LORD your God brought it before me" - a parable to a raven that brought fire to its nest [an unnatural thing]. When he said "Because the LORD your God," Isaac said: I know that Esau does not mention the name of the Holy One, blessed be He; this is not Esau but Jacob. Immediately he said to him: "Come near, I pray, that I may feel you, my son" (Genesis 27:21). Water poured over his knees and his heart grew soft as wax, and the Holy One, blessed be He, prepared for him two angels, one at his right and one at his left, who held him by his elbows so that he would not fall. This is what is written, "Be not dismayed, for I am your God" (Isaiah 41:10) - do not melt, let not your heart be as wax. "And he said: The voice is the voice of Jacob" (Genesis 27:22). Behold, the voice that is the voice of the wise and hands that send forth death [a play: a voice of wisdom subdues the deadly hands]. Jacob rules only with his voice, as it is said "the voice is the voice of Jacob," and Esau rules only with the hands, as it is said "and the hands are the hands of Esau." When Jacob chirps with his voice, the hands of Esau have no power. No philosophers arose among the nations of the world like Balaam son of Beor and like Avnimos the Gardi. All the nations of the world gathered before Avnimos the Gardi and said to him: Do you say that we are able to make war upon this nation? He said to them: Go and circle around their synagogues and study houses. If you find there children chirping with their voices, you cannot prevail against them; and if not, you can prevail against them. For thus their father promised them and said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob" - when the voice of Jacob is found in the synagogues and study houses, the hands are not the hands of Esau. "The voice is the voice of Jacob" - even in the matter of the concubine at Gibeah, "Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin" [the voice of Israel deciding even harsh matters].

Another interpretation: "The voice is the voice of Jacob" (Genesis 27:22) - behold, the voice silences those above and those below. It is written, "when they stood still, they let down their wings" (Ezekiel 1:24). But is there sitting on high? Is it not written "and their feet were a straight foot" (Ezekiel 1:7), that they have no knee-joints; and "I came near to one of them that stood by" (Daniel 7:16); and "seraphim stood above Him" (Isaiah 6:2); and "all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His left"? Yet you say "when they stood" [implying they pause]. Rather, read it [not be-omdam, 'when they stand,' but] be-am dam, 'among the people of blood' - when Israel says "Hear, O Israel," the angels are silent, and afterward they let down their wings. And what do they say? "Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever." It is written, "when the morning stars sang together" (Job 38:7) - this is the seed of Jacob, who are likened to the stars, "and they that turn many to righteousness like the stars" (Daniel 12:3). And afterward, "and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:7) - these are the angels. It is written, "then a spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a voice" (Ezekiel 3:12) - after I and my fellows had praised, then came "a great rushing." And what do they say? "Blessed be the glory of the LORD from His place" (Ezekiel 3:12). Rabbi Yehudah son of Rabbi Ilai said: Rabbi used to expound "the voice is the voice of Jacob" - the voice of Jacob cries out over what the hands of Esau did to him. Rabbi Yochanan said: Hadrian Caesar killed in Betar eight hundred thousand myriads of human beings.

"The voice is the voice of Jacob" (Genesis 27:22). Your strength is harder [greater] than that of Esau. Esau, if he seizes a man, behold he is in his hand; but if the man flees, he can do nothing to him. But you - even if a man flees to the end of the world, the voice you raise in the synagogue, behold it comes of itself [it reaches and is heard].

Another interpretation: All the voices [thunders] are yours - "and there were thunders and lightnings" (Exodus 19:16); and the rains come in your merit - "at the sound of His giving a multitude of waters" (Jeremiah 10:13). If you chatter idly with your voice [instead of using it for Torah and prayer], the hands are the hands of Esau. And so it says, "Is the LORD among us" (Exodus 17:7) - immediately "and Amalek came" (Exodus 17:8).

"The voice is the voice of Jacob and the hands are the hands of Esau" (Genesis 27:22). This is Hadrian Caesar, who killed in Alexandria of Egypt six hundred thousand upon six hundred thousand, double the number of those who came out of Egypt. "The voice is the voice of Jacob" - this is Vespasian Caesar, who killed in the city of Betar four hundred thousand myriads, and some say four thousand thousand myriads. "And the hands are the hands of Esau" - this is the kingdom of Rome, which destroyed our House, and burned our Temple, and exiled us from our land.

Another interpretation: "The voice is the voice of Jacob" (Genesis 27:22) - you have no prayer that is heard [accepted] which does not have in it some of the seed of Jacob.

"And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like the hands of Esau his brother" (Genesis 27:23). When wicked men were to arise from him [from Jacob's line], he did not recognize him. "And he said: Come near, I pray, and kiss me, my son" (Genesis 27:25-26) - you will kiss me at my burial, and no other will kiss me at my burial.

"And he brought him wine" - from where was it? And it is written above, "and she gave the savory food" (Genesis 27:17). Michael brought it to him from Eden. You find no wine of blessing except this and that of Abraham, "and Melchizedek king of Salem" (Genesis 14:18). "And he came near and kissed him, and he smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him" (Genesis 27:27). Rabbi Yochanan said: You have nothing whose smell is harder [more foul] than the washed wool of goats, yet you say "and he smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him"? Rather, when Jacob entered, the Garden of Eden entered with him.

Another interpretation of "and he smelled the smell of his garments [begadav]" (Genesis 27:27): the smell of his traitors [bogedav], such as Yosef Meshita and Yakum of Tzerorot. As for Yosef Meshita: at the hour when the enemies sought to enter the Temple Mount, they said, "Let one of their own enter first." They said to him, "Go in, and whatever you take out is yours." He went in and brought out a golden menorah. They said to him, "It is not fitting for a commoner to use this; rather, go in a second time, and whatever you take out is yours." But he would not accept. They offered him exemption from taxes for three years, and still he would not accept. He said, "It is not enough that I angered my God once; shall I anger Him a second time?" What did they do to him? They placed him on a carpenter's saw-frame and sawed through him, and he cried out, "Woe, that I angered my Creator!" Yakum of Tzerorot was the nephew of Yose ben Yoezer of Tzeredah. He was riding a horse on the Sabbath and went ahead of the beam on which Yose was to be hanged. He said to him, "Look at the horse my master has mounted me upon, and look at the horse your Master has mounted you upon!" Yose said to him, "If it is so for those who anger Him, all the more so [kal vachomer] for those who do His will." He said, "Has any man done His will more than you?" Yose said to him, "If even one who did His will is treated so, all the more so for those who anger Him." The matter entered him like the venom of a serpent. He went and carried out upon himself the four court-imposed death penalties: stoning, burning, slaying, and strangling. What did he do? He brought a beam and fixed it in the ground, tied a cord to it, surrounded it with a fence, made a pyre before it, and fixed a sword upright in the middle. He hung himself from the beam; the cord snapped and he was strangled; the sword met him first; the fence fell upon him and he was burned. Yose ben Yoezer dozed and saw Yakum's bier flying through the air. He said, "By a brief hour this one has entered the Garden of Eden ahead of me."

Another interpretation: this teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him the Temple built, destroyed, and rebuilt. "And he said, See, the smell of my son" (Genesis 27:27) - behold it is built, as you say, "My sweet-savor offerings shall you observe to bring near" (Numbers 28:2). "Like the smell of a field" - behold it is destroyed, as you say, "Zion shall be plowed as a field" (Micah 3:12, cf. Jeremiah 26:18). "Which the LORD has blessed" - behold it is built and made perfect in the time to come, as you say, "For there the LORD commanded the blessing, life forevermore" (Psalms 133:3).

"And he smelled the smell of his garments" (Genesis 27:27): there were certain ruffians in Rabbi Zeira's neighborhood whom he drew near, so that they might turn back in repentance, and the rabbis were displeased with him for it. When Rabbi Zeira's soul departed, they said, "Until now there was the short one with the scorched legs who would seek mercy for us; now who will seek mercy for us?" They reflected in their hearts and repented.

"And God give you of the dew of heaven" (Genesis 27:28). It is written, "My root is open to the waters, and dew lies all night on my branches" (Job 29:19). Jacob said: because I occupied myself with Torah, which is likened to water, I merited to be blessed with dew - "And God give you of the dew of heaven." The rains come down only by your merit: "The LORD shall open for you" (Deuteronomy 28:12) - by your merit. The dews come down only by your merit. "And God give you" - by your merit. "Give you" - and give to you again. "Give you" blessings and "give you" the subjugations fitting for you. "Give you" what is yours, and "give you" what is your father's; "give you" what is yours, and "give you" what is your brother's. "Give you" divine power [elahuta] - when? When you have need of it. This is what is written, "And Samson called and said, Remember me, I pray, and strengthen me, I pray" (Judges 16:28). He said before Him, Master of the world, remember for me that blessing with which my father blessed me, "give you divine power." "Of the dew of heaven" - this is the manna, "Behold, I will rain down for you bread from heaven" (Exodus 16:4). "And of the fat places of the earth" - this is the well, which would bring up fat fish. "And plenty of grain [dagan]" - these are the young men, "grain shall make the young men flourish" (Zechariah 9:17). "And wine" - these are the maidens, "and new wine the maidens" (Zechariah 9:17).

Another interpretation: "of the dew of heaven" - these are the meal-offerings; "and of the fat places of the earth" - the sacrifices; "and plenty of grain" - these are the first-fruits; "and wine" - these are the libations.

Another interpretation: "of the dew of heaven" - this is Scripture; "and of the fat places of the earth" - this is Mishnah; "and plenty of grain" - this is Talmud; "and wine" - this is Aggadah. "Let peoples serve you" - these are the seventy nations. "And nations [le'umim] bow down to you" - these are the children of Ishmael and the children of Keturah, as it is written, "And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim and Letushim and Leummim" (Genesis 25:3). "Be lord over your brothers" - this is Esau and his chiefs. "And let your mother's sons bow down to you" - here it says "your mother's sons," but elsewhere it says "your father's sons" (Genesis 49:8). Rather, because Jacob married four wives he said "your father's sons," while Isaac, who married only one, said "your mother's sons." "Cursed be those who curse you, and blessed be those who bless you" - but elsewhere it says "blessed be those who bless you, and cursed be those who curse you" (Numbers 24:9). Rather, because Balaam was a hater, he opened with blessing and closed with cursing.

Another interpretation: the wicked, because their beginning is tranquility and their end is suffering, open with blessing and close with cursing; the righteous, because their beginning is suffering and their end is tranquility, open with cursing and close with blessing - "cursed be those who curse you, and blessed be those who bless you" (Genesis 27:29). "And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely gone out" (Genesis 27:30). The portico of our father Isaac was open on both sides. And the rabbis say it was like an arena, the doors folding back behind them, and Jacob stood behind the door and went out, as it is written "scarcely gone out [yatzo yatza]" - he appeared to be going out and not going out. "And Esau his brother came in" - he came in armed. "And he also made savory food" (Genesis 27:31). This is what is written, "The spider [or lizard] you may grasp with the hands, yet it is in kings' palaces" (Proverbs 30:28). By what merit is the spider grasped with the hands? By the merit of those hands - "and he also made savory food." "Let my father arise" - the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Jacob, You said, and so on, as above.

"And Isaac trembled with a very great trembling" (Genesis 27:33). "The trembling of a man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be set on high" (Proverbs 29:25). The trembling with which Ruth made Boaz tremble - by right she should have been cursed, but "whoever trusts in the LORD shall be set on high": the Holy One, blessed be He, put it into his heart and he blessed her, "And he said, Blessed are you of the LORD, my daughter" (Ruth 3:10). The trembling with which Jacob made Isaac tremble - by right he should have been cursed, but "whoever trusts in the LORD shall be set on high": He put it into his heart and he blessed him. Rabbi Hama bar Hanina said: "very [me'od]" - greater than the trembling he felt upon the altar. He said, Who is it that became the broker between me and the Omnipresent, that Jacob should take the blessings? - referring to Rebekah. Rabbi Yohanan said: one who has two sons, one going out and one coming in, trembles; but here, when Esau entered, Gehinnom entered with him. Rabbi Natan in the name of Rabbi Aha: the walls of the house began to seethe. Isaac said, Who then is it that is destined to be baked here, I or Jacob my son? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, Neither you nor Jacob your son, but "he who hunted the prey" (Genesis 27:33). As it is written, "The deceitful man will not roast his game" (Proverbs 12:27): the Holy One, blessed be He, will not delay punishment for the deceiver and his prey. For Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: all that day Esau hunted deer and bound them, and an angel came and freed them; he caught birds and bound them, and an angel came and made them fly off. Why all this? "But the diligent man's wealth is precious" (Proverbs 12:27) - so that Jacob might come and take the blessings, which are the precious things of the world set apart for him. Rabbi Yehuda says: "And I ate of all [mikol]" (Genesis 27:33) - of all that was created in the six days of creation. Rabbi Nehemiah says: of all that is prepared for the righteous in the time to come. He said to him, What was it in essence that he fed you? He said, I do not know, but I tasted the taste of bread, the taste of meat, the taste of fish, the taste of locusts, the taste of every delicacy in the world. Rabbi Berekhiah said: when he mentioned meat he wept at once, saying, He fed me one bowl of lentils and took my birthright; this one who fed you meat, how much more! Rabbi Levi said: because Isaac our father was afraid, saying, perhaps I did not act properly in making the one who is not the firstborn into the firstborn - when Esau said "he took my birthright" (Genesis 27:36), Isaac said, then I blessed rightly. Rabbi Elazar said: a deed of writ is confirmed only by its signatories; so that you should not say, had Jacob not deceived his father he would not have taken the blessings, Scripture teaches "he shall also be blessed" (Genesis 27:33). Rabbi Yitzhak said: he came to curse him, and the Holy One, blessed be He, said, Take heed, for if you curse him you curse yourself, since you already said "cursed be those who curse you" (Genesis 27:29). Rabbi Levi said: six things serve a person; three are in his control and three are not. The eye, the nose, and the ear are not in his control - he hears what he does not wish, smells what he does not wish, sees what he does not wish. The mouth, the hand, and the foot are in his control: if he wishes he toils in Torah, if he wishes he speaks slander; if he wishes the hand gives charity, if he wishes it steals or kills; if he wishes the foot goes to synagogues and study houses, if he wishes it goes to theaters and circuses. When a person is worthy, the Holy One, blessed be He, makes even those in his control not subject to him: the mouth - "he shall also be blessed"; the hand - "his hand which he put forth against him dried up" (1 Kings 13:4); the foot - "My son, do not walk in the way with them... for their feet run to evil" (Proverbs 1:15-16). "When Esau heard the words of his father" (Genesis 27:34): Rabbi Hanin said, whoever says the Holy One, blessed be He, is lax in justice - may his innards burst; rather He is long-suffering but collects His due. One cry Jacob caused Esau to cry; when was it repaid? In Shushan the capital, "and he cried a great and bitter cry" (Esther 4:1). Esau shed three tears, one from his right eye, one from his left, and one that stayed within his eye, and this is "you have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure [shalish, a third]" (Psalms 80:6). Israel said: if the wicked Esau was shown such mercy for shedding three tears, we whose tears flow constantly day and night like bread, how much more, as it is said, "my tears have been my bread day and night" (Psalms 42:4). David said, "do not be silent at my tears" (Psalms 39:13). "And I ate of all" (written above).

(Genesis 27:35-36) "Is he not rightly named Jacob (Yaakov)?" This teaches that Esau cleared his throat and brought out the venom of his words. Three came with a trumped-up grievance: Cain, Esau, and Manasseh. Cain, as it is written (Genesis 4:13), "My iniquity is too great to bear." Esau, as it is written (below, verse 38), "Have you but one blessing, my father?" Manasseh: at first he called upon many gods, and in the end upon the God of his fathers.