Bereshit Rabbah turns to Jacob — Isaac at the Dawn of Creation.
In this, midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), or interpretation, King Solomon, with divine inspiration (ruach hakodesh), spoke this verse specifically about Jacob and Esau. Jacob, the righteous one, receives blessings upon his head, while Esau, the wicked one, is consumed by villainy. But what does this mean for us?
The text goes on to say, "Happy are the righteous who are blessed on earth and are blessed in Heaven." It quotes Isaiah (65:16), "So that one who blesses himself in the land will bless himself by the God of faithfulness," explaining that the blessings Isaac bestowed upon Jacob were mirrored by blessings from God himself. Isaac blessed Jacob with "the dew of the heavens and the fatness of the earth" (Genesis 27:28). And how did God echo this? Bereshit Rabbah points to Micah (5:6): "The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the Lord." And Isaiah (30:23): "He will give rain for your seeds with which you will sow the ground."
Isaac blessed Jacob that "peoples will serve you" (Genesis 27:29), and God, through Moses, promised, "To place you uppermost over all the nations" (Deuteronomy 26:19). Isaac said, “You will be a lord to your brethren” (Genesis 27:29), and the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Kings will be your caregivers, and their princesses, your wet nurses” (Isaiah 49:23).
The Rabbis emphasize that every blessing from below found a corresponding blessing from on High. Even Rebecca, Jacob’s mother, blessed him in a similar vein, invoking divine protection as Psalm 91 says: “For He will charge His angels on your behalf to guard you in all your ways” (Psalms 91:11). The Divine Spirit then responded, “When he calls upon Me, I will answer him…” (Psalms 91:15).
But if God and his mother had already blessed Jacob, why did Isaac bless him again in (Genesis 28:1)?
Here’s where it gets really interesting. Bereshit Rabbah suggests that Isaac, through divine insight, foresaw the exile of Jacob's descendants. So, he bestowed upon Jacob "blessings of exile," designed to sustain them through hardship, so that God would eventually gather them from the diaspora. These blessings, drawn from Job (5:19, 21–22), promise deliverance from troubles, protection from slander, and resilience in the face of famine and fear. "In six troubles He will deliver you, and in seven, no harm will touch you. …From the scourge of the tongue you will be hidden, and you will not fear pillage when it comes. At pillage and hunger you will laugh, and from the beasts of the earth, do not fear.”
This brings us back to where we started: “Blessings upon the head of the righteous.” It’s not just about earthly rewards, but about a divine covenant, a promise of resilience and ultimate redemption, even in the darkest of times. It's a comforting thought, isn't it? That even our struggles might be part of a divinely orchestrated path towards a greater good.
Another matter, “Jacob sent messengers” (Genesis 32:4) – this is what was said with divine spirit by Solomon king of Israel: “Blessings upon the head of the righteous, and villainy will cover the mouth of the wicked” (Proverbs 10:6). Corresponding to whom did Solomon state this verse? He said it corresponding only to Jacob and Esau. “Blessings upon the head of the righteous” – this is Jacob. “And villainy will cover the mouth of the wicked” – this is the wicked Esau. Happy are the righteous who are blessed on earth and are blessed in Heaven, and this is appropriate, as it is stated: “So that one who blesses himself in the land will bless himself by the God of faithfulness” (Isaiah 65:16) – to inform you that all the blessings that Isaac blessed Jacob, corresponding to those, the Holy One blessed be He blessed him from on High. Isaac said to him: “God will give you from the dew of the heavens…” (Genesis 27:28), and the Holy One blessed be He blessed him with dew and rain, as it is stated: “The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew [from the Lord, like raindrops]” (Micah 5:6). Isaac said to him: “and from the fats of the earth” (Genesis 27:28), and the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “He will give rain for your seeds with which you will sow the ground” (Isaiah 30:23). Isaac said: “Peoples will serve you” (Genesis 27:29), and the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Kings will be your caregivers, and their princesses, your wet nurses” (Isaiah 49:23). Isaac said: “You will be a lord to your brethren” (Genesis 27:29), and the Holy One blessed be He said to him through Moses: “To place you uppermost over all the nations” (Deuteronomy 26:19). You learned that all the blessings that Isaac blessed Jacob from below, corresponding to that, the Holy One blessed be He blessed him from on High. His mother Rebecca, too, blessed him corresponding to them, as it is stated: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High” (Psalms 91:1). So she said to him: “For He will charge His angels on your behalf [to guard you in all your ways]” (Psalms 91:11). When she said that to him in that language, the Divine Spirit blessed Him: “When he calls upon Me, I will answer him…” (Psalms 91:15). Once the Holy One blessed be He blessed him, why did his father bless him again, as it is stated: “Isaac summoned Jacob, and he blessed him”? (Genesis 28:1). It is, rather, that Isaac saw through the divine spirit that his descendants were destined to be exiled among the nations. He said to him: ‘Come and I will bless you blessings of exile, so that the Holy One blessed be He will return to you and gather you from the midst of the exiles.’ What are the blessings? “In six troubles He will deliver you, and in seven, no harm will touch you. …From the scourge of the tongue you will be hidden, and you will not fear pillage when it comes. At pillage and hunger you will laugh, and from the beasts of the earth, do not fear” (Job 5:19, 21–22). That is why it is stated: “Blessings upon the head of the righteous.”
