Take the tale of Jacob and Esau, for instance. We all know the basic outline: Jacob, aided by his mother Rebecca, deceives his blind father Isaac to steal the blessing meant for his elder twin, Esau. Pretty shady, right?
Well, hold on. Because in the world of Jewish tradition, especially in the midrashim – those wonderful, imaginative expansions on the biblical text – things get a whole lot more… nuanced.
The biblical text seems pretty clear that Rebecca and Jacob’s little scheme was, well, wrong. But because Jacob is so closely identified with Israel itself, the midrash goes to some pretty wild extremes to justify his actions. Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 32 paints a picture of Jacob leaving Isaac's presence not as a sneaky trickster, but as a hero! When Jacob entered his father's presence, Paradise itself entered with him. Isaac then blessed Jacob with ten blessings, each one corresponding to the ten utterances through which God created the entire world!
And get this: the text continues, "When Jacob went forth from the presence of his father Isaac, he went forth crowned like a bridegroom!" Can you picture it? No skulking away in shame. Instead, he's radiant, celebrated, almost royal! And it doesn't end there. According to Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 32, "the quickening dew from heaven descended upon him and refreshed his bones, and he became a mighty hero."
It's quite the transformation, isn't it? Suddenly, he's not a deceiver, but a divinely blessed figure. That's why it is said, "By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob—there, the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel" (Gen. 49:24).
This isn't just about smoothing over a rough patch in Jacob's story. It's part of a larger trend in Jewish tradition: to whitewash Jacob’s actions, while simultaneously demonizing everything Esau does. Talk about biased storytelling! According to the Targum Pseudo-Yonathan on Genesis 25:29, "Esau came from the country, and he was exhausted because he had committed five transgressions that day: he had practiced idolatry; he had shed innocent blood; he had lain with a betrothed maiden; he had denied the life of the world to come; and he had despised his birthright."
So, what's going on here? Why the need to elevate Jacob at the expense of Esau?
Well, remember that Jacob is Israel. He embodies the Jewish people. So, in a way, these stories aren't just about two brothers. They’re about the destiny and identity of a nation. And sometimes, it seems, history – or at least, the way we tell it – is written by the victors. Or, perhaps more accurately, by those who see themselves as carrying the torch of destiny. The Song of Songs Rabbah 4:24 echoes this sentiment.
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? How much of our own narratives – personal and collective – are shaped by the stories we tell ourselves, and how much are shaped by the actual events? And what are the consequences of painting one character as all good and the other as all bad? Food for thought, indeed.