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Take Isaac's blessings to his sons, Esau and Jacob. On the surface, they seem like simple pronouncements of fortune, but scratching beneath the surface reveals a complex theology a...
We pick up the story after Jacob, urged by his mother Rebekah, has just received Isaac's blessing, a blessing meant for his brother, Esau. The text tells us, "And when Jacob heard ...
I'm talking about Jacob and Esau. We know their story. The birthright, the blessing… but there’s so much more simmering beneath the surface. It's easy to look at Jacob and see him ...
Jacob, our patriarch, knew that feeling all too well. But what if that misfortune wasn't just random chance? What if it was… a consequence? See, according to some traditions, Jacob...
It’s a fascinating exercise, and sometimes, you stumble upon something truly surprising. Like this: who was the most righteous of Esau's sons? You might be surprised to learn it wa...
Job, in his suffering, throws something of a low blow. He basically snarls at Eliphaz, "Look at your father, ESAU!" Ouch. We all know Esau. The brother who traded his birthright fo...
It's often because the story isn't just about one family or one kingdom, but about the tangled web of relationships between them all. Take, for instance, the story of Esau and Jaco...
We read stories of righteous people facing hardship after hardship, and it just doesn't seem fair. Think about Jacob. After all he went through, you'd think he deserved a little pe...
It's far more than just a tale of sibling rivalry and Egyptian intrigue. According to the Legends of the Jews, compiled by Rabbi Louis Ginzberg, Jacob endured the hardships of his ...
