This week's Torah portion offers yet another in the Bible's series of sibling rivalries, in this case Jacob and Esau. they start with the very first set of brothers, Cain and Abel. Other rivalries include:
1. Isaac and Ishma'el
2. Joseph and his 10 older brothers
3. David's sons, including the fight for succession between Adoniyah and Solomon.
Similar rivalries occur between women who share a husband:
4. Sarah and Hagar
5. Leah and Rebecca, plus their maids Bilhah and Zilpah, who also become Jacob's wives.
QUESTION: What is it about the sibling relationship that can trigger this kind of conflict? Is this kind of intense rivalry something that we have outgrown culturally? what is the role of parents in feeding -- or fighting -- this kind of rivalry?
(יט) וְאֵ֛לֶּה תּוֹלְדֹ֥ת יִצְחָ֖ק בֶּן־אַבְרָהָ֑ם אַבְרָהָ֖ם הוֹלִ֥יד אֶת־יִצְחָֽק׃ (כ) וַיְהִ֤י יִצְחָק֙ בֶּן־אַרְבָּעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה בְּקַחְתּ֣וֹ אֶת־רִבְקָ֗ה בַּת־בְּתוּאֵל֙ הָֽאֲרַמִּ֔י מִפַּדַּ֖ן אֲרָ֑ם אֲח֛וֹת לָבָ֥ן הָאֲרַמִּ֖י ל֥וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃ (כא) וַיֶּעְתַּ֨ר יִצְחָ֤ק לַֽיהֹוָה֙ לְנֹ֣כַח אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ כִּ֥י עֲקָרָ֖ה הִ֑וא וַיֵּעָ֤תֶר לוֹ֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה וַתַּ֖הַר רִבְקָ֥ה אִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃
(19) This is the story of Isaac, son of Abraham. Abraham begot Isaac. (20) Isaac was forty years old when he took to wife Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, sister of Laban the Aramean. (21) Isaac pleaded with THE ONE on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD responded to his plea, and his wife Rebekah conceived.
(22) But the children struggled in her womb, and she said, “If so, why do I exist?” She went to inquire of THE ONE, (23) and THE ONE answered her,
“Two nations are in your womb, Two separate peoples shall issue from your body; One people shall be mightier than the other, And the older shall serve the younger.”
(24) When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb.
שני גויים בבטנך TWO NATIONS ARE IN YOUR WOMB —The word is written גיים (exalted, noble persons), an allusion to the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius and Rabbi Judah the Prince, the final editor of the Mishnah, from whose table neither radish nor lettuce was absent neither in summer nor in winter (Talmud Avodah Zarah 11a)
ושני לאמים AND TWO SEPARATE PEOPLES — The word לאם always denotes a people that has all the characteristics of a kingdom (Avodah Zarah 2b)
ממעיך יפרדו SHALL ISSUE FROM YOUR BODY —as soon as they leave your body they will take each a different course — one to his wicked ways, the other to his plain life (Genesis 5:27)
לאם יאמץ SHALL BE STRONGER THAN THE OTHER —They will never be equally great at the same time: when one rises the other will fall. Thus it says, (Ezekiel 26:2) “[Because Tyre (colonised by Esau) says about Jerusalem] I shall be filled with her that is laid waste” — Tyre became full (powerful) only through the ruin of Jerusalem (Megillah 6a).
After Hadrian, king of Edom conquered the world, he returned to Rome and said to his officers: “I want you to make me a god, since I have conquered the world.” They said to him: “But you have not yet established your rule over his (God’s) city and his house.” He went, succeeded, destroyed the Temple, exiled Israel, and returned to Rome. He said to them: “I have now destroyed his house and burned his Temple and exiled his people. Make me a god.”