וְיַעֲקֹ֞ב נָתַ֣ן לְעֵשָׂ֗ו לֶ֚חֶם וּנְזִ֣יד עֲדָשִׁ֔ים וַיֹּ֣אכַל וַיֵּ֔שְׁתְּ וַיָּ֖קׇם וַיֵּלַ֑ךְ וַיִּ֥בֶז עֵשָׂ֖ו אֶת־הַבְּכֹרָֽה׃
Yaakov then gave Esav bread and lentil stew; he ate and drank, and he rose and went away. Thus did Esav spurn the birthright.
(ח) וַיַּ֣רְא עֵשָׂ֔ו כִּ֥י רָע֖וֹת בְּנ֣וֹת כְּנָ֑עַן בְּעֵינֵ֖י יִצְחָ֥ק אָבִֽיו׃ (ט) וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ עֵשָׂ֖ו אֶל־יִשְׁמָעֵ֑אל וַיִּקַּ֡ח אֶֽת־מָחֲלַ֣ת ׀ בַּת־יִשְׁמָעֵ֨אל בֶּן־אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֲח֧וֹת נְבָי֛וֹת עַל־נָשָׁ֖יו ל֥וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃
(8) Esav realized that the Canaanite women displeased his father Yitzhak. (9) So Esav went to Yishmael and took to wife, in addition to the wives he had, Mahalat the daughter of Yishmael son of Avraham, sister of Nevayot.
(מא) וַיִּשְׂטֹ֤ם עֵשָׂו֙ אֶֽת־יַעֲקֹ֔ב עַ֨ל־הַבְּרָכָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בֵּרְכ֖וֹ אָבִ֑יו וַיֹּ֨אמֶר עֵשָׂ֜ו בְּלִבּ֗וֹ יִקְרְבוּ֙ יְמֵי֙ אֵ֣בֶל אָבִ֔י וְאַֽהַרְגָ֖ה אֶת־יַעֲקֹ֥ב אָחִֽי׃
Now Esav harbored a grudge against Yaakov because of the blessing which his father had given him, and Esav said to himself, “Let but the mourning period of my father come, and I will kill my brother Yaakov.”
אדמוני. סִימָן הוּא שֶׁיְּהֵא שׁוֹפֵךְ דָּמִים.
Red — a sign that he would always be shedding blood.
והנה תומם. חָסֵר, וּבְתָמָר תְּאוֹמִים מָלֵא, לְפִי שֶׁשְּׁנֵיהֶם צַדִּיקִים; אֲבָל כָּאן אֶחָד צַדִּיק וְאֶחָד רָשָׁע:
Behold there were twins — The word for twins is written defective whilst in the case of Tamar it is written תאומים; because in the latter case both children proved righteous whilst here one was righteous and the other wicked.
(א) ויגדלו … ויהי עשו. כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהָיוּ קְטַנִּים, לֹא הָיוּ נִכָּרִים בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם, וְאֵין אָדָם מְדַקְדֵּק בָּהֶם מַה טִּיבָם; כֵּיוָן שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי שְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה, זֶה פֵּרֵשׁ לְבָתֵּי מִדְרָשׁוֹת וְזֶה פֵּרֵשׁ לַעֲ"זָ:
ידע ציד. לָצוּד וּלְרַמּוֹת אֶת אָבִיו בְּפִיו וְשׁוֹאֲלוֹ אַבָּא, הַאֵיךְ מְעַשְּׂרִין אֶת הַמֶּלַח וְאֶת הַתֶּבֶן? כַּסָּבוּר אָבִיו שֶׁהוּא מְדַקְדֵּק בְּמִצְוֹת (תנחומא):
And they grew up and Esav was — So long as they were young they could not be distinguished by what they did and no one paid much attention to their characters, but when they reached the age of thirteen, one went his way to the houses of learning and the other went his way to the idolatrous temples.
Understanding hunting — understanding how to entrap and deceive his father with his mouth. He would ask him, “Father how should salt and straw be tithed”? Consequently his father believed him to be very punctilious in observing the divine ordinances.
(א) הנה אנכי הולך למות. אָמַר עֵשָׂו: מַה טִּיבָהּ שֶׁל עֲבוֹדָה זוֹ? אָמַר לוֹ: כַּמָּה אַזְהָרוֹת וָעֳנָשִׁין וּמִיתוֹת תְּלוּיִין בָּהּ כְּאוֹתָהּ שֶׁשָּׁנִינוּ, אֵלּוּ הֵן שֶׁבְּמִיתָה: שְׁתוּיֵי יַיִן וּפְרוּעֵי רֹאשׁ; אָמַר: אֲנִי הוֹלֵךְ לָמוּת עַל יָדָהּ, אִם כֵּן מַה חֵפֶץ לִי בָהּ?
Behold I am about to die — Esav said: What is the nature of this Service? Yaakov replied, “Many prohibitions and punishments and many acts involving even the punishment of death are associated with it — just as we learned: The following priests are liable to death: those who carry out their duties after having drunk too much wine and those who officiate long-haired. He said: If I am going to die through it, why should I desire it.
Esav despised —Scripture testifies to his wickedness: that he despised the Service of Hashem!
וַיִתְרֹצֲצוּ הַבָּנִים בְּקִרְבָּהּ...
בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיְתָה עוֹמֶדֶת עַל בָּתֵּי כְנֵסִיּוֹת וּבָתֵּי מִדְרָשׁוֹת יַעֲקֹב מְפַרְכֵּס לָצֵאת,
וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיְתָה עוֹבֶרֶת עַל בָּתֵּי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים עֵשָׂו רָץ וּמְפַרְכֵּס לָצֵאת,
And the children struggled with in her... When she stood by houses of prayer and houses of study Yaakov kicked trying to get out...
When she passed by the house of idol-worship, Esav would run and kick, trying to get out, as it says, “the wicked turn astray from the womb”
... ונגלה על בני עשו הרשע ואומר להם: מקבלים אתם את התורה? אמרו לו: מה כתיב בה? – אמר להם "לא תרצח". אמרו: זו היא ירושה שהורישנו אבינו, שנאמר (בראשית כז מ) "על חרבך תחיה"!
... He came and revealed Himself to the sons of the wicked Esav and asked them: Will you accept the Torah? They: What is written in it? He: "You shall not kill." They: But this is what we have inherited from our father, as it is written (Genesis 27:40) "By your sword shall you live!"
(יב) כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אדושם ה' יַ֣עַן עֲשׂ֥וֹת אֱד֛וֹם בִּנְקֹ֥ם נָקָ֖ם לְבֵ֣ית יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיֶּאְשְׁמ֥וּ אָשׁ֖וֹם וְנִקְּמ֥וּ בָהֶֽם׃ (יג) לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אדושם ה' וְנָטִ֤תִי יָדִי֙ עַל־אֱד֔וֹם וְהִכְרַתִּ֥י מִמֶּ֖נָּה אָדָ֣ם וּבְהֵמָ֑ה וּנְתַתִּ֤יהָ חׇרְבָּה֙ מִתֵּימָ֔ן וּדְדָ֖נֶה בַּחֶ֥רֶב יִפֹּֽלוּ׃ (יד) וְנָתַתִּ֨י אֶת־נִקְמָתִ֜י בֶּאֱד֗וֹם בְּיַד֙ עַמִּ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְעָשׂ֣וּ בֶאֱד֔וֹם כְּאַפִּ֖י וְכַחֲמָתִ֑י וְיָֽדְעוּ֙ אֶת־נִקְמָתִ֔י נְאֻ֖ם אדושם ה'׃
(12) Thus said Hashem: Because Edom acted vengefully against the House of Yehuda and incurred guilt by wreaking revenge upon it— (13) assuredly, thus said Hashem. I will stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off from it man and beast, and I will lay it in ruins; from Tema to Dedan they shall fall by the sword. (14) I will wreak My vengeance on Edom through My people Israel, and they shall take action against Edom in accordance with My blazing anger; and they shall know My vengeance—declares Hashem.
(7) Remember, Hashem against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem’s fall; how they cried, “Strip her, strip her to her very foundations!”
(כא) שִׂ֤ישִׂי וְשִׂמְחִי֙ בַּת־אֱד֔וֹם יוֹשֶׁ֖בֶת בְּאֶ֣רֶץ ע֑וּץ גַּם־עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ תַּעֲבׇר־כּ֔וֹס תִּשְׁכְּרִ֖י וְתִתְעָרִֽי׃
(כב) תַּם־עֲוֺנֵךְ֙ בַּת־צִיּ֔וֹן לֹ֥א יוֹסִ֖יף לְהַגְלוֹתֵ֑ךְ פָּקַ֤ד עֲוֺנֵךְ֙ בַּת־אֱד֔וֹם גִּלָּ֖ה עַל־חַטֹּאתָֽיִךְ׃
(21) Rejoice and exult, Fair Edom, Who dwell in the land of Uz! To you, too, the cup shall pass, You shall get drunk and expose your nakedness. (22) Your iniquity, Fair Zion, is expiated; He will exile you no longer. Your iniquity, Fair Edom, He will note; He will uncover your sins.
(ב) אָהַ֤בְתִּי אֶתְכֶם֙ אָמַ֣ר ה' וַֽאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם בַּמָּ֣ה אֲהַבְתָּ֑נוּ הֲלוֹא־אָ֨ח עֵשָׂ֤ו לְיַֽעֲקֹב֙ נְאֻם־ה' וָאֹהַ֖ב אֶֽת־יַעֲקֹֽב׃ (ג) וְאֶת־עֵשָׂ֖ו שָׂנֵ֑אתִי וָאָשִׂ֤ים אֶת־הָרָיו֙ שְׁמָמָ֔ה וְאֶת־נַחֲלָת֖וֹ לְתַנּ֥וֹת מִדְבָּֽר׃
(2) I have shown you love, said Hashem. But you ask, “How have You shown us love?” After all—declares Hashem—Esav is Yaakov's brother; yet I have accepted Yaakov (3) and have rejected Esav. I have made his hills a desolation, his territory a home for beasts-a of the desert.
(יח) וְהָיָה֩ בֵית־יַעֲקֹ֨ב אֵ֜שׁ וּבֵ֧ית יוֹסֵ֣ף לֶהָבָ֗ה וּבֵ֤ית עֵשָׂו֙ לְקַ֔שׁ וְדָלְק֥וּ בָהֶ֖ם וַאֲכָל֑וּם וְלֹֽא־יִֽהְיֶ֤ה שָׂרִיד֙ לְבֵ֣ית עֵשָׂ֔ו כִּ֥י ה' דִּבֵּֽר׃
The House of Yaakov shall be fire, And the House of Yosef flame, And the House of Esav shall be straw; They shall burn it and devour it, And no survivor shall be left of the House of Esav for Hashem has spoken.
הַקּוֹל קוֹל יַעֲקֹב וְהַיָּדַיִם יְדֵי עֵשָׂו הַקּוֹל זֶה אַדְרִיָּינוּס קֵיסָר שֶׁהָרַג בַּאֲלֶכְּסַנְדְּרִיָּא שֶׁל מִצְרַיִם שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא עַל שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא כִּפְלַיִם כְּיוֹצְאֵי מִצְרַיִם קוֹל יַעֲקֹב זֶה אַסְפַּסְיָינוּס קֵיסָר שֶׁהָרַג בִּכְרַךְ בֵּיתֵּר אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת רִבּוֹא וְאָמְרִי לַהּ אַרְבַּעַת אֲלָפִים רִבּוֹא וְהַיָּדַיִם יְדֵי עֵשָׂו זוֹ מַלְכוּת הָרְשָׁעָה שֶׁהֶחְרִיבָה אֶת בָּתֵּינוּ וְשָׂרְפָה אֶת הֵיכָלֵנוּ וְהִגְלִיתָנוּ מֵאַרְצֵנוּ
“The voice is the voice of Yaakov, but the hands are the hands of Esav”
“The voice”; this is the emperor Hadrian, who caused the Jewish people to cry out when he killed six hundred thousand on six hundred thousand in Alexandria of Egypt, twice the number of men who left Egypt. “The voice of Yaakov”; this is the cry aroused by the emperor Vespasian, who killed four million people in the city of Beitar. And some say: He killed forty million people. “And the hands are the hands of Esav”; this is the wicked kingdom of Rome that destroyed our Temple, burned our Sanctuary, and exiled us from our land.