Toldot / תולדות

(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 God on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and God 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 God, (23) and God 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. (25) The first one emerged red, like a hairy mantle all over; so they named him Esau. (26) Then his brother emerged, holding on to the heel of Esau; so they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born. (27) When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the outdoors; but Jacob became a mild man, raising livestock. (28) Isaac favored Esau because he had a taste for game; but Rebekah favored Jacob. (29) Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the open, famished. (30) And Esau said to Jacob, “Give me some of that red stuff to gulp down, for I am famished”—which is why he was named Edom. (31) Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” (32) And Esau said, “I am at the point of death, so of what use is my birthright to me?” (33) But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. (34) Jacob then gave Esau bread and lentil stew; he ate and drank, and he rose and went away. Thus did Esau spurn the birthright.

(1) ויתרצצו AND [THE CHILDREN] STRUGGLED — You must admit that this verse calls for a Midrashic interpretation since it leaves unexplained what this struggling was about and it states that she exclaimed “If it be so, wherefore did I desire this” (i.e. she asked whether this was the normal course of child-bearing, feeling that something extraordinary was happening). Our Rabbis explain that the word ויתרוצצו has the meaning of running, moving quickly: whenever she passed by the doors of the Torah (i. e. the Schools of Shem and Eber) Jacob moved convulsively in his efforts to come to birth, but whenever she passed by the gate of a pagan temple Esau moved convulsively in his efforts to come to birth (Genesis Rabbah 63:6)...(4) ממעיך יפרדו SHALL BE PARTED FROM THY BOWELS —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) (2) והנה תומם BEHOLD, THERE WERE TWINS — The word for twins is written defective (without א and י) while in the case of Tamar it is written תאומים (with א and י); because in the latter case both children proved righteous while here one was righteous and the other wicked (Genesis Rabbah 63:8). (1) אדמוני RED — a sign that he would always be shedding blood (Genesis Rabbah 63:8).

(1) A CUNNING HUNTER. Esau was constantly practicing deception, for most animals are trapped through trickery. Jacob was his antithesis, because he was a man of integrity. They also differed in that Esau was a man of the field and Jacob a man dwelling in tents. It is possible that the meaning of dwelling in tents is like dwell in tents and have cattle (Gen. 4:20).

(1) וידו אוחזת בעקב עשו, this too, was an allusion that at the end of time he would dominate Esau, as a human being dominates something which he grabs with his hand. The heel is the lower end of the body. [It was clearly a hint from G’d concerning the future, as a normal baby does not manage to extend his hand outside the placenta and make contact with its twin.]

(1) STRUGGLING, a word derived from רץ, “ran,” as for instance in Jeremiah 5:31 “runner dashes to meet runner.” The word describes the constant motion of the two fetuses inside Rivkah’s womb. (2) TWO PEOPLES, do not be upset, seeing that the additional pain you experience is due to the fact that you will give birth to twins. This normally accounts for a more difficult pregnancy. (1) ADMONI. Roux in Old French. (2) SHE LOVED JACOB, for she was aware of his perfection, also because the prediction to her of the prophet had been that the senior son would be subservient to the junior one. The Torah had to mention first that Yitzchak loved Esau in order for us to understand what had motivated him to bless Esau, and what had motivated Rivkah to deceive him into blessing Yaakov.

(15) Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: No person respected his parents like I did my parents, and I found that Esau honored his father more than I did.

(1) THEN THE CAMP WHICH IS LEFT SHALL ESCAPE.
The intent of this is that Jacob knew that all his seed would not fall into Esau’s hands. Therefore, in any case, one camp would be saved. This also implies that the children of Esau will not formulate a decree against us designed to obliterate our name entirely, but they will do evil to some of us in some of their countries. One of their kings will formulate a decree in his country against our wealth or our persons while simultaneously another king will show compassion in his place and save the refugees. And so the Rabbis said in Bereshith Rabbah, “If Esau come to the one camp, and smite it — these are our brethren in the south. Then the camp which is left shall escape — these are our brethren in the Diaspora.” Our Rabbis thus saw that this chapter alludes also to the future generations.