Parashas Toldos

The Parsha this Shabbos is Parashas Toldos and in this Sedra we read about the start of the feud between Yaakov ( the Jewish People ) and Eisav and his progeny . The Haftorah for this Parsha is in Malachi 1 : 1 - 2 : 7 and just like the Parsha , it speaks of Yaakov and Eisav .

Our last Parsha ended with the previous generation of Avraham and Sarah passing and the marriage of their son Yitzchak and Rivka . The Vav that starts out this Parsha of Toldos , connects the last Parsha with this one , as the next generation continues through the children of Yitzchak and Rivka .

Yitzchak was 40 years old when he married Rivka and this was three years after the Akeidah . But Rivka did not conceive . As I explained in the previous Parsha , when Rivka left her home after Eliezer had come to seek a wife for Yitzchak , Rivka's family had made a statement that seemed positive on the surface but was meant as a curse , which they had made with the thoughts of idols about Rivka conceiving and so , to prove that their idols were of no worth , Rivka had to wait 20 years before she could conceive , so that there would be no doubt that the child was not conceived with her brother Lavan and his family's statements to idols , But Only By HaShem Does Creation Come About And Only Through HaShem Does a couple conceive and not by worthless idols of no value .

Rivka's family of Lavan who was her brother and Bethuel who was her Father , were from Padan Aram and they were idol worshipers and thus that strain from her side had to be removed from the Jewish People and so did her birth bring two completely different individuals , so that the strain of negativity from Lavan's family would separate itself from the Jewish people , keeping spiritually clear , clean and pure through Yaakov Avinu .

Torah Tells us That Yitzchak entreated HaShem " Lenochach " - " Opposite " his wife , for both had gone to Har Ha Moriah , the site of The Akeidah and of the Future Temples and both stood physically opposite each other and prayed To HaShem . We note how in the beginning of Adam Ve Chava , that couple meant for each other were referred to as being " Opposite , " which meant that each is to stand in a relationship together with their spouse , but opposite at times where their spouse is incorrect and so the partner is there to bring their spouse to higher levels , even if it means that they are to disagree so as to build each other up Spiritually In Holiness . In this case , Yitzchak loved Rivka as a spiritual beloved and so they too are referred to in this manner , like Adam Ve Chava were also referred to as " Opposite , " though a different Hebrew word was used there . In this case , Yitzchak acted like a true soul mate for Rivka , though standing " Opposite " each other in prayer , both had the same request and Yitzchak had to physically stand opposite that part of Rivka's family that was against HaShem . So HaShem Allowed Himself To Be Entreated And So By Beloved HaShem's Blessing Did Rivka conceive .

Rivka had immense pain while carrying her children . When she would walk past a Holy Learning Centre , there would be agitation and kicking from within her from Yaakov and when she would walk past a house of Avodah Zorah - Idol Worship , there would be kicking and agitation within her from Eisav . The pain was so immense that to an extent she had a minute sense of regret about the conception and so did she lose the opportunity to be the Mother of the Twelve Tribes of Israel that was then passed to the next generation . She literally felt that her insides were pulling in two separate directions and she had to go and inquire Of HaShem , which meant she went to ask at the Yeshiva of Shem and Eiver , where Yitzchak had previously gone to study , after the Akeidah .

Rivka was informed that within her , two regimes were within her that would be separated and the might would pass from one to the other and that the elder would serve the younger . Thus she knew that her line through Yitzchak would separate into two separate paths , one holy and the other not , thus ridding the line of negativity from our Jewish Line . Also , this showed that even while still within her , these two regimes had already set themselves different paths to travel , one that would follow HaShem and the other that would not , even though they did not even have proper physicalities yet , the intrinsic holiness of Yaakov was already within him , just as was the intrinsic negativity of the other child , Eisav within that other child .

When her term to bear grew full , there were twins within her . Even within her , these two regimes were at loggerheads . Yaakov was to emerge first , but Eisav pushed him aside and came out first and so was Yaakov then holding onto Eisav's heel . Eisav was born already with a full head of hair and teeth and thus red like a hairy mantle almost like a 'completed ' person and so was he named " Eisav " - which means " completely developed , " ( as Rashi explains ) . Seeing as his brother Yaakov emerged holding on to the heel of Eisav , he was called " Yaakov , " which means " Heel . "

As Eisav was being born , he wanted to make sure that he would be the only surviving progeny and that there would be no more children through Rivka and so as Eisav was coming out , he ripped his own Mother Rivka's insides and tore at her from within her birth canal with his full set of teeth and fingernails as he was being born , to make sure she would have no more children and so Rivka's Labour also almost took her life Chas Ve Shalom . Eisav already then , had thoughts of killing his brother Yaakov .

As the boys grew , Eisav grew to be a man who knew hunting , unlike Yaakov , who was an " Ish Tam Yoshev Ohalim " - " A Wholesome man abiding in Tents " a man who abides in tents ( as referenced in The Torah ) refers to one who studies HaShem's Torah , for the word " Ohel " is like the " Ohel Mo'ed , " - " the Tent Of Meeting " where Moshe Would Meet HaShem And Receive The Laws And Instructions Of HaShem's Torah and so was Yaakov an " Ish Tam " - " a Wholesome man " of purity and holiness , wholesome , Whole In Holiness that completes a person . Eisav was referred to as a man " who knows hunting , " which does not just refer to hunting animals , but also men and also running after and interfering with already married women . And not just hunting and killing other people , but even hunting in reference to getting a man to own up when he did something wrong in a court case . If a man was caught and did not confess to a crime he did commit , the court at the time would call Eisav , for Eisav , being a hunter of men , knew exactly how to trick a confession from a litigant .

Yitzchak loved Eisav " for game was in his mouth " and this has a deeper meaning . Yitzchak was not completely unaware of Eisav's weaknesses spiritually , but hoped by not being too hard on him , that this might get him to grow out of it , unlike Rivka who knew before they were born what they each were , as she was told about her children and thus she loved Yaakov more .

Eisav would often trick his Father into thinking he had studied , for when Yitzchak would question his son Eisav about what he had learned that day , Eisav would repeat something that he had heard as he was walking past the window opening of a Yeshivah , even though he had not actually gone in and so would he repeat what he had heard to try to trick his Holy Father into thinking that he had actually attended . Eisav would also ask detailed questions of Halachic matters in a way that went beyond the Law , something that was not even a question in the first place , just so as to give the impression of how deeply he had studied , when he hadn't . As an example , he asked his Father how one separates Tithes from Straw , just to show how meticulous he would appear at keeping Halacha , when he knew full well that one does not separate Tithes from Straw . Thus did Yitzchak only with his physicality favour Eisav his son - " for game was in his mouth " which refers to Yitzchak only with his mouth , trusting his son , but deep down knowing better and hoping against hope to bring him around by being softer on him then he should have been .

King David too was born with a Reddish tinge in the hair like Eisav ( not as much as Eisav ) but unlike Eisav , David used his strength For And In HaShem's Service , unlike Eisav who went out of his way to disobey HaShem .

On one very sad day when Avraham had just passed away , the family was in mourning and so Yaakov was preparing lentils for his Father , a round food , for round food is common at such times , as if to say life is round and goes around . While the family was in mourning , only one member did not feel a need to mourn the loss of holy Avraham and this was Eisav . Where was Eisav that day that had made him so exhausted ? Eisav heard that Nimrod 's son who was also named Nimrod , was in the vicinity and Nimrod who was known for his hunting abilities had a very special garment that would subdue animals , Originally Given By HaShem To Adam , when they were chased out of the Garden of Eden . This Garment , Eisav desired and so he stealthily snuck up on Nimrod's two guards and after a fight , killed them both and spent a large part of the hours chasing Nimrod and finally killing him and taking the Garment . So by the time that Eisav had come back in from the field , he was completely exhausted from the hunt of Nimrod and his guards . Eisav , coming in and seeing the redness of the lentils that Yaakov was making , was attracted to the blood-like colour of it and asked Yaakov for some of it . So was Eisav called " Edom " due to the fact that he was attracted to the redness as a colour , which was to Eisav just like blood - a common character trait of his progeny . Yaakov sat and thought that this Eisav is not a worthy receiver of the Birthright and being such an unholy man as Eisav was , did Yaakov , for us all , make sure to get the Birthright back to and for us where it belonged , which it was originally Yaakov's , had Eisav not pushed him aside in the womb . So Yaakov asked Eisav to sell the Birthright and Eisav , thinking to himself that he had no Spiritual future anyway ( so did Eisav say he is going to die anyway ) , never acknowledged the value of it and Eisav sold such a holy precious gift for a momentary physical enjoyment of a bowl of pottage . Such is the lack of true spiritual intelligence of just desiring the physical ( like Eisav / Edom and his nation ) even if it has no long lasting value just for a moment's pleasure that ends nowhere . Thus must we Live For HaShem and not the physical , for we take nothing with us when our time is up , but our Spiritual growth and level . To give up Heaven for a moment's fleeting physical pleasure is not only unintelligent but destruction in itself .

The very fact that Eisav sold the Birthright that was Yaakov's in the first place , actually gave Eisav no right later on , to expect to come to his Father and get the Blessing , for it was no longer Eisav's , who sold his Birthright and thus the two concepts worked hand in hand - Birthright and Blessing . Eisav should have told his Father he could not get the First Born Blessing anymore , for it was no longer his . He ( Eisav ) had sold that which he had stolen from his brother Yaakov long before and so Eisav had no right to think it was his to claim for himself at all .

Torah then talks of Yitzchak ( who was not to leave the Holy Land ) being forced to move to Philistia Gerar , due to a famine and how again he did as his Father did , to Avimelech , saying that his wife Rivka , is his sister . We note In This Parsha Here How HaShem Refers To The Holy Torah Written And The Holy Torah Oral , Passed Down in Mishnayos Through The Ages , from Moshe Rabbeinu , only written down long afterwards so as not to lose any part of its learning at the time of Edom Rome . So HaShem , In Bereishis 26 : 5 Refers to " Torosai , " ( a plural word meaning two ) one of the references that proves That HaShem Did Give A Written And An Oral Torah Explanation To It And Its Intricacies Of Law . Avimelech noticed one day how Yitzchak was sporting with his wife Rivka and thus knew that they were husband and wife . Yitzchak became very successful in that land and the Philistines , the ancestors of the Greeks , stopped up the wells that Yitzchak's Father's servants had dug and Avimelech and the people noticing Yitzchak's success over theirs , That Yitzchak Had Been Blessed By HaShem , caused them to kick Yitzchak out . How often this scenario has played itself out in our Jewish History , when the nations would kick us Jews out of their lands with nothing , though all Land Belongs To HaShem .

Three Wells are then mentioned , each with a reference to the coming Temples That HaShem Would Give The Jewish People . Even within the names of these Wells is reference to the history of the Two Temples and the Third Eternal one to come . When Abimelech saw how they were not Blessed after kicking Yitzchak out , he came with his general Phicol and friends to try to get Yitzchak back and Avimelech made a covenant with him . So typical of the antisemites of the centuries , who dare even make comments that even though they kicked us Jews out , from country to country and place to place , we should be content that we were not molested in the kicking out - like Avimelech dared say to Yitzchak then in Bereishis 26 : 29 .

Eisav continuing with his deceitful ways to deceive his Father , took a Hittite woman and gave her a Jewish name and called her Yehudis . He , Eisav , even tried to show that he too marries like his parents at 40 . He also took Basemath a Hittite and they were a source of Spiritual rebellion to Yitzchak and Rivka . Eisav acts like the Pig that holds its feet up to show it is kosher , but inside it is as treif as can be , for the pig does not chew the cud .

Yitzchak was old and his eyes had become dimmed , as our Rabbis say , so that the entire event could take place and so that the right son could be Blessed , for sadly all the years , Yitzchak had closed his eyes to Eisav . Also now , the cursing words of Avimelech came true , for Avimelech had once made a remark about Yitzchak about blindness , when Yitzchak had told Avimelech about Rivka being his sister , when she was really his wife and Avimelech had seen the love between them , showing Avimelech that Rivka was in fact Yitzchak's wife and this angered Avimelech to the point where Avimelech's thoughts spilled out of his mouth . These words carried through and had an effect on Yitzchak later when he had aged . Another opinion according to the Midrash ( Rav Ezra Bick ) , is that Yitzchak went blind due to the Angel's tears at the Akeidah , when the Angel cried on his behalf not to be sacrificed as well as Yitzchak viewing The Holiness And Brilliance Of Heaven at that moment , which effected his eyesight physically , so adds the Midrash ( Rav Ezra Bick ) . And so , the time came when Yitzchak became blind in his old age .

Yitzchak called his son Eisav and asked him to prepare delicacies so that Yitzchak could at least be put into a physically content frame of mind so that possibly he could be made able to be in the higher state of mind to bless Eisav . HaShem Had Given Rivka a special ability to know what was in the minds of others and so she knew that Eisav had been sent to prepare delicacies for his Father . She quickly called her son Yaakov and had him put on Eisav's Garments that Eisav that day had left at home and Rivka asked Yaakov to go in to his Father and receive the Blessing . Yaakov objected and felt that he could bring upon himself a curse rather than a Blessing , but his Mother Rivka was prepared to take that upon herself Chas Ve Shalom , to safeguard the right son and our people , whose Birthright and Blessing , Eisav had tried to steal from the very beginning . Rivka took two of her own animals that she prepared and cooked them for Yitzchak and sent them with Yaakov , now dressed in Eisav's Garment and he went in unto his Father . The animals that she took from , were taken from the gift that her husband had given her as part of their marriage contract .

But what happened to Eisav and his hunting Game . Eisav that day could not catch anything as forces beyond himself kept freeing whatever he tried to catch and kill and so in desperation , he went and killed and cooked the family dog and that is what he brought in to his Father just after Yaakov had left . When Yaakov entered his Father's Tent trembling , his holiness brought with him the smell of Gan Eiden and this is why , just as Yaakov's address to his Father , Yitzchak wondered who this was in front of him , for deep down he knew that only Yaakov would carry Such A Sweet Scent Of Holiness From The Scent Of Gan Eiden . Thus did Yitzchak ask for Yaakov to come closer and to feel if this was really the son he thought , for Eisav would not come with The Scent Of Gan Eiden nor with the address and words of asking his Father to sit up in such a holy way as Yaakov had said and did . Thus did Yitzchak refer to the person in front of him as one who has the " Voice ( Holiness ) of " Yaakov , but " The Hands of " Physicality and unholiness and deceit of Eisav , for the power of Eisav is in their physical violent hands , but our Jewish Power Is In HaShem And HaShem's Torah that we speak out of our mouths and that we Jews pray directly to HaShem , with our mouths and voice , as all people should . Even when Yitzchak asked who this was , Yaakov answered in a very specific way , as if to say , " It is I , Eisav ( is ) your firstborn . ' In kissing his son , Yitzchak felt his son Eisav could not possibly have An Essence Of Gan Eiden , " the fragrance of a field which HaShem Has Blessed . " ( Bereishis 27 : 27 ) . How sad that Holy Yaakov had to act with the hands of Eisav and act not open , like Eisav does , in order to overcome Eisav . Yaakov did this , not just for himself , but to save his progeny , our Jewish people and ensure that we would get our deserved Blessing , which was ours in the first place , that Eisav right from birth , tried to steal . So Yitzchak Blesses Yaakov , for the time of then , for the time of the future , for his children's time and for Moshiach's time . Just as Yaakov left , Eisav came in and Yitzchak trembled that he may have Blessed the wrong son . Eisav cried three tears as the Midrash says , one from his left eye, one from his right eye and the third one withheld . These tears have hit our people through history . Yitzchak Blesses Eisav with present blessings of Physicality and now , Eisav has a small inkling of what the Birthright and Blessing means , but still not to the depth of what Yaakov is able to deeply understand and appreciate . Here Yitzchak gives the directive for the centuries , that Eisav will only be able to overcome Yaakov , when Yaakov and his progeny , Chas Ve Shalom , casts off HaShem's Torah through the ages Chas Ve Shalom and this is the true answer to defeating our Jewish enemies through time , for as long as we study Torah and keep HaShem's Shabbos And HaShem's Torah And Commandments , no one can do us harm , but if even just a few of our people disobey HaShem And His Holy Torah , then Eisav can cast off our Yoke over him and hurt us .

So The Ultimate Answer To Antisemitism and our Enemies , Is To Stay Torah Religious And Torah And Commandments Observant And Keep A Religious Holy Eretz Yisroel .

Yitzchak says to Eisav that Yaakov will remain Blessed . Rivka again knowing what Eisav planned to do to kill Yaakov , asks Yaakov to leave and go to Paddan Aram to Charan and stay there , but Yaakov refused to go till his Father would give him permission and so does Rivka approach Yitzchak . Yitzchak called his son Yaakov and asked him to go and take a wife from Rivka's family . Yitzchak , now knowing it is Yaakov in front of him , affirms the Blessing to his son Yaakov of what Yitzchak had Blessed Yaakov with before when he did not know at that time he was blessing Yaakov , thus corroborating The Blessings From HaShem Through Yitzchak To Yaakov and Yaakov is sent to Rivka's family to Lavan , to Paddan Aram to seek a wife .

Eisav , hearing that Yaakov had been sent to find a wife , made plans to kill Yaakov and ensure he , Eisav would be the only line left , so he married Mahalath , daughter of Yishmael , planning to engage Yishmael's help against Yaakov , but his plan never came to fruition , for just before the marriage , Yishmael died . It is at this point , that the Parsha ends , at the marrying of Eisav and Mahalath , daughter of Yishmael , among Eisav's other wives . So ends the Parsha .

The happenings between Yaakov and Eisav , repeat itself over and over again in our lives . We are each given the choice to travel On A Good Holy Path Towards HaShem , or on a physical self-serving path , that has no future and gets nowhere . This choice is presented to each and every one of us every moment we breathe . Do I Follow HaShem And Do What HaShem Asks Of me or do I follow my own wants and needs and likes and desires and make out that I know better ( which I never can , For HaShem Knows All ) . Do I party all night and have nothing to show for it in the morning , or do I use The Time That HaShem Gives me , constructively and make a future for myself and my soul . Do I Obey G-D And His Holy Torah And Enter Heaven Shamayim , or do I waste every moment I have on trivial nothings that leave one with hot air that is of absolutely no worth at all . Do I Enter Heaven Shamayim , or do I remain Eathbound and find out too late , that I have doomed my own future Chas Ve Shalom . Do I Obey G-D With Love And Selfless Obedience , or do I obey strange nothings that mean nothing and end up nothing and that are nothing , For HaShem Only Creates All . HaShem Only Is G-D . Do I live for the day and follow nothingness and self worthless pleasures , Or Do I Follow HaShem And Make A Place For myself Within Eternity . Choices Choices Choices . Thank You HaShem , for where I end up is surely my own doing . From now on may I choose wisely . May I always choose The Holy Path of Yaakov and Follow HaShem And HaShem's Commandments and so , Have An Eternity With HaShem's Love and may I shun Eisav and his way to nothingness and torment , with no future . What do you choose . I choose The Holy Torah . I choose The Holy Tanach . I choose HaShem . I choose to Truly Live . I choose True Life . I choose Gan Eiden . I choose Shamayim . I choose The Holy Path That Leads To HaShem .

I wish Ever Most Eternally Deeply Beloved HaShem With Most Beautiful And Eternal Forever Love , A Very Beautiful And Sweet Blessed Shabbos Kodesh With Deepest Dearest Love and to all of my fellow Jews and to all of Creation , a Beautiful and Sweet and Ever Peaceful Shabbos Kodesh with love .