Genesis Tol'dot

Tol'dot
Genesis 25:19−28:9

I. Summary

A. Tol’dot = “This is the line/descendants” (of Isaac son of Abraham)

B. While previously barren Rebekah is pregnant, God tells her she is going to have twins and that the elder twin shall serve the younger twin (reminiscent of God favoring younger Abel over Cain). Rebekah gives birth to the twins, Esau (reddish and hairy) and Jacob (born holding Esau’s heel … root of Jacob’s name/ya’akov = wordplay on akev/heel). Esau becomes a hunter whereas Jacob “keeps to the tents” (studious?). Isaac favors Esau (who hunts food) and Rebecca favors Jacob. (25:19-28)

C. Jacob talks Esau into giving Jacob the birthright (to which Esau was entitled as the older brother) in exchange for some lentil stew (reconcile Jacob’s dishonesty with God’s selection of Jacob to carry on Jewish heritage). (25:29-34)

D. Famine takes Isaac to Gerar where God tells Isaac to settle (God will give him all these lands fulfilling God’s oath to Abraham). Isaac is asked by the people of Gerar about Rebekah. Isaac, fearful of being killed by people of Gerar on her account, lies and says she is his sister (repeating the same deception his father used re: Sarah in Gen 12:10 and 20:2). King Abimelech discovers the truth (saw Isaac fondling his wife) but protects Isaac from people (“anyone who touches this man or his wife will be put to death”). (26:1-11)

E. Isaac becomes very wealthy in Gerar, acquiring many flocks and herds even during a famine, until the Philistines grow envious and stop up Isaac’s wells which Abraham had originally dug (given significance of water, this was a serious invasion of property). King Abimelech then expels Isaac from the land (‘you have become much too numerous for us”) and Isaac leaves though staying close by (“encamping in the wadi of Gerar”). Isaac re-digs the wells and gives them the same names as Abraham gave them (affirmation of wells being property of Isaac’s family?). Isaac moves to Bathsheba. God appears and assures Isaac (protect, bless "and make descendants numerous for sake of Abraham"). Fearful of Isaac, King Abimelech and his councilors approach Isaac and all agree to peace treaty. (26:12-33)

F. Esau, at 40, (Abraham, at 40, marries Sarah, 40-day flood, Moses’ 40 days on Mt Sinai) marries two Hittite women who were a “bitterness of spirit” to Rebecca and Isaac. (26:34-35)

G. Isaac (now old and blind) plans to bless Esau, his firstborn. Rebekah and Jacob deceive Isaac (confirming Jacob’s immorality carried over from stealing birthright from Esau) so that Jacob receives the blessing rather than the older Esau (a forerunner of similar situation with a blind Jacob giving (though intentionally) his preferential blessing to his younger grandson, Ephraim, rather than to his older grandson, Mannasseh). Isaac realizes mistake but refuses to retract blessing of Jacob (giving Esau weak excuse of “what am I to do?”). Isaac does bless Esau though with an inferior blessing (Jacob’s blessing validates Jacob as leader whereas Esau’s blessing suggests a life of “living by the sword”). (27:1-40)

H. Esau threatens to kill Jacob (reminiscent of Cain and Abel). Rebekah hears of Esau’s words, warns Jacob and urges Jacob to flee to her brother, Laban, in Haran until things cool down at which time she will tell Jacob to return. Rebekah makes excuse to Isaac for Jacob leaving saying she does not want Jacob to take a Hittite wife (as Esau did). Isaac believes Rebekah’s lie (again displaying weakness by falling to deception). Isaac tells Jacob not to take a wife from Canaan (just as Abraham told his servant to find a wife for Isaac who was not from Canaan) and sends Jacob away (27:41- 28:5)

I. Esau sees his father’s disapproval of Canaanite/Hittite women. Esau (who had married two Hittite women) marries his cousin (the daughter of his uncle Ishmael). (28:6-9)

II. Commentary (Plaut, various websites and prior Hevreh discussions)

A. Conflict between Jacob and Esau - Twins are prototypes of our lower and higher selves and strivings. As twins, we might think of them as one (complete) person combining two natures that do battle within us all. In this sense, Jacob and Esau are emblematic of all the tensions with which we do battle in our own lives.

B. Isaac as a source of continuity - For the most part, Isaac is passive; he is acted upon by others; however, Isaac is also remembered as one who carried on the tradition to the next generation. Without Isaac, Abraham's great achievements would not have endured. Isaac stands out as a stabilizing force whose existence (albeit on the surface less spectacular than that of his father and his son) is indeed significant. Isaac reminds us that we need points in our lives at which we must stop to reflect on who we are becoming and to establish constancy and continuity by focusing on the preservation of the tradition we have inherited.

C. Passing off wife as sister - Married Hurrian women were given special status if their husbands also adopted them. They attained a new title of "wife-sister." As part of this arrangement, a husband gained greater authority over his wife and a wife enjoyed more privileges and higher status within Hurrian society. There is some speculation that the status of "wife-sister" also guaranteed the purity of the woman's descendants. Abraham, Sarah, and Rebeccah were from Haran, where several of the practices of Hurrian society were followed. This could explain some of the confusion about both Sarah and Rebekah being presented as their husbands’ sisters. Abraham's error was in failing to perceive the cultural and societal lens through which Pharaoh and the Egyptians would view his relationship with Sarah. Pharaoh didn't understand Abraham's worldview, whereas Abimelech did. Hence Abraham and Isaac's relationship with Abimelech fared well, while Abraham's relationship with Pharaoh was severed. Underscores the importance of being sensitive to the nuances of what is being said to us.

D. Living for the moment v. for the future - The story of Jacob and Esau seeks a balance between our desires of the moment and our obligations to the future. The birthright had benefits and also responsibilities - an obligation to the future. Esau’s “exhaustion” was more spiritual than physical. He is tired of living up to potential and being concerned with others and with the future. He wants to live only in the moment, thus deciding to trade his heritage for a bowl of lentil stew. Each of us carries the birthright blessing as our inheritance. Unlike Esau, we are not free to squander it recklessly. It is our task, our daily struggle, to uphold our inheritance and through Jewish living, to navigate and balance our desire to live for the moment with our sacred responsibility to others and to a better future and redeem ourselves from the spiritual exhaustion that so often afflicts us.

E. Was Isaac really deceived? – Isaac is on to the ruse of Jacob and Rebekah. Weak Isaac sees it as a godsend that allows him to bless the son that he knows is the better prepared of his two sons to assume the birthright. Sophistication of blessings suggests Isaac still sharp. He wants to be misled and just doesn’t want to face Esau with truth of Esau’s’ inferiority to Jacob.

F. Rebekah’s significant role – Rebekah is most delineated of four matriarchs (Leah, Rachel, Sarah and Rebekah) and is used by God as vehicle for passing heritage through God’s chosen person (Jacob over Esau) Contrast Rebekah’s wrongful acts (helping Jacob steal birthright and getting Isaac’s blessing) with prior good acts (feeding Abraham’s servant and his camels plus loving Isaac ... first mention in Torah of one person loving another).

(Revised 11/10/09)