Torah: Toldot (Genesis 25:19-28:9) Haftarah: Malachi 1-2:7)
A summary of the Torah:
Isaac prays for the barren Rebekah, who gives birth to Esau (means, hairy) and Jacob (means, heel). Esau grows up to be a hunter and not interested in learning about Judaism, while Jacob is described as an up right dweller in tents, and he is involved with the people and learning about Judaism. Esau the elder sells his birthright to Jacob for a pot of lentil soup. Rebekah, who favors her younger son Jacob, arranges for Jacob to secure his father’s coveted blessing instead of Esau. Jacob, disguised as his brother Esau to secure his father Isaac’s blessing. Isaac bids Jacob to marry one of his uncle Laban’s daughters.
There are many interesting concepts and values throughout this Torah portion. Sibling rivalry, parent favoritism, intermarriage, and the importance of the family blessings. Here are some questions: Why did Esau need to sell his birthright for food? Why did Isaac not recognize his son? Why was there a need for trickery? Did you figure out the answers?
Judaism is full of questions and a myriad of answers. Why didn’t Jacob just give the mighty hunter, Esau the soup? Was Esau a diabetic? Family favorites!? You know You are your parents’ favorite! RIGHT? Trickery or fooling/deceiving is akin to lies. You know about lies, RIGHT? One lies, and lies, and lies, and eventually the truth appears or the liar gets what is coming to them. (Jacob did NOT lift up the bride’s veil, a spoiler alert!!!)
The Torah portion always seems to relate to what is happening today in our modern times. There is a famine that strikes Israel again, and Isaac is forced to flee to the land of the Philistines… History lesson 101: Philistines (Goliath’s people) today known as the Gaza Strip! Jews dwelled in the area for millenia, until 2005 when the State of Israel removed ALL JEWS out of Gaza to be ruled by Fatah. Fatah was overthrown (voted out or it was a coup d’etat), and the Iranian backed Hate Terrorist group Hamas takes over the Gaza Strip. That’s today in a nutshell.
Back to the Torah portion.
“ And Isaac dug anew the wells (be’erot) of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father and the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham’s death; and he called them by the same name as his father had called them”(Genesis 26:16-18).
What is interesting to me, and maybe you, is that Abraham lived in Cannan/Judea/Israel (name of the land changed numerous times, some call it Palestine {another story for another drash, maybe} in the year 1900 B.C.E.
Today, the Torah has information that there is fresh water in the region, and yet the people living in the Gaza Strip desalinate sea water? Maybe as a rabbi I continue to be amazed and learn by our holy words from G-d in the Torah.
Shabbat Shalom v’Am Ysrael Chai,
Rabbi Helene Ainbinder
