Midreshet Amit

• LIVE TORAH:
• Academic Program
• Yimei Iyun
• FAQ
• Recent Shiurim
• View by Parsha
• View By Chag
• Search Database
• Ask the Rav

As a twin this parsha has great significance for me. Growing up my brother and I often fought about the silliest things. I often wondered if we would ever get along and become friends. Looking at this week’s parsha at the relationship between Yaakov and Esav, can give us great understanding of the dynamic in Yitzchak’s family. In perek 27 pasuk aleph, we read about Yitzchak becoming old and his eyes becoming dimmed. This is the beginning of the scene with the Brachot. Does Yitzchaks “blindness” effect his decision about the brachot? Or is there something else going on here. Perhaps Yitzchak wanted both Yaakov and Esav to receive parallel brachot, not showing favoritism but giving each son the appropriate bracha for him. Two sons, with different personalities, strengths and weaknesses should not receive the same bracha. Alternatively, Yitzchak wanted Yaakov to be similar to him, to live a spiritual life and have his brother take care of his material needs. Rivka on the other hand was more practical in nature; she knew that the brothers would not be one nation working together but two separate nations. She wanted Yaakov to be able to support himself and not have to rely on Esav for financial support. After the fiasco with the Brachot, the brothers cannot longer live together; the brachot have separated them into two nations. However years later when Yaakov and esav meet again, Esav, carrying on the hope of Yitzchak wants to live with Yaakov and become a nation together again. Yaakov, the practical one, knows that it’s too late, destiny has separated them. This year is the first year that my brother and I have lived a part , lucky for me it has actually brought us together and now that we are each forging our own paths I know that we will be friends.