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Why do you come to me?


Parshat Toldot

Genesis 25:19-28:9

by Shlomo Riskin

EFRAT, Israel -- "And it was that Isaac had grown old and his eyesight was fading. He summoned his elder son Esau, 'Étrap me some gameÉ My soul will then bless you before I die.'" (Genesis 27:1,3,4)

The agonizing question which continues to plague all the commentaries is why Father Isaac initially chooses to give the blessing-birthright to Esau. The immediate verse preceding Isaac's invitation to Esau tells us that "Esau's (Hittite wives) became a source of spiritual bitterness to Isaac and Rebecca" (Genesis 26:35); in Biblical terms, Esau had intermarried! Moreover, Isaac certainly knew that Esau had sold and scorned the birthright, and he had most probably heard from his wife the Divine prophesy that "the elder shall serve the younger." (Genesis 25:23)

So even if his blindness had prevented him from seeing the immoral behavior of Esau, how could Isaac have chosen Esau over Jacob for the blessings-birthright? I believe that a careful reading of the text will provide the answer. The Biblical chapter preceding the bestowal of the blessings opens with a famine in the Land of Israel, causing Isaac to settle in Gerar - the city of the Philistine King Abimelekh, situated on the southern border of Israel.

He receives a Divine promise that eventually this land will be part of his patrimony of Israel, and goes through a similar experience as had his father Abraham, since both father and son had seen their wives taken into - and freed from - the harem of Abimelekh. Abraham had also made a treaty with Abimelekh, presumably allowing the descendants of each to dwell on that land. (Genesis 20:15, 21:23 ff)

Abimelekh seems to be honoring his treaty, because he instructs his nation that if anyone even touches Isaac or his wife, the criminal will be put to death. (Genesis 26:11)

However, the fly in the ointment becomes apparent as Isaac waxes wealthy, owning flocks of sheep, herds of cattle, retinues of slaves. The Philistines become jealous, and plug up all the wells which Abraham's servants had dug in the area during Abraham's lifetime. Abimelekh then confronts Isaac, chasing him away and charging him with having become more powerful than they by taking over their wealth. (Genesis 26:16)

Apparently Abimelekh has forgotten his previous promises and treaties, and Isaac doesn't even bother to remind him of them: "And Isaac went away from there and camped in the Gerar valley." (Genesis 26:16)

Isaac's servants dig new wells in their exiled place of habitation, his rights to two out of three of them being contested by the Philistines. To add insult to injury, Abimelekh -- flanked in a Mafioso-like manner on both sides by a group of "friends" as well as his general Pikhol -- comes to Isaac in order to make a new treaty with him, an offer he can't possibly refuse given the composition of his visitors.

A dumbstruck Isaac incredulously asks, "Why do you come to me? You hate me and you drove me away from you." (Genesis 26:27) Abimelekh, apparently desirous of protecting himself on every side since Isaac seems to always land on his feet and G-d appears to be guarding over him, shamelessly responds, "You dare not do any ill towards us since we did not harm you; indeed, we only did good to you by allowing you to leave in peaceÉ" (Genesis 26:29)

And Isaac makes a treaty with Abimelekh. It is at this point in the text that we are told that Esau took Hittite wives, but nevertheless Isaac summons Esau for the blessing-birthrightÉ

I believe that the Biblical order speaks for itself and explains Isaac's choice. Isaac loves the Land of Israel; he alone out of all the patriarchs never forsakes its sacred earth. He is pictured "laying seeds in the land, and extracting in one year one hundred times as much as he sowed." (Genesis 26:12) Yet, he is at a loss to protect the land, even to protect his right to continue to live on the land even under Philistine rule, even after two previous treaties, one with Abraham and one with him. He is told that he ought be grateful that he was merely banished from the land and not personally harmed; and he is humiliated into entering into yet another treaty with the same deceitful rogue who has so callously reneges on his past treaties.

Isaac understands that although G-d has promised us the land, we will most probably have to do battle for the land in order to occupy it. He is probably disappointed in his own lack of ability to stand up for his rights, to strike back at Abimelekh. And when he looks at his twin sons, the naive dweller-in-tents Yankele and the aggressive hunter Esau, he concludes that only an Esau will have the wherewithal to stand up to our enemies and fight for the patrimony. Indeed, as Isaac bestows the blessing-birthright, he first smells the fragrance of the garments, declaring, "Behold, the fragrance of my son is as the fragrance of the fields which have been blessed by G-d."

Shabbat Shalom.


This story was published in the DallasJewishWeek
on: Thursday, November 27, 2003

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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