From the time that we were young children, we learned how Yaakov Avinu took the brochos instead of Eisav, upon the instruction of his mother, Rivka Imeinu. We learned how Yitzchok had to be “tricked” into giving the blessings to Yaakov, as he really intended to bless Eisav. However, this episode, in its simplest interpretation, begs for explanation.
Firstly, why did Yitzchok wish to bless Eisav, who was wicked? Wouldn’t he want to give the brochos to Yaakov, who sits and learns and would go on to build Klal Yisroel? Also, how was it possible for Yaakov, who represents the mida of emes, to trick his father into giving him the brochos? And lastly, how can Yaakov, who was the ultimate “ish emes” – man of truth, say to his father the words “anochi Eisav bechorecha” – I am Eisav your firstborn?
To understand these difficulties, we need to backtrack and rewind to when Yaakov and Eisav were born. The pasuk says in 25:26 “After that his brother emerged with his hand grasping onto the heel of Eisav. And he called his name Yaakov”. Yaakov was given his name because of the fact that he was born while grabbing onto the heel of Eisav, as Yaakov is from the same root word as eikev, heel. Rashi says that Hashem gave him his name. But what was so significant about the fact that Yaakov was grabbing onto Eisav’s heel? So significant, in fact, that Hashem named Yaakov based on this! Why was it so important?
Rashi says that while Rivka was expecting the twins, each time she passed by a yeshiva, Yaakov kicked, wishing to leave. And when she passed by a place of idol worship, Eisav kicked, wishing to leave. It sounds like even before they were born, Yaakov was completely good and Eisav was completely bad. And this was without any bechira! If so, why did Yaakov receive reward for all his good deeds and Eisav receive punishment for all the bad he did?
Says the Yismach Moshe, since they were twins, together in their mother’s womb, each one received spiritual energy from the other. Yaakov received some bad from Eisav and Eisav received some good from Yaakov. Therefore, they both had within them a mixture of good and bad, and so they DID have bechira between good and bad. Therefore, Yaakov rightfully received reward for his good deeds and Eisav rightfully received punishment for his bad deeds.
The main “yenika”, drawing of spiritual energy and influence, which Yaakov received from Eisav occurred at the time that he grasped onto Eisav’s heel. This act transmitted some bad from Eisav into Yaakov and some good from Yaakov into Eisav. Yaakov had to actively fight against that bad in order to become Yaakov Avinu. And that’s why his name was called Yaakov, because when his hand grasped onto the eikev, the heel of Eisav, he received the bad from Eisav and still was able to overcome it and become so great. So, the name Yaakov indeed shows the essence of who Yaakov was.
The pasuk says that an animal who chews its cud and has split hooves is kosher. A chazir doesn’t chew its cud but has split hooves; obviously, that doesn’t make it kosher. An animal must have both features in order to be kosher. Eisav is compared to the chazir. The question is, since Eisav is totally bad, how is it possible that he is called a chazir which has one sign of tahara? According to what we just explained, when Yaakov grasped onto Eisav’s heel, some of the good of Yaakov went into Eisav, which resulted in Eisav having one sign of purity. Obviously, this isn’t enough to make Eisav “pure”. Eisav could’ve worked on himself to uproot his bad and build on the good that he had within, but he didn’t. He remained Eisav harasha.
Eisav represents impurity and overindulgence in gashmiyus. That’s one reason why we wash netilas yadayim before eating bread. Because Yaakov received bad from Eisav through his hands, we want to “wash off” this impurity before eating, which is a gashmiyus act. We want to elevate our hands, raise its holiness before this act of eating.
Now we can understand the entire ordeal of the brachos. We mentioned earlier that while still unborn, Yaakov wanted to leave when Rivka passed a place of Torah learning and Eisav wanted to leave when she passed a place of idol worship. Yitzchok understood from this that both of the twins wouldn’t have bechira. Rivka asked this to Shem and was told that they both influenced each other. So now both of them had good and bad combined, resulting in bechira, free will. However, Rivka didn’t tell this to Yitzchok in order to spare him the pain of knowing that. So Yitzchok thought that Yaakov being good wasn’t to his credit and doesn’t earn him anything because he has no bechira to do bad. However, when he saw Eisav who is totally bad having some good traits, such as kibud av v’aim and asking how to ma’aser salt and straw, he thought that Eisav was trying to perfect himself. He mistakenly assumed that since Eisav is working hard to be good and eradicate the bad within him, he deserves to get a reward and so the brochos should go to him. Then, by getting the brochos, hopefully Eisav will exert himself even more to be good until he becomes a true tzadik.
However, Rivka knew the truth, as told to her by Shem. She knew that both her sons had bechira and only Yaakov used his correctly, fought against the bad, and became a true tzadik. She knew that the brochos rightfully belong to Yaakov. So, it was Rivka who advised Yaakov to get the brachos. It was Rivka who devised the plan how he should go about doing so.
Still, how was Yaakov, the ish emes, able to carry out Rivka’s plan? How was he capable of doing such “mirma”, such trickery? And the answer is, he had the capability because he grabbed onto Eisav’s heel. If not for that, he would never have been able to do these acts of “mirma”, even l’shem shamayim.
This is also peshat why Rivka put goats’ hair on Yaakov’s hand, to hint to Yitzchok that Yaakov got some “bad” from Eisav through his hand.
When Yitzchok asked Yaakov, “who are you my son?” and Yaakov replied, “I am Eisav your firstborn”, he meant to say that he has a part of Eisav inside of him. Yaakov was saying to his father, “you didn’t want to give me the brachos because you thought I don’t have bechira and the fact that I’m good isn’t to my credit. But no, I am Eisav your firstborn. When I grasped onto the heel of Eisav, the bad of Eisav entered me. So, I do have bechira, after all, to choose between good or bad. And so the brochos do rightfully belong to me.
And to confirm that what Yaakov was saying was true, Yitzchok told Yaakov, “Come here, let me touch you and see for myself if the bad of Eisav went into you and then you deserve the brochos”. Sure enough, Yaakov came close and Yitzchok said, “hakol kol Yaakov v’hadayim yidei eisav”. It’s true, the voice is that of Yaakov, a voice of Torah and Tefillah, and at the same time, the hands are those of Eisav. Yitzchok understood that Yaakov had received Eisav’s influence and worked to overcome the bad. Therefore, rightfully he deserves the brachos.
We all have the gift of bechira; it’s our duty to utilize this gift and choose the good, elevating ourselves and the whole world. Yes, we all have some bad withing us – but that’s good. That is what gives us the opportunity to choose good over bad and earn eternal reward. The choice is ours.
