The Chofetz Chaim zt'l wrote a sefer to give chizuk to soldiers drafted into the army (Macheneh Yisrael). The Chofetz Chaim writes, "Whenever you perform a mitzvah, even the smallest mitzvah, Hashem will be far happier with it than the greatest mitzvah that others perform without challenge." This is based on Avos d'Reb Noson, which states, "A single mitzvah, when hard to perform, is greater than one hundred mitzvos performed without difficulty."
The first Rashi of the parashah states, יעקב בפרשה האמורים ועשו, which hints at the idea that there is an element of Yaakov and Eisav in each person, or in more familiar terms, everyone has a yetzer tov and a yetzer hara in him. Our job is בפרשה האמורים. One translation of פרשה is to divide, to separate (like דרכים פרשת, a fork in the road). We must separate the yetzer tov from the yetzer hara so that the yetzer tov is prominent within us. But we must know that we have a yetzer hara, and this battle makes our avodas Hashem precious.
The Baal HaTanya's grandson, Reb Nochum, wore an expensive jacket with fur around the collar. He bought it around the time he got married. The Baal HaTanya didn't like the style (apparently, it wasn't the way most Jews dressed at the time), and he told his grandson that he didn’t want him to wear this jacket. His grandson answered that he couldn’t stop wearing it.
The Baal HaTanya said, "I'll buy you another jacket." His grandson repeated that he couldn’t change the jacket.
Yungerleit told the Chidushei HaRim zt'l that they suffer from the yetzer hara, and they wished they didn't have this struggle. The Chidushei HaRim replied, "If there is no fight or struggle, what purpose is there to your avodas Hashem?"
"I will give you money," the Baal HaTanya pleaded, but still he refused. He couldn't part from his coat. "I'll learn with you." Once again, the grandson refused. Finally, the Baal HaTanya told him, "If you take off this coat, you will be with me in Gan Eden." This time, the grandson accepted the offer. It was too good an offer to refuse.
People asked the Baal HaTanya how he could guarantee this great reward for his grandson. Perhaps he won't deserve it! The Baal HaTanya replied, "You saw how hard it was for him to remove the coat. It wasn't just the coat, and it wasn't just the style. A klipah, a tumah, was preventing him from agreeing to my offers. I understood that it was a great test for him. And if he passed this test, he deserves to be brought to a high place in Gan Eden for that merit alone."
We earn the greatest rewards when we overcome difficult tests.
Rivkah didn't understand why she was having so much pain during her pregnancy, as it states (25:22) בקרבה הבנים ויתרצצו, "The children struggled within her." Rashi writes, "When she passed the doorways of Torah of Shem and Ever, Yaakov struggled to run and leave the womb, and when she passed the doorways of avodah zarah, Eisav struggled and tried to leave the womb."
Two questions arise from this episode: 1) Eisav was a rasha even before his birth. Already in the womb, he was rushing to go to avodah zarah. So, how can Eisav be punished for his bad ways? Evil was his nature, in his DNA, even before his birth! 2) Yaakov Avinu was kadosh from the womb. When his mother passed the Beis medresh, he wanted to go there. Here, we are faced with the same question. Why should Yaakov be rewarded for his good deeds? It was natural for him to be good!
Before we quote the Yismach Moshe's answer to these questions, we bring another two questions that the Yismach Moshe asks: It states (25:26) בעקב אחזת וידו אחיו יצא כן ואחרי יעקב שמו ויקרא עשו, "After [Eisav was born], his brother emerged. His hand grasped Eisav's heel, and he named him Yaakov." One explanation in Rashi is that Hakadosh Baruch Hu named him Yaakov. We ask two questions: (1) Why was Yaakov holding onto Eisav's ankle? Eisav was already born. Did he think he could draw him back into the womb? (2) It seems strange that Yaakov was named for holding onto Eisav's heel, and it was Hakadosh Baruch Hu Who named him! Why was this episode so important that Yaakov is named for it?
The Yismach Moshe gives one answer that answers all the questions. He explains what a special moment it was when Yaakov grabbed onto Eisav's heel. It created a transfer of tendencies between Yaakov and Eisav. By grabbing onto Eisav's heel, Eisav received a drop of Yaakov Avinu's good, and Yaakov received a drop of the bad in Eisav. This created a test for both. Yaakov would have to overcome the tendencies he received from Eisav, and Eisav had to increase the good he received from Yaakov. With this information, all the questions are resolved. Holding onto the heel was a critical moment for both of them because this is what gave them free choice and created the battle.
Rashi explains that it is proper to give the brachos to the bechor, the oldest son, and Yitzchak was worried that perhaps he acted incorrectly by blessing Yaakov. When Eisav told him that he sold the bechora to Yaakov, Yitzchak was happy because he understood that he had blessed the correct son.
People were praising a certain person before the Chazon Ish zt'l. They said, "He doesn't have a yetzer hara!" The Chazon Ish replied, "Then you have made him a baal mum (an imperfect person)." There should be a yetzer hara, which makes our avodas Hashem precious to Hashem.
Why did Yitzchak Avinu want to give the brachos to Eisav and not Yaakov? Yitzchak knew that the greatest avodas Hashem is performed through challenge. Such a service generates the greatest nachas ruach for Hashem. Therefore, Yitzchak considered Eisav's potential greater than Yaakov's because Eisav would need to struggle very hard with his yetzer hara, and his avodas Hashem would create a pleasure to Hashem. Among the segulos and benefits of Yitzchak Avinu's brachos was that the person who received the brachos had the strength to win the battle against the yetzer hara. This is why he preferred giving the brachah to Eisav rather than Yaakov.
Yaakov Avinu said to his father (27:19) אני בכרך עשו, "I am Eisav, your firstborn." Yaakov said, “I also have an element of Eisav in me. I also have a yetzer hara. Things are not perfect for me. I also need these brachos.” Yitzchok replied (27:22) ידי והידים יעקב קול הקול עשו, "The voice is the voice of Yaakov, but the hands are the hands of Eisav." Yitzchak was saying that although Yaakov studies Torah (יעקב קול הקול), he still has an element of Eisav in him (עשו ידי הידים), therefore he also needs the brachos.
Eisav shouted (27:36) ויעקבני יעקב שמו קרא הכי ברכתי לקח עתה והנה לקח בכרתי את פעמים זה, "Is it for this reason he was named Yaakov? For he has deceived me twice (פעמיים יעקבני). He took my birthright, and behold, now he has taken my brachos." Rashi writes that when Yitzchak heard Eisav say this, he was relieved and declared, תהיה ברוך גם, that the brachos should remain with Yaakov.
We can explain that when he heard that Yaakov had deceived Eisav, he discovered that Yaakov Avinu also had negative attributes, which means that Yaakov will also struggle in his avodas Hashem. Therefore, Yaakov should receive the brachos.
