One of the most surprising stories in Sefer Bereishis is found in this week’s sedrah. It’s the account of the error made by Yitzchok in his assessment of his two sons, Eisav and Yaakov. Because we see from the pessukim that as far as Yitzchok was concerned, Eisav was going to be the future leader of the Torah nation. Yaakov would be something too; he would play a role in the future of the nation. But Eisav was the one who would be a father of the Jewish people.
Now, you should let that sink in! Yitzchok, our father, envisioned that the time would come when his posterity would stand Shemoneh Esrei and they would say, “ברוך אתה ה' אלקינו ואלקי אבותינו אלקי אברהם אלקי יצחק ואלקי עשו.” He was deceived into thinking that Eisav was the acme, the summit of virtue. Not only that Eisav was good, but that he was the best that could be found, even better than the virtuous Yaakov.
Sharp Tzaddikim
Now some people, those who don’t know who our forefathers were, brush this off. Because they think that Yitzchak happened to be the type of simple tzaddik, the kind who always kept his eyes on the ground and he thought only about Hakadosh Baruch Hu. And therefore he didn’t know what was really doing around him and he was easily deceived.
But that’s the most crooked picture of our forefather! It doesn’t begin to describe him! You must realize who Yitzchok was. He wasn’t a tamim who was hoodwinked easily because he trusted in human beings. Whatever kind of tzaddik he was, he wasn’t dull. Just the opposite – he was razor blade sharp; a very sharp intellect. That’s one thing you have to know; Yitzchok, like Avraham before him and Yaakov after him, was as sharp as could be.
Cheder Torah
So what happened? Now, I’m not the one capable of telling you everything but the first thing to know is that Eisav wasn’t a shaggy-haired, wild man. Forget about what your rebbe told you when you were five years old in the cheder. Because you probably gained the impression that Eisav was a wicked character who you could spot immediately. You picture somebody with a lot of hair on his arms; his chest is exposed and it’s bushy and he’s always carrying a bow and arrow. Maybe he doesn’t even wear full clothing; a loincloth, that’s all. He’s carrying a bow and arrow and a sword too. And so if you saw him coming towards you, you’d know right away, “That’s Eisav.”
So you’d see the obvious but Yitzchok, he didn’t see. That’s what you think, that Yitzchok was fooled by superficial things, things that Eisav said or did to fool his father.
No. That’s all wrong. Yitzchok wouldn’t fall for superficial behaviors. He wouldn’t have been deceived by little things into choosing a wild man to be the progenitor of the Am Hashem, the third founding father.
The Founding Fathers Exposed
I want to tell you something. Forget about being deceived into choosing a wild hunting man. You have to know Yitzchok wouldn’t have been deceived into choosing even those as great as the founding fathers of America. Yitzchok would see right through them. You know, I have a certain respect for the founders of this country, for the writers of the Constitution; but Yitzchok would have spurned them.
Yitzchok would have despised Benjamin Franklin. He would see right through him. Even I can show you who Benjamin Franklin really was in his private life and if I can do it Yitzchok surely would have exposed him.
So you’ll say Thomas Jefferson maybe? Now, I admire many things that he said and I quote him because he said important things but Yitzchok Avinu wouldn’t. He would have seen right away that Jefferson was an eishes ish’nik – it’s nothing new; there are records – and would have thrown him out of the house on day one.
Ok, so maybe George Washington? At least him. Now, I think he’s one of the best that they had but you can be sure that Yitzchok would have seen right away his faults. No, no good.
I’ll tell you more. Lehavdil elef havdalos, Yitzchok wouldn’t have chosen Rabbi Akiva Eiger. He wouldn’t have chosen a Rambam or even a Yeshaya Hanavi. Because they weren’t great enough; they weren’t the best and Yitzchok knew very well that the very best was what he needed. And yet he was hoodwinked into choosing Eisav! He saw in Eisav great things and he wanted him to be the chosen son. Hakadosh Baruch Hu arranged it so, He pulled the strings, so that a man of the keenest perception was deceived by a man in disguise.
The Prophetic Birth
Now, how it happened that Yitzchok was misled; even with my little head I could explain it. Because it was clear to Yitzchok right away from the beginning the plan of Hashem: ויצא הראשון אדמוני – Eisav came out first and he was ruddy (Bereishis 25:25).
“Hakadosh Baruch Hu made him come out first,” Yitzchok said, “and I don't believe in accidents. Especially in our family where ma’aseh avos siman lebanim, every little thing that happens is a prophecy for the future; so if a son is born first, it’s al pi Hashem for a purpose. He’s the bechor, my heir, and that’s a sign that Hakadosh Baruch Hu chose him to be the leader.”
“And he’s admoni too,” said Yitzchok. “Why is he so ruddy? It's a sign of vigor and strength.” That's what Yitzchak thought about Eisav. He didn't come out a pale baby; he came out full of blood – red cheeks, vigorous, like a grown man. And he had a lot of hair. A baby is tender and soft, not hairy at all, but Eisav was born like a finished man. He’s an eisav; it means a finished man.
Of course it was abnormal, but that’s exactly it. It showed Yitzchok a prophecy, that this one is prepared for great things. You can't have a nebech’l, a milquetoast to be a father of the Am Yisroel. You need a gibor chayil, someone with valor and strength of character, and Yitzchok saw this strange incident of a child being born עשוי – a finished man ready for action – as a prophecy.
A Double Prophecy
So Yitzchak thought al pi shnayim eidim yakum davar. I have two testimonies, two prophecies, that Eisav is the superior one – rishon and admoni, first and ruddy. And because Yitzchak was a ma’amin that in this founding family when Hakadosh Baruch Hu gives portents, when He gives signs, they are true omens for the future, therefore Yitzchok already knew from the beginning that this was the ratzon Hashem – Eisav the bechor is going to be the leader.
And therefore whatever Yitzchok heard subsequently about Eisav, he interpreted it in the light of what he knew was Eisav's role. You can always explain things in two ways and so Yitzchok did what was right – he was דן לכף זכות. So if Eisav, let's say, was reported to have hit somebody, if neighbors came and said Eisav hit somebody so Yitzchak said “That's my boy! Because he has the power of gevurah in him. He's a leader. He doesn't suffer injustice. He takes up for what's right! He’s exercising his innate characteristics.”
Kibbud Av
And when Eisav went out in the field hunting for deer Yitzchok was impressed by that dedication to the mitzvah of kibbud av. When Eisav came back at the end of the day and he brought home venison for his father, Yitzchok said, “Look at my son spending all day long in the mitzvah of kibbud av!” He saw that Eisav was moser nefesh for kibbud av: “Instead of sitting at home in front of a sefer the way he wants, he goes to the field for me.” You know what it means for a good boy, a yeshivah man, to give up from his sedorim in the yeshivah to help his parents? It’s dedication, sacrifice.
And so whenever Yitzchak saw or heard anything that Eisav had done, he interpreted it according to the ‘prophecies’, the heavenly hints, as he understood them.
And Eisav acted the part too. Whenever Eisav had to go into his father he changed his clothing; he put on his festive garments. Imagine when you come home your father’s not there so you’re wearing your weekday garments. But when you hear your father coming you quickly run into your bedroom and you change into your bigdei Shabbos. It’s a difficult hanhagah but Eisav did it always. And this is only one example of the service that Eisav demonstrated towards his father. He served his father in everything.
Rivkah Gets a Heads Up
Now, how was it that Rivkah recognized the superiority of her son, Yaakov? That’s a good question. Was Rivkah smarter than Yitzchok? And the answer is Rivkah didn’t know this on her own. Before they were born, 'ותלך לדרוש את ה – She went to inquire of Hashem. Rivkah knew something was taking place within her because even when you have twins, they don’t battle in the womb. They might battle later, but not in the womb. And she understood the battle was an omen. And for that great family, it was enough of a reason to inquire.
And so she went to ask in the academy of Shem v’Ever, and asked them, “What do you say about this?”
ויאמר ה' לה – And Hashem spoke to her through the mouth of those prophets in the academy of Shem v’Ever and they told her, “There’s going to come forth from you two characters but don’t be deceived. Because the one who will be first may look to be superior and he’ll be endowed with gifts, but you have to know that the second one is the one who’ll be the winner because he is better than the first. ורב יעבוד צעיר – The older one will be subservient to the younger one. The younger one is the real one.” That’s what the navi told her b’sheim Hashem.
Mother Knows Best
And therefore, as soon as they were born, she kept her eyes on both of them. And because she had a clue, therefore she was able to discern the truth from the beginning. And after a while, she began to see through the wiles of Eisav. She began to recognize the trickery and the deception. She began to see that Eisav was pulling the wool over everybody's eyes. He was doing it masterfully and although nobody else saw through it, Rivkah did.
At the same time she kept her eyes on Yaakov too and she saw that he was developing in a way that was far superior. She saw that he was the איש יושב אהלים תם; that he was always in the tent of his parents listening to them, trying to be more and more perfect.
And therefore, because Rivkah was endowed with the foreknowledge of what would be, she was able to recognize the difference between the sons; the little things that made a big difference. But Yitzchok didn’t have any prophecy and so he was susceptible to making a mistake.
The Test of Deception
Now why didn’t Rivkah divulge the prophecy to Yitzchok and tell him that Yaakov will be the chosen one? The answer is she wasn’t a blabbermouth. The nevuah was given to her. Why wasn’t the nevuah given to Yitzchok? The navi should have come and told it to Yitzchok. He’s the head of the family after all. And she understood that if it was only given to her then that was the intent of the nevuah – and therefore she kept it a secret. She kept it to herself.
It was all part of Yitzchok’s ordeal, part of Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s plan in arranging the story of Eisav and Yaakov so that Yitzchok would be tested to see if he would fall into the trap. And he did. When a great imposter came along, he was able to deceive Yitzchok. And when it was revealed to him his mistake, it was the most terrible revelation: יצחק חרדה גדולה עד מאד ויחרד – And Yitzchok was seized with a violent trembling (ibid. 33).
