Questions tagged [yaakov-and-eisav]

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6 votes
3 answers
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Why weren’t the descendants of Esav or Yishmael also given the Torah alongside the benei Yaakob?

As we all know, Abraham had two descendants, Yishmael and Yitschak. Yitschak also had two descendants, Esav and Yaakob; however only the children of Yaakob were the nation that was chosen for the ...
Kyotiq's user avatar
  • 151
4 votes
0 answers
42 views

Why didn't Esav wait until Yitzchak died to kill Ya'akov?

After Ya'akov got Esav's blessings, Esav says (B'reishis 27:41): וישטם עשו את יעקב על הברכה אשר ברכו אביו ויאמר עשו בלבו יקרבו ימי אבל אבי ואהרגה את יעקב אחי And Esav hated Ya'akov due to the ...
Lo ani's user avatar
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2 votes
3 answers
200 views

Yaakov Avinu wanted to learn in yeshiva instead of with an angel?

Rashi (Bereishis 25:22) quotes the Midrash: ויתרוצצו. עַ"כָּ הַמִּקְרָא הַזֶּה אוֹמֵר דָּרְשֵׁנִי, שֶׁסָּתַם מַה הִיא רְצִיצָה זוֹ וְכָתַב אִם כֵּן לָמָּה זֶּה אָנֹכִי? רַבּוֹתֵינוּ דְּרָשׁוּהוּ ...
NJM's user avatar
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0 votes
2 answers
150 views

Was Shechem a gilgul of Eisav?

The Arizal says (she'ar Hagilgulim) that it's not a problem that Shem and Noach were the same gilgul, although they were father and son, alive at the same time. In Breshit 48:22 Ya'akov Avinu says he ...
MosheSF's user avatar
  • 99
0 votes
1 answer
56 views

Was the angel Ya'akov fought Esau's Angel or Ya'akov's Yetzer ha-ra? Was the wrestling literal?

I discussed with someone recently the incident in Bereshis where Ya'akov wrestles with an angel. It quickly became clear that our understanding of that story was completely different as far as what ...
Benyamin's user avatar
  • 327
-1 votes
1 answer
151 views

How could Adam HaRishon have contained all the souls that would ever be inside of him, including evil, even before the sin?

I recall a concept from the teachings of the Arizal and elsewhere that before eating of the tree of knowledge, Adam HaRishon contained all the souls that would ever exist within him, but the good and ...
ShipBuilding's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
77 views

Why Suspend the Kohen’s Checking of a Chatan with Tzara’at During Sheva Brachot If Becoming a Chatan Forgives Sin?

Rashi dibbur hamatchil וביום on Vayikra 13:14 says the Torah mentions the apparently superfluous word וביום to teach us that there are times when one (a kohen) doesn’t see and inspect the negah found ...
הבלשן's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
95 views

Did Lavan notify Eisav that Yaakov was coming?

Vayishlach 32:7 (ז) וַיָּשֻׁ֙בוּ֙ הַמַּלְאָכִ֔ים אֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב לֵאמֹ֑ר בָּ֤אנוּ אֶל־אָחִ֙יךָ֙ אֶל־עֵשָׂ֔ו וְגַם֙ הֹלֵ֣ךְ לִקְרָֽאתְךָ֔ וְאַרְבַּע־מֵא֥וֹת אִ֖ישׁ עִמּֽוֹ׃ I remember that someone says ...
sabbahillel's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
92 views

Why was Eisav born before Yaakov?

If the plan was to have Yaakov get the bchor for just some soup, why didn’t Yaakov get the bchor in the 1st place?
yogazefish's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
28 views

Stiff-necked people from Yaakov's neck becoming stiff?

Is there any connection between the Jews being called stiff-necked (Exodus 32.9) and the encounter of Yaakov and Esav, when the Medresh says Yaakov's neck became stiff (Bereishis Rabbah 78.9)? Are ...
Moshe's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
191 views

Evidence that Yaakov did the right thing in fooling his father to get the brachos

I see a lot of questions on the topic, but maybe not one that is this specific. I'd like to know, when Yaakov Avinu (with Rivka his mother) went to fool Yitzchak and get the brachos, is there evidence ...
MichoelR's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
119 views

"And the older shall serve the younger."

In Genesis 25:23 and 27:40 it states: וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה לָהּ שְׁנֵי גיים [גוֹיִם] בְּבִטְנֵךְ וּשְׁנֵי לְאֻמִּים מִמֵּעַיִךְ יִפָּרֵדוּ וּלְאֹם מִלְאֹם יֶאֱמָץ וְרַב יַעֲבֹד צָעִיר׃ and the LORD ...
Levi's user avatar
  • 7,328
0 votes
0 answers
94 views

Connection and significance between Esav and Yaakov's 4 struggles and the 4 Exiles?

What is the significance between the struggles with Yaakov and Esav's physical body and the 4 exiles Daniel revealed from Nebuchadnezzer's dream? ... The first empire - the Babylonian Empire - ...
Moshe's user avatar
  • 3,569
5 votes
2 answers
262 views

Yaakov and the Angel: Hand to Hand?

In the encounter between Yaakov Avinu and the "man", it says (Genesis 32:26): וַיַּ֗רְא כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָכֹל֙ ל֔וֹ וַיִּגַּ֖ע בְּכַף־יְרֵכ֑וֹ וַתֵּ֙קַע֙ כַּף־יֶ֣רֶךְ יַעֲקֹ֔ב בְּהֵֽאָבְק֖וֹ ...
Hishtadlut's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
123 views

Why doesn't Yaakov ( תתן אמת ליעקב) object to his mother's plan on the grounds that it does not reflect truth?

Yaakov is the prototypical man of truth "תתן אמת ליעקב" (מיכה ז, כ) When his mother proposes a deception so that Yaakov can get Yitzchok's blessings, Yaakov's objection is strictly practical (...
Avrohom Yitzchok's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
247 views

How is it "well-known" that Esav hates Ya'akov?

Rash"i in Breishit 33:4 cites Sifrei, by stating: הֲלָכָה הִיא בְּיָדוּעַ שֶׁעֵשָׂו שׂוֹנֵא לְיַעֲקֹב It is a well-known halacha that Esav hates Ya'akov How is this "well-known"? Based on ...
DanF's user avatar
  • 70k
13 votes
4 answers
2k views

What's "halachic" about "Esav hates Ya'akov"?

Rash"i in Breishit 33:4 cites Sifrei, by stating: הֲלָכָה הִיא בְּיָדוּעַ שֶׁעֵשָׂו שׂוֹנֵא לְיַעֲקֹב It is a well-known halacha that Esav hates Ya'akov I understand that the word "halacha&...
DanF's user avatar
  • 70k
3 votes
1 answer
347 views

Eisav's angel fought Yaakov. Why Eisav's angel and not Gavriel?

I saw this dvar torah in a forum. "וַיֵּאָבֵק אִישׁ עִמּוֹ" (לב/כה) פירש רש"י ז"ל : "הוא שרו של עשיו" שואלים: בפסוק הנאמר על יוסף "וַיִּמְצָאֵהוּ אִישׁ וְהִנֵּה ...
Avrohom Yitzchok's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
1k views

What does "Esav soneh l'Ya'akov" mean?

There is this famous statement (B"R 78:9): "Esav Soneh l'Ya'akov." Although the Torah tells us that Esav bore a grudge (Genesis 27:41) in his heart and showed great animosity in wanting to kill Ya'...
Levi's user avatar
  • 7,328
1 vote
1 answer
71 views

Won’t let go unless you bless me

In the moment Yaakov is wrestling a adversary he says: ‘לא אשלחך כי אם ברכתני’, I wondered if there are any commentaries which reads this differently. I noticed that Rabbi Hirsch connects the root ...
Levi's user avatar
  • 7,328
2 votes
1 answer
58 views

Why should Yitzchok have to give a brachah to the person whom he thought was Eisav, if he had wrongly suspected Yaakov?

In the ספורנו on בראשית כז:כג שעירות - וַיְבָרֲכֵהוּ. עַל שֶׁחֲשָׁדו שֶׁהָיָה רָאוּי לִקְלָלָה, כְּאָמְרו "וְהֵבֵאתִי עָלַי קְלָלָה, (פסוק יב), וְכֵן אָמְרוּ זִכְרונָם לִבְרָכָה: (ברכות לא) ...
RibbisRabbiAndMore's user avatar