Parshas Toldos
Yaakov Receives Two Brochos from Yitzchak. The Approach of the Malbim.
At the end of the parsha,Yitzchak gives the brochos to Yaakov and Eisav. There is a question which one can raise. The simple p'shat seems to be that Yitzchak planned to give Eisav the primary brocha. The simple p'shat seems to be that Yitzchak was going to make Eisav the next leader of Am Yisroel[i]. This lichora is very difficult. Clearly, Yitzchak must have known that Yaakov was “ish tam yoshev b'o'ha'lim,” Yaakov was always learning, Yaakov was very spiritual. One would assume that Yitzchak also knew that Eisav was not always learning; he was not so spiritual. It is true that Rashi[ii] tells us that Eisav would trick his father into thinking that he was spiritual as well. Eisav was “yode'ah tzad,” he knew how to trap. Rashi explains that he knew how to ensnare or to deceive his father with his mouth. He would ask his father, how do we tithe salt and straw? His father was under the impression that Eisav was meticulous about fulfilling the commandments. The meforshim point out that Eisav’s question was insincere, for ma'asros are taken only from things from fruits of the earth and not from salt, and only from things which are fit for human consumption and not from straw. How could Yitzchak have possibly thought that Eisav should be the next spiritual leader of the Jewish people? How could Yitzchak have thought that the special bircas Avraham, which Hashem gave to Avraham Avinu, would be passed on through Eisav?
The Malbim[iii] develops an approach which responds to these questions. The Malbim develops his approach based on the content of the brocha which Yitzchak gives to Yaakov when he thinks that Yaakov is Eisav. The Torah writes[iv],
May Hashem give you of the dew of the heavens and of the fatness of the earth and abundant grain and wine. Peoples will serve you and regimes will prostrate themselves to you. Be a lord to your brothers and your mothers sons will prostrate themselves to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed.
It is striking that in this brocha there is no mention of the birkas Avraham, the special brocha which Hashem gave Avraham to be the father and spiritual leader of for the Jewish people. There is no mention of being yoreish Eretz Yisroel. These are the primary components of Hashem's special brocha to Avraham, and yet they are missing. In fact, there really is no mention of ruchniyos at all; the brocha is one of gashmiyus- of physical strength. Why? Based on this striking omission, and also to respond to the questions we raised above, the Malbim says as follows. Yitzchak knew that Yaakov was a great tzaddik and that Eisav was not. Yitzchak knew that Yaakov would be the spiritual leader of the Jewish people, and that he would be making the decisions regarding the future of Am Yisroel. However, Yitzchak had been fooled by Eisav to think that Eisav was good enough to be an important part of Am Yisroel. Yitzchak thought that Eisav would play the role of physically supporting Am Yisroel. Eisav would provide the parnassah, the army, etc..; Eisav would provide the physical, material base for the spiritual accomplishments of Am Yisroel. The Malbim writes that Yitzchak's plan was that the relationship of Yaakov and Eisav would be similar to Yissachar and Zevulun, and similar to the relatioship between the rest of Am Yisroel and shevet Levi. The Rambam describes[v] that shevet Levi was supported by the rest of Am Yisroel so that they would be free to focus solely on spiritual pursuits.
This was the plan. The plan was for a partnership between Yaakov and Eisav. The Malbim writes,
Therefore Yitzchak wanted that his two children be in one nation like Yisroel and shevet Levi. He wanted to bless Eisav with abundant wealth, abundant grain and wine, and gevurah for fighting wars and governing. And Yaakov's descendants would be set aside only for avodas Hashem, like shevet Levi, and the children of Eisav would provide food for them and protect them from all difficulty like B'nei Yisroel did later for shevet levi.
This is the famous approach of the Malbim.
This explains of course why the brocha was gashmiyus. That was Yitzchak's intention all along. Only later, when Yitzchak blesses Yaakov again, and at that point he knows that the son he is blessing is actually Yaakov, Yitzchak gives him a ruchniyus brocha. The Torah writes[vi],
And may the Kel Shakkai bless you and make you fruitful and numerous and may you be a congregation of peoples. May He grant you the blessing of Avraham, to you and to your offspring, that you may posses the land of your sojourns which Hashem gave to Avraham.
Yitzchak mentions the birkas Avraham. He mentions Eretz Yisrael. This was the brocha which Yaakov was going to receive all along.
Rav Hirsch takes this approach of the Malbim as well. In discussing the brocha which Yitzchak gave to Yaakov when he thought Yaakov was Esav, Rav Hirsch writes[vii],
States and nations do not bow before spiritual greatness. They only bow before material greatness. But it was Esav that Isaac thought he had before him. Hashem had promised Avraham that his people would become a blessing for the whole world. In this mission, Yitzchak imagined Esav’s role was to gain the respect of the nations by the material well-being of the Abrahamitic nation.
Rav Hirsch continues[viii],
That he Yaakov would have the spiritual leadership is self-understood, and after the scales had fallen from his eyes, he had adjudged the material foundation to him [meaning to Yaakov], with full consciousness with the phrase ‘gam baruch yihyeh.’ For now it had become clear to him [Yitzchak], how in the Abrahamitic nation, everything and everybody, soldiers, merchants, etc, too have to be filled with the Abrahamitic spirit. So that he no longer saw any position in the House of Abraham for Esav.
This is a similar approach to the Malbim.
Rivka of course knew better. Rivka understood that if Esav were given the physical, material power and strength, then he would use it against Yaakov, and not to support Yaakov. And that is why Rivka orchestrated events that specifically Yaakov would receive both brachos, the spiritual and the material. This is the famous approach of the Malbim. Rivka understood that the rest of Am Yisrael also has to be great tzaddikim and play the role of supporting shevet Levi. Rivka understood that in the Yissachar - Zevulun partnership, Zevulun also has to have good intentions and be a strong oved Hashem. And Rivka understood that Esav certainly could not and would not do this.[ix]
Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky zt”l[x] develops a deep insight based on the approach of the Malbim. The Torah describes that when Yaakov was on his way to confront Esav, he sent mal’achim l’fanav. Rashi quotes the view of Chazal that these were literally angels. It is actually a machlokes in the Midrash. Rav Yaakov raises the following question: Why should we think that they were mal’achim? Lich’ora, the pashut pshat is that they were people, as the Ibn Ezra says. Yaakov wanted to know what Esav's plans were, whether Esav was planning on attacking him and destroying him. Sometimes we find that Yaakov was zocheh to be involved with mal’achim, but we have seen that already with Yaakov. The Torah has already described several times that he has met mal’achim. Why would the Torah emphasize here specifically that he was sending actual angels?
Rav Yaakov writes, based on the Malbim, the following idea. Yaakov had Yitzchak’s original kavana in the back of his mind. It is true that Rivka orchestrated events, and clearly it was the ratzon Hashem that Yaakov would receive both brachos. However, Yaakov took very seriously his father’s original plan. And Yaakov thought, Rav Yaakov explains, that maybe now the time was ripe to start fulfilling that plan. And maybe now, Esav could become Yaakov’s partner[xi].
Therefore, Yaakov wanted to send messengers who would understand not just superficially what Esav’s plans were, but who could also get to the “omek machshavto shel Esav,” to the depth of Esav’s thinking. “Ulay higiyah achshav sha’as hakosher lehatziah lo shutfus me’ein zu.” Maybe now the proper time has arrived to offer Esav this partnership. This is a fascinating approach. Rav Yaakov is explaining that Yaakov Avinu, even at this later stage, still had in mind the original intention of Yitzchak. And that is why one opinion in Chazal describes that he sent actual angels, because only angels could decipher and discern this possible deep-seated thought of Esav[xii].
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The message for us is that we need Yissachar and Zevulun within Am Yisrael, we need a shevet Levi within Am Yisrael, and every person has to play his role. There are those who play the important role of focusing primarily on the spiritual needs of Am Yisrael, and there are those who play the important role of focusing on the material, physical needs of Am Yisrael. And as Rivka understood, both have to be working l’sheim shamayim, both have to be committed ovdei Hashem, and both are part of Am Yisrael.
Good Shabbos,
B. Ginsburg
[i] Some Rishonim seem to say this as well, see the Rambam.
[ii] See Rashi (Breishis 25,27-28).
[iii] Other meforshim, Rav Hirsch and the Emes L'Yaakov among others, also work with the Malbim's approach.
[iv] Breishis 27,28-29
[v] See the Rambam at the end of Hilchos Shmittah v'Yovel.
[vi] Breishis 28,3-4
[vii] Breishis 27,29
[viii] Ibid., 27,37
[ix] In order to get a full picture of the Malbim’s approach, see the Malbim Chapter 27, pesukim 1, 5, 33, and 40, and Chapter 28, pesukim 3 and 4.
[x] Emes L’Yaakov, Breishis 32,4,
[xi] It is a littler unclear exactly what the plan was. Would Esav be part of Am Yisrael? Would there be an actual Yissachar and Zevulun partnership? However, the basic approach is clear.
[xii] Rav Yaakov explains the episode where Yaakov put Dena in the teiva, to avoid Esav seeing her, in a similar manner. See Emes L’Yaakov 32,23