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From: Ephraim Frank 
To: Shevet Achim
Subject: Parashat Toldot

Hebrew Insights into Parashat Toldot- Genesis: 25:19 - 28:9 

 Last week's Parashat Cha'yey Sarah ended with the chronicles of Yishma'el's
descendants. This week's Parasha opens up with the chronicles of his
brother, Yitzchak.  But while "toldot" means "begetting", it is barrenness
that these "toldot" start out with. Nevertheless, Rivka's condition is
inserted in almost parenthetically and is couched between Yitchak's
intercession on behalf of his wife and YHVH's response to the plea (ref.
25:21). 

In 25: 21 Yitzchak is seen "entreating" - ("va)ya'a'tor" (a.t.r. - ayin,
tav, resh) - YHVH, with an "atira" (the noun form) which is always made
exclusively to Him.  YHVH's response is "(va)ye'ater", reading in English:
"YHVH was entreated of him" (italics added). Thus Elohim is present not only
in the response (or the answer), but He is also in the very prayer itself.
For without God's grace, leading and granting faith for intercession, the
latter cannot come forth. 

When the request is granted it takes the form of not one, but two boys, the
first of whom comes out red all over (ref. 25: 25). The word for "red" is
"adom", and as we saw in Parashat B'resheet, "adom" is connected to "dam"
("blood"), "adama" ("earth"), and thence to "Adam", "the first man" who is
"earthy" (ref.1 Cor. 15:47). Esav, representing the first born, illustrates,
therefore, the principle that the natural precedes the spiritual (ref 1 Cor.
15:46), despite the fact that his brother turns out to be not much less
'earthy' than the 'Hairy Red'. 

 This second boy to emerge out of Rivka's womb does so while holding on to
the "heel" - "ah'kev" - of his brother, and is therefore named "Ya'acov"
(ref. 25:26). Coming in the footsteps of his sibling, his name, which also
means "to follow", perfectly matches the order of the births. 

In Scripture, the image of 'heel-holding' or 'heel-grabbing' refers to
hindering or trapping someone, as we see in the following examples: 

"Dan shall be a serpent... that bites the horse's heels" (Gen. 49:17); "The
trap shall take him by the heel" (Job 18:9); "They mark my steps" (literally
"heels" in Ps. 56:6). The following words of T'hilim (Psalms) 41:9, allude
to Messiah's destiny: "My own familiar friend, which did eat of my bread,
has lifted his heel against me."  This type of friend and follower typically
steals quietly behind the one whom he follows, with a "crafty" intent (as
indeed was the case with Messiah's "familiar friend"). Indeed, from the same
root of "heel" and "to follow", (a.k.v. - ayin, kof, vet) stem words like
"crafty," "cunning" and "deceptive," as we see, for instance, in Yirmiyahu
(Jeremiah) 9:4:  "surely every brother deals craftily (ah'kov ya'akov)." 

In the first scene that brings the two siblings together, Ya'acov is
described cooking lentil broth, while his brother happens to be returning,
famished and exhausted, from the field. Esav is sorely tempted when his eye
strikes what he calls "ha'adom, ha'adom 
ha'zeh" - "this red, red stuff... therefore his name was called Edom"
(25:30), again from the root "adom" - "red". The area of Edom, which later
was inhabited by Esav's descendants, is indeed noted for its red terrain.
Everything about this hunter speaks of adom-adama - earth, earthiness.
Whether Ya'acov anticipated his brother's famished condition or not, we do
not know. But while the English says that "Jacob cooked a stew", in Hebrew
it says: "va'ya'zed Ya'acov na'zid", which, aside from cooking stew can also
be read as: "Ya'acov deliberated an evil plot" (25:29). After all, 'cooking
up' such a plan is only consistent with his name! The root of "nazid",
"broth", is the same as the one for the verb "cooked", as it appears here,
with the root letters, z.y.d. (zayin, yod, dalet), whose meaning to "boil
up" and "seethe", also lends itself to "evil-doing" and "malice" - such as
"zed and zadon" (e.g. Ex. 21:14, where: "a man schemes" is "yazed"). 

Ya'acov does not waste any time. Right away, in verse 31, he proposes an
exchange: broth for birthright. And while in English those words alliterate,
in Hebrew "sell me" - "michra", and "birthright" - "b'chora" are those which
sound alike. (Perhaps this association is what gave Ya'acov the idea in the
first place...?) Ya'acov, however, does not provide the goods until he makes
his brother swear to him that he will not renege on his "sh'vu'ah" ("oath",
connected, as we have learnt, to "full and satisfied"). After the deal is
struck, the two depart, and until further notice both do seem to be
satisfied. 

When the time comes, however for Esav to claim his birthright, startled by
his brother's cunning, he "cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter
cry: ...' Is not he rightly named, Ya'acov? For he has supplanted (akav)
me...?'" (Gen. 27:34, 36).  The prophet Hoshe'ah (Hosea), many centuries
later, traces the waywardness of the nation of Israel (who in this prophecy
is called "Ya'acov") to their progenitor:  "In the womb he took his brother
by the heel- akav" (Ho. 12:3). In the wake of this "birth mark," Ya'acov
(the man and the nation), remain true to their individual and collective
nature, and will do so until the transforming change comes from above. 

 "In the wake of," or "as a result of", or in short "because", is the
Biblical word "ekev "(again from the root a.k.v).  In 26:4-5 of our Parasha,
YHVH says to Yitzchak: "I will multiply your descendants as the stars of
heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your
descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because ("ekev")
Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My
laws". Following Avraham's implicit obedience the latter is told: "And in
your Seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because - ekev -
you have obeyed My voice " (22:18). Other examples of the usage of "ekev"
are: "So you shall perish because you would not listen" (Deut. 8:20 italics
added). David answers the prophet Nah'tan (Nathan), who challenges him with
a parable following his sin with Batsheva (Bathsheba), saying: "He must make
restitution for the lamb, because he did this thing and had no compassion
(2nd Sam.12:6, italics added). Thus, this little "ekev", - "because" -
becomes the fulcrum on which the balance of justice hangs. 

Ya'acov, too, because of ("ekev") his actions (particularly that of
deceiving his father), has to endure the consequences. By the end of the
Parasha he becomes a fugitive, running for his life from his brother, and
later (in the next Parasha), to be deceived by his father-in-law, Lah'van.
The heart of the 'proverbial' Ya'acov is well described by Yirmiyahu, who
says that it is "more deceitful (akov) than all else" (17:9). 

 In a few weeks time, in Parashat Vayishlach, we shall see how Ya'acov,
while on the road back from Padan Aram to Kna'an (Canaan), plans once again
to use some cunning by walking behind the entourage - which again suggests
'following' - that was to go ahead of him to greet Esav. At this point he is
met face to face, as he himself testifies in Genesis 32:31, by YHVH Elohim.
Yisrael, as he is named after this encounter at Penniel, is made to turn
around on his heels, as it were (and becomes lame in the process), never to
be the same again. Thus when the "crooked" ("akov") places become "mishor" -
that is "straight" (ref. Is. 40:4) - Ya'acov will become "Yeshurun"
("yashar"  -"straight" again). As such, Adonai addresses him with the
following lofty words: "But now listen, O Ya'acov, My servant; and Israel,
whom I have chosen; thus says YHVH who made you, and formed you from the
womb [as 'crooked' Ya'acov], and Who will help you: do not fear, O Ya'acov
My servant; and you Yeshurun [who was 'straightened' in life by God] whom I
have chosen" (Is. 44:1,2). Lastly, Ya'acov was to become one of the
forefathers of Messiah, of Whom it is prophesied that His heel would be
"bruised" by the serpent. However, as we know, this "Seed of the woman" was
destined to triumph by crushing and trampling down the serpent's head with
His heel (ref. Gen. 3:15; cf. Luke 10:19; Heb.1:13b). 

Back to our narrative:  Following closely on the heels of the oath that
Ya'akov commits his brother to, YHVH reminds Yitzchak of His oath to his
father Avraham, and at the same time cautions him not to go down to Egypt,
in spite of the famine in the land (ref. 26:1-5), saying: "Do not go down
into Egypt. Dwell in the land which I shall tell you." The imperative
"dwell", "sh'chan" (sh.ch.n, shin, chaf, noon), is also "settle and abide"
and it is from this root that "mishkan", the "tabernacle" in the wilderness,
derives its title. On this very issue, David makes an emphatic statement:
"Trust in YHVH, and do good; you shall dwell in the land, and you shall be
fed on truth" (Ps. 37:3 italics added). At this point in time Yitzchak and
Rivka happen to reside in Grar (Gerar), and when being asked about his wife
the Patriarch does not really resort to truth. Like his father before him,
fear for his life causes him to present his wife as his sister. But what
finds Yitzchak out is his act of (literally) "laughing with his wife"(26:8),
translated in English "caressing his wife" (or some other equivalent
expression). Yitzchak remains true to his name... 

It is in this year of drought that we find Yitzchak sowing, against all
odds, a "seed" ("zerah", of the root z.r.a, zayin, resh, ayin, which is also
shared by "arm"), yielding "a hundred fold" (v. 12).  As a reminder of His
promises (v. 4), YHVH talks to Yitzchak about his progeny ("zerah" again),
and of its great increase. Is the great harvest, that the sown seed yields
here (during the famine), a hint of a future fulfillment, against all odds,
of YHVH's word to the Patriarch? 

Yitzchak's wealth increases tremendously, and his neighbors, the
Philistines, are jealous of him (v. 14). They therefore resort to filling up
all the wells that have been dug by Avraham's servants. In doing this, they
are "withholding benefits from both themselves and their cattle! But in
addition to stopping up the wells, they fill them with earth so that no one
would be able to know that there had been a well at that spot, and that no
water would flow again from there. Why did they wish the land to be
desolate?"   The explanation that follows, quoted from Haketav Vehakabala,
points out that Yitzchak gave the wells the same names that his father had
given them (as we see in v. 18). "These names, such as, YHVH Will See, YHVH
is My Sign, The Well of Him that Lives and Sees Me, mark the kindness of the
Lord."  This was done in order "to spread abroad the knowledge of the Lord
and show the people that idols were valueless. Avraham thought out a
wonderful device to help to bring those who were misled, under the wings of
the Divine Presence. He called the well by a name that would drive home the
lesson of the existence of the One True God. By this, he would arouse in
them an awareness of the truth by saying, 'Let us go and draw water from the
well of the eternal God!' The wells were a public necessity, and in this
manner, the people were initiated into the knowledge of the true God. Whilst
he was alive his fear was upon them [i.e. the locals], as they left the
wells intact with their names, but after his death they reverted to
idolatry. In order to erase from their memory the names of these wells,
which recalled the very opposite of their false opinions, they stopped them
up. With the disappearance of the wells, the names also disappeared....
Isaac followed in his father's footsteps and endeavored to dig out these
same wells and resurrect their names in order to restore the crown of the
true faith to its former glory." 

The wording in verse 19, where Yitzchak's servants dig "a well of living
water", evidences what we have just read, regarding the wells of the
Patriarchs. The locals fill up the wells, and now they are being re-named,
as pointed out, in order to erase the testimony of the Elohim of Israel. The
name of the first well is "Esek", "contention". The name of the next, is
"Sitna", "hostility; accusation". It is from the same root, s.t.n (sin, tet,
noon), that we get the word "Satan", the "accuser". A closely connected word
to "sitna" is "sin'ah" (s.n.a, sin, noon, alef) "hatred". The verb for
"hate" is "soneh", found in Yitzchak's query in 26:27: "Why do you hate
me?". A similar word, both in sound and meaning is to be found toward the
end of our Parasha (27:41), where it says of Esav that he "bore a grudge
against Ya'acov", which is "sotem" (s.t.m. sin, tet, mem). The progressive
rate of hostility is seen so clearly by this string of sounds: "soten, to
accuse; sotem, to bear a grudge and soneh, to hate," demonstrating
accurately how each of these conditions, if unchecked, will lead to the
next. 

When a third well is dug up, some distance away, "they did not quarrel over
it; so he named it Rechovot, for he said, 'at last YHVH has made room for
us, and we will be fruitful in the land'" (26:22). "Rechovot", is of the
root r.ch.v (resh, chet, vet), meaning, "broad, wide, or making room". Thus,
enlarging and broadening the subsistence space brings relief, as we see in
T'hilim (Psalms) 4:1, where David cries out: "Answer me when I call, O God
of my righteousness. You gave room  ("hirchav'ta") to me in trouble -
literally in a place of narrowness" (italics added), words which in his
present situation Yitzchak certainly would have concurred with, as would
many of us at this time in Israel. 

  1. Studies in Bereshit, Toldot 1, Nechama Leibowitz, trans. Aryeh Newman.
Eliner Library, Department for Torah Education and Culture in the Diaspora.
Hemed Books Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y 
2. ibid. 
3. ibid. 
  

**************************************************************

From: Ephraim Frank
To: Shevet Achim
Subject: Parashat Va'ye'tze

Hebrew Insights into Parashat Va'ye'tze  - Genesis: 28:10 - 32:2 

Parashat Va'ye'tze ("And he departed") starts out with Ya'acov the
fugitive making his way from the land of Israel to Cha'ran (Haran). No
sooner does he leave Be'er Sheva "and he comes upon a place" (Gen.
28:2). The verb "va'yifga" indicates that "he happens", "chances", or
even "stumbles upon" this location, as the sun is setting. That night
Ya'acov has a dream of "angles" - "mal'a'chim" (ref. v. 12) -
ascending and descending a ladder. At the end of the Parasha (and
twenty years later), while by himself (although far from being alone),
Ya'acov once again "happens, or "chances" to come across "mal'a'chim"
(translated here "messengers"), with the same verb that we encountered
above ("va'yif'ge'u", ref. 32:1, translated in English as "met") used
here too. "Chance" and "messengers of YHVH" are therefore the two
elements framing the time capsule of Ya'acov's Diaspora experience.
The verb "paga" (root p.g.a., pey, gimmel, ayin) that is used in these
two instances seems to point out that from Ya'acov's point of view, or
experience, the circumstances and the messengers were just "chance
occurrences", which he did not otherwise plan for nor anticipate. The
great "planner" and "conniver" is no longer in command! In fact, he is
more like a pawn, or an actor who is taking part in a greater scheme
controlled by someone else. 

In the opening verse we meet Ya'acov at the point of departure, having
in mind a set destiny. But just then, his path takes him to a less
defined and (quite likely) less desired place. We read that "he came
upon a place, and he stopped over for the night, because the sun had
set" (v. 11). External circumstances are being imposed upon him, and
so he stops at what is a mere "place" (only later, in verse 19, do we
find out that there is actually a town there). As Ya'acov lies down,
using a stone for a pillow, he has the aforementioned dream, during
which Elohim promises to give him the "a'retz" ("ground, land") that
he is lying upon (v. 13), and, to bring him back to this very "adama"
("soil", v. 15; see Parashot* B'resheet and Toldot). But as if to
suggest that there is a greater dimension (a 'heavenly' one) attached
to this 'piece of real estate', the promise is given in a most awesome
manner, with YHVH being described as standing above this ladder that
connected heaven and earth (while the angels were ascending and
descending, as mentioned, ref. ve.12, 13). Ya'acov therefore deems
this place to be the "house of God and the gate of heaven" (v. 17). 

But our forefather does not only "happen" by this "place", he also
uses one of the stones of the "place" for a pillow. He lies down in
this "place" and discovers that YHVH is in the "place", and that this
"place" is truly awesome! Finally, he names the "place" Bet-El - the
"house of God". The much-mentioned "place" here, is "ma'kom", of the
root k.o.m (kof, vav, mem), meaning "to rise up". This particular
"makom" is indeed a location where Ya'acov's call to rise up is
starting to resound! 

Needing something tangible to mark his experience, Ya'acov picks up
the stone he had rested his head on, stands it up as a column and
pours oil on top of it. After naming the place, he makes an oath
promising to make YHVH his Elohim (providing his conditions are met),
and adds, "this stone... shall become Elohim's house" (ref. 18-22). 

Next, the Patriarch-to-be reaches his desired destination. Upon seeing
his beautiful cousin, he musters up an inordinate amount of vigor,
which enables him to roll a large stone off the "mouth of the well", a
feat, which ordinarily required several people to accomplish (ref. 29:
8-10). In chapter 31:45-47, toward the end of the Parasha, the
covenant made between Ya'acov and his father-in-law, Lah'van (Laban),
is also marked by a stone, which he again places uprightly, as well as
by a heap of stones which he names "gal'ed", "a witness heap". It
seems that during this time period the "e've'n" ("stone"), marks
significant events in his life. 

Many years later, when the elderly Ya'acov, on his deathbed,
pronounces blessings upon his sons, he gives his favorite, Yosef
(Joseph), the longest and most complex of the blessings. In the course
of his pronouncement Ya'acov makes mention of the Mighty One of
Ya'acov, the Shepherd and Stone of Israel - E'ven Yisrael, all these
being titles of YHVH (Gen. 49:24). This is the only time that specific
mention is made of the "Stone of Israel" in the entire Holy Writ, and
not surprisingly, uttered by the mouth of the one who walked a path
made up of many stepping-stones. Later we do find, though, "the stone
which the builders rejected, [and which] has become the chief corner
stone" (Ps. 118:22) as well as the "stone to strike and a rock to
stumble over" for "both houses of Israel" (Ya'acov's  progeny -
Yishayahu/Isaiah 8:14). Finally, the stone that was laid in Zion, "a
tried stone, a tested stone, a costly corner stone for the
foundation..." about which it is said that "he who believes in it
[Him] will not be disturbed" (Is. 28:16). 

Being a member of the family of Be'tu'el (Bethuel) and Lah'van,
Ra'chel's name, not unlike that of her aunt Rivka, is associated with
the family business, as "Ra'chel" means an "ewe". Ya'acov mentions
Lah'van's ewes and female goats in 31:38, when he lodges his complaint
about the life style and conditions that were imposed upon him by his
father-in-law during their twenty-year association. Ewes as "ra'chel"
(plural "r'che'lim") are mentioned rather rarely in the Tanach, one of
those few instances being Yishayahu 53:7, where the Messiah is
described as "an ewe - 'ra'chel' - before its shearers". 

Eleven of Ya'acov's twelve sons are born in Cha'ran. Leh'ah gives
birth to the first four, whose names express her attempts to appease
her husband. The firstborn's name - Re'u'ven - means, appropriately,
"behold, a son". Next is Shim'on, whose name stems from the verb "to
hear". Following him is Leh'vi, of the root "to accompany". Leh'ah's
fourth son is Yehuda, whose name is related to "giving thanks" or to
"praise". Next to give birth is Rachel's maid, Bil'ha, whom the former
gave to her husband. Rachel's anguish about being barren comes to the
fore in the names she gives to the sons that her maid bears to
Ya'acov. This time Dan is born, whose name means "judgment", or
"dispensing justice".  Bilha's second son is Naphtali, which is
"writhing" or "twisting", and by implication, "struggle" (denoting
Ra'chel's struggle with her sister). However, Leh'ah was not going to
stand by and allow her sister to be "built up" (30:4) through her
maid. Thus, she too gave her maid, Zilpah, to her husband, hoping to
have more sons through her. Zilpah gives birth to Gad, meaning
"fortune" (as in "luck"), and to Asher, whose name is of the root
"happiness". Leh'ah's words...  "I am blessed [or happy], for the
daughters shall call me blessed" (30:13), recall the words of Miriam
(Mary), Yeshua's mother, upon the birth of her Son (ref. Luke 1:48).
Leh'ah herself births the next one, and she names him Yisas'char, from
the root to "hire" and "wages", since she became pregnant with him
upon "hiring" Ya'acov from Ra'chel for a 'fee', in the form of a
mandrake plant that was picked by Re'uven. But once the baby is born,
Leh'ah recalls the other meaning of the name, which is "wages", and
says...  "Elohim has given me my wages, because I gave my maid to my
husband" (30:18). Leh'ah's sixth son is Z'vulun, from the rare
"zeved", which is "endowment or gift". 

After Dina's birth (whose name, like Dan's, means "judgment" or
"justice"), Ra'chel's desire is granted her, and she too has a son.
"God has taken away (a'saf) my reproach, [and] she named him Yosef,
saying, 'may the Lord add (yosef) to me another son'" (v. 23, 24).
While Ra'chel is contemplating how her shame and disgrace are being
removed by giving birth, she is also expressing hope that this one,
who opened up her womb, will serve as a signal for more sons to
follow. The two words, "asaf" (a.s.f., alef, samech, fey), here "take
away" while literally "to gather", and "yasaf" (y.s.f., yod, samech,
fey) "to add" and "to repeat", are related both in sound and meaning;
and when looking down the road of history they also become
prophetically significant. Yosef certainly was "added to" by his
brother Binyamin (Benjamin), and also by receiving a double portion
among the tribes of Israel when each of his sons became a tribe in
their own right. Lastly, prophecy predicts the ingathering of the
House of Yosef (and "his companions") at a future day. 

The future two 'camps' of Ya'acov's descendants are alluded to at the
end of the Parasha. In 32:1, Ya'acov, as we pointed out before, meets
the angels or messengers of YHVH, upon whose sight he exclaims, "This
is the camp [or encampment] of Elohim', and he named the place,
Ma'cha'na'yim". "Ma'cha'na'yim" is a plural form of "ma'cha'neh",
meaning "camp". The particular ending, as attached here to the noun,
renders the camp a "multiple" one, or a "double camp".  What did
Ya'acov see when he looked at this 'band of angels'? What is it about
them that caused him to refer to a "camp" or to an "encampment", and
why a double, or a multiple, one? 

In next week's Parasha we will see how, for strategic reasons, Ya'acov
divides up his family into two companies (literally "camps"), before
going to meet his brother Esav. Was the idea already brewing in his
mind when he saw the angels/messengers, which is why he somehow
projected duality onto their "camp"? Or are the messengers from YHVH
the ones who advised him to so divide up his family before the crucial
meeting? Perhaps, through something they said or did, he learned about
the two camps that his family was destined to be divided into in the
future. Is there a direct connection between the angels who were
ascending and descending the ladder, when he first departed from the
land of Israel, and these particular "mal'achim" here, who greet him
upon his return? Was YHVH thus reminding him of His promises? As we
shall see in the opening verses of the next Parasha, there are still
more "mal'a'chim" to come... 

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