There is a universal question on this week’s parsha. We see in the beginning of the parsha how Yaakov had to obtain the brachos through trickery. In addition, we wonder why was it that Yaakov wanted to confer the brochos on Eisav when in fact we see that Yaakov followed in his father’s footsteps more than Eisav. His lifestyle was more like his father. He was certainly more deserving to have the brochos, and should’ve gotten them in a straight and honest way, Why give them to Eisav?

Sefer Zera Shimshon wants to explain this in light of the Gemara in Kiddushin that states, Rav Yaakov originally thought that we are rewarded for our mitzvos on This World until he witnessed an incident that a man climbed on a roof to retrieve some pigeons that his father asked him to get. While attempting to honor his father, he slipped from the roof and fell to his death. Seeing this, Rav Yaakov concluded that the main reward a person receives for his performance of mitzvos is in the World to Come. (See Kiddushim 39b)

He explains that Yitzchok Avinu thought that there is reward in This World for doing Hashem’s will. He saw the tremendous material success that he and his father, Abraham had, and concluded that it was due to their adherence to H-shem’s Torah and mitzvos. For this reason, he felt it was unnecessary to confer the brachos upon Yaakov, for he saw that Yaakov was “ish tam yoshuv oholim” and will certainly be deserving of Brochos on his own accord.
On the other hand, since Eisav did not follow in the path of his father, Yitzchok felt that he needed the brachos conferred upon him since he would not merit any good in This World of his own accord.

As far as the reason why the brachos had to be obtained in a “crooked” way, rather than in a straight way, this was part of the Divine Plan. For if the generations following Yaakov would have received the brachos in a straight way, they wouldn’t be able to withstand the difficulties of the impending galus. They would have indulged in the success and pleasures of this world claiming, our forefather Yitzchok blessed us with material good, so let us eat and drink without concern of being influenced by This World. This is not Hashem’s plan. Hashem wants the children of Yaakov to depend upon Hashem and not to rely on the brachos.

Therefore He arranged Yaakov to receive the brachos through trickery, and arousing Esav’s wrath. Now throughout the generations, we have to be concerned with kindling Esav’s wrath and experience persecution through his hand. This way we are always looking to H-shem to preserve us. Another lesson derived from this, is that indeed, there is no reward in this world for performing mitzvos, for if there were, Yaakov would have not needed his father, Yitzchok’s blessings.

Posted by hayld@mac.com on Tuesday, November 21st, 2017 @ 8:55AM
Categories: Zera Shimshon Blog