After reading this parshat I was amazed. The power that Parshat Toldot can do is riveting. Abraham has passed and Isaac is beyond his time in the "Jewish Royal Family". Rebekah gives birth to the world's first twins as far as we know. First came Esau, then Jacob. Since Esau was first, he gets the birth rights and his father's blessing. Isaac favors Esau and Rebekah favors Jacob. Later, Esau trades his birth right to Jacob for of all thing a bowl of porridge. I ate oatmeal while reading that part coincidentally. Finally, when it is time to get Isaac's blessing he is very elderly and blind. Isaac asked Esau to gather a meal before he gives the blessing out. Rebekah is listening though. She spills the beans to Jacob and Jacob does it before Esau. By portraying Esau by making fake hairy arms, Jacob gets the blessing. When Esau arrives he gets nothing.
Were Jacob and Rebekah right? Jacob lied to his own father. Was Isaac right? Jacob was more fit for the position. Lying is not right, but neither is favoritism. I am on Jacob's side. I am a younger sibling and if my father prefer my sister, Rachel supperior to me I would not tolerate it. Like an investigator must go undercover and lie to do the right thing I think Jacob did the same.
It does make us feel bad for Esau. Esau is left without a blessing. Does executive power have to be solitary? I do not see why Jacob and Esau can not share the position of patriarch. In our country, power is shared. There is only one president, but he/she have checks and balances with Congress and the Supreme Court. Executive power does not have to be solitary, but can be shared by numerous amounts of people.
Take an apple tree. An apple tree can not produce the fruit of its labor without air, water, soil, and sunshine. Jacob is the apple tree. Esau is like fertilizer to the soil. Although not necessary, without fertilizer the tree's fruit is only average. Favoritism is like a drought or a cloudy day, it kills the tree. Parents, are your apple tree thriving. Children, do you deserve to be thrived upon.
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