Valuable Venison
Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein
Parshat Toldos records the event of Yitzchak Avinu blessing his sons and Yitzchak Avinu’s request that Esau bring him the delicacies he loves so that his soul would confer the blessing on Esau. The Torah relates that Rivka Imenuh overhears that conversation and instructs Yaakov Avinu to bring her two goats to prepare for Yaakov Avinu to bring Yitzchak Avinu and receive the blessings in Esau’s stead.
Besides the overarching questions surrounding the supposed deception which is the subject of many shiurim and treatises, many other questions arise in the study of the dialogue and interactions in this event. First, why does Yitzchak Avinu need to eat anything, let alone delicacies prepared from wild game, to enable him to bless Esau. Further, Esau was the most accomplished hunter ever; why is Yitzchak Avinu instructing him on sharpening his equipment and telling him to go to the field to hunt the game for the delicacies he loves? Finally, how could Rivka Imenuh’s substitution of two kids for the wild deer be effective in deceiving Yaakov Avinu into believing that this was the food that he loves? And if the meat of the domesticated kid tasted similar to the meat of the wild deer, as Rashi suggests, why did Yitzchak Avinu nevertheless instruct Esau to go to the field rather than just to the “back yard,”asks Rabbi Miller?
The Seforno, among other commentators, notes that Yaakov Avinu wanted Esau to merit receiving the blessing through the performance of a mitzvah, specifically, honoring his father through the preparation of this meal. Rabbi Bick in Chayei Moshe comments, that the preparation in this way, would infuse the food with the flavor and aroma of Gan Eden and would thus lift Yitzchak Avinu up spiritually so his blessing would be effective. This was the taste that Yitzchak Avinu “loved,” and this was the aura through which Yaakov Avinu already lived his life in this world. By following his father’s instructions so carefully, Esau would be meticulously observing the commandment of honoring his father for which we are promised long life, life in Gan Eden, in the next world.
According to Rabbi Schwab, kibud av/honoring one’s father was Esau’s only mitzvah, and when he entered his father’s presence with such a high degree of focus, always changing to his fine clothes for the occasion even though his father was blind, he brought the taste of Eden into everything he prepared for Yitzchak Avinu. This was the delicious food Yitzchak Avinu craved. Rivka Imenuh, understanding this point, wanted to show Yitzchak Avinu how easily he had been deceived. She called to Yaakov Avinu, demanding that he listen to her voice, that Yaakov Avinu observe kibud eim/honoring his mother as Esau observed honoring his father. That same spiritual essence would then infuse the food Yaakov Avinu brought his father as well, When Esau then returns with the food for his father, Yitzchak Avinu trembles greatly, for he realizes how easily he could be deceived of the bearer’s total character, even if the food itself retained the spirit of sanctity.
Yitzchak Avinu wanted the blessings to come from his soul, not merely from his lips. To enable such a blessing, Yitzchak Avinu wanted the food to come from the field, the specific field of Har Hamoriah, the nexus of heaven and earth. That taste would elevate Yitzchak Avinu’s soul. When Yaakov Avinu entered, he achieved that same sense by wearing the special garments of Adam, infused with the aroma of Eden, writes Rabbi Kushelevsky in Toras Zvi.
Interestingly, the word ta’am/taste is also translated as purpose, or reason. Yitzchak Avinu asked Esau to do this work li/for me, for the purpose of kibud Av. But the lesson here was not just about food. It was about infusing all of our daily, mundane acts with spiritual purpose. Even those activities routinely performed, like eating or laundry, can have a spiritual quality if we perform them with an eye toward elevating the physical world, toward emulating Hashem. Yitzchak Avinu gave Esau such detailed instructions to teach him that all one’s actions, even hunting (grocery shopping) and eating can become sanctified. This idea is most prominent with Shabbat and with seudat mitzvah, when the act of eating becomes part and parcel of performing another mitzvah, writes Mipi Seforim Vesofrim. [How often do we hear or say, “This has the taste of Shabbat,” or we remember the story of the Shabbat spice. CKS]
Lest you think that the food would be a bribe or inducement to Esau, Ramban points out that the purpose was to bring joy to Yitzchak Avinu’s soul. Ramban offers two possibilities for this outcome. First, by eating the food Esau brought him, Yitzchak Avinu would have such a sense of gratitude that his soul would be bound to the soul of Esau. Alternately, after eating this food, Yitzchak Avinu’s soul would be joyful, and through the joy, he would be able to give a soulful blessing to Esau.
When someone gives a blessing, he should be in a state of joy, writes Tiv Hatorah. In this context, it became customary to bring a gift to a Rebbe when seeking a brachah from him. Even if the Rebbe distributes all the gifts to the poor, the gift has already raised his spirit. This joyous feeling is also why a father blesses his children when he experiences the joy of Shabbat. [And why guests approach a bride, groom, father of the baby, etc. to ask for a blessing. CKS]
Eating may raise one’s mood, and it is only in a state of happiness that the Divine presence will rest upon an individual, perhaps enabling prophecy and certainly being a catalyst for blessings. [I would not want the “blessings” of someone angry or unhappy. CKS] Nevertheless, notes Rabbi Eliezer Weiss in Imrei Tal, we do not see a physical connection to joy or eating anywhere else where blessings are mentioned, not with the other Patriarchs, nor with the Priestly Blessings, for example. Why did Yitzchak Avinu need a physical catalyst to initiate the blessing? The Imrei Tal offers a unique insight into Yitzchak Avinu’s psyche. Just as Avraham’s main characteristic was chesed, Yitzchak Avinu’s was gevurah/inner strength. Avraham Avinu could easily share, display elements of an extrovert. Yitzchak Avinu, on the other hand, generally turned inward. Therefore, Yitzchak Avinu needed a stimulant to move outward toward the other and offer a blessing. Yitzchak Avinu wanted to get this stimulation from Esau to create a bond between himself and Esau, adds Rabbi Wolbe.
Esau’s bringing these delicacies to Yitzchak Avinu served a two fold purpose, continues the Imrei Tal. First, it would create that overflowing feeling of gratitude in Yitzchak Avinu so that he would want to bless Esau. But unless there is a container to receive the overflow, the overflow, whether blessings or water, will fall uselessly to the ground. Esau had to become an appropriate vessel to receive Yitzchak Avinu’s blessing, Esau accomplished this by his dedicated service to his father here.
Usually, the first connection two people make with each other is through sight. However, since Yitzchak Avinu was blind, he required a different physical connection, writes Aderet Kohain. Eating Esau’s food will create that initial physical connection that would enable the soul connection through the tzelem Elokhim in each of them, explains Rabbi Mintzberg in Ben Melech. To further this argument, Rabbi Mintzberg suggests that Yitzchak Avinu asked to touch the bearer of the meal so that he could deepen that connection. Rabbi Birnbaum in Bekorei Shemo and Rabbi Ezrachi in Birkat Mordechai both note the added details in Yitzchak Avinu’s instructions to Esau. These instructions were meant to produce greater effort than just preparing a meal on Esau’s part, so that Yitzchak Avinu would appreciate each step and be ever more grateful. That full sense of gratitude would engender even greater bonding between their souls and draw down greater blessings.
Imagine how much more meaningful a verbal thank you for a favor bestowed upon us can become if we accompany it with a blessing.
Yitzchak Avinu hoped that the blessing would be a catalyst for Esau’s doing teshuvah, suggests Tiv Hatorah. As Rav Hirsch notes, Yitzchak Avinu hoped that Esau would realize that if his natural skill and love of hunting could be elevated to a sacred purpose, he could elevate all his actions and do teshuvah.
In Yiram Hayam, Rabbi Mechel Twerski focuses on the date of these events. This was the night of Pesach. It would be the time of bringing two sacrifices to the Beit Hamikdosh, the korban chagigah/festival offering, and the korban Pesach/Pascal offering. Therefore, Rivka Imenuh prepared two goats, one for each of these offerings. In light of this explanation, we can understand why Yitzchak Avinu could not partake of Esau’s food. Having already eaten the korban Pesach from Yaakov Avinu’s food, he was not permitted to eat anything else. [One may eat nothing after the afikoman, representing the korban Pesach, at the Seder. CKS]
This night would also be the night to free ourselves from our personal enslavements, continues Rabbi Twerski. Yitzchak Avinu recognized that Esau had within himself the characteristic of gevurah/strength, usually referring to strict judgment or inner discipline. However, he gave free reign to impetuosity and passion, of moving swiftly to satisfy his desires. Yitzchak Avinu hoped that on this night of Pesach, Esau would realize that he could take that swiftness and channel it toward a passion and swiftness for mitzvah performance. “Take your sword and your bow,” instructs Yitzchak Avinu, and use them as I did homiletically, your wisdom and your prayer, to serve Hashem. Learn to channel your innate talents toward sanctity.
In this context, the taste of the goat and the taste of the deer were similar spiritually, not physically. The goat represents the Jews ability to break out of their nature, and achieve spiritual freedom in Egypt. Likewise, Yitzchak Avinu wanted Esav to break out of his impetuous ways, and to channel them to the ‘swiftness of the deer’. Yitzchak Avinu was alluding to Esau’s going out into the field of hard work. Add the prayer to your work, bring Hakodosh Boruch Hu in, and you will be successful. Yitzchak Avinu believed in Esau, and this should have made the process easier.
There are two paths in living a religious life, writes Rabbi Mordechai Ezrachi. One can remain tahor/pure by distancing himself from all the physical aspects of life, indulging in eating, for example, only because it is necessary for survival. That is a lower level of spirituality. [Remember, a nazir brings a guilt offering at the conclusion of his term. CKS] However, one can become kadosh/holy by being able to take that food and infusing it with a spiritual purpose. When one eats that food, one then becomes like a mizbeach/altar for the food offering to God. Yitzchak Avinu was making himself into an altar, hoping that Esau would recognize the food he was bringing his father as having the sanctity of an offering to God.
R. Pincus develops the connections between food, kedushah/sanctity and brachah/blessings more fully. Food is a sustaining gift from God that literally infuses us with a life force. When we realize this fact, we feel closer to Hakodosh Boruch Hu and naturally thank Him and bless Him. Every time we eat, we have the ability to create this connection. The food creates both a physical and spiritual connection. When we focus on the spiritual aspect, we generate the flow of an abundance of blessings from Above, and we become the altar upon which this food is offered. Yitzchak Avinu was hoping Esau would use the hunting and the food to create a conduit through which Hashem would actualize the verbal blessings Yitzchak Avinu would bestow on him.
It is not just in the interaction of Yitzchak Avinu and Esau, or of Yitzchak Avinu and Yaakov Avinu, that has the ability to generate the flow of blessings. Each of us has this ability by focusing on the blessing before we eat, and indeed on focusing on every chesed and gift Hashem has blessed us with. When we elevate things mundane and physical, when we thank and bless Hashem, He reciprocates by bestowing ever more blessings upon us.