How Did Yitzchak's Bracha To Yaakov Take Effect?

לרפואת מרת הענא מרים בת חנה ומרת גיטל מירל בריינדל לאה בת מורנו הרב יוחנן בתוך שח"י

"Hakol kol Yaakov vi-hayadayim yedei Esav". Why did Yaakov not impersonate Esav's voice as well?? If he is already DRESSING UP as Esav, he might as well speak like him too. We see that his insistence on speaking with his own voice and with his own form of speech made Yitzchak very suspicious. Why put himself in hot water like that??

The Baalei Mussar say that if he would speak like Esav he would almost become Esav and that was too much for Yaakov to handle. So his compromise was wearing Esav's clothing and speaking like Yaakov. There is a LOT to say about that but not for now.

The Rogochover has a different and completely original approach. Let us ask: Since the bracha was given under mistaken pretenses, how did it count at all?? If I have in mind to bless one person and actually bless another, the whole deal is off. Just like if I intend to marry one girl and find out that another one was standing next to me under the chuppah [my glasses were off so as not to look at a girl...:-)] - we are not married [which brings up the question of how the union between Yaakov and Leah was sealed being that it was also under mistaken pretenses]. Mekach Ta-us - man!  [Now I speak like Esav:-)].

THAT was why Yaakov spoke like Yaakov and not like Esav. He WANTED that Yitzchak should have a doubt in mind so that he would not be decisive in his desire to bless Esav. Now his intention will be that whomever is standing before me [according to the clothing - Esav. By voice - Yaakov] will receive the bracha!!

The Rogochover doesn't suffice with this and quotes THREE different gemaras to prove his point. He doesn't actually quote them. He just references the pages and leaves it up to us to figure out what he means. Bava Basra 142, Nedarim 87b, Krisus 24. After the last citation he adds - דכל היכא דחזינן דאין ברור לו ומ"מ עשה נחית לספק ולא קפיד - Whenever we see that he isn't sure and nevertheless acts - he is acting with his doubt in mind and doesn't care if it isn't as he might assume.

Let's get to work...:-).

The gemara in Bava Basra [142a] teaches that if one made a kinyan over the possessions of a ger that dies [and he has nobody to inherit him] and then finds out that his wife was pregnant and then she subsequently miscarries - a second kinyan must be done. Why was the first kinyan not sufficient? The fetus was never born to inherit, so the property should belong to the person who made the kinyan without the need for a second kinyan? The gemara answers that since he made the first kinyan with a doubt in mind that maybe the ger's wife was pregnant it is not an absolute kinyan. So too, since Yitzchak had a doubt in mind that the person standing before him wasn't Esav - Esav never received the bracha. [It would seem according to this that Yaakov would have to get another bracha just as this person had to make another kinyan. The answer is that Yitzchak DID give him another bracha when he said after he realized his error גם ברוך יהיה - Yaakov is indeed blessed.]

The gemara [Nedarim 87b] says that if one rips his garment over the passing of a relative without being sure which relative of his died but assuming that it was his father and it turns out that it was his son - he is yotzei his mitzva of ripping. Since he wasn't sure he left his options open and didn't resolve to rip ONLY over his father. Similarly - Yitzchak was blessing with the intention that it is probably Esav but even if it is Yaakov it should count. Such a bracha is effective no matter which son was really there.

The gemara in Krisus [24a] says that if one separates two korbanos for an Asham Talui, one to bring and one as a backup, even the backup-pinch-hitter-korban has the status of an Asham Talui. By separating it he is showing that he is not certain that he will bring the first animal and therefore his true intention is to sanctify both. So we see that even though he didn't actually have to bring it, since it was set aside out of doubt, that is sufficient. So too, Yitzchak blessed his son out of doubt as to which son was standing before him so whichever son is the lucky one gets the bracha.

The Rogochovers power of associative thinking was astounding - to say the least.

What took me about 750 words to say the Rogochever stated in about 3 and a half short lines. Pilei Plaos!