לזכות חנה ליבא בת נעכא גיטל ועדינה בת שבע בת נעכא גיטל. לרפואת הרב אברהם יוסף בן חנה והרב שי בן לאה בתוך שח"י.
וְאֵ֛לֶּה תּוֹלְדֹ֥ת יִצְחָ֖ק בֶּן־אַבְרָהָ֑ם אַבְרָהָ֖ם הוֹלִ֥יד אֶת־יִצְחָֽק.
The Torah tells us about the family of the Avos in order to select the primary [עיקר] from the secondary [טפל]. As the Medrash says [בראשית רבה לט י] about one who is selecting gems from the sand and when he find the gem, he casts away the sand. This process of selection continues in our Parsha but a mistake is made. Yitzchak wants to give the bracha to Esav after eating his delicious delectables while Rivka sends Yaakov to receive the bracha after Yitzchak smells his garments.
One of the main themes in the Parsha is the Bechora and even Yaakov stresses when coming to Yitzchak the notion of the Bechor ["אנכי עשו בכורך"]. In the realm of the holiness of people we distinguish between the Kedusha of the Bechor and the Kedusha of Levi. The Kedusha of the Bechor is a natural Kedushah of the first born while Kedushas Levi is supernatural Kedusha that comes from his being chosen by Hashem.
The task of the Jewish people in the world is to purify and sanctify nature and the natural life. Therefore, the Kedusha of the Bechor relates to the natural phenomenon of the birth of the Bechor, without any preparation or innate superiority. This Kedusha creates a special status for the Bechor, among other thing he performs the Avoda in the Mishkan. A first born animal has Kedusha and is brought as a Korban. Even a first born donkey has Kedusha and requires redemption. The natural Kedusha of the Bechor explains the fact that even Gentiles are related to this Kedusha. The Gentiles have a portion in natural Kedusha and thus are obligated in the seven NATURAL mitzvos of Bnei Noach, mitzvos designed to preserve a highly functioning society. The pasuk says מבכור פרעה וכו' עד בכור השפחה. So the nature-oriented Gentiles were smitten with their Bechoros who have natural sanctity. Even Avoda Zara relates to the Bechor: Lavan accused Yaakov of having stolen the Teraphim למה גנבת אלהי, “why did you steal my gods (31,31)?” The reason he thought that they had been stolen was in order that they should not reveal to Lavan that Yaakov had fled. The Midrash asks: “were the Teraphim then able to speak?” Do we not have a specific verse in Psalms 115,7 לא יהגו בגרונם, “they cannot make a sound with their throats?” The answer given is that indeed the Teraphim could speak as we know on the authority of Zechariah 10,2 “for the Teraphim spoke delusion.” How do the Teraphim “speak?” One places in front of them a firstborn person, slaughters him and salts him adding a variety of spices etc etc. The Bechors fast on erev Pesach even though we normally do not fast in Nissan - maybe because their Kedusha had been defiled during the Makkos of Mitzrayim.
However the Kedusha of Shevet Levi is not dependent on natural law but rather was established by Hashem who chose them. By the force of this choice, Avoda was given to the Leviim after it was taken by the Bechoros [Bamidbar 3-12]. The Torah subordinated the Bechor to the sons of Levi and required a redemption of 5 selaim. In other words - for the Kedushas HaBechor, natural Kedusha, there is redemption, whereas for the supernatural Kedusha of the Leviim there is no redemption.
This classification of natural Kedusha vs. Divinely given Kedusha has a parallel in the difference between smell and taste [עי' ליקוטי תורה מסעי עמ' 18]. The foundation can be found in the Drasha of Chazal on the pasuk
"לריח שמניך טובים שמן תורק שמך"
לְרֵיחַ שְׁמָנֶיךָ טוֹבִים, רַבִּי יַנַּאי בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, כָּל הַשִּׁירִים שֶׁאָמְרוּ לְפָנֶיךָ הָאָבוֹת, רֵיחוֹת הָיוּ, אֲבָל אָנוּ שֶׁמֶן תּוּרַק שְׁמֶךָ, כְּאָדָם שֶׁמֵּרִיק מִכְּלִי לִכְלִי חֲבֵרוֹ. כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת שֶׁעָשׂוּ לְפָנֶיךָ הָאָבוֹת רֵיחוֹת הָיוּ, אֲבָל אָנוּ שֶׁמֶן תּוּרַק שְׁמֶךָ, מָאתַיִם וְאַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁמוֹנֶה מִצְווֹת עֲשֵׂה וּשְׁלשׁ מֵאוֹת וְשִׁשִּׁים וְחָמֵשׁ מִצְווֹת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה.
“By the fragrance of your good oils, your name is like poured oil” (Song of Songs 1:3).
“By the fragrance of your good oils,” Rabbi Yanai son of Rabbi Shimon [said]: All the songs that the patriarchs recited before You were fragrances, but we, “your name is like poured oil,” like a person who empties from his vessel to the vessel of another. All the mitzvot that the patriarchs performed before You were fragrances, but we, “your name is like poured oil,” [we have] two hundred and forty-eight positive commandments and three hundred and sixty-five negative commandments.
The recognition of the Avos was like smell - ריח - while after the giving of the Torah it is like taste - טעם. All people smell equally but eat in different way. People have extremely varied eating tastes, chew differently etc. [watch people eat and you will know what I mean.] Some foods one tastes immediately. Others, one has to chew.
We find this also in שיקול דעת - judgment. There is שיקול ראשון [first judgment] and שיקול שני [second judgment]. שיקול ראשון is often an intuitive, natural, הברקה ראשונית - initial flash of insight. שיקול שני comes after careful consideration. The Torah the Avos had was like a משקל ראשון, first blush, natural intuition. Like smell which is equal for all people. Even Gentiles have the natural capacity to recognize Hashem to the point Mesirus Nefesh, like Haran who was willing to be thrown into a furnace al Kiddush Hashem [ב"ר לח, כח]. That is the definition of "אינם מצווים ועושים" - they act with their natural inclinations. However, at Matan Torah the element of taste was added. Taste, as we saw, varies from person to person [and from food to food], that is the second understanding, the שיקול שני, after study and analysis, each person with his unique powers of understanding [similar to those foods that have to be chewed in order to be enjoyed]. From here we have the distinction between the Jews and the Gentiles. That is the definition of מצווים ועושים - commanded and then performing. We hear the command as מצווים - the word צוותא means connection, togetherness. We connect to the Torah through the מצוה and ציווי [see Likkutei Torah Bechukosai Page 90]. The expression נעשה ונשמע reflects these two approaches. First נעשה - we will do like the Avos did as preserved by our tradition. ונשמע - we will hear the command as fitting with the Kedusha of the commanded Jewish people. Smell and taste, ריח וטעם.
This distinction also explains the Gemara "מצוות בטלות לעתיד לבוא" - "Mitzvos will be nullified in the future" [נדה ס"א,ב]. In other words, the commandment side, taste, טעם, will be transformed into smell, ריח. This will enable Gentiles to join those who fulfill Mitzvos from a natural perspective. [עי' אגרות הראי"ה ח"ב אגרת תר"ל וח"ד גרת ארי"ד]
The intention of Yitzchak to transmit the Brachos to Esav is predicated on the idea that a Bechor is naturally holy, special and set aside for Divine service. Yitzchak understood that it is a mixed bag. There is good and evil. He also was well aware of the spiritual inadequacy of Esav with his flaws. However, the Medrash says that just like the praise of Hashem emanates from Gan Eden from the mouths of the Tzadikim, so too it emerges from Gehenom from the mouths of the Evil [שמות רבה ז, ד]. The Gemara [Sanhedrin 92b] says that if an angel had not come and struck [Nevuchadnezzar] on his mouth to prevent him from continuing his praise, he would have sought to overshadow all the songs and praises that Dovid recited in the book of Psalms. Even Nevuchadnezzar wanted to praise Hashem. Also, Chazal tell us that the bull that was sacrificed at Mount Carmel [מלכים א' יח] to the בעל didn't want to go. He complained that it isn't fair that the other bull is being sacrificed to Hashem and he has to go to the בעל. Eliyahu responded that just as Hashem's name is sanctified by the bull I am bringing to Him, so is His name sanctified by you.
As a preface to the Brachos, Yitzchak requested "וַעֲשֵׂה־לִ֨י מַטְעַמִּ֜ים כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר אָהַ֛בְתִּי" - And make delicacies for me, such that I like. This love came from the Akeida, from Kiddush Hashem which is the common denominator of all the mitzvos [See here, here and here.] That is the taste we taste in all the mitzvos. Since the Bechor receives a double portioמ, Yitzchak wanted to give Esav both the holiness of smell together with holiness of taste. The tradition of Avos and Kedusha of Torah to go hand in hand with his natural Kedusha. The elevated Kedusha that attempts to elevate and sanctify even the evil.
But herein lies the mistake, for in the future, the Torah will "demote" the Bechor and give his job to Shevet Levi. And the Kedusha of the Bechor is not absolute but rather it has redemption and exchange. Therefore the sale of the Bechora to Yaakov was effective and valid. This was revealed to Rivka in a natural way when she passed houses of Avoda Zara and Esav kicked out, while when she passed shuls, Yaakov kicked out and revealed prophetically "שני גויים בבטנך" - two different nations are in your womb. These experiences showed her that the two worlds of Yaakov and Esav may not be mixed. The reason she did not reveal this to Yitzchak was out of modesty ["לשון הרמב"ן - "והנה מתחלה לא הגידה לו דרך מוסר וצניעות].
To be continued - I hope אי"ה!!!
