Toldos - 5773

Parshas Toldos poses some very difficult problems. First, how is it possible that Yitzchak preferred Eisav to Yaakov? Granted that Yitzchak was fooled as to Eisav’s faults; it is still hard to believe that Yitzchak considered Eisav to be Yaakov’s superior. Second, how is it possible that Yaakov and Eisav – twins born to Yitzchak and Rivka – could have become so different from each other? (The precedent of Yitzchak and Yishmael is more easily accounted for as they were born to different mothers.)

Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch, both in his Chumash commentary and in a separate essay, attributes the difference to a shortcoming in the Chinuch that Yitzchok provided his sons. They were given an identical experience in violation of the most fundamental principle of Chanoch L’naar Al Pi Darco, that is, educate a child in a manner suited to his nature and temperament. This undifferentiated training was perfectly suited to Yaakov who was pious and studious by nature; it was totally inappropriate for Eisav. Consequently, when he was old enough, he rebelled against it.

The problem with this approach is that Rivka received a prophecy before the children were born (“There are two nations in your womb…”) that their paths would diverge. This implies inevitability to their being different. The difference could not have been a consequence of poor choices made by Yitzchak in his parenting style.

Classical texts speak of two personality types. The first is called Chassid (by Rambam) or Tzaddik (by the Ba’al HaTanya). This is defined as an individual who not only does the right thing consistently but has a natural inclination in that direction. Accordingly, he lives a life that is free from tension and conflict and filled with a yearning for spiritual achievement. The second is called Kovesh es Yitzro (by Rambam) or Beinoni by the Ba’al Hatanya). This individual also does the right thing consistently, yet he lives with conflict. He is pulled in different directions by his natural instincts and drives. In this internal battle he may be victorious but the “enemy” is never decisively defeated and certainly never surrenders.

The Ba’al HaTanya (Chapter 26), using this classification, contends that the free will of an individual may sometimes only apply to his actions; he may not be free to convert himself from Beinoni status to Tzaddik status. Rather, it is decreed upon him to serve Hashem specifically through the suppression of evil rather than through its elimination. The Ba’al Hatanya describes the unique satisfaction that Hashem has from the service of the Beinoni who, through struggle and torment, overcomes the many obstacles in his path.

It would not be unreasonable to conjecture that the prophecy of Rivka entailed the children being different only in temperament and natural inclination. One would be the Tzaddik who was naturally drawn to the Bais Medrash; the other would be the Beinoni who would have to grapple with the illicit desire for idolatry, incest, and even murder. But there was no inevitability to Eisav’s wicked acts. He could have overcome his desires. Whether Yitzchak shares the “blame” for not having given Eisav the necessary tools to fight this battle as Rav Hirsch contends or whether the responsibility is Eisav’s alone will remain – for us – an unanswerable question.

But why the two children should have been so different in temperament can be answered. The succession of Yitzchak was meant to be an open question.

Had Eisav made better choices in life and overcome his various temptations, he would have been the successor. This, we know, was Yitzchak’s plan. It was not rooted in the mistaken assumption that Eisav was more virtuous than Yaakov, but rather in the assumption that Eisav was simply good enough and should be awarded the honor in acknowledgment of the special satisfaction he gave Hashem through his superior effort in overcoming challenges. Of course, as Rivka understood, this was not meant to be. Eisav had clearly disqualified himself by succumbing to his desires and thus the successor would be Yaakov.