[This is the third installment in the series. Begin the Trail here.]
The different natures of Yaakov and Eisav was not the only reason Yitzchok divided up the blessings. Yitzchok wanted to protect Yaakov from the corrupting force of power and wealth. In the words of the Seforno,
The different natures of Yaakov and Eisav was not the only reason Yitzchok divided up the blessings. Yitzchok wanted to protect Yaakov from the corrupting force of power and wealth. In the words of the Seforno,
[Thinking he was talking to Eisav, Yitzchok said,] 'Be a lord to your brother' (27:29) - [Yitzchok] thought it would be best for Yaakov to make do with the inheritance of Israel and to live there with a degree of servitude [to his brother] so that he should not be overly preoccupied with physical things [i.e. the economy, business, politics, leadership, etc.] and passing vanities, as in fact occurred to his descendants [as a result of his 'stealing' this blessing], as the verse states, 'I abhor the pride of Yaakov' (Amos 6:8).
The Seforno's insight is undeniable. Take, for example, these verses:
יַרְכִּבֵהוּ עַל במותי אָרֶץ וַיֹּאכַל תְּנוּבֹת שָׂדָי
וַיֵּנִקֵהוּ דְבַשׁ מִסֶּלַע וְשֶׁמֶן מֵחַלְמִישׁ צוּר
חֶמְאַת בָּקָר וַחֲלֵב צֹאן עִם חֵלֶב כָּרִים וְאֵילִים
בְּנֵי בָשָׁן וְעַתּוּדִים עִם חֵלֶב כִּלְיוֹת חִטָּה
וְדַם עֵנָב תִּשְׁתֶּה חָמֶר
וַיִּשְׁמַן יְשֻׁרוּן וַיִּבְעָט
שָׁמַנְתָּ עָבִיתָ כָּשִׂיתָ וַיִּטֹּשׁ אֱלוֹהַּ עָשָׂהוּ
וַיְנַבֵּל צוּר יְשֻׁעָתוֹ
Wealth corrupts. But how exactly does this happen? How do material blessings lead to spiritual downfall? The Torah describes the process:
הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ, פֶּן תִּשְׁכַּח אֶת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, לְבִלְתִּי שְׁמֹר מִצְוֹתָיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו וְחֻקֹּתָיו אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם פֶּן תֹּאכַל וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבָתִּים טֹבִים תִּבְנֶה וְיָשָׁבְתָּ וּבְקָרְךָ וְצֹאנְךָ יִרְבְּיֻן וְכֶסֶף וְזָהָב יִרְבֶּה לָּךְ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר לְךָ יִרְבֶּה. וְרָם לְבָבֶךָ וְשָׁכַחְתָּ אֶת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ הַמּוֹצִיאֲךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים הַמּוֹלִיכְךָ בַּמִּדְבָּר הַגָּדֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא נָחָשׁ שָׂרָף וְעַקְרָב וְצִמָּאוֹן אֲשֶׁר אֵין מָיִם הַמּוֹצִיא לְךָ מַיִם מִצּוּר הַחַלָּמִישׁ. הַמַּאֲכִלְךָ מָן בַּמִּדְבָּר אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדְעוּן אֲבֹתֶיךָ לְמַעַן עַנֹּתְךָ וּלְמַעַן נַסֹּתֶךָ לְהֵיטִבְךָ בְּאַחֲרִיתֶךָ. וְאָמַרְתָּ בִּלְבָבֶךָ כֹּחִי וְעֹצֶם יָדִי עָשָׂה לִי אֶת הַחַיִל הַזֶּה. וְזָכַרְתָּ אֶת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ כִּי הוּא הַנֹּתֵן לְךָ כֹּחַ לַעֲשׂוֹת חָיִל לְמַעַן הָקִים אֶת בְּרִיתוֹ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה
Paradoxically, the divine blessing of wealth can cause man to forget about God, leading him to think that he created all this wealth himself. But it does not end there. With God forgotten, man imagines other sources of power. This concern is stated in the Shema:
וְנָתַתִּי מְטַר אַרְצְכֶם בְּעִתּוֹ יוֹרֶה וּמַלְקוֹשׁ וְאָסַפְתָּ דְגָנֶךָ וְתִירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ וְנָתַתִּי עֵשֶׂב בְּשָׂדְךָ לִבְהֶמְתֶּךָ וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ הִשָּׁמְרוּ לָכֶם פֶּן יִפְתֶּה לְבַבְכֶם וְסַרְתֶּם וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶם לָהֶם
Wealth can lead to Paganism! This is what Moshe said to Hashem, "Master of the World, it's because of the gold and silver that you gave the Jews until they said 'enough!' - that's what caused them to build a Golden Calf!" (Berachos 32a). This is why Yitzchok reserved the blessing of wealth for Eisav: Eisav was born to battle Paganism. It's a shame he didn't put up much of a fight.
There is another problem with wealth, a problem which poses a particular challenge to Yaakov:
וּבָאוּ עָלֶיךָ כָּל הַקְּלָלוֹת הָאֵלֶּה וּרְדָפוּךָ וְהִשִּׂיגוּךָ עַד הִשָּׁמְדָךְ כִּי לֹא שָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקוֹל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לִשְׁמֹר מִצְוֹתָיו וְחֻקֹּתָיו אֲשֶׁר צִוָּךְ וְהָיוּ בְךָ לְאוֹת וּלְמוֹפֵת וּבְזַרְעֲךָ עַד עוֹלָם תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָבַדְתָּ אֶת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְטוּב לֵבָב מֵרֹב כֹּל
Eisav's blessing is Yaakov's curse! The blessing that Yitzchok attempted to divert to Eisav, the blessing of "כל", the so-called blessing of "having it all," it is this blessing that destroys Yaakov - for it is Yaakov's mission to serve Hashem with joy, and having it all oftentimes saps all the joy out of life.
In the final words of the "blessing" that Eisav ultimately extracts from his father, Yitzchok says, "And when you have a complaint [when his sons abandon the Torah - Onkelos (cf. Rashi)], you will [then be able] to cast off his yoke from upon your neck" (27:40).
Why is Yitzchok so certain that Yaakov will fall and abandon the Torah? Because Yaakov is encumbered with the blessing of wealth.
Appreciating the dangers of wealth also allows us to understand why Yitzchok made things conditional.
Why would a loving parent want to limit a blessing? In light of all we have learned, the answer is obvious.
In the final words of the "blessing" that Eisav ultimately extracts from his father, Yitzchok says, "And when you have a complaint [when his sons abandon the Torah - Onkelos (cf. Rashi)], you will [then be able] to cast off his yoke from upon your neck" (27:40).
Why is Yitzchok so certain that Yaakov will fall and abandon the Torah? Because Yaakov is encumbered with the blessing of wealth.
Appreciating the dangers of wealth also allows us to understand why Yitzchok made things conditional.
ויתן לך האלהים מטל השמים ומשמני הארץ ורב דגן ותירש
מהו אלהים? בדין. אם ראוי לך יתן לך ואם לאו לא יתן - רש"יYitzchok said that "Elokim" should grant the blessing of wealth (27:28). Elokim refers to God's attribute of justice, and Rashi explains that Yitzchok meant to introduce a major qualification. Only if it is just, only if his son deserves to be wealthy, will he receive the blessing.
Why would a loving parent want to limit a blessing? In light of all we have learned, the answer is obvious.
