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1) Deception Reshapes Destiny
When Yaakov discovers Lavan's wedding-night deception, Lavan explains: "It is not so done in our place, to give the younger before the habechirah" (29:26). It’s a strange word choice. Earlier, the Torah called Leah "hagedolah", the bigger sister, and Rochel "hakatan", the smaller one. Now suddenly Lavan uses "habechirah", the firstborn. Why the switch?
Our chaver, Rabbi Benjamin Yasgur (who was also my sixth-grade rebbe!), in his sefer dedicated to the Torah of Prof. Nechama Leibowitz, shares a monumental insight: Lavan wasn’t just explaining local custom, he was identifying Yaakov's sin. "You deceived your father by pretending to be the bechor. Now I deceive you with the actual bechirah." The Torah's word choice becomes its own sort of commentary.
The main question: Was Yaakov justified in tricking Yitzchak? Most defend the masquerade as necessary. But Prof. Leibowitz disagreed. The punishment was catastrophic: Yaakov's preference for Rochel's children sparked the brothers' hatred, leading to Yosef's sale, which brought Yaakov decades of anguish (Bereishis Rabbah, 67:4).
Rav Soloveitchik taught that according to the original Divine plan, the Jews were never meant to go down to Egypt. What changed Jewish history? The sale of Yosef. What caused that sale? Yaakov's trick.
2) Why Does Yitzchak Warn Esav, a Master Hunter, about Proper Shechitah?
Yitzchak instructs Esav to get his stuff, which Rashi explains to mean "sharpen your knife," i.e., avoid bringing me neveilah. The Gur Aryeh (and others) ask the obvious question: Why warn a skilled hunter about basic shechitah? Esav knows how to slaughter properly!
Rav Yerucham Levovitz offers a startling answer in his Daas Torah: Even though Esav himself wouldn't eat neveilah, he might not be scrupulous about every detail of shechitah. And if it turned out to be neveilah? He'd still bring it to his father, because honoring parents, in a twisted way, overrides everything else in his mind. The warning wasn't about Esav's skill, but his vigilance.
This explains a pattern across Sefer Bereishis. Avraham makes Eliezer swear not to take a Canaani wife for Yitzchak; Yaakov makes Yosef swear to bury him in Eretz Yisrael. Were these swears needed because of suspicion? Of course not. The oaths established seriousness. (24:3, 50:5.)
The Torah commands regarding blood: "Chazak, be strong, do not eat the blood" (Devarim 12:23). Why such emphasis on an "easy" mitzvah? Because human nature grows lax even with simple obligations. We need reinforcement, especially where we think we're safe. The Avos didn't trust themselves. Avraham didn't trust himself. Yaakov didn't trust himself. If there are things with which we would not trust our children, should we really be trusting ourselves?
3. See last year’s chomer here – featuring my all-time favorite drashah, if a person can have one of those… Rabbi Zvi Kanatopsky’s epic take on Rivkah’s struggle.
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