[Avodah] "My Sin Is Not A Perfume"

[Richard Wolpoe]

On Jan 6, 2008 11:52 PM, Elazar M. Teitz <remt at juno.com> wrote:

>
>
>      There is certainly nothing in the pasuk itself which "shows that
> Hashem's choice of Yaacov over Esav happened *before* there were any
> differences between them."  There is no mention at all as to the why; there
> is only the what.  Indeed, all the commentaries I have seen who discuss the
> issue say that the hatred to Esav was because of his actions, and the
> contrast is to show that the love for Yaakov was because of himself, not
> merely on account of his being zera Avaraham v'Yitzchak, since otherwise
> Esav, too, would have shared in that love, as he was equally their
> descendant.
>
>     And why should the RShO hate Esav without a reason? V'chi leis din
> v'leis dayan?
>
> EMT


I consider one of the most under-rated themes in the Torah is the prohibiion
against intermarriage.  Bot Yitazchka nad Ya'akov went to great lengths to
marry a kosher wife

It is my interpretation that the evil of Edom was not so much esav himself
but his progeny from his wives - viz. the b'nos cheis. That is artciualted
by Rivka's kazti bechaya minei b'nos cheis.

Had Esav had a koshe mipshpach with a wife [suach as a lei'ah or a Dina] he
might have been OK after all.  [not a taddik but  like a Yisme'el someone
who would eventually do teshuva  etc.]

The evil of esav is that he produced nothing but bneir heis and s'eir,
nothing really worthwhile. And so when the navi or Hazal speak of the evil
of Edom it is imho more about his descendants because of whom he married.
And I guess the RSO might have felt like Rikva did, too

This is just my understanding.  Hazal tell us of many evil deeds that Esav
himself did. It is not easy to reconcile my approach with those Midrashim.
So you can take my drash with a grain of salt - but it sure does explain the
evil of his children [e.g. Amaleik]
-- 
Kol Tuv / Best Regards,
RabbiRichWolpoe at Gmail.com
see: http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/
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