<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Jan 6, 2008 11:52 PM, Elazar M. Teitz <<a href="mailto:remt@juno.com">remt@juno.com</a>> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<br><br> 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.
<br><br> And why should the RShO hate Esav without a reason? V'chi leis din v'leis dayan?<br><br>EMT</blockquote></div><br>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
<br><br>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.<br><br>
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.]<br><br>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
<br><br>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]<br>-- <br>Kol Tuv / Best Regards,<br><a href="mailto:RabbiRichWolpoe@Gmail.com">RabbiRichWolpoe@Gmail.com</a><br>see: <a href="http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/">http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/</a>