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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2
face=Arial>Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2015<BR>From: Eli Turkel via Avodah
<avodah@lists.aishdas.org><BR><BR>Yaakov is the epitome of truth (titen
emet le-yaakov)<BR>Nevertheless from the parsha it would seem that is far from
Yaakov's<BR>strength<BR><BR>[1] convincing Esav to sell the birthright when he
is starving and not just try<BR>and make a deal under normal
circumstances<BR><BR>[2] Deceiving his father that he is Esav (Rashi splitting
Yaakov's words seems<BR>to make matters worse then better)<BR><BR>[3] Yaakov's
dealing with Lavan and working to increase his share<BR>[4] Running away from
Lavan without telling him<BR><BR>Note that any one instance can be always
explained however there appears a<BR>pattern.<BR><BR>[5] One answer I saw was
that Yaakov improved over time.<BR><BR>[6] However, I find trouble with that
also when Yaakov finally meets Esav he<BR>indicates that he will come to Edom
which Rashi explains as meaning in the<BR>days of the Moshiach. Doesn't seem to
be the plain meaning of the words.<BR>Again we have a case later where need to
explain away Yaakov's words<BR><BR>Looking for help<BR><BR><BR>-- <BR>Eli
Turkel</FONT></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>>>>></DIV>
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<DIV>[1] Esav wasn't starving, he was just impatient and a baal taivah.
The Chumash testifies "vayivez es habechorah" -- he readily gave the
bechorah away for a pot of chulent because he held it in contempt.
Later when he cries to his father "Vayakveni zeh pa'amayim" he thinks he is
voicing an additional grievance to his father, but to his father this revelation
-- that he had previously sold the bechorah to Yakov! -- comes as a great
relief, informing Yitzchak that the brachos were truly Yakov's by right.
It also speaks well of Yakov that he had never told Yitzchak about the sale of
the birthright -- had never humiliated Esav in his father's eyes.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>(BTW there is SO MUCH that Yitzchak is literally "in the dark"
about! He doesn't know what Rivka was told when she was pregnant with the
twins, he doesn't know that Esav sold the bechorah, he doesn't know that Esav is
really evil and totally unsuited to the bracha he has in mind for him, and he
doesn't know that Esav plans to kill Yakov after his father dies -- Rivka only
tells Yitzchak, "I can't stand our daughters-in-law, we have to send Yakov away
to get a better wife." She never says, "He has to leave town because your
beloved son Esav plans to kill him.")</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>[2] Rashi's splitting Yakov's words only makes the point that even when a
tzaddik is /forced/ to deceive, he /still/ is careful not to let an actual
falsehood escape his lips. And the deception that Yakov (and Rivka)
carried out was a temporary one, to be uncovered within the hour -- its purpose
was to prove to Yitzchak how easily he could be fooled! Rivka had always
warned him about Esav "ki tzayid befiv" but he never believed her. When he
realized how easily he could be fooled -- which was the whole point of the
deception -- he realized that Rivka had been right all along and quickly
reaffirmed the bracha mida'as saying "Gam baruch yiheyeh." He could have
withdrawn the bracha and said, "I had Esav in mind" but he did not do
that. (See Hirsch commentary on this whole story.)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>[3] It was /Lavan/ who kept trying to steal from Yakov! You've got it
backwards! Hashem simply did not allow Lavan's schemes to achieve their
intended result! Yakov worked very hard for Lavan and made Lavan a wealthy
man, and nevertheless Lavan kept trying to trick Yakov out of what was
rightfully his, changing the terms of his employment over and over.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>[4] Yakov explained to Lavan why he sneaked off with his family and
property -- very eloquently. He was dealing with a trickster who
would have stolen his wives and children from him!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>[5] Yakov was always a tzaddik, he did not "improve over time"! But I
will concede that even though his (brief) deception of his father was 100%
justified, nevertheless Hashem judges tzaddikim kechut hasa'arah and that is why
He allowed Lavan to succeed in pulling a similar fast one over him,
changing the younger sister for the older one.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>[6] "We will be together in the future -- beyemei haMoshiach" is not a lie,
it's a foreshadowing of the whole course of human history!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>One thing you do see in the pattern of his life is that Yakov, an ish
tam, a straight and honest person, was forced to deal with liars, thieves,
tricksters and murderers his whole life. For a tzaddik to be put in such a
position is a terrible hardship. That is why he later tells Paroh that his
life has been one trouble after another. But it's also another
foreshadowing of Jewish history -- ma'aseh avos siman lebanim -- that we Jews,
who are the most upright and holy people in the world, will always be at the
mercy of tricksters and killers and will always have to use our smarts (with
Siyata Dishmaya of course!) to overcome our wily enemies.</DIV>
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<DIV><B><BR><FONT color=#0000ff>--Toby Katz<BR>t613k@aol.com</FONT><FONT lang=0
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