Generations Part 5 (Gen 26:34-27:1)

 

34 When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite,

Forty years old—Esau is compared to a boar, as it is said (Psa 80:14), “The boar from the forest gnaws at it.” The boar when it lies down stretches out its cloven hoof as much as to say, “See, I am a clean animal.” In the same way these dukes of Esau rob and extort and pretend to be honorable (Bereishit Rabbah 65:1).

Isaac Blesses Jacob

1 When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son”; and he answered, “Here I am.”

Were dim through the smoke raised by these women in offering incense to idols (Midrash Tanchuma, Toldot 8). Another explanation is: When Isaac was bound upon the altar and his father was about to slay him, at that very moment the heavens opened, the ministering angels saw it and wept, and their tears flowed and fell upon Isaac’s eyes which thus became dim (Bereishit Rabbah 65:5). Another explanation is: They became dim just in order that Jacob might receive the blessings (Bereishit Rabbah 65:8).

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Bava Kamma 93a:5

The Gemara provides another lesson from the story of Abraham and Abimelech. And Rabbi Yitzḥak says: The curse of an ordinary person should never be regarded as light in your eyes, for Abimelech cursed Sarah and it was fulfilled in her descendant. The curse on Sarah is as it is stated: “It is to you a sign of your innocence in the eyes” (Gen 20:16), meaning that he said to her: Since you concealed your status from me and you did not reveal that Abraham is your husband, and you caused me this suffering, may it be God’s will that you should have children with covered eyes. And this curse was fulfilled in her descendant, as it is written: “When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see” (Gen 27:1).

Megillah 15a:18

And Rabbi Elazar further said that Rabbi Ḥanina said: One should not regard the curse of an ordinary person as light in your eyes, for Abimelech cursed Sarah, saying: “It is to you a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you” (Gen 20:16), and indeed this was fulfilled in her descendant, as it is stated: “When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see” (Gen 27:1). Abimelech’s curse of covered eyes was fulfilled through her son Isaac’s blindness.

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Megillah 28a:16

Rabbi Elazar said: One who gazes at the likeness of an evil man, his eyes become dim, as it is stated: “When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see” (Gen 27:1). This happened because he gazed at the wicked Esau.

Yoma 28b:7

When they were in Egypt there was a yeshiva with them, as it is stated: “Go and gather the elders of Israel” (Exo 3:16), indicating that there were sages among them who studied the law. And similarly, when they were in the desert, there was a yeshiva with them, as it is stated: “Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel” (Num 11:16). Abraham our patriarch was himself an elder and would sit in yeshiva, as it is stated: “Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years” (Gen 24:1). From the apparent redundancy of the terms old and advanced in years, it is derived that old means that he was a wise elder and prominent in the law, and advanced in years means that he was elderly. Similarly, Isaac our patriarch was an elder and sat in yeshiva, as it is stated: “When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim” (Gen 27:1). Similarly, Jacob our patriarch was an elder and sat in yeshiva, as it is stated: “Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age” (Gen 48:10).

23 And the Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb,

and two peoples from within you shall be divided;

the one shall be stronger than the other,

the older shall serve the younger.”

24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb.

25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. GEN 25:23-25