Toldot
Gen. 25:19-28:9
Précis: The introductory phrase to this parasha is “These are the generations (“toldot”) of Isaac.” What follows is the birth of the twins, Esau and Jacob. Their childhood is omitted from the narrative. We learn that Jacob is a quiet man while Esau is a cunning hunter; that their mother Rebecca prefers Jacob, and that Isaac prefers Esau. Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of porridge (or lentils). A famine takes place, and Isaac visits the Philistines where he claims that his wife Rebecca is actually his sister (as Abraham did with Sarah in Lech Lecha) and again, the woman escapes unharmed. The story turns to the “great deception” where Jacob pretends to be Esau in order to obtain the primary blessing from his father Isaac. Esau hates Jacob and threatens him; Rebecca urges Jacob to escape to her family in Haran, and he sets off at the conclusion of the parasha.
Gen. 27:1 “And it came to pass when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, and he could not see, he called Esau, his older son, and said to him ‘My son’ and he said to him ‘Here I am.’”
Traditional Torah study reminds us that there are no unnecessary words in our text. Why does the text tell us of Isaac’s dim eyes, and then that he could not see? Rashi suggests that God made Isaac blind so that Jacob could receive the blessing of the first born. Why? Because Isaac had become metaphorically blind to Esau’s nature.
I suggest that the recent massacre of Jews in Pittsburgh puts us to the test. We have been metaphorically blind to the anti-Semitism in American life, but now we cannot remain blind to its existence. What we need to “see” is that our fellow Jews were killed because they were Jews. Let us not “dim our eyes” by stressing that there was an anti-immigrant rational in the killer’s motives, or that somehow it was an attack on religion in America. No, we need to be clear and focused. Anti-Semitism in all of its horrid aspects is lurking among us.
As reported in Tablet magazine this week, at least four candidates who espouse support for anti-Semitic conspiracy theories or admire people like Louis Farrakhan were elected to Congress, and their hate-filled voices will be heard in the coming session of Congress.
Like Isaac in this week’s parasha, when we lose the ability to see, the results are perilous. Let us continue to see anti-Semitism for what it is, and not gloss over the attack in Pittsburgh as just another mass shooting. Let us also resolve to support the Pittsburgh Jewish community not only this week, but in the months and years ahead, and to thank them for letting us see, through their sacrifice, the dangers we have so long ignored.
