Reb Ginsbourg: Toldot

 And Yitschak's eyes dimmed from seeing'

What is the reason God wanted Yitschak to think he was blessing Esav?

The wondrous events culminating in Yaakov Avinu receiving the brachot intended for Esav, from Yitzchak, commence with the Torah relating ( 27:1-4 ): "And it came to pass that Yitzchak had become old, and his eyes dimmed from seeing, that he summoned Esav his elder son, and said to him:’See, now I have aged, I know not the day of my death.. go out to the field and hunt game for me. Then make me delicacies such as I like and bring it to me and I will eat so that my soul may bless you before I die.’"

The Torah then relates that Rivkah, upon hearing this, acted to ensure that Yaakov - and not Esav - received the blessing of Yitzchak.

Rabbeinu Bachya expounds the passuk, as to Yitzchak’s sight dimming, literally, commenting:’The plain meaning is that this is the natural way of ageing, as the Torah states, concerning Yaakov ( Vayechi 45:10 ):’And the eyes of Israel had become heavy with age.

The Netziv disagrees, stating: ’We are not to read this literally - that Yitzchak’s sight dimmed from old age, as he was not - relative to the years he lived -old at this time, as he lived a further sixty years.

‘Rather, as we learn from the midrashim, something occurred which caused his sight to dim.’

Rashi, who usually expounds literally, unusually brings three different midrashic comments, on these words.

Let us bring the third of these perushim: ’Another thing: Yitzchak’s eyes dimmed, ‘so that Yaakov would take those blessings’.

Rav Gedalia Scharr introduces his commentary on these events, by stating: ’We have no understanding or perception why the brachot had to be given in this manner, that Yitzchak would not know who stood before him to receive the brachot, and that he should not know that Esav was unworthy to be blessed.

The Zohar Hakadosh states that it had to occur in this manner, so that the brachot would be given by Hashem, and not Yitzchak, and so too, that Yitzchak should be unaware of Esavs wickedness.

‘The parshanim say that the intention was from Hashem, to punish those whom He hates, to cause them to be lost, that Hashem conceals from the heavenly host the wickedness of the rasha, so that he receives payment for any good that he does, in this world.

‘The reason that Yaakov did not reveal Esav’s wickedness to Yitzchak was because he decided that, since from Above it was concealed from Yitzchak, he, too, was not permitted to reveal it.

‘To get a glimpse of why the brachot were given in this manner, we might say that perhaps it was a test to see the ability of Yaakov - the pillar of truth - to use ‘deceit’, to battle againsr evil.

The midrash relates the great reluctance of Yaakov to deceitfully ‘take’ the brachot, recoiling from doing so, and, indeed, is it not surprising that Yaakov would act to receive the brachot with lies - and, at the very same time, pray that his soul be saved from deceit!

‘However, as is known, the objective of a person being tested, is so that he should perfect his midot, to be complete and unblemished, and each of the Avot was tested in his special attribute - Avraham, as we read, in his attribute of chessed, in the Akeida - and so too, Yaakov in his attribute of Emet.

‘This was the objective of his test in the matter of the brachot, as though he only went on the command of his mother - who assured him that ‘any curse from this action, would be borne by her- nevertheless, the test was if any of the deceit would adhere to Yaakov, as even though it is necessary on occasion to act ‘deceitfully’ to defeat the yetser, it is still necessary to guard one’s soul that this measure not adhere to the soul.

This was the test that Yaakov faced, and this is why he prayed, that his soul be saved from deceit adhering to it, and that he not have any enjoyment, from the deceit.’

Abarbanel also first poses our query:’Why did Hashem cause that Yitzchak should give the brachot to Yaakov in ‘error’, believing that he was Esav: would it not have been preferable that he should have expelled Esav, and that Yitzchak - whom Hashem had told that Yaakov would be called ‘his seed’ - would, as commanded, bless Yaakov knowingly, with a ‘complete’ bracha? ‘.

He answers:’Hashem did not want Yitzchak to bless Yaakov ‘against his will’, or to expel Esav - whom he loved. - lest he be saddened by so doing,, and his bracha then not take effect, as prophecy cannot rest on the blesser, unless he is happy and rejoices in his heart.

‘Therefore, Yitzchak was led to believe that he was blessing Esav, so that that blessing he gave to Yaakov would be given joyfully and with a full heart.

Further, by this, the One whose thoughts are far from ours, thereby sowed enmity between these two brothers, so that Esav would be ‘a rod of chastisement’ for Hashem to punish Bnei Isrsel, should they transgress, as the Ran expounds.’.

Ohr Hachaim Hakasosh adds:’Our psukim commence with the word ויהי, which our Sages teach alludes to sorrow - unlike והיה - which was to result from Yaakov ‘taking’ the brachot without Yitzchak recognizing that he - and not Esav - was being blessed, as this was to lead to difficult consequences for our people’.

The Midrash - which is the source of Rashi’s commentary - offers a very different view: ‘Yitzchak’s sight was dimmed, because it was revealed before Hashem that Yitzchak would want to bless Esav, said Hashem:’ Let his sight be dimmed, and Yaakov come and take the brachot, and Yitzchak not know whom he was blessing; and David Hamelech exulted ( Ps’ 40:6 ): So much have you, Hashem, my G-d done, Your wonders and Your thoughts always for us’, for our benefit.’

Rabbeinu Nissim - the Ran - as we brought from Abarbanel - has graced us with his exposition, to enable us to understand the meaning of this Midrash:’The reason that Hashem wrought that Yaakov should receive the brachot in this manner, was that Yitzchak - as the Torah relates - loved Esav, clearly being unaware of his evil deeds, and should he have been aware of the prophecy that he bless Yaakov and reject Esav, he would have been saddened, and this would cause the Spirit not to reside on him, and his blessing would not be complete.

‘Therefore Haahem wanted to ensure that Yitzchak should think he was blessing Esav, his beloved, so that his heart should be warmed and full of joy, which is why Yitzchak directed Esav to make for him the delicacies he liked, so that he would be happy and able to bless a ‘complete’ blessing.

‘This is the reason that Hashem wanred him to think that he was blessing Esav, when he blessed Yaakov.

‘If you should ask: how could such a blessing, given in a mistaken belief, take effect? the answer is that the prophet has no personal role or choice, when blessing, not in content and not in the words, as the blessing is totally from Hashem. Yitzchak was merely the instrument through whom Hashem spoke.

‘His intentions and thoughts were of no consequence, and the blessing takes effect on the one who actually receives it.

‘In addition, the Omniscient wanted to sow discord between the two brothers, so that when we transgress, Esav will be the rod of Hashem’s chastisement, and He instilled this enmity in the nature of the two brothers - and from this all that the Parasha described, ensued.

‘ThIs enmity was instilled to the end of time, to effectuate the Divine Intention.’

The creation of this enmity, was therefore a great chessed by Hashem - as David Hamelech exulted - to ensure that, should Bnei Israel transgress, Esav would be the instrument whereby they would be chastised, and return to the right path.

How apt, then, is seeing this as a sign of Hashem’s love for us, truly ‘all His thoughts are for us’.

This is the meaning of the words of the prophet, in the Haftara: ( Malachi 1:2 ):’I have loved you’, said Hashem::But you ask:’How have you loved us? ‘Was not Esav Yaakov’s brother? declares Hashem.

By creating Esav, as Yaakov’s brother, and then instilling this eternal enmity, we have remained, despite our transgressions over the generations, Hashem’s nation.

לרפואת נועם עליזה בת זהבה רבקה ונחום אלימלך רפאל בן זהבה רבקה , בתוך שאר חולי עמנו.

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/399928