Where Smoke Conceals, There is No Revelation of Divinity
For November 24, 2022
Toldot 5rd Portion - Genesis 27:1
וַֽיְהִי֙ כִּֽי־זָקֵ֣ן יִצְחָ֔ק וַתִּכְהֶ֥יןָ עֵינָ֖יו מֵרְאֹ֑ת וַיִּקְרָ֞א אֶת־עֵשָׂ֣ו ׀ בְּנ֣וֹ הַגָּדֹ֗ל וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ בְּנִ֔י וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו הִנֵּֽנִי׃
"It came to pass when Isaac was old, and his eyes were too dim to see, that he called Esau his elder son, an he said to him, "My son", and he said to him, "Here I am."
Esau was like a pig, an animal with cloven hooves, but an animal that does not chew its cud and thus pretends to be kosher but is not. That is, to the outside world Esau appeared to be a righteous man but inside....
For example, Esau had intercourse with many [married] women, but at the age of 40 he married two women Judith and Elon, two Hittite women. He married at that age because his father married at that age and he wanted to show in this way that he was righteous.
The Hittites were 1 of the 7 peoples who lived in the land before Israel was given the land of G-d as its home. The Rebbe explains that these peoples symbolise the concealment of Divinity in the world, Israel in contrast stands for the revealing of Divinity in the world. And that is what we can already see at this point.
Esau was not very careful about G-d and His commandment and took to himself wives who worshipped idols. Worshiping idols is a direct concealment of God in this Creation. The smoke coming off the women's sacrifices diminished Isaac's vision. Wherever G-d is veiled, there is a diminution of His revelation and you can see less.
Rebecca who had grown up in a house full of idols was not bothered by the smoke, her sight remained good. Jacob in contrast who had grown up in a holy household was less able to endure it. This is also why she knew that it was Jacob who was to receive the most important blessing and not Esau.
Esau was not very careful about G-d and His commandment and took to himself wives who worshipped idols. Worshiping idols is a direct concealment of G-d in this Creation. The smoke coming off the women's sacrifices diminished Isaac's vision. Wherever G-d is concealed, there is a diminution of His revelation and you can see less.
Rebecca who had grown up in a house full of idols was not bothered by the smoke, her sight remained good. Jacob in contrast who had grown up in a holy household was less able to endure it. This is also why she knew that it was Jacob who was to receive the most important blessing and not Esau.
Or HaChaim points out that although Izaak's sight was reduced, that does not mean he wanted to give the main blessing to Esau and not Jacob. He wanted to bless him in the hope that he would turn from his wrong path.
We can learn 3 important things from this:
1. Don't judge a person by the outside. Someone can appear very pious but not be. By the way, the opposite is also true. Someone can - because of all kinds of negative experiences in their life - appear blunt, harsh and uninterested out of self-protection, but be a good person inside.
2. Don't judge someone negatively by looking at someone's history. People who come from negative environments can sometimes cope much better by seeing through and understanding these situations.
3. G-d's glory cannot be revealed in an environment or with people who conceal it. Let us be warned that if a saint like Jacob reduced his eyes/ his vision, how much more so do we.
Brought By Angelique Sijbolts
Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners and intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano.
Sources
Chabadapp: chumash with Rashi
Bereishis Bara Elokim 5783 by Rebbe Menachem Schneerson
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