[MUSIC] And now let's look at how some of the biblical commentators relate to the problematic or questionable behavior of Jacob of Rebecca and also what's going on here with Isaac, as well. So the first one we look at is from the where Jacob says to his father, I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you have spoken to me and then Midrash says something fascinating. I am destined to receive the Ten Commandments, but Esau is your firstborn. What is the Midrash dealing here with? They're trying to explain in an interesting way that there are two different issues that Jacob is presenting. I am destined to receive the Ten Commandments, but Esau is your first born. Here, there is a clear attempt to rationalize Jacob's behavior by stating that it is Jacob who is destined to receive the ten commandments. At the same time, there's no denying the fact that Esau is the firstborn. So here, we have a Midrash which attempts in all different ways to justify what's going on here. Because ultimately, i t is Jacob and his children who will receive the Ten Commandments and that to a certain extent from what we can understand from this Midrash is the rational for why Jacob does what he does. That's one explanation. The second explanation which appears in the Midrash Tanhuma. When Esau was hunting and tying his catch, the angel was untying and setting it free. Again, the angel would set it free and why? In order to prolong the hours until Jacob will go and do what he needs to do, and goes into his father, and his father will lead, and Jacob will take the blessing. Now here, the Midrash has an interesting concept or an interesting idea that does not appear in the text. And what the Midrash here, the Tanhuma adds is the fact that the angels here were helping Jacob throughout this whole exercise. How do they do that? In other words, they try to prolong the amount of time that it takes for Esau to bring the game to his father. And therefore, they tie and untie. It's just in order to help have enough time for Jacob to pull off the exercise that he decides to do with his mother and what this Midrash is adding is that, in fact, it wasn't only on Jacob's head this responsibility. But in fact, according to this Midrash, the angels are part of this experience as well. The angels here are condoning and helping Jacob to move this ahead. So that's a different kind of explanation. But once again, trying to explain it to a certain extent to justify what Jacob does. Now, here in this third Midrash which is in Genesis Rabba, we have a different take on this. And here, the focus shifts. He, Jacob went and took and brought to his mother what she had asked him to, under duress, bent and weeping. This Midrash takes a different approach. If this Midrash tries to exclaim that, in fact, Jacob is doing this against his better judgment and rather. It's his mother who is commanding him to do this and he's only doing this under duress as a speed rush. And here, the focus is very different than the previous two. Now, we have another Midrash, which has a whole different take and this Midrash refers to a story which takes place later on in Laban's home, later on in the story in Vayetze. And here the story, if you remember takes place that Laban to a certain extent deceived Jacob and gave his older daughter Leah instead of Rachel who was the one that Jacob had worked for seven years to urge and to receive. And so all of a sudden, that night, this is a Midrash which is fascinating. All that night, she, Leah, acted the part of Rachel. As soon as he Jacob rose in the morning and he saw there was Leah, he said to her, daughter of the deceiver. Wherefore have you deceived me? How could you have done this to me? And listen to her response. Said, she to him and you? Wherefore did you deceive your father when he said to you are my very son Esau? You said to him, I am Esau your firstborn. This Midrash takes a very different approach. This Midrash says that, in fact, Jacob deceived his father. And later on in the story of Laban, the tables are turned. And in fact, Leah says to him, you did the same type of deception to your father. Yet, you say, wherefore did you deceive me? Did not your father say about you your brother Jacob came in deceit? In other words, here the rabbis the who wrote this Midrash, who prepared this Midrash are clearly condemning Jacob's behavior in our story in 27 and they believe that this comes to haunt him in the later story of Laban. Fascinating interpretation, clearly very different from the previous commentators that we saw. Finally, we're going to look at Rabbi Elazar who says, come and see how a person should live in a straight way. See that, because Jacob took the blessings from Esau through trickery. You should know that no nation other than Esau's nation ruled over Israel. In other words, this Midrash which appears in the Zohar says, very clearly and explicitly that because of Jacob's tricking of Esau, no other nation, other than Esau's nation will rule over Israel. In other words, the fact that Esau's nation ruled over Israel, the Edomites ruled over Israel. This was in fact, a punishment for Jacob's behavior towards his brother, towards his father as well. Finally, we'll look at a more modern and a modern psychological understanding which is a piece from a book called The Genius of Genesis by Denna Shulman. Jacob's journey to Laban's home involves significant danger. This journey requires that Jacob travel through the wilderness between Beersheva Interesting. Although Isaac is wealthy man, Jacob travels throughout without retinue or possessions emphasizing the spiritual journey that Jacob has just begun. What Shulman was saying is that, in fact, Jacob sinned when he did what he did to his brother and his father. And now when he leaves his father's home, he has to embark on a spiritual journey in order to take on a whole new role of responsibility and whole new role of moral directness and moral activity to set a new path for the future. Thank you.
