Dvar Torah - Toldot

A common trope in Orthodox discourse is to state that our fathers were unusually righteous people. They were so great that we can barely reach their shoes. As proof of this, we bring the fact that they arrived at the worship of the one true G-d without any of the preparation that we receive as a matter of course. They had no schooling in monotheism. They did not live in societies that rewarded upstanding behaviour as we now understand it (based on their teachings). The world they lived in was full of evil and idolaters, and yet they built the foundations of a religion that came to change the way that the world as a whole related to G-d and other people. All of this is true. However, it contrasts sharply with much of what we read about these people. A case in point is Yaakov Avinu. Yaakov is viewed as a paragon of honesty. And yet, we see two incidents in this week's parsha that seem less than honest.The first is when he purchases the birthright from his brother. The Torah tells us that Yaakov was a quiet man who enjoyed staying at home. Eisav, on the other hand, loved to go hunting. One day, Eisav was so famished upon returning that he couldn't wait to eat. He saw that Yaakov was making a Lentil soup. Rather than making something himself or politely asking for a serve, Eisav demanded that Yaakov give him some of "this red, red stuff." Yaakov immediately proposed a bargain, which Eisav accepted, that Eisav would relinquish his right to inherit as the firstborn in exchange for the soup.The incident makes us uncomfortable. Yaakov seems to take advantage of Eisav's hunger and impulsive nature. However, Eisav did make the deal of his own free will, and we see that the Torah seems to endore Yaakov's approach here. After all, the coda to the incident is "and Eisav disgraced the birthright." Nevertheless, the incident leaves us uncomfortable.Our discomfort with Yaakov's seeming ambition and with the means he uses to achieve it is compounded later on in the parsha. The Torah tells us that as Yitzchak got older, he became blind. At some point, he asked Eisav, his firstborn and favourite son, to bring him a meal cooked from animals he had hunted and then YItzcahk would bless him. Rivkah overheard the discussion and told Yaakov to take Eisav's place. She dressed him in furs to mimic Eisav's hairy skin, cooked a meal, and sent it to Yitzchak with Yaakov so that Yaakov might pretend to be Eisav and receive the blessing. Once again, we confront an action that makes us uncomfortable, yet the Torah seems to endorse Yaakov's conduct. After all, upon smelling Yaakov (who he thought was Eisav), Yitzchak says: "Behold my son's smell is like the field which Hashem blessed." Also, Yitzchak never retracts the blessing or scolds Yaakov for his actions. In fact, he further grants Yaakov the blessings of Avraham's inheritance.How can we understand these actions of Yaakov, a figure who is supposed to be an example for our people for generations? The answer lies in the nature of his dispute with Eisav. We see this story as primarily a fight between two brothers. However, in reality, it is a dispute over who will carry forth Avraham's legacy and found the Jewish people. Yaakov was the younger brother. However, he saw that the violent, impulsive, and occasionally homicidal Eisav was not a worthy progenitor of G-d's nation. The Jewish people should be founded by a "pure man who stays at home" learning the Torah.It is valuable and essential to look at the stories of our forefathers and try to learn lessons and emulate their behaviours. However, we must always be mindful of their context to do so. Yaakov's actions were not admirable if looked at purely from a perspective of family dynamics. They become something to be emulated when we see them as standing up for their nation. It is upon us to learn to deal with the moral complexity our different historical contexts bring and to carry forth Yaakov's legacy of not always doing what is comfortable but ultimately doing what is right.