All tagged toldos

From Yaakov To Yisrael (Part 1): Introduction — The One Who Grasps The Heel

Zach Sterman
Yaakov To Yisrael, Parsha, Chumash

In order to engage in comprehensive Torah study we must first establish our methodology and intention. The Torah is a book of prophesies composed perfectly by God, and it therefore wastes no words and was conceived through Divine wisdom. As a book of prophecy, the Torah’s goal is to deliver the message of God, though at times its messages are cryptic and challenging...

Parshas Toldos: Yaakov And The Real World

Devir Kahan
Parsha

We know that we should pay close attention to the first time something is mentioned in the Torah. Or at least so we are told. When it comes to Yaakov and Eisav it's not just a typical difference between brothers. They each have two completely separate ideas on how to view and approach the world. They are, in many ways, mutually exclusive. Yet the Torah is strangely silent about their differences. Most things we know come from Midrashic literature. There's a lot more explicit heroism in the Torah by Moshe, Dovid, Shlomo, Avraham, Yitzchak, and so forth. By Yaakov, however, we really only get business, dreams, stealing, brachos, and that's about it. It is not a life full of heroism. Eisav, too, is not so bad, seemingly, from the posukim alone. No murder. No rape. Not even theft. From the text alone, he seems like a decent guy, even...