## Da'at Zekenim on Genesis Chapter 27

###### Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:1:1
[Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Da%27at%20Zekenim%20on%20Genesis/r/27:1:1)

**ותכהין עיניו מראות.**משום שאהב עשו כי ציד בפיו וכתיב כי השחד יעור. ד"א כדי שיבא יעקב ויטול את הברכות ולהא דפרש"י שכהו עיניו מעשן ע"ז קשה קצת למה לא כהו ג"כ עיני רבקה. ואומר המדרש משל למקיש כלי עצם בכלי חרש הכלי חרש משתבר אבל מקיש כלי עצם לכלי עצם אין משתבר זה מזה כך יצחק נברא מן האדמה לכך הזיקו לו מעשה כלותיו שנבראו מן הצלע אבל רבקה שנבראת מן העצם כמו כן לא הזיקו לה מעשה כלותיה:

**Daat Zekenim translated by Rb. Eliyahu Munk:**
ותכהינן עיניו מראות, “his eyes had become weak from seeing (too much).” One opinion cites Exodus 23,8 where the Torah tells us that accepting a bribe corrupts, i.e. blinds the eyes of even normally honest judges. Yitzchok accepting venison hunted by his son Esau, caused him to overlook the numerous shortcomings of his son Esau without rebuking him. An alternate explanation of the word: מראות, “from seeing.” G–d weakened his eyesight in order to enable Yaakov to secure Esau’s blessing for himself. This is presumably the reason why Rashi wrote that his eyesight became impaired from the smoke rising from the animals offered as sacrifices to a variety of idols. (Tanchuma, 8) The Midrash there explains this by means of a parable. When a person has two implements at his disposal, one made of bone, the other of earthenware. When he chooses to perform certain tasks with the earthenware implement for which it was not designed, it is liable to break into pieces. On the other hand, if he were to perform the same task with the implement made out of horn, it would not break into pieces. Yitzchok who was Avraham’s son, i.e. made of earth as G–d had made Adam, could not tolerate the smoke from these offerings of his daughters-in-law. Rivkah, being a woman, i.e. her origin was the bone of the first woman from which Chavah had been constructed, was not affected by that smoke.


###### Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:1:2
[Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:1:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Da%27at%20Zekenim%20on%20Genesis/r/27:1:2)

**ויקרא אל עשו בנו הגדול.**מכאן שמחניפין לרשעים בשעתן. דבר אחר לפי שהעולם בידו קראו גדול:

**Daat Zekenim translated by Rb. Eliyahu Munk:**
ויקרא את עשו בנו הגדול, “he called his senior son Esau.” From this adjective used by Yitzchok when calling Esau, we learn that when fortune smiles on the wicked it is permitted to flatter them. An alternate explanation for the word הגדול: seeing that Esau was such an important person at that time, replacing Nimrod, he is described as “the great.”


###### Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:3:1
[Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Da%27at%20Zekenim%20on%20Genesis/r/27:3:1)

**וצודה לי צידה.**ציד זה כתובה בה"א יתירה בסוף לפי שהזהירו על חמשה דברים המפסידים את השחיטה:

**Daat Zekenim translated by Rb. Eliyahu Munk:**
וצודה לי צידה, “and hunt some venison for me.” The word for venison, i.e. ציד, has been spelled here with the letter ה at the end, to remind us that there are five potential causes that invalidate a ritually acceptable slaughtering of animals from making them fit for consumption by Jews.


###### Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:13:1
[Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:13:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Da%27at%20Zekenim%20on%20Genesis/r/27:13:1)

**עלי קללתך בני.**פי' לא יקלל אותך כי אם אותי שכן דרך העולם כשהילדים עושין שלא כדת שמקללין אביהן ואמן ואומרים ארור שזה גדל:

**Daat Zekenim translated by Rb. Eliyahu Munk:**
עלי קללתך בני, “may any curse your father curses you with strike me instead.” What Rivkah meant by these words was that: “your father would not curse you, but me.” It is something generally accepted that when children do not behave in the manner they should, it is their parents that are blamed for not bringing them up properly.


###### Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:15:1
[Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:15:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Da%27at%20Zekenim%20on%20Genesis/r/27:15:1)

**החמודות.**שחמדן מנמרוד וחמודין היו שהיו מצויירין עליהם כל החיות ועופות שבעולם ונראין כאלו הן חיין וכשהיה בשדה היו החיות והעופות באין אצלו וניצודין מאליהן. ולמדרש זה קשה למה הלבישן ליעקב ונראה שרצתה להתנדדו לגמרי לדמיון עשו:

**Daat Zekenim translated by Rb. Eliyahu Munk:**
החמודות, “the choice ones;” these garments had pictures of all the animals and birds in the world painted outside in a manner that the viewer considered these creatures as being alive. Whenever the wearer walked in the field, the animals in that region were attracted by these pictures so that they were easy prey for the hunter. Esau had taken them from Nimrod, when he slew him (B’reshit Rabbah 65,16). According to this Midrash it is difficult to understand why Yaakov would dress up in those clothes. We must assume that Rivkah was anxious for Yaakov to appear as much as possible like his brother Esau.


###### Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:20:1
[Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:20:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Da%27at%20Zekenim%20on%20Genesis/r/27:20:1)

**כי הקרה ה' אלהיך לפני.**כשם שהעבד שהלך לבקש לך אשה אמר הקרה נא לפני היום וגם האיל שנזדמן בעקידתך לפי שעה כך הקרה לפני בשבילך:

**Daat Zekenim translated by Rb. Eliyahu Munk:**
כי הקרה ה' אלוקיך לפני, “because the Lord your G–d has so arranged it for my benefit on this day.” Esau used the same phraseology that Eliezer had used when on his way to find a wife for Yitzchok (Genesis 24,12) The ram which was entangled by its horns in Genesis 22,3 was also something that G–d had made happen just for that occasion, so that Avraham would not feel that he had come all the way without G–d accepting an offering from him. The root קרה occurs only in connection with things which occurred without visible preparation for use at a certain moment. (B’reshit Rabbah, 65,19) According to the Midrash there, the moment the person before him used the tetragram when referring to G–d, Yitzchok knew that that person could not be Esau.


###### Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:22:1
[Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:22:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Da%27at%20Zekenim%20on%20Genesis/r/27:22:1)

**הקול קול יעקב והידים ידי עשו.**אמר במדרש הידים לעשו שאין בו כח אלא בידים להזיק מקרוב אבל הקול ליעקב בתפלה מכלה כל המרעין ואפי' מרחוק:

**Daat Zekenim translated by Rb. Eliyahu Munk:**
הקול קול יעקב והידים ידי עשו, “the sound of the voice is that of Yaakov, whereas the feel of his hands is like that of the hands of Esau.” According to Midrash Rabbah, 69,20 the deeper meaning of these words is that Yitzchok knew that Esau could cause harm only with his hands, when near the victim, whereas Yaakov, whose weapon was prayer, could use that weapon over vast distances.


###### Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:25:1
[Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:25:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Da%27at%20Zekenim%20on%20Genesis/r/27:25:1)

**ויבא לו יין.**מהיכן היה לו יין שלא מצינו שמסרה לו אמו יין. אלא שמיכאל הביא לו יין מגן עדן ואי אתה מוצא של טובה וברכה אלא זה ושל אברהם שנאמר ומלכי צדק מלך שלם הוציא לחם ויין גם זה כיון ששתה ברכו:

**Daat Zekenim translated by Rb. Eliyahu Munk:**
ויבא לו יין וישת, “he brought him (his father) wine and he drank.” Where did Yaakov suddenly get the wine from? We have not heard a word about his mother having given him wine to take along. Our sages assume that the angel Michael brought that wine from the celestial regions. This occasion, and the one when Malki Tzedek brought wine to Avraham when the latter had miraculously defeated the greatest army of its time, (Genesis 14,18) are the only two instances in the Torah when wine is described as a source of blessing. In both instances the people drinking the wine pronounced a blessing.


###### Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:28:1
[Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:28:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Da%27at%20Zekenim%20on%20Genesis/r/27:28:1)

**ויתן לך האלהים.**זו מדת הדין כלו' אם אתה ראוי לכך ואולם גבי עשו כתיב הנה משמני הארץ יהיה מושבך בין ראוי בין אינו ראוי וכן מצינו בתפלת שלמה ע"ה גבי ישראל אמר ועשית לאיש כדרכיו לפי שלא יקרא תגר וגבי נכרי ועשית ככל אשר יקרא אליך הנכרי וגו' שאם לא כן יקרא תגר ויטיח דברים כלפי מעלה. וכן אתה מוצא עשרה ברכות כנגד עשרה מאמרות שבהן נברא העולם וכנגד עשרת הדברות ובשבעה מקומות נתברך כאן ולקמן ואל שדי יברך אותך. והנה ה' נצב עליו ויאמר לא אשלחך כי אם ברכתני. וירא אלהים אל יעקב ויאמר אנכי אלהי אברהם אביך וכן אברהם נתברך בשבע ברכות ואעשך לגוי גדול וגו' וכנגדן ז' מועדות בשנה שבת פסח שבועות ר"ה יום הכפורים סוכות שמיני עצרת וז' כוכבים רועים ומשמשים את השמש ואת הירח ושבעה אינם רועים ושמם כסיל וז' כוכבים של כימה בעת שהיא שוקעת הגיע זמן הארץ לזרוע וכשהיא עולה הגיע עת הקציר:

**Daat Zekenim translated by Rb. Eliyahu Munk:**
ויתן לך אלוקים, “and may G–d give you, etc.;” Yitzchok, -remarkably- addresses the attribute of Justice of G–d when we might have expected him to address the attribute of mercy. By doing so he implied that this blessing was conditional on the person on whom it had been bestowed being worthy of it. Nonetheless, when it comes to Esau, we see that Yitzchok does not include such a condition in his blessing, as in verse 39 in our chapter he reassures him by saying: “your dwelling will be in the fat parts of the earth and you will enjoy the dew from above. You will live by the sword, although you will serve your brother.” He adds that on the contrary, the blessing given to his brother Yaakov is conditional on his not making your life intolerable.” [my choice of words. Ed.] It is noteworthy that in his lengthy prayer after consecrating the Temple he has built, King Solomon attaches the condition of worthiness when speaking of how G–d shall respond to the prayers of the Israelites, whereas when speaking of gentiles coming to Jerusalem to pray there, he does not attach such a condition but asks G–d to grant the wishes of such gentiles, regardless. (Kings I 8,32-43) Solomon is concerned that the gentiles should not get the impressions that our G–d is someone with Whom one needs to bargain. Yitzchok was concerned about the same when realising that Esau, if he insisted on his blessing surely credited G–d in heaven with being the One Who would provide its becoming reality. If he did not think so, why would he demand it? [When G–d fulfills the requests of a gentile, without regard to his worthiness, if the gentile as a result does not become G–d fearing and grateful, he will find that the very fulfillment of his request will eventually boomerang and he will more than lose its benefit. Ed.] You will also find that there are ten different categories of blessings, corresponding to the ten utterances used by G–d when He created His universe, and corresponding to the Ten Commandments. These blessings were pronounced on seven different occasions. 1) here; 2).Genesis 28,3: ואל שדי יברך אותך and the attribute of G–d known as shadday will bless you. 3) Genesis 28,13 (to Yaakov); 4) Genesis 32,27: “I will not let you depart (Yaakov to the angel he had wrestled) until you bless me;” 5) Genesis 35,9: “G–d appeared to Yaakov;” 6) Genesis 46,3; and Genesis 12,2, where G–d blessed Avraham for the first time. Avraham was blessed by G–d on seven different occasions. The Jewish people were given seven different (days) that are holy, most of them festivals: Sabbath, Passover, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Sh’mini Atzeret. There are seven stars that serve the sun and the moon in their orbits. [The author adds some astronomical observation that have to do with the time to plant and harvest being related to sunset and sunrise which I have not understood. Ed.]


###### Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:30:1
[Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:30:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Da%27at%20Zekenim%20on%20Genesis/r/27:30:1)

**ויהי אך יצא יצא.**זה נכנס וזה יוצא ויעקב שהיה בחדר ראה עשו נכנס שהיה במקום אורה וטמן עצמו אחורי הדלת עד שראה עשו נכנס ועשו לא ראהו לפי שהיה בחשך:

**Daat Zekenim translated by Rb. Eliyahu Munk:**
ויהי אך יצא יצא יעקב, “and it happened when Yaakov only just left, etc.”, Yaakov had actually seen Esau come in by the opposite door as it was lit up when opening it, whereas Esau, standing in the light, could not see Yaakov who stood in relative darkness across from him at the other door. (B’reshit Rabbah 66,5)


###### Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:33:1
[Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:33:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Da%27at%20Zekenim%20on%20Genesis/r/27:33:1)

**ויחרד יצחק חרדה וגו'.**שתי חרדות חרד יצחק אחת כשנעקד ואחת כאן ולמדך הכתוב שזו היתה גדולה ועכשיו ממה חרד לפי שאמר בלבו מה עון ומה מכשול היה בידי שברכתי הקטן לפני הגדול והתחיל עשו גונח ואמר וכו' כדפי' רש"י ז"ל:

**Daat Zekenim translated by Rb. Eliyahu Munk:**
ויחרד יצחק חרדה גדולה עד מאד “Yitzchok was overcome by an exceedingly strong trembling;” Yitzchok actually experienced two separate fits of trembling; the first time had been when he lay bound on the altar of Moriah, expecting to have his throat slit. The second time occurred here. (B’reshit Rabbah 67,2). He asked himself what sin he had been guilty of, so that he had blessed the younger son before he had blessed the older son. He had caused Esau to groan, complaining (if I had no blessing left for him). Our author quotes a line in our version of Rashi, that did not appear in some later editions, such as the ones relied on by Luzzato.


###### Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:33:2
[Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:33:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Da%27at%20Zekenim%20on%20Genesis/r/27:33:2)

**מי איפה.**שאל יצחק מי יהיה אפה בגיהנם ורוח הקודש משיבו הוא הצד ציד כלומר עשו והיינו דקאמר ליה יצחק לעשו ולכה איפה מה אעשה בני כלומר אתה עתיד להיות אפיה בגיהנם אם כן מה אעשה לך:

**Daat Zekenim translated by Rb. Eliyahu Munk:**
מי איפוא, “who and where?” Yitzchok questioned himself who was now destined to wind up in Gehinom, either he himself, or Yaakov for using deceit, or Esau for having used deceit for all these years? The words following are the ones provided from the Holy Spirit, stating clearly that he who had “hunted venison”, (metaphor for deceit, as animals must be lured to their death by deceit). Hearing this, Yitzchok continued


###### Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:37:1
[Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:37:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Da%27at%20Zekenim%20on%20Genesis/r/27:37:1)

**ולכה איפה.**ולכה כתיב בה"א מלא אמר לו יצחק לעשו לאחר שיעברו חמשת אלפים אז ימלוך מה אעשה לך שאז יתן הקב"ה נקמתו באדום:

**Daat Zekenim translated by Rb. Eliyahu Munk:**
ולכה איפוא, what then can I do for you? the word ולכה here is spelled with the letter ה at the end, (numerical value of 5) something most unusual; Yitzchok hinted to Esau that after 5000 years of human history will have passed his descendants will achieve superiority on earth, but that seeing that he, Esau, will wind up in Gehinom, he, his father, cannot do anything in the meantime to interfere with G–d’s decree.


###### Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:40:1
[Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:40:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Da%27at%20Zekenim%20on%20Genesis/r/27:40:1)

**והיה כאשר תריד.**ל' וירד מיעקב והיה כאשר תמשילהו עליך שתעבדהו ברצון נפשך

**Daat Zekenim translated by Rb. Eliyahu Munk:**
והיה כאשר תריד, “it will come to pass when you will break loose; (the most common translation, rejected by our author);” (the root רדה, meaning “to subdue) occurs again in Numbers 24,19, in Bileam’s blessings, when that prophet predicts that eventually a time will come when the descendants of Israel will subdue the descendants of Esau, and that at that time Esau’s descendants will accept Yaakov’s yoke willingly.


###### Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:40:2
[Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:40:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Da%27at%20Zekenim%20on%20Genesis/r/27:40:2)

**ופרקת עולו.**פי' כי בזה תעשה שתפרוק עולו מעל צוארך שלא ישתעבד בך כל כך:

**Daat Zekenim translated by Rb. Eliyahu Munk:**
By doing so, Esau will, in effect, shake off the yoke of Yaakov as he will not feel it as subjugation.


###### Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:41:1
[Da'at Zekenim on Genesis 27:41:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Da%27at%20Zekenim%20on%20Genesis/r/27:41:1)

**יקרבו ימי אבל אבי.**פי' אגרום שיקרבו ימי אבל אבי אם אהרגה את יעקב אחי ולפיכך אניח מלהרגו עד שימות האב:

**Daat Zekenim translated by Rb. Eliyahu Munk:**
יקרבו ימי אבל אבי, “the time of mourning for the passing of my father will come about soon, etc.” Esau means that if he were to bring about his father’s premature death by murdering Yaakov, he would have accomplished nothing, as his father would then die prematurely through grieving over the loss of his son Yaakov. This is why he will await his father’s death from natural causes before carrying out his plan to kill his brother.