ותכהינה עיניו, due to old age, as we find in Samuel I 3,20 when the eyesight of the High Priest Eli failed due to old age.

הנה נא, I beg of you, due to my old age and the fact that I want to bestow on you the blessing which is within my power to bestow, the blessing of Avraham concerning inheriting this land.

שא נא כליך, the reason for the repetition of the word נא both in verse 2 and verse 3 is similar to that in Genesis 12,11 where I have already explained it. [not found there. Ed.]

תלייך¸ his bag containing his arrows.

The word is derived from the root תלה, “to hang,” We find it used in this sense in Genesis 40,22 in connection with Pharaoh hanging the chief of the bakers, as well as in Judges 5,12 where the word שביך בן אבינועם is derived from the root שבה, Similarly, the word עניך in Genesis 16,11 כי שמע ה' אל עניך, “for the Lord has paid heed to your suffering,” is derived from the root ענה.

'לפני ה. “in the name of the Lord.” However, when the same expression לפני ה' occurs in 10,9 describing the prowess of Nimrod as a hunter, the meaning is that his prowess was something of global dimensions, that no other hunter could match him in this respect. Similarly, the expression לאלוקים in Jonah 3,3 describing the vastness of the city of Nineveh, refers to the unique size of that city, none other matching it throughout the world.

לך נא אל הצאן, take time out from your usual pursuits [in the tents] and go to the pens where the sheep and goats are kept.

גדיי עזים, on account of their skins whose hair is hard like human hair. This is why he took goats instead of lambs.

ימושני אבי, the word is derived from the expression ממשמש בצהרים in Deuteronomy 28,29 describing people unable to find their way around at high noon, in spite of the sunshine, and having to feel their way about, using their hands in order not to stumble and fall. It is also similar in meaning to the word יסובבהו ערבי נחל in Job 40,22 where it describes the foliage of the reeds forming a protective cover..

עלי קללתך, upon me and my neck; she was relying on the prophecy she had received during her pregnancy that the older son would serve the younger one (25,23)

החמודות, the ones his father would use when he ate his meals.

ואכלה מצידי, the letter א has a chataf kametz abbreviated kametz, underneath it as the word is in an imperative mode. We have a parallel mode in Kohelet 9,7 אכול בשמחה לחמך, “eat your food joyfully,” the letter א having an abbreviated vowel segol for the same reason. On the other hand, the word ואוכלה in ואוכלה מציד בני in verse 25 of this chapter has the vowel cholem, as it is in a future mode. Just as the word זכור in זכור ה' לדוד, ”O Lord, remember in David’s favour” is in an imperative mode, and the words זכרה לחסדי דוד, “remember the loyalty of Your servant David” in Chronicles II 6,42 are in an imperative mode, so the word אכלה here is also in the imperative mode.

הקול קול יעקב, seeing that Esau and Yaakov were twins, their voices were similar to one another. This made it easy for Yitzchok to err as to who was in front of him if he were to rely only on his sense of hearing. Having first established that unlike Yaakov who was smooth skinned, the son in front of him was hairy, Yitzchok was now faced with a dilemma whether to trust his sense of hearing or his sense of touch.

אתה זה בני עשו, it would appear that you are my son Esau.

ריח בגדיו, the costly ones. The clothing worn by people in those days were scented with incense.

'אשר ברכו ה, a reference the word שדה, to the field which has been blessed by G’d. This is also how Rabbi Eliezer Hakalir understood it in his liturgical poem where he wrote שדה מבורך כהריח ברכו במתן טל. [the poem starts with the words אאגרה בני, this is part of the full length Tal prayer printed in the German Machzorim as well as in the older editions of Machzorim featuring the whole range of the Piyutim. Yaakov is described there as smelling as fragrantly as a field blessed with dew. Ed.]

ויתן לך, these words are a continuation of the words אשר ברכו ה' which precede them. They describe the type of blessing G’d will provide for Yaakov (Esau). מטל השמים, essentially what is known as the “blessing of the field.”

בני אמך, here the word וישתחו appears in the singular, whereas in a parallel blessing pronounced by Yaakov who had several wives (Genesis 49,8) the word וישתחוו appears in the plural.

ויהי אך יצא יצא, this detail has been recorded to illustrate the miracles which were performed in order to enable Yaakov to obtain this blessing. If Esau had returned just one minute sooner, Yaakov would not have secured this blessing.

ויחרד יצחק, he was upset at having found hair on the smooth part of Yaakov’s neck.

מי איפוא, this is a turn of phrase, as is the word איזו in the Talmud Baba Metzia70 אימא לי איזו, “tell me my dear friend.”

גם בראך יהיה. “Because he carried out my request so promptly.” Also, Yitzchok was aware that Yaakov had done what he did at the advice and request of Rivkah. Clearly, he reasoned, Rivkah had realised that Yaakov was entitled to this blessing.

?הכי קרא שמו יעקב, the line is a rhetorical question. Esau says: “although Yaakov had been named thus because at birth he had held on to my heel so that I became the firstborn and entitled to a double inheritance and he was without such distinction, is he now going to turn the tables on me and get the share of the firstborn, i.e. both blessings?” The word הכי as a question also occurs in connection with Lavan and Yaakov when the latter works for his uncle. When the question of wages came up, Lavan exclaimed הכי אחי אתה ועבדתני חינם, “would there be any justice in your working for me without wages merely because you are my brother (and one does not have to pay one’s family)?” (29,15) Lavan implied: “on the contrary, you should be paid more generously because you are my family.” We have learned in Baba Batra 139 that when someone dies leaving behind many children (sons) and the estate is substantial, the sons share the inheritance whereas the daughters receive a stipend from the estate pending their getting married. When the estate the father left behind is meager, the daughters get the stipend whereas the sons will have to fend for themselves even if it involves begging. Admon says וכי בשביל שאני זכר ויפה כח בנכסים מרובים הורע כוחי בנכסים מועטין? “Am I supposed to suffer because I am male, able-bodied and my parents were wealthy?” [his argument was accepted by Rabban Gamliel, as was every other argument quoted in the name of Admon in the Talmud. Ed.]

נתתי לו לעבדים, whatever a slave purchases automatically becomes the property of his master.

ועל חרבחך תחיה, a reference to Esau’s vocation as a hunter, promising him success with his hunting tools.

וכאשר תריד, the word is used in the same sense as in Psalms 55,3 אריד בשיחי, “my conversation is full of agitation,” (as a result of feeling oppressed) i.e. “if your brother will subjugate you too harshly so that you cannot endure it, “ ופרקת עלו, “you will shake off his yoke.”

גם שניכם, if he will kill you he in turn will be executed by the blood avengers.

IF YA'AKOV MARRIES. Rivka said this to Yitzhak cleverly, to separate Ya'akov from Eisav, but she did not reveal to him that it was because of his [Ya'akov's] brother's hatred that she did this.