Was Jacob Justified in His Actions Concerning Esau?
Note (12 November, 2018, 4 Kislev, 5778): We have written other articles on the subject below. This one is similar but it contains additional information. It also has a corrected reference regarding the source of the Insight regarding Jacob giving Esau the food BEFORE buying the blessing.
Adapted from:
Was Jacob wrong to trick Esau into compromising his birthright?
https://www.quora.com/Was-Jacob-wrong-to-trick-Esau-into-compromising-his-birthright/answer/Yair-Davidiy
by Yair Davidiy, Researcher at Brit-Am/Hebrew Nations
We believe the Lost Ten Tribes are now among Western Peoples. Our proofs are derived from many fields but evidence from the Bible is the most important point source we have. This Biblical Evidence deals with Biblical Promises and prophecies. Expercially imporntat are the Blessings made to the forefathers. It may be shown how these Promises were fulfilled through the Ten Tribes. Understanding these prophecies is important to us. Jacob was also known as Israel. His brother was known as Esau and also as Edom. Jacob/Israel gave rise to the 12 Tribes of Israel. Jacob received the Blessings by first buying the Right of the Firstborn from his brother who was famished with hunger. After that he received the deathbed blessing from his father by disguising himself as Esau. We may ask questions about all this? Why did it have to be that way? Why could Israel have not been given the Blessings in a straightforward manner? What about the Ethics? Was it morally correct to act that way? The Bible says it so we believe it and accept it. Nevertheless we are allowed to ask questions about it. We often find that by making an investigation of matters that at a superficial level appear questionable we may actually strenthen our own faither and gain a deeper understandign of Scripture in general.
Abraham begat Isaac.
Isaac married Rebecca (in Hebrew "Rivka") and begat twins Esau and Jacob.
Esau emerged first so technically he was the "first-born."
Esau was red and hairy whereas Jacob was smooth skinned.
Before the twins were born Rebecca had been told in prophecy that:
Genesis 25:
23 Two nations are in your womb;
And two peoples will be separated from your body;
And one people shall be stronger than the other;
And the older shall serve the younger.
Esau was a hunter. One day he returned from the hunt famished with hunger. He requested to eat red lentils that Jacob had prepared. Jacob sold them to him. Jacob asked for the birthright and received it.
Was Jacob wrong to trick Esau into compromising his birthright?
Jacob did not trick Esau into selling the Birthright. Esau should have known what he was doing. Before explaining how Jacob really acquired the Birthright from Esau we should first examine what difference did it make?
The Birthright, in Hebrew “Ha-Becorah,” apparently meant in this case religious rights and duties as head of the Family. Jacob and Esau were twins but Esau had emerged from the womb just before Jacob. That made him the firstborn. When Esau emerged into the world Jacob came out clutching the heel of Esau. In Hebrew the word for heel is “akev” on which word-root the name “Yaakov” (i.e. Jacob) was constructed. Even though Esau sold the Birthright he remained physically the first born. The firstborn had a right to a double portion. In his mind he was still the firstborn.
The parents of Jacob and Esau were Isaac and Rebecca. When Isaac was old he wished to bless Esau his firstborn. He did not know that Esau had sold the Birthright to Jacob. At the time of the blessing Isaac was blind. Rebecca, the mother of Esau and Jacob, had been told by an agent of the Almighty that the pre-eminence should go to Jacob. Following the directions of Rebecca and with her assistance Jacob disguised himself as Esau and received the Blessing of the Firstborn. Just after Jacob went out Esau came in.
Genesis (TCT Tanakh) 27:
32 AND HIS FATHER ISAAC SAID TO HIM, "WHO ARE YOU?" AND HE SAID, "I AM YOUR SON, YOUR FIRSTBORN, ESAU."
33 AND ISAAC SHUDDERED A GREAT SHUDDER, AND HE SAID, "WHO THEN IS THE ONE WHO HUNTED GAME AND BROUGHT IT TO ME, AND I ATE OF EVERYTHING WHILE YOU HAD NOT YET COME, AND I BLESSED HIM? HE, TOO, SHALL BE BLESSED."
[The Expression, HE, TOO, SHALL BE BLESSED," in the Hebrew gam baruch yiyeh more correctly is to be translate as saying AND SO TOO (i.e. consequently) HE SHALL BE BLESSED, or as other Translations render it, "YES, AND HE SHALL BE BLESSED!"
34 WHEN ESAU HEARD HIS FATHER'S WORDS, HE CRIED OUT A GREAT AND BITTER CRY, AND HE SAID TO HIS FATHER, "BLESS ME TOO, O MY FATHER!"
35 AND HE SAID, "YOUR BROTHER CAME WITH CUNNING AND TOOK YOUR BLESSING."
36 AND HE SAID, "IS IT FOR THIS REASON THAT HE WAS NAMED JACOB? (Jacob has a double meaning. It can also connote overtake) FOR HE HAS DECEIVED ME TWICE; HE TOOK MY BIRTHRIGHT, AND BEHOLD, NOW HE HAS TAKEN MY BLESSING." AND HE SAID, "HAVE YOU NOT RESERVED A BLESSING FOR ME?"
37 AND ISAAC ANSWERED AND SAID TO ESAU, "BEHOLD, I MADE HIM A MASTER OVER YOU, AND I GAVE HIM ALL HIS BROTHERS AS SERVANTS, AND I HAVE SUSTAINED HIM WITH CORN AND WINE; SO FOR YOU THEN, WHAT SHALL I DO, MY SON?"
The Reply of Isaac has 2 parts:
(1) No matter who was the person receiving the blessing it had been given. Isaac confirmed it. Genesis 27:33. It was valid. Blessings given in the Bible are from Heaven with the giving agency serving as a conduit, see below.
(2) After Isaac hears that Jacob had previously already acquired the Birthright (Genesis 27:36) he again confirms the Blessing (Genesis 27:37). The Blessing had to go to whoever held the Birthright. In pretending to be Esau in order to receive the Blessing Jacob had been working to get what was rightfully his anyway.
And how did Jacob get the Birthright?
The Bible at first glance gives us the impression (especially in English translation) that Jacob forced Esau to sell him the Birthright.
Jacob did not trick Esau. A close examination of the verses in question in the ORIGINAL HEBREW gives a different impression.
This is how the passage appears in translation:
Genesis (TCT Tanakh) 27:
27 AND THE YOUTHS GREW UP, AND ESAU WAS A MAN WHO UNDERSTOOD HUNTING, A MAN OF THE FIELD, WHEREAS JACOB WAS AN INNOCENT MAN, DWELLING IN TENTS. 28 AND ISAAC LOVED ESAU BECAUSE [his] GAME WAS IN HIS MOUTH, BUT REBECCA LOVED JACOB. 29 NOW JACOB COOKED A POTTAGE, AND ESAU CAME FROM THE FIELD, AND HE WAS FAINT. 30 AND ESAU SAID TO JACOB, "POUR INTO [me] SOME OF THIS RED, RED [Hebrew adom] [pottage], FOR I AM FAINT"; HE WAS THEREFORE NAMED EDOM. 31 AND JACOB SAID, "SELL ME AS OF THIS DAY YOUR BIRTHRIGHT." 32 ESAU REPLIED, "BEHOLD, I AM GOING TO DIE; SO WHY DO I NEED THIS BIRTHRIGHT?" 33 AND JACOB SAID, "SWEAR TO ME AS OF THIS DAY"; SO HE SWORE TO HIM, AND HE SOLD HIS BIRTHRIGHT TO JACOB. 34 AND JACOB GAVE ESAU BREAD AND A POTTAGE OF LENTILS, AND HE ATE AND DRANK AND AROSE AND LEFT, AND ESAU DESPISED THE BIRTHRIGHT.
First notice that the expression translated as SELL ME, is sometimes translated as 'FIRST SELL ME' Genesis 25: 31. Nevertheless, in Hebrew it says "HaYom" i.e. "THIS DAY" but not "FIRST"! It was not a condition.
The Zohar expands on the point (25:34) that "ESAU DESPISED HIS BIRTHRIGHT." This is in the past perfect continuous tense, he was despising it at the time. Esau was in fact prepared to give it away. Having been born first entailed two benefits, a spiritual aspect and a physical one. Esau rejected the spiritual facet.
This was in line with what we know of his character from the beginning.
These matters are discussed by Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg (1785-1865) author of "Haketav VehaKabbalah" ("The Script and the Tradition"), 1839, on Genesis 25:34 (Hebrew text "VeYaacov Natan"). Rabbi Mecklenburg notices the Zohar emphasizing the expression "AND JACOB GAVE" more correctly meaning 'JACOB HAD GIVEN' (Genesis 25: 34). This is sometimes wrongly translated above as "THEN JACOB GAVE." This is wrong. The Hebrew text says HE HAD ALREADY GIVEN IT! In the Original Hebrew ALL the verbs (but this one) in Genesis 25:29-34 are in the past perfect continuous tense. The past perfect continuous tense is made from “had been” and the “-ing” form of a verb, e.g. I had been working … year. They had been painting …. We should therefore translate the verses in the following way (it is sufficient to translate the verses 32-33 to make the point):
Genesis (TCT Tanakh) 27: 32 ESAU REPLIED, "BEHOLD, I AM GOING TO DIE; SO WHY DO I NEED THIS BIRTHRIGHT?" 33 AND JACOB SAID, "SWEAR TO ME AS OF THIS DAY"; SO HE sware TO HIM, AND HE sold HIS BIRTHRIGHT TO JACOB. 34 AND JACOB had given ESAU BREAD AND A POTTAGE OF LENTILS, AND he ate and drank and rose up AND LEFT, AND ESAU despised (i.e. “was despising”) THE BIRTHRIGHT.
Why is the verb "had given" in 25:33 in the past (perfect) tense?
It connotes that Jacob had PREVIOUSLY given the food before the sale! In other words, Jacob had ALREADY given food to Esau before the sale was made! Gil Yehudah pointed out that in a similar instance the Commentator Rashi on Genesis 4:1 made a similar deduction i.e. Genesis 4:1 NOW THE MAN KNEW HIS WIFE EVE, Rashi: He had known her from beforehand.
As stated ALL the verbs, except this one, “Jacob had given” are (in the Hebrew Text) in the past perfect continuous tense. Only the verb "gave" in the expression "AND JACOB GAVE" (Genesis 25: 34) is perfect i.e. simple past tense. Concerning Esau however it is in the past perfect continuous tense. He had despised the birthright all the way along.
In summation as the Zohar (quoted by Rabbi Mecklenburg) explains:
Esau despised the birthright from before then. He would have been prepared to give it away just to avoid any responsibility it might impose on him.
Jacob however wanted to buy it so that the acquisition would be clear and certain. Esau came in from the field tired and famished. Jacob gave him food. After that Jacob asked Esau to sell him the birthright in exchange for the food he had just eaten. Esau agreed, rose from his place and went on his way.
This explanation may or may not be acceptable to others. It is however consistent with the grammar of the Original Hebrew.
Later, Jacob was to disguise himself as Esau in order to receive the Blessing of the First-Born from his father Isaac (Genesis ch. 28).
We saw above that 'ESAU DESPISED THE BIRTHRIGHT' from before then and onwards. He had not been forced to sell it. After that as henceforth holder of the birthright Jacob had the right to the Blessing of the First-Born.
Jacob valued the birthright.
At their birth it had been prophesied to Rebecca (the mother of Esau and Jacob) that Jacob would have pre-eminence over Esau (Genesis 25:23).
Jacob in first buying the birthright and later deceiving Isaac was doing what he had to do. In pretending to be Esau he was following the instructions of Rebecca (Genesis 27:6-17). Rebecca and Jacob were doing what they could to fulfill the Prophecy.
We should learn from this.
There is a principle (in the Talmud and further explained by Maimonides) that Prophecies for the good are meant to be fulfilled.
Prophecies for the bad however may be averted by changing our behavior to a more positive direction.
We should Endeavor to do what we can.
Jacob received the Blessing from Isaac by deceiving him BUT Isaac confirmed the blessing to him after that:
Genesis 25:
33 "YES, AND HE SHALL BE BLESSED."
and again:
Genesis (TCT Tanakh) 28:
3 AND MAY THE ALMIGHTY GOD BLESS YOU AND MAKE YOU FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY YOU, AND YOU SHALL BECOME AN ASSEMBLY OF PEOPLES.
4 AND MAY HE GIVE YOU THE BLESSING OF ABRAHAM, TO YOU AND TO YOUR SEED WITH YOU, THAT YOU MAY INHERIT THE LAND OF YOUR SOJOURNINGS, WHICH GOD GAVE TO ABRAHAM."
The function of blessing another in the Bible is to act as a conduit, e.g.
Numbers (TCT Tanakh) 6:
22 THE LORD SPOKE TO MOSES SAYING: 23 SPEAK TO AARON AND HIS SONS, SAYING: THIS IS HOW YOU SHALL BLESS THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, SAYING TO THEM: 24 "MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU AND WATCH OVER YOU. 25 MAY THE LORD CAUSE HIS COUNTENANCE TO SHINE TO YOU AND FAVOR YOU. 26 MAY THE LORD RAISE HIS COUNTENANCE TOWARD YOU AND GRANT YOU PEACE." 27 THEY SHALL BESTOW MY NAME UPON THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, SO THAT I WILL BLESS THEM.
The blessings given by Isaac did not emanate from him but from the Almighty. That is why Jacob was able to confirm the blessings to Jacob immediately afterwards (Genesis 27:33) YES, AND HE SHALL BE BLESSED") and later to consciously repeat them in detail to Jacob (Genesis 28:3-4).