Parshat Toldos 5784
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha that Yitzchak gives his blessing to Yaakov instead of Eisav. The blessing begins (Chapter 27, Pasuk 28), ויתן לך האלוקים מטל השמים ומשמני הארץ ורוב דגן ותירוש. Hashem will give you the dew of the heavens, the fat of the land and much grain and wine. Later when Eisav realizes that Yaakov has received the bracha meant for him, he cries to his father, that surely he can still bless him as well. Yitzchak eventually responds (Chapter 27, Pasuk 39), משמני הארץ יהיה מושביך ומטל השמים מעל. The blessing Eisav receives, you shall dwell among the fat of the land and receive the dew from the heavens above, seem quite similar to that of Yaakov. Is there in fact a difference between the blessings each one receives?
The Medrash Rabbah (66,3) on our parsha teaches that each one of the items Yaakov was blessed with relates to the mitzvah of Karbanos, of bringing sacrifices. מטל השמים זו ציון; it references Yerushalayim and the Beis Hamikdash. ומשמני הארץ אלו הקרבנות, ורוב דגן אלו הבכורים, ותירוש אלו הנסכים; the rest of the pasuk references the sacrifices, the mitzvah of Bikkurim, and pouring wine libations on the Mizbeach. If this bracha relates to that which was promised to Yaakov, why doesn’t it relate to Eisav who was promised the same items?
The Sfas Emes answers that it is a big mistake to assume that the two blessings are the same, though the physical objects promised overlap. The essential bracha of Yaakov is not מטל שמים וכו'; rather the fundamental bracha of Yaakov Avinu is ויתן לך אלוקים. And that, certainly, was not given to Eisav.
The Medrash Rabbah quoted above also contains a statement in the name of Rav Acha, ויתן לך, ויתן לך אלקותא; Hashem will give you His Gdliness. But doesn’t the pasuk say he will give you the dew and the fat of the land? The Sfas Emes explains that certainly the physical blessing was promised to Yaakov. But the real blessing is to see the Divineness contained within the physical. This was the real blessing given to Yaakov Ainu; to appreciate and experience the holiness and the spiritual contained within the physical. Eisav was told משמני הארץ יהיה מושבך; you will sit on the fat of the land and no effort is required to experience anything beyond the physical.
The pasuk says in parshat Eikev states (Chapter 8, Pasuk 3), כי לא על הלחם לבדו יחיה האדם, כי על כל מוצא פי ד' יחיה האדם. The simple meaning of this pasuk is that man does not live by bread alone, rather he needs the mitzvos of the Torah as well. That is the basic meaning of פי ד' in the pasuk. However, Rav Tzadok teaches this pasuk to mean that man needs the פי ד' contained within the Lechem. Man must see and realize that within the most physical and mundane, like bread, there is much holiness and Kedushah contained within. And only then is he capable of properly living in the physical world; when he appreciates that כי על כל מוצא פי ד' יחיה האדם.
This is why the Medrash relates the blessing of Yaakov to the Karbanos. When one brings a Karban, he is acknowledging that everything comes from Hashem. He takes the animal, or the wheat and the wine, and returns it to its source, to Hashem. He is stating quite clearly that he sees the Divine in the mundane.
One of the places Yaakov is blessed and commanded with finding the אלוקות is משמני הארץ. Even in the most physical of matters, like the earth, one must and can experience its Kedushah. The Sfas Emes points out that with great effort and labor, one can appreciate the Kedushah of the land. When we want to produce physical bounty from the land, it requires great effort. First one must plow the land and then he sows the land. He might need to irrigate the land, and eventually waits, hoping the land will produce the desired product. And then he begins the process of harvesting and the entire procedure necessary until he has food on his table.
The spiritual process parallels the physical one. Each person is commanded to search and see Hashem’s role in the physical world. Eisav was just told to stay put; we need to work hard and search out the פי ד', the אלוקות contained even in the most physical of matter like the earth. There is great potential for holiness contained in the mundane and our job is to find it. This is the blessing of ויתן לך אלוקים; Hashem is giving us the opportunity to find His holiness in the world.
Good Shabbos
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