• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Torah Portion

Choosing A Bowl Of Stew
Over The Jewish Birt&Wight

FArniLY 137116o AllD
57LEI1T AUerell

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

eggs at a shivah home to
the cycle of life, Yaakov cooks a
lentil stew for the very same reason
— to honor the memory of his
grandfather.
Esau has no such pangs of sadness
or mourning. He runs out to the
•
fields to hunt, oblivious to the fami-
•
icture the following scene
ly trauma surrounding him. When
•
in your mind: Your older
he returns, he can only think of
•
son returns home from a
himself and asks Yaakov to take the
•
•
strenuous hockey practice
-
very stew he prepared for the
•
to find his younger brother baking a
mourners to pour down his hungry
•
•
delicious pizza that he cannot possi-
throat.
•
bly finish. "I'm starving." Would
Yaakov, bewildered by
•
you mind sharing some of
•
Esau's indifference to the
•
your pizza with me?"
arid
feelings of his family
•
"Sure I will," says your
•
to the legacy he will one
•
precious young son, "On
day uphold as first-bom,
•
one condition. Just promise
understands that he must
•
•
me your college fund, and
take action. If Esau will
•
the pizza is yours."
not take his family or his
•
•
Your older son, feeling
responsibilities seriously,
•
faint from hunger, is unable
he does not deserve to
•
to see any productive
•
carry on the legacy of
•
use for the college fund
great
Abraham.
the
RABBI REUVEN
•
and the wafting aroma
So Yaakov devises a
•
SPOLTER
•
of fresh pizza is all the
does
How
much
test:
Special to the
•
convincing he needs.
Esau really care about
•
Jewish News
•
"Deal!"
his birthright? What
•
It's a silly scenario:
value does Esau give to
•
Who would trade a pizza for a col-
•
the spiritual legacy he will one day
lege fund? Moreover, what brother
inherit?
would be as callous and cruel as to
Esau's answer is painfully clear: To
take such an advantage over his
him, it's worth about as much as a
brother at a time of weakness and
bowl of soup. He'd rather spend his
vulnerability? Yet, it seems that
time hunting in the woods than sav-
Yaakov Avinu, our forefather Jacob,
ing the world, so who needs a
does exactly that.
birthright?
Yaakov was cooking a stew when
Indeed, who needs a birthright?
Esau came in from the field exhaust-
Thankfully, Yaakov realizes that
ed. Esau said, "Pour some of this red
while Esau measures the value of life
stuff down my throat now, for I'm
in the material terms of physical
exhausted!" Yaakov responded, "Sell
prowess and wealth, the true value of
your birthright." Esau replied, "I'm
life lies in the connections we can
dying — so what use is a
make with the Creator and the holi-
birthright?"
ness we can bring to ourselves and
So he sold his birthright to Yaakov.
the world.
This is our forefather Jacob? This is
Which brings each of us to won-
the great scion and forbear of the
der: Which model do I follow? How
Jewish people — someone who
do I measure the value of life? ❑
swindles his brother to win the
birthright and the legacy of his
father?
Rabbeinu Nissim, the great
medieval scholar and commentator,
cites the Midrash to give us some
Ya'akov steals the blessing from
important background information
his brother by pretending to he
that sheds light on the whole situa-
Esau; how can he perpetrate
tion.
such an act? Why can't Yitzchak
According to the Midrash, the
take back the blessing and give it
round lentils in the stew commemo-
to Esau? Yitzchak later says of
rate the life of Abraham, who died
Yaakov "and blessed shall be he;"
that very day. Just as we serve round
what changes his mind about his
son?
Rabbi Reuven Spolter is spiritual leader of

Shabbat Toledot: Genesis
25: 19-28:9; Malachi
1: 1-2:7

•

•
•

•

•
•
•

•
•

•
•

•

(eooL TTErng AnD niszegi)

•
•
•
•

•

(BTRGoD

(REFIZEgl-imERTgD

(JEWELRY)

(OFT

eeRTirreil--resi)

cmysi)

gUI1D4Y, IloVEmRER, 18, 2001

p

eollGREGATtoll 13)nAT moSkE
6800 DRAKE ROAD • WEST 13LoomFIELD

2:00

-

git_EnT AueTton KieKg oFF

230- 4:00 1311160

SPEeTAL GUEST BitlGo eALLER, "13.76 AL"
FRom Worne 104.3 Ditel< PURTAll gl-loW

•

• • •

•

•

•
•

•
•

•
•
•

•
•

•
•

•
•

•

•
•
•

•
•

•
EVERY ei-iltD A GUARArlTEED wirinER4 •
•
•
•
EAek emu) is GOOD ALL AFTER,Ilooll
•
minimum DollATioll 5 PER B71160 eARD. • •
A Small Miracle
•
WHAT TS A gmALL mTRAeLE?
•
LAST YEAR A gmALL mTRAeLE DTg- IRTauTED OVER 25,5 et4AnuK4g4 GIFTS To REEDY elitLDR.Ell Tn TI4E 7EwIgt4
•
FoR
600
eliilDREI1
WILL
R.EeEIVE
A
GIFT
ARTTeTPATED
TUAT
OVER
TT
TS
eommuRT17. nag eluakk
•
•
el4A0uKati FR.om A SMALL mTRAeLE. PLEASE HELP US mEET OUR GOALS wIT14 YOUR PARTIMATToR.
•
•
•
•
•
?TWEED BEREFTTITIG eeDGREGATTell RAT mogl4E ADD A SMALL mTR.AeLF_.
• • • • • • • El • • • • • • • • • • ••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

* Professional instructions
* Classes for all skill levels -
beginner to expert
* Special program for the younger
skiers (ages 6-10)
* Small classes
* Adult classes too!
* Charter buses Saturday & Sunday

Conversations

jk

Young Israel of Oak Park. He can be
reached at rabbispolter@yiop.org

Uz, ''''',5,-eWrANWTRAMsn "n"

r*F
te

11/16
2001

89

