27 Family Crisis
Genesis 27 Introduces us to the conflict between two powerful brothers, who represent two great kingdoms, Esau and Jacob, their parents, Isaac and Rebekah, and Esau’s Hittite spouses, Judith and Basemath, their crisis and the aftermath. Our study is about how good moral, righteous ethical God-fearing parents can get tripped up by the clutter in their parent-child relationships. It’s easy to get off course and end up with the wrong results as Isaac did. Ha Torah highlights areas of poor communication between Isaac and Rebekah. Abraham was good at laying a solid foundation and striking a perfect balance with Ishmael and Isaac. He knew the key was to ‘obey the Lord’s voice and keep His Charge, His Commandments, His Statutes, His Verbal and Written Torah, (Genesis 26.5). Abraham managed his businesses, Torah Academy, married relationship with Sarah and Hagar, and his father son relationship with Isaac and Ishmael. He was busy but not too busy!! What about Isaac?
(Genesis 25.22) says, ‘The children struggled together inside [Rebekah]; and she said, If it is so, why am I experiencing this?So she went to inquire of the Lord.’
Rebekah realizes there is a problem because Jacob would fight, kick and stir things up with Esau when Rebecca passed by the tent entrances to The Torah Academy of Shem and Evier. Then, when Rebekah passed by the entrance to a tent where idolatry was practiced, Esau would fight, kick and stir it up with Jacob. Thus, it was evident to Rebecca that an abnormal spiritual situation existed within her womb. For these reasons, translators write, ‘She went to inquire of The Lord.’ Rabbi Nosson Scherman, The Stone Edition The Chumash (Mesorah Publications, Ltd., Brooklyn, N.Y. 1993), p. 125 (Bereisheit Raba 63.6) says, ‘so she went to inquire of the Lord.’ (Genesis 25.22). Were there synagogues and houses of study in those days? Rebekah went to speak with Shem. Our Sages teach that visiting a Sage is like a visit with the Divine Presence.’ Rebekah’s concerns were legitimate. She received spiritual guidance.
(Genesis 25.23) says, ‘And the Lord Said to her [through the Prophet Shem], Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your bowels, and the one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, there were twins in her womb.’
It is good to seek the counsel of the Spiritually wise. Our children need our unconditional love constantly. That requires us to seek guidance from time to time. (Genesis 25.27 – 28) says, ‘And the boys grew; and Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents [of learning Ha Torah]. Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his venison, but Rebekah loved Jacob.’ Ha Torah gives the reason Isaac loved Esau. He loved his venison. Abraham was the exact opposite! Remember the story? (Genesis 22) shares a conversation God had with Abraham. ‘God Called to [Abraham].’
Abraham responded, ‘Here I am.’
God Said to him, ‘Take your son.’
Abraham said, ‘I have two sons.’
God Said, ‘Your only son.’
Abraham said, ‘Ishmael is an only son to Hagar and Isaac is an only son to Sarah.’
God Said,’ [Take] the one whom you love.’
Abraham said, ‘I love Ishmael, and I love Isaac.’ He loved both equally.
(Genesis 25.29 – 34) says, ‘And Jacob cooked pottage; [when he was 15 years old for those mourning his grandfather, Abraham’s death] when Esau came from the field, and he was famished. And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I beg you, with that same red pottage; for I am famished; therefore, his name was Edom. [meaning bloody/red] and Jacob said, Sell me this day your birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point of death; and what profit shall this birthright make to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he swore to him; and he sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils, and he did eat and drink, and rose, and went his way; thus, Esau despised his birthright.
(Bava Basra 16b) says that on the day Abraham died,Esau committed five sins when he came in from the field. He dishonored a betrothed maiden, committed murder, denied God, denied the resurrection of the dead, and spurned his birthright. How can a father not know about the evil his son has committed? Is it possible?
We move forward 25 years. (Genesis 26.24 – 35) says, ‘And Esau was forty years old when he married Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. [Esau’s Canaanite wives] made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.’ They were idol worshippers who burned incense to idols just yards from where Isaac and Rebekah lived. Isaac and Rebekah were aware of Noach’s curse on the descendants of Canaan in (Genesis 9.25) ‘Cursed be Canaan; a slave of slaves shall he be to his brothers.’ Isaac and Rebekah were aware of Abraham’s instructions to Eliezer in (Genesis 24.2-3). ‘And Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, put, I beg you, your hand under my thigh; And I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live;.‘
Why did Isaac call for Esau when he was 122/123? He would not die until he was 180 years old. His mother, Sarah, died at 127. Our custom is to prepare for death five years before our first parent dies.
(Genesis 27.33 – 35) says, ‘Isaac trembled very much and said, Who then is he who hunted venison, and brought it to me, and I had eaten of all before you came, and have blessed him? Moreover, he shall be blessed. And when Esau heard his father’s words, he cried with a great and very bitter cry and said to his father, Bless me, me also, O my father. And he said, Your brother came with cunning, and has taken away your blessing. [Then Esau] said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he has supplanted me these two times; he took away my birthright; behold, now he has taken away my blessing.‘
(Genesis 27.41) says, ‘Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart When the days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.‘
(Genesis 27.46) says, ‘And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these who are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life be to me?’
(Genesis 28.8) says, ‘Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; Then went Esau to Ishmael, and took, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife.’
Study Partners our discussion on Genesis 27 about families in crisis is a warning to us to always be their for our children in good or evil situations. The door to Dad and Mom must always be open to our children. We can be busy but not too busy for our children. We must take time to involve and enteract with our children. Training, teaching, encouraging our children never ends. God does not give up on us no matter how damaged we maybe. We cannot give up on our children. We do not overlook their evil as Isaac did. We address it. The best training we can give our children is being a living example like Abraham. Lay a solid foundation. Strike a perfect balance by ‘obeying the Lord’s Voice and keeping His Charge, His Commandments, His Statutes, His Verbal and Written Torah, (Genesis 26.5).
May the Lord God Bless and guide us in our righteous work of leading our families.
Good Yom Tov and Good Sabbath.
Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk
