Genesis 36 Self Indulgence
Dear Ones, when we read the first Scripture in Genesis 36, a question pops up. Why Does our Creator identify Esau as Edom, and what is the significance of being known as Edom? What did Esau do to become known as Edom?
Genesis 36.1
וְאֵלֶּה תֹּלְדוֹת עֵשָׂו הוּא אֱדוֹם:
Genesis 36.1
And these are descendants of Esau who is also known as Edom.
Esau was the firstborn of Jacob. He was the older twin brother of Jacob. He had more significant potential than Jacob to know to learn and follow Ha Torah. Remember Ha Torah is Genesis Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Let’s note the Gematria Miluy Godal of Edom. The final letter of Edom is a ם Final Mem. The Final Mem looks like a square. They are at the end of a Word. When the Final Letter for Mem is used, the Gematria may remain 40 or increase to 600. In our first occurrence, we will use the Mem as 40. Later in our discussion, we use the Final Mem ם 600.
The Normal Gematria of Edom is 51. Mystically the word אָכֹל Aw Cohl meaning ‘to eat’ also has the Gematria 51. אָכֹל Aw Cohl points to Esau’s desire to consume the ‘Very Red Porridge’ in Genesis 25.30. The Gematria of eating / consumption is also 51.
Genesis 25.30
And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I beg you, with that same red red pottage; for I am famished; therefore after that, his name was called Edom.
Esau was still feeling violent after raping a maiden and murdering a man..’ Esau expressed animal tendencies, animal-like voracity, according to our sages. The word הַלְעִיטֵנִי Hah Lih Yee Tay Nee {swallow} means to pour into my mouth like an animal. Rashi translates this as “pour into me,” as used for feeding animals. Eisov’s descendants became known as the Edomites. I mention this because this one act of gluttonous, greedy behavior followed Eisov throughout his generations. He had to have the red lentils right then. He could not wait! His appetite was unbounded. His hunger was uncontrolled! Esau saw red. He was seeing red from the evil he committed on that day. Unfortunately, he had already lost control! According to the Talmud, Esau began his life of crime that day. The original text emphasizes “the red, the red” because the first red is about the young woman Eisov violated. The second “the red” is about the blood of the individual he murdered.
The Stone Chumash notes: Esau came in from the field after his evil rampage. He went about his evil business instead of breveing his Grandfather, Abraham’s death, with other family members. The Holy Scripture identifies Esau as being for himself, being ruddy, and greatly desiring red food.
Genesis 25.25
The first came out red, [and ruddy because he was covered] all over like a hairy garment, and they called his name Esau.
In Ha Tenach, the name Edom occurs 103 times in 96 different places. Eisov’s descendants became known as the Edomites. I mention this because this one act of gluttonous, greedy behavior followed Eisov throughout his generations. He had to have the red lentils! He had to have them right then. He could not wait! His appetite was unbounded. His hunger was uncontrolled! Ha Torah repeats the words, “the red.” I usually translate this “the very red,” however, in this situation, I did not. Eisov indeed saw red. He saw red from the evil he committed on that day.
Unfortunately, this was only a continuation of a day in which he had already lost control! According to the Talmud, Eisov began his life of crime that day. He violated a betrothed maiden, murdered, denied God, denied the resurrection of the dead, and rejected his birthright. I chose to keep the text “the red, the red” because the first red is about the young woman Eisov violated. The second “the red” is about the blood of the individual murder.
When Eisov approached Jacob, he saw the pottage simmering; he saw the lentils. The meal was not done. The lentils were not soft. Their shape was distinct. Verse 29 states, Jacob was still simmering stew, and verse 34, where the stew was called lentils. Regardless, Esau hastily demands, “Give me now a [large] swallow from the red, the red…” — instead of pottage or lentils.
Edom
אֱדוֹם
א1 ד4 ו6 ם40 = 51
Genesis 2.16, 17
וַיְצַו יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהִים עַל־הָאָדָם לֵאמֹר מִכֹּל עֵץ־הַגָּן אָכֹל תֹּאכֵל: וּמֵעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע לֹא תֹאכַל מִמֶּנּוּ כִּי בְּיוֹם אֲכָלְךָ מִמֶּנּוּ מוֹת תָּמוּת: ס
Aw Chol – To eat consume
אָכֹל
א 1 כ20 ל 30 = 51
Genesis 2.16, 17
And He, the Lord God Commanded to the Adam [i.e., Adam and Chavah] Saying, ‘From All Trees in the Garden [of Eden] eat freely… But from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, do not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it, you will die.
What did Adam and Chavah do? They ate from the tree. They desired the tree. They lusted for the tree they could not have. They defended their actions of sealing by saying they could see it was good for food. They disobeyed the Command of the Creator. They broke the Command do not to steal. They stole. They feed their desire!
Dear Ones, What is the definition of GREED? To be Covetousness… to be materialistic… to be money-grubbing… to be self indulge… to desire… to Crave.. to Lust… to yearn… to hunger… From this, we learn, A strong appetite drove Esau to do wrong.
On the day of his Grandfather Avraham’s death and burial, our Sages Teach ‘Yitzchok and Rivkah weep; Jacob weeps; heaven and earth weep. The sick people Avraham had healed and all those upon whom he had showered hospitality — all mourn for him. The great of all the nations stood in the mourner’s row and lamented, ‘Woe to the world that has lost its leader; woe to the ship that has lost its pilot!‘ (Bava Basra 91b) Yishmael mourns the great father he had just helped bury. They return from the Cave of Machpelah Yitzchok sits on the ground and mourns while Jacob prepares the customary mourner’s meal from his lentils since a mourner may not eat the first meal from his food only from that of others.
Where was Esau? Esau, in contrast, is portrayed as going about his evil business as usual, uninvolved, as it were, in his family’s grief: ‘Esau came in from the field’ after he committed five crimes on that very day:
1. He violated a betrothed maiden.
2. He committed murder.
3. He denied God.
4. He denied the resurrection of the dead.
5.He spurned the birthright. See Artscroll Bereisheit 25
That brings us to the Spirituality of our discussion. The Gematria of Torah is 611. Esau had the opportunity to learn from the world’s best Spiritual Teachers, Shem and Eiver. He walked away from them… Esau walked away from Torah Observance.
The Midrash Teaches when Esau learned why Jacob was preparing lentils, he exclaimed blasphemously, ‘If Judgment has been able to overtake that righteous man (i.e., Abraham who did not reach the longevity of Adam or Noah — [Yafeh Toar]) then there is neither reward nor resurrection!‘ To this, the Midrash concludes, the Shechinah cried out, ‘Weep not for the dead — i.e., for Abraham — nor bemoan him; but weep bitterly for him who went away — that is, for Esau (who forsook the true faith).‘]
That brings us to the Word Edom. What did Esau say to Jacob?
We know that the Seven Laws come from Bereisheit 2.16. We Mystically see the connection between Edom and Greed. There is also a Spiritual connection. What is the Spiritual Connection?
Torah
תּוֹרָה
ת400 ו6 ר200 ה5 = 611
Edom
אֱדוֹם
א1 ד4 ו6 ם600 = 611
Genesis 25.30
וַיֹּאמֶר עֵשָׂו אֶל־יַעֲקֹב הַלְעִיטֵנִי נָא מִן־הָאָדֹם הָאָדֹם הַזֶּה כִּי עָיֵף אָנֹכִיעַל־כֵּן קָרָא־שְׁמוֹ אֱדוֹם:
And He Esau said to Jacob, [with animal-like voracity] pour into me, now some of that red red stuff for I am exhausted. And therefore, he was named Edom.
Dear ones, the point of our discussion is for us to ask ourselves what drives us. Why do we do the things we do?
May we each enjoy good health, happiness, healing, restoration, and the Blessing of studying and Observing the Torah. Trust in The Lord and do good.
Blessings and peace,
Good Sabbath!
Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk
