Commentary on Parashat Toldot, Genesis 25:19-28:9
Questions
1. How old was Yitzhak when he married Rivkah?
2. What were four things HaShem told Rivkah about her pregnancy?
3. How long had Yitzhak and Rivkah been married when Esau and Yaakov were born?
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4. What was the name of Esau’s first wife?
How old was he when he got married?
5. Abraham and Yitzhak both had confrontations with Abimelekh. How did they deal with the problem?
What was the outcome each time?
6. Yaakov is accused of manipulating Esau on two important issues. What were they?
What did each signify?
Which is considered the more important of the two?
7. What did Esau do that upset Yitzhak and Rivkah so much? Was he able to rectify it? If so, how?
8. Why did Rivkah send Yaakov away?
What reason did she give to Yitzhak?
Answers
1. Yitzhak was 40 years old when he married Rivkah (25:20).
2. God told Rivkah that two nations were in her womb, two peoples would come forth, one people would be stronger than the other, and the elder would serve the younger (25:23).
3. Yitzhak and Rivkah had been married for 20 years.
4. Esau’s first wife’s name was Judith, he was 40 years old when he married her (26:34).
5. Each of them told Abimelekh that his wife was his sister; in the end, each was rewarded and became rich from the encounter (26:5).
6. Yaakov is accused of manipulating Esau in the case of the birthright and blessing (inheritance) (27:35). One made Yaakov the spiritual leader, and the other made him Yitzhak’s principal heir, giving him a double portion of the property and making him the family patriarch. The blessing was more important than the birthright (27:28-30).
7. Esau upset Rivkah and Yitzhak by taking Canaanite wives (26:34-35). It is questionable whether or not he was able to rectify it even though he later married one of Ishmael’s daughters (27:9).
8. Rivkah sent Esau away because she thought he would kill Yaakov (27:42). She told Yitzhak that Yaakov was going to find a wife among his kindred (27:46).
Provided by special arrangement with the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies.
HaShem
Pronounced: hah-SHEMM, Origin: Hebrew, literally, “the name,” word used to refer to God.
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Rivkah
Pronounced: RIV-kuh, Origin: Hebrew, the biblical character Rebecca.
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Yaakov
Pronounced: YAH-kove or YAH-ah-kove, Origin: Hebrew, Jacob, one of the Torah’s three patriarchs.
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Yitzhak
Pronounced: eetz-KHAHK, Origin: Hebrew, Hebrew name for Isaac.
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