A Portrait of Esav/2

A Portrait of Esav

Exegetical Approaches

THIS TOPIC HAS NOT YET UNDERGONE EDITORIAL REVIEW

Innately Evil

Sources: Bavli Bava Batra16bAbout the Bavli, Pesikta DeRav Kahana3:1 ("Zakhor")About Pesikta DeRav Kahana, Targum NeofitiBereshit 25:34About Targum Neofiti, Targum Pseudo-JonathanBereshit 25:27-34Bereshit 26:34-35Bereshit 27:31Bereshit 32:7Bereshit 33:1-4About Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Targum YerushalmiBereshit 25:34Bereshit 32:7Bereshit 33:4About Targum Yerushalmi, Bereshit Rabbah63:6-14About Bereshit Rabbah, TanchumaToledot 8Vayishlach 4About the Tanchuma, Tanchuma (Buber)Toledot 2Toledot 3About Tanchuma (Buber), ?R. Saadia GaonCommentary Bereshit 25About R. Saadia Gaon, RashiBereshit 25:22Bereshit 25:27-28Bereshit 25:29Bereshit 25:32-34Bereshit 26:34-35Bereshit 27:5Bereshit 32:7Bereshit 32:12Bereshit 33:4About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, Minchat YehudaBereshit 25:27About R. Yehuda b. Elazar, RanDerashot HaRan 2About R. Nissim Gerondi, AbarbanelBereshit 25 QuestionsBereshit 25:19Bereshit 25:24, 29About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, SefornoBereshit 25:27-34Bereshit 26:35Bereshit 27:1Bereshit 32:7About R. Ovadyah Seforno, MalbimBereshit 27:1Bereshit 27:5About R. Meir Leibush Weiser

In utero – According to Bereshit Rabbah and Rashi, already in utero, Esav portrayed his wicked tendencies.  Whenever Rivka passed a house of idolatry, he would push in the womb,¹  drawn to worship there.  R. Yochanana and Reish Lakish further suggest that even his animosity towards Yaakov began pre-birth, understanding the fetal "running around" as attempts to kill one another.²

"אִישׁ יֹדֵעַ צַיִד אִישׁ שָׂדֶה" – Many of these sources understand this phrase as describing Esav's character rather than his profession:³ 

• Trickster – Bereshit Rabbah, Tanchuma, Rashi, and Abarbanel⁴ assert that the words "אִישׁ יֹדֵעַ צַיִד" refer to one who is deceitful and traps (צד) people with his words.⁵
• Murderer – Targum Pseudo-Jonathan makes Esav even more wicked, suggesting that the phrase teaches that Esav killed people as well as animals.⁶
• Asocial – Abarbanel asserts that the term "אִישׁ שָׂדֶה" refers to one who distances himself from society.⁷

Contrast between brothers – Many of these sources portray the twins as total opposites, making Esav the wicked counterpart of the righteous Yaakov. Abarbanel goes as far as to suggest that all the negative traits inherited from Rivka's deceitful ancestors went to Esav, while all the positive traits from Avraham's side went to Yaakov.

"וַיָּבֹא עֵשָׂו מִן הַשָּׂדֶה וְהוּא עָיֵף" – Most of the midrashic sources⁸ and Targum Pseudo-Jonathan find hints in this clause to two great sins of Esav, both murder and illicit relations.⁹

"הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ לָמוּת" – Many of these sources¹⁰ read into these words a denial of the concept of resurrection of the dead.

Scorning the birthright – According to Rashi and Seforno, the birthright merited one to act as priest in serving Hashem.  Thus in rejecting it, Esav was in effect scorning Hashem.¹¹

Yaakov and Esav's reunion

Esav's marriage

Yitzchak's preference for Esav

Esav's descendants

Mildly Negative

Sources: RadakBereshit 25:27-29Bereshit 25:31-34Bereshit 27:4Bereshit 32:7About R. David Kimchi,R. Avraham b. HaRambamBereshit 25:23Bereshit 25:27-29Bereshit 25:31Bereshit 26:34Bereshit 32:7About R. Avraham Maimonides, ?RambanBereshit 25:34Bereshit 32:8About R. Moshe Nachmanides, RalbagBeiur Divrei HaParashah Bereshit 25:23-34Bereshit 25:19-34 Toelet 4Bereshit 27:1-28:9 Toelet 2Bereshit 27:1-28:9 Toelet 8About R. Levi b. Gershon, R. S"R HirschBereshit 25:27About R. S"R Hirsch

Neutral

Sources: JosephusAntiquities 1:18:1Antiquities 1:18:4-8Antiquities 1:20:1Antiquities 2:1:1About Josephus, RashbamBereshit 25:22,27-28Bereshit 25:31-34Bereshit 32:7-8Bereshit 32:21-29About R. Shemuel b. Meir, Ibn EzraBereshit 25:32-34Bereshit 27:40About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, R. Yosef Bekhor ShorBereshit 25:29-30Bereshit 25:34Bereshit 27:45Bereshit 32:7-8About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, ShadalBereshit 25:31Bereshit 32:7About R. S.D. Luzzatto,

¹ This is the midrashic understanding of the phrase, "וַיִּתְרֹצֲצוּ הַבָּנִים בְּקִרְבָּהּ ".

² It should be noted, though, that according to these sages the attempts are two sided.  Both brothers try to kill or overpower the other and so the statement is not meant to vilify Esav as much as to portray the eternal battle between the siblings.

³ On a textual level, the fact that Yaakov is described by two terms, one of which describes his nature ("אִישׁ תָּם") and one which supplies his profession ("יֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים"), might have led commentaors to suggest that the parallel two terms by Esav must also speak of both character and his profession.

⁴ It is unclear from Abarbanel if he thinks the word is a metaphor or if he assumes that Esav chose the hunting profession since it was suited to his deceitful nature.

⁵ Tanchuma describes how he would trick his father into believing that he was God-fearing by asking questions even about the minutiae of legal practice, such as the laws of tithing salt.

⁶ R. Abba b. Kahana in Bereshit Rabbah and Rashi maintain that even the term "אַדְמוֹנִי" refers to this murderous trait and denotes one who spills blood. Abarbanel explains similarly, and further suggests that hairiness, too, is associated with a nature of cruelty and anger.

⁷ R. Hiyya in Bereshit Rabbah instead suggests that Esav "הפקיר עצמו כשדה". See Rashi who explains similarly, describing Esav as a loafer.

⁸ Rashi follows partially in their interpretation, mentioning murder but not rape.

⁹ As evidence, they point to Devarim 22 where the laws of taking an engaged woman speak of it occuring "בשדה" and Yirmiyahu 4 which mentions being "עיף" in connection to killing.

¹⁰ Se Bava Batra, the various Targumim, and Bereshit Rabbah.

¹¹ Bavli Bava Batra and Targum Pseudo-Jonathan similarly view the rejection  as a sin, but do not elaborate.