RITSS HIGH SCHOOL

PRESENTS A D`VAR TORAH

ON TOLDOS (5758)

By Rabbi Moshe Heigh

If it was Yaacov's voice, WHY DID YITZCHOK BLESS HIM?

Numerous interpretations and insights exist which clarify the dramatic episode of Yaacov entering and receiving the brachos for which Esav had hoped (Perek Chof Zayin). Let us view the incident through the eyes of one of the great acharonim, the Bais Halevi - Rav Yosef Dov Ber Soloveichik, zatzal.

One of the most famous psukim in the Torah is found in 27:22: "The voice is Yaacov's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esav." Upon making this observation, Yitzchok Avinu went ahead and gave the bracha to Yaacov, apparently under the impression that it was Esav who had come. True, Yitzchok first confirmed verbally that it was Esav (27:24), and he made sure to eat of the food which Yaacov (posing as Esav) had prepared (27:25). But despite the evidence of Yaacov's voice, which Yitzchok himself acknowledged in 27:22, Yitzchok proceeded to bless him. In fact, the Torah testifies that "he (Yitzchok) did not recognize him (Yaacov) because there was hair on his arms, just like those of his brother, Esav". Recall that Yaacov's mother, Rivka, had placed young goats' skins on her son's arms and on the hairless part of his neck (27:16) to make him feel like Esav.

"And he did not recognize him...and he blessed him" (27:23). This is extremely puzzling! Since the voice seemed to be Yaacov's, and only the hands were Esav's, why did Yitzchok Avinu conclude that it was Esav? The decision could have gone either way! This is the question of the Bais Halevi

Rav Soloveichik suggests the following solution. Esav likely anticipated an attempt on Yaacov's part to secure the first blessing from Yitzchok. What did Esav figure? If Yaacov will come in to "steal" the bracha, he will most likely change his voice to make it sound like Esav's. Isn't this a logical conclusion? Since this is true, if someone would enter and talk like Esav, Yitzchok would have to assume that it is actually Yaacov in disguise! The only eligible recipient of the blessing will be someone who does NOT talk like Esav. Consequently, says the Bais Halevi, Esav probably made up with his father ahead of time that Yitzchok will know it is really Esav ONLY IF THE ONE REQUESTING THE BRACHA SOUNDS LIKE YAACOV. Since Yaacov would try to imitate Esav, Esav would have to change HIS voice to Yaacov's. The hallmark of Yaacov's voice is gentle talk and frequent mention of Hashem's name. Only then, Yitzchok would proceed with the bracha.

In other words, Esav would have the upper hand, as long as Yaacov would do the natural thing - disguise his voice like Esav's. Yitzchok agreed ahead that the voice of Esav would signal trouble and ineligibility for the blessing. The Bais Halevi supports himself with a Ramban in our parsha. Do you remember that Yaacov was concerned about trying to get the bracha planned for Esav, since "my father might feel me" (27:12)? Yaacov foresaw that Yitzchok would realize it was deceit, since his skin was not hairy like Esav's. The Ramban is perplexed about Yaacov's trepidation - why was Yaacov not worried about his VOICE being recognized by his father? Why was the hairy skin his only concern? Indeed, people recognize each other by their voices all the time! In one approach, the Ramban answers that this did not trouble Yaacov at all, because Yaacov was skilled at impersonating his brother, as many people are capable. Thus, Yaacov only worried about his skin. He could have planned to imitate Esav's voice, based on this Ramban.

The Bais Halevi uses this Ramban to help establish that Yaacov COULD change his voice to be like Esav's. This is exactly what Esav feared, so he decided that if someone DID come in with Esav's voice, it would no doubt be Yaacov. Now we understand Yitzchok's decision to give the bracha to someone who possessed the voice of Yaacov and the hands of Esav. It all checked out perfectly! This is what Yitzchok had made up with Esav - since Yaacov would surely try to disguise himself like Esav, the voice of Esav would mean deceit. Thus, the voice of Yaacov meant it was really Esav who had come in, and his arms were also those of Esav. This explains why Yitzchok went ahead with the blessings.

But wait a moment - what went wrong? The person coming in with hairy arms and Yaacov's voice should have been Esav, as we have established! What exactly transpired? The Bais Halevi concludes that Yaacov must have anticipated the WHOLE plan of Esav. Consequently, Yaacov did NOT change his voice to Esav's. If he had imitated his brother, Yitzchok would NOT have given him the bracha, because that impersonation would have revealed the trick. So, Yaacov only disguised his arms, but he continued talking naturally, in a gentle manner and with the name of Hashem a major part of his speech. Esav was also totally tricked.

In short, Yaacov did a perfect job of posing as Esav. Esav had planned to disguise his voice like Yaacov's (and of course keep his fuzzy arms) to show that he was really Esav, rather than someone else - Yaacov - posing as Esav and disguising his voice like Esav's. Yaacov, with his ingenious foresight, cracked the case and came in with hairy arms and his own voice. Thus, he received the first bracha.

A final proof to the truth of this approach is found in the Targum Unklus, cited by the Bais Halevi. Yitzchok, after blessing Yaacov because he thought he was Esav, provided an explanation for Esav. "Your brother came with deceit ('mirmah') and took your blessing" (27:35). Unklus translates the word "mirmah" as "chachma" - wisdom. But aren't deceit and wisdom two different things? The translation Unklus gives seems inaccurate. However, it is, in fact, quite precise. The Bais Halevi has already shown that Yaacov did not totally CHANGE his identity to receive the brachos. Rather, he kept part of it exactly the same, namely his tone of voice and manner of speaking. That aspect of his personality had to be maintained, since this was the exact plan of Esav - to change HIS voice to that of Yaacov. In the words of the Bais Halevi, "the deception was that Yaacov did NOT perform a deception, rather he spoke in his usual way." This type of trickery, declares the Bais Halevi, is NOT called trickery. Thus, the Targum renders it as "wisdom". The chachma was that Yaacov perceived that there was NO NEED to be tricky and deceitful in regard to his voice.

What was the result of all this? Esav was ensnared in his own attempt to be tricky. Using his mother's holy guidance, Yaacov secured for himself and his descendants the supreme blessings of Yitzchok. Through the power of nevuah - the divine message Rivka Imainu had heard from the yeshiva of Shaim, she knew that Yaacov was destined to be the progenitor of the holy nation, Klal Yisroel. Ramban on 27:4 elaborates on the reason Rivka's plan differed from that of her husband, Yitzchok. Please see it if you would like; today's discussion is not directed toward that issue. In short, Rivka prevailed by advising Yaacov to obtain the bracha, and Yaacov succeeded with phenomenal cleverness. The Bais Halevi does a thorough job of solving the mystery of why Yitzchok blessed the son who seemed to have a split identity. May we be zocheh to uncover more and more secrets of Hashem's holy Torah.

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