Parashat Tol’dot: A Hidden Collaboration
The following essay is a highly revised version of the d’var Torah I posted here in 2023, 2024 and 2025, each time adding more supporting commentary. This year I have re-edited it also into three parts:
The Zohar on Parashat Toledot (135a) explains that the full wisdom of God is in seeing something joyful in all passages of the Torah. After all, truth is recognizing the glory or perfection of God and that it is continuously revealing itself.
The Zohar goes on to give evidence of why, in my opinion, the story of Jacob “stealing” Eisav’s blessing was better than it first appears. I believe that the Torah hid how Isaac and Rivkah were working together and with the Shekinah on bestowing blessings for their two sons in order to show us just how powerful they were together. With support from the Zohar, I will explain my theory of why they schemed together to give Jacob the first-born’s blessing in the way that they did, and how it was for Eisav’s benefit as well.
Isaac and Rivkah teach us about a couple’s greatest strength: using their transcendental connection. The Zohar (140a-142a) describes how the Shekhinah was always with Isaac. He could see Her continuously, and it says that Rivkah would see Her as well. The Shekhinah allowed them both to see more than simply what meets the eye, but also to have a deeper, intuitive understanding of matters. Isaac’s name is based on the word “laughter”, something that distinguishes us from animals. That we laugh is a reminder of our divine nature and our communication with the Divine through our emotions. So Isaac’s name, his nature, implies a strong connection with the Shekhinah, which in turn was a catalyst for elevating the couple’s communication with each other. Laughter is a reaction to the collision between reality and the absurd. Similarly, the Shekhinah is our understanding of God’s presence that connects our reality and the higher realms of possibilities.
The common understanding is that Rivkah was scheming “behind Isaac’s back”, but I have a different perspective. Earlier in the story, when Rivkah is having a difficult time with her pregnancy, she inquires with God, who gives her a prophecy that the older twin will serve the younger. So, in a way Rivkah’s actions in giving Jacob the blessing is just bringing this prophecy to fruition. But if she is supposedly acting without Isaac’s knowledge, why would she choose to keep this important information from her husband that Jacob was destined for the blessing? Surely, if he knew this was God’s design he would go along with it. If a wife knows her husband has a specially unique relationship with God and she finally talks to God, would she not tell her husband? Also, there was no clear reason not to tell him. So, I look at it from the perspective that she did tell him, and they’re working together – he’s in on the deception, which is for the children’s benefit.
I think biblical interpretations reflect the consciousness of the time, and it is no wonder many relationships in the past were not romantic or failed if people interpret that a couple are manipulative and keep secrets. Also, the alternative, to keep the information of what the Infinite said from her husband, could easily affect the relationship negatively over time because he would sense she is keeping something from him.
Instead, the Torah tries to explicitly tell us that this couple’s relationship is healthy. From a kabbalistic perspective, explicitly talking about sexual union means perfect union between the masculine and female energy. When Isaac lies about Rivkah being his sister, they are saved because the king happens to see them together. The Torah literally says, “Isaac was fondling his wife Rivkah” (Genesis 26:8). The Hebrew here is a play on Isaac’s name as “laugh” and “fondle” share a common Hebrew root, but the underlying implication is that there is still joy and intimacy in this marriage.
Playfulness, in its broadest sense, releases tension, and can make the darkest moments fun.
More, in part 2 and 3
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