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This is the aspect of Yaakov, who is named after the heel, the aspect of the feet, in the aspect of ‘And his hand was holding Esav’s heel’; for there, in the aspect of the feet, in the aspect of counsels, is the principal battle between Yaakov and Esav, who are the aspect of the counsels of the good inclination and the counsels of the evil inclination.
For Esav is the aspect of the serpent’s defilement, the aspect of the serpent’s counsels, the aspect of ‘The serpent deceived me’; and therefore Yaakov took hold of his heel, for he does not allow him to complete his plan, because the principal rectification of counsel is when one completes with that counsel what is required.
For when someone arrives at a plan in battle and succeeds through it for a time, but afterward the wheel turns and he falls through this, this is certainly not good counsel. And the principal good counsel is when one merits through it a good final outcome.
And therefore all the counsels of the idol worshipers are foolish counsels, for although they succeed through them for a time and rule over Israel, their end is utter destruction. And therefore it is said of them, ‘For they are a nation whose counsels perish.’ And it is written, ‘Hashem has annulled the counsel of nations,’ etc., the aspect of ‘Devise a plan, and it will be annulled,’ etc., for they take counsel every time to destroy Israel completely, Heaven forbid, as it is written, ‘For they have taken counsel together with one heart,’ etc. And it is written, ‘Against Your people they craft a secret plan, and they take counsel against Your hidden ones; they said: Come, and let us destroy them from being a nation, and it will not be remembered,’ etc. But the Holy One, blessed be He, saves us from their hands and will not allow them to complete their plan, the aspect of devise a plan, and it will be annulled, etc., as above.
And this is the aspect of ‘And his hand was holding Esav’s heel,’ which Rashi explained as an allusion that he does not allow him to complete his reign until he comes and takes it from him. That is, his counsel, through which the principal continuance of his kingdom comes about—for the principal continuance of kingship is through counselors. But Yaakov will not allow him to complete his plan, which is the aspect of his kingdom, until he comes and takes it from him, for Hashem’s counsel will stand forever; for before Esav and the Other Side wish to complete his plan, meanwhile Mashiach, who is the Wondrous Counselor, will come and draw down such profound counsels that through this all the counsels of the Other Side, which are the aspect of Esav, will be annulled.
It follows that the name Yaakov is used when he still has a battle with Esav, that is, when they still gain strength against him through doubts and counsels contrary to the truth, which are the aspect of the counsel of nations.
(הלכות תשעה באב ותעניות הלכה ד' אות י״ד).
(Likutay Halachos, Laws of Tisha B’Av and Fasts, Halacha 4, item 14).
bp-p131-m01 · bereishit 25:27
עיקר קדושת האדם הוא בבית, יושב אהלים, אך אעפ״כ צריך להיות עיל ונפיק ובשביל זה צריך התקרבות לצדיקים אמתיים
A person’s principal holiness is in the home, dwelling in tents; but nevertheless he must enter and leave, and for this he needs closeness to true tzaddikim.
"וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם יֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים"
“And Yaakov was a wholesome man, dwelling in tents.”
A person’s principal holiness is within his home, as it is written, ‘Like the glory of a person, to dwell in a house’; and it is written, ‘Fortunate are those who dwell in Your house,’ etc. And this is all the praise of Yaakov our forefather, who was a wholesome man dwelling in tents, the opposite of Esav, who was a man skilled in hunting, a man of the field. For there, in the field, outside, all corruptions and blemishes are found, the aspect of ‘For he found her in the field’ [printed note marker 84], the aspect of ‘Fallen in the field,’ etc. (And as this is brought in the books).
But nevertheless, even an Israelite, who is from the side of Yaakov, who ought to dwell continually in his home and tent, where the principal holiness is, as above—nevertheless, he must go outside at times, and everything is for the good, for the sake of renewal, in the aspect of: Fortunate is the one who enters and leaves. This is the aspect of all the descents and ascents of each person of Israel, for the descent is for the sake of the ascent, in the aspect of descent whose purpose is ascent.
But all this depends on complete faith through closeness to true tzaddikim who have a spirit of prophecy, who draw down upon each person, in completeness, anew each day, faith in the world’s creation anew, until one merits to draw down upon himself each day the holiness of the future renewal of the world.
For one must know and believe that everything a person undergoes each day, at every time and at every hour, is all wondrous new creations of the one primordial Creator, blessed be He, who created His world anew, something from absolute nothing, for the sake of the person possessing free choice, so that he may merit the abundant hidden good of the future renewal of the world. And therefore he undergoes what he undergoes according to the person, according to the day and according to the place, etc. And it is all for the sake of the aforementioned aspect of renewal.
And one who does not fall into old age and inveterate staleness, Heaven forbid, can renew himself for the good every time, even if whatever may happen happens to him. And the principal means is through closeness to true tzaddikim and to their holy books, for they merited to renew themselves in completeness each day through the holiness of the Land of Israel.
And this is the aspect of when you sit in your house and when you walk on the way, for a person must leave the house where all his holiness is. And when he leaves the house he must place his hand on the mezuzah, to draw down upon himself the holiness of the holy mezuzah, which is the holiness of holy faith, to draw it down upon himself also outside, for the entire time he is outside, whether for a brief time or on an actual journey.
And then, on the way where there is no mezuzah, he draws down upon himself the holiness of faith through the aspect of the sukkah, which is the root of the holiness of the house, which protects the person on the way, as above. And then he merits, precisely through the journey, to renew his mind, which is the holiness of his home, precisely through this; for this is a rule: constant pleasure is not pleasure. Therefore the renewal of the mental faculties is through the aspect of sleep first, which is the aspect of business dealings, the aspect of setting out on a journey.
(הלכות ספר תורה הלכה ד' אות כ״ב)
(Likutay Halachos, Laws of a Torah Scroll, Halacha 4, item 22)
bp-p132-m01 · bereishit 25:27
עיקר לימודו היה באמונה הקדושה
His principal study was of holy faith.
"וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם יֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים"
“And Yaakov was a wholesome man, dwelling in tents.”
Yaakov was a wholesome man dwelling in tents. And all the academy of Yaakov our forefather, who studied in the academy with his sons and his pupils, as our Sages of blessed memory said, was entirely devoted to the study of holy faith.
For the commandments had not yet been given, and their principal study concerned holy faith: to abolish idolatry and denials of faith, and to draw down, plant and establish complete holy faith in the heart of each and every person. And as is explained in his holy conversations, this was all the occupation of the Patriarchs in their study with the converts; see there.
And therefore Avraham our forefather’s tractate on idolatry had four hundred and fifty-six chapters, as our Sages of blessed memory said (Avodah Zarah [Idolatry], folio 14b), for they had great and wondrous study in this: to uproot and abolish idolatry and denials of faith, and to draw down complete faith in the world.
(הלכות הפקר ונכסי הגר הלכה ד' אות ל״ב)
(Likutay Halachos, Laws of Ownerless Property and the Property of a Convert, Halacha 4, item 32)
bp-p132-m02 · bereishit 25:28
החומרות של עשו היו מחמת שהוא משפט שלא נכלל בצדקה שזה פגם
Esav’s stringencies arose because he was judgment not incorporated into charity, which is a blemish.
Esav is an expression of doing, whose root of nourishment comes from excessive exactitude in judgment and justice, which is the aspect of Torah that has not been properly incorporated into the aspect of charity. For the Torah is in the aspect of ‘we shall do,’ the aspect of performing practical mitzvos; but the Torah in the aspect of ‘we shall do,’ the aspect of performing the mitzvos, must be incorporated into the aspect of ‘we shall hear,’ the aspect of prayer, which is the aspect of self-nullification, desire, and attachment to the Infinite, as explained above.
And this is what Esav asked: ‘Father, how does one tithe straw and salt?’ With this he deceived his father, for he presented himself as very exacting in every mitzvah, performing it with excessive stringencies; for that was where he had his hold, in the blemish of excessive superfluous stringencies. And as is brought in our words elsewhere, excessive stringencies are also a great blemish; see there. And all this is because judgment, in the aspect of Torah, was not completely incorporated into the aspect of prayer and charity.
(הלכות מתנה הלכה ה׳ אות ל״ז)
(Likutay Halachos, Laws of Gifts, halacha 5, item 37)
This is the aspect of the entire struggle between Yaakov and Esav, for the essence of joy is the aspect of Yaakov’s holiness, whose bed was whole, the aspect of ‘Yaakov shall rejoice, Yisrael shall be glad’; and it is written, ‘Yisrael shall be glad in his Makers.’ And Esav is Edom, from whom all the exiles come: his principal ascendancy is through sadness, as explained above, in the aspect of ‘And it shall be, when you tureed, you shall break his yoke,’ etc. Specifically tureed, an expression of wailing and sadness; then ‘you shall break his yoke,’ etc., as explained above.
And this is the aspect of the blessing and birthright that Yaakov endeavored to take from Esav. The blessing is the aspect of the blessing of the intellect attained through joy, which is the aspect of the birthright, which is the aspect of the sacrificial service that was then performed by the firstborn, for the sacrificial service is the aspect of joy, as explained above. And therefore the incident occurred while Yaakov our forefather was occupied with comforting his father Yitzchak in his mourning for Avraham, as it is written, ‘And Yaakov cooked a stew,’ etc., as our Sages of blessed memory said. And then ‘Esav came from the field’—and he was weary from murder, sexual immorality, and idolatry, which is the aspect of anger and sadness.
For Yaakov was then occupied with his father’s meal of consolation, to comfort him in his mourning; and the essence of consolation is the aspect of ‘You have turned my mourning into dancing for me,’ which is the aspect of ‘They shall attain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee,’ mentioned above: sorrow and sighing must be turned into joy, in the aspect of ‘And I shall turn their mourning into gladness, and comfort them, and gladden them from their sorrow.’
And therefore he then cooked lentils, with which mourners are comforted; for the lentils contain mourning and contain joy, as is stated in Midrash Rabbah on this portion. For they signify that it is a wheel that turns in the world, which alludes to the resurrection of the dead, which is the essence of consolation. Because of this, death is ‘very good,’ the aspect of ‘And behold, very good,’ etc., which is the aspect of the wheel that turns in the world. For all the wondrous and awesome changes through which Hashem, blessed be He, conducts His world are the aspect of a turning wheel, whose root and essence derive from the aspect of the reincarnation of souls, for whose sake everything was created and is sustained. Hashem, blessed be He, causes wondrous and awesome reincarnations to revolve with the souls, beyond investigation, in the aspect of ‘Hashem puts to death and gives life; He brings low, also raises up; He impoverishes and enriches; He brings down to the grave and brings up,’ etc. (Shmuel I 2). From there come all the revolutions of the wheels of the sun and moon, the twelve constellations, etc., through which Hashem, blessed be He, conducts His world.
And everything is for the ultimate purpose of the souls of Yisrael, who come into this world and pass through many exiles and many circumstances and reincarnations, until they are all compelled to die and return to life in the resurrection of the dead. And then all will see and understand Hashem’s work and the awesome deeds of His actions that took place in this world in all the circumstances and reincarnations of each and every one. And this is what the lentils with which the mourner is comforted signify: that it is a turning wheel, and he is destined to return and live, in the aspect of the dead, which is the essence of consolation; and through this everything is turned into joy, as explained above.
But Esav denied the resurrection of the dead at that time precisely because Avraham had died, as is stated in the Midrash on this portion, that he said, ‘The attribute of judgment struck this old man,’ etc. For he then committed several transgressions, all of which derive from the klipah, which is the aspect of sadness. Therefore he said, ‘Feed me, please, from this red, this red,’ which is the force of judgment, which is sadness.
For the eating of the tzaddikim is the aspect of joy, the aspect of ‘to eat and drink and rejoice,’ the aspect of ‘And you shall eat before Hashem your God and rejoice,’ said concerning eating the sacrifices. This is the aspect of the eating of the tzaddikim, whose eating is always in the aspect of eating sacrifices; and therefore their table atones like the altar, as our Sages of blessed memory said. But the eating of Esav and his faction is the essence of sadness, which is the serpent’s pollution, in the aspect of ‘In sorrow you shall eat it,’ etc. And wicked Esav then intensified this upon himself, saying ‘Feed me, please,’ etc., which is the aspect of gross eating by stuffing oneself, which is the blemish of eating, as is brought, which is the aspect of sadness, as explained above.
And therefore Yaakov aptly said to him at its proper occasion and time: ‘If so, sell your birthright to me today’; for the service belongs to the firstborn, which is the aspect of joy. And therefore, since you choose transgressions and the eating of the Other Side, which is the aspect of sadness, you therefore do not deserve the birthright, which is the aspect of joy. And therefore Esav indeed immediately agreed to him and said to him, ‘Behold, I am going to die’; and our Sages of blessed memory said that he then denied the resurrection of the dead. And therefore ‘What use is the birthright to me?’ For certainly one who denies the resurrection of the dead, which is the ultimate purpose of the service, certainly has no joy in the sacrificial service or in the other service of the mitzvos. For the essence of joy is that we know and believe that the service of the sacrifices and mitzvos is our entire ultimate purpose and hope forever. Therefore he said, as befitted him, ‘Behold, I am going to die,’ an eternal death; and if so, ‘What use is the birthright to me?’ And then ‘he sold his birthright to Yaakov,’ etc.
And through this Yaakov later merited to receive the blessings from his father by feeding him holy food, which is the aspect of joy. And therefore he brought him wine, as it is written, ‘And he brought him wine’; and Esav did not bring him wine, as is stated in the Midrash. For wine in holiness is the aspect of joy, the aspect of ‘And wine gladdens the heart of man.’ Especially since it was then the night of Pesach, as our Sages of blessed memory said, when Yisrael drinks four cups of wine, for then they go free from the exile of Egypt, which includes all the exiles, whose essence is sadness, as mentioned above. And therefore Yaakov brought him wine, the aspect of joy, as explained above. And therefore he then received the blessings, for all blessings are received principally through joy, as explained above.
(הלכות ברכת הודאה הלכה ו׳ אות י״ח)
(Likutay Halachos, Laws of the Blessing of Thanksgiving, halacha 6, item 18)
bp-p134-m01 · bereishit 25:31
מדוע יעקב השתדל להוציא את הבכורה מעשו
Why Yaakov endeavored to take the birthright out of Esav.
Therefore Yaakov endeavored to take the birthright out of Esav, who is the Samech Mem, who is the evil inclination, who had game in his mouth, who always proceeded with deception and theft, and wished to overpower and draw nourishment from Yaakov when he saw that he was in the aspect of judgments, because his entire hold and nourishment derive from the aspect of judgments, as explained above. And this is the aspect of ‘And Yaakov cooked a stew,’ which was during the days of his father’s mourning, which is the aspect of judgments. And then he said to him, ‘Feed me, please, from this red, this red,’ which is the aspect of the force of judgment: he thought that he would gulp down and swallow from Yaakov’s holiness because he saw in him a hold of judgment, which is the aspect of red.
But Yaakov possessed great power. He said to him, ‘Sell your birthright to me today,’ meaning: I shall give to you and feed you from this red, this red, meaning from the force of judgment. But you suppose that through this you will swallow and draw nourishment from holiness; on the contrary, it is reversed. For precisely through this—that I shall feed you from this red, this red, which is the aspect of prayer in the aspect of judgment—precisely through this you will sell your birthright to me. For through this I shall take the birthright out of you, which is a double portion; for precisely through this I shall take out of you all the holy things you swallowed. Even the very essence of your vitality I shall also take out of you, which is the aspect of a double portion, the aspect of the double payment paid by the thief, as explained above.
And therefore Yaakov was not satisfied that Esav should sell and relinquish the portion of the birthright so that the two of them would be equal; rather, the matter was to be reversed, so that he would sell the birthright to him, so that Yaakov would be the firstborn and take a double portion. This means, as explained above, that it is not enough for the Other Side to return what it swallowed from holiness; it is also compelled to return and bring out the very essence of its vitality, as explained above, so that the vitality of the Other Side will rise and be turned into holiness. This is the aspect of Esav being compelled to bring out the portion of his birthright that he wished to draw from holiness, and also to give Yaakov the birthright, so that he would take a double portion by taking out of him the very essence of his vitality as well, as explained above.
And therefore through this Yaakov merited the blessing, as it is written, ‘He took my birthright, and behold, now he has taken my blessing.’ For he took out of him all the knowledge and all the holy things and all the flows of bounty and blessings. And all this was through feeding him from this red, this red; for Yaakov possessed great power and had the power, through feeding him from the aspect of judgment, so that it would stand in his throat, in his place of swallowing, so that through this he is compelled to vomit and bring everything out, even the very essence of his vitality, as is explained there.
And this is also the aspect of Yaakov clothing himself in Esav’s garments when he went to receive the blessings from his father by theft, for ‘With the crooked you act tortuously.’ For Esav wished to deceive his father Yitzchak, who is the force of holy judgment, to deceive him into arousing judgment against Yaakov and to draw the blessings to himself, Heaven forbid. Therefore Yaakov clothed himself in Esav’s garments, which are the aspect of the force of judgment; precisely through this he drew out and received the blessings from Yitzchak. For he possessed great power: precisely through clothing himself in judgments, precisely through this he subdued the Other Side until he took all the holy things out of it together with the essence of its vitality. And through this he received all the blessings and all the flows of bounty from Yitzchak, who is the aspect of judgment; for no judgment could accuse him because he possessed great power.
And therefore ‘The voice is Yaakov’s voice,’ etc., is mentioned there, and ‘See, the scent of my son is like the scent of a field that Hashem has blessed,’ and ‘And may God give you,’ etc. For all this is attained through the powerful person’s prayer in the aspect of judgment, through which one attains the aspect of ‘The voice is Yaakov’s voice,’ which is the voice that waters the garden, through which all the spirits grow, in the aspect of ‘See, the scent of my son,’ etc., as is brought there in the above-mentioned Torah, which cites these verses in this connection; look there carefully. And this is ‘And I have given you one portion above your brothers’: it is the birthright, a double portion, ‘which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow’—‘with my prayer,’ etc., which is called sword and bow, the aspect of prayer in the aspect of judgment of the powerful person, through which he attained the birthright, and now gives this to Yosef. For he too attained this by descending to Egypt and withstanding the trial.
(הלכות גניבה הלכה ד׳ אות ח׳)
(Likutay Halachos, Laws of Theft, halacha 4, item 8)
[This means] that he arose and went away and did not kiss the mezuzah, as is brought down. For all this is connected to the verse, "And Jacob was a wholesome man, dwelling in tents." And it is stated in Yalkoot HaRi'oovaini that this is the mystery of mezuzos, which is the aspect of truth; see there a wondrous matter.
For Esau's entire blemish is that he was a man of the field, which is the opposite of the holiness of the house in which a mezuzah is affixed, which is the aspect of Jacob, a wholesome man dwelling in tents. And the principal blemish was that he did not kiss the mezuzah, that is, that he did not draw the holiness of the mezuzah upon himself when he went outside into the field.
For the Israelite, who is from the side of Jacob, a wholesome man, even when he goes outside, places his hand upon the mezuzah, and through this draws the holiness of the mezuzah also while he is outside, through the power of the holiness of the sukkah, which is also the aspect of Jacob, the aspect of "And Jacob traveled to Succoth" and "And he built himself a house," and as above, 86.
But Esau, the opposite of all this, when he goes outside does not place his hand upon the mezuzah, for he has no faith; and therefore he is truly a man of the field, for Esau is in the aspect of the blemish of nourishment of the body, which is the opposite of nourishment of the soul, which is the aspect of "The voice is Jacob's voice," through which [Jacob's] hand holds Esau by the heel, etc., as all this is explained in the aforementioned teaching. For all the holiness of faith is drawn through the aspect of "The voice is Jacob's voice," etc.; see there.
(הלכות ספר תורה הלכה ד׳ אות כ״ז)
(Likutay Halachos, Halachos of the Torah Scroll, Halacha 4, item 27)
He once spoke (Rabbi Noson) of the burning of the heart of Abraham our father, peace be upon him, who was the first to merit serving his Creator day and night with such self-sacrifice, and publicizing His name, blessed and exalted be He, in the world. And in the course of his holy conversation, someone answered before him in a tone of sorrow and groaning: How does one obtain such a heart?
Rabbi Noson, of blessed memory, rebuked him and said to him: You too have such a heart, but you do not kindle it. For free choice is free for every person, and every person, even the worst of the worst, has the power to merit the greatest of the great levels. And as our Sages of blessed memory said, every person must say: When will my deeds reach the deeds of my forefathers?
On another occasion he spoke with someone about some matter to which it was relevant to bring him a proof from Isaac our father, peace be upon him. And that man asked him: Why do you compare me to Isaac our father, peace be upon him? He answered him: What do you think—that Isaac our father did not have an evil inclination? If so, why did he merit becoming Isaac?
(כוכבי אור אנשי מוהר״ן אות ל, לא)
(Koachvay Oar, Anshay Moharan, items 30, 31)
bp-p137-m01 · bereishit 26:5
׳מצוה׳ הוא לשון צוותא התחברות שע״י כל מצוה מחברים האור לכלי המוחין
"Mitzvah" is an expression of togetherness, connection: through every mitzvah the light is connected to the vessels of the mental faculties.
This is the expression "mitzvah," which is an expression of connection, from the expression togetherness and joining. For through each and every mitzvah of the Torah's commandments, one joins and binds and connects the light of the radiance of the rishimoo, the residual impression, to the vessels of the mental faculties, through which one is bound to Him, blessed be He. And conversely, an avairuh, a transgression, God forbid, is an expression of passing away and going past, for through the transgression, God forbid, the light of this residual impression passes away and departs from him.
And therefore a mitzvah draws a mitzvah, and a transgression draws a transgression. For through the mitzvah one binds and connects to oneself the light of the radiance of the aforementioned residual impression, through which one becomes bound and attached to Hashem, blessed be He; and through this, each time the light of the holiness of the other mitzvos is drawn upon him, and one merits fulfilling them, for all the mitzvos are drawn from there. And likewise conversely with a transgression, God forbid.
For the principal holiness of Israel is to merit the aforementioned ultimate purpose, that is, to become bound and included in the light of the Infinite through the holiness of the Torah and mitzvos that are drawn from the radiance drawn from there. Fortunate is the one who strives at all times to draw upon himself the light of this radiance; fortunate is he.
And free choice is free for every person, for in every person the light of this radiance shines, for even in the lowest levels the light of the Infinite shines, for the light of the Infinite never ceases; and it is understood from the writings of the Arizal that even in the lowest limit of the world of Aseyuh the aspect of a line of the illumination drawn from the Infinite is clothed; see there. Only it is in great concealment and in very many garments.
But whoever wishes to attach himself to Hashem, blessed be He, can attach himself from whatever place he is in, as our master, of blessed memory, said in many, many expressions in many, many places. And of this it is said: "Fortunate is a man who does not forget You, and a son of man who strengthens himself in You." For very great effort and strengthening are needed for this, and anyone who is on a lower level must strengthen himself and exert himself in this more and more; for even in the intensity of darkness in the valley of the shadow of death one can draw upon oneself the light of the Infinite by shutting one's eyes and spending one's time for a while in the aforementioned aspect.
And of this it is said (Psalms 23): "Even when I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for You are with me." And it is written (Psalms 139): "Even darkness will not darken from You, and night will shine like day; darkness is like light." And it is written (Micah 7): "Do not rejoice over me, my enemy, for I have fallen, I have arisen; when I sit in darkness, Hashem is light for me." And understand well in practice.
(הלכות נטילת ידים שחרית הלכה ד׳ אות י״א)
(Likutay Halachos, Halachos of Morning Handwashing, Halacha 4, item 11)
bp-p138-m01 · bereishit 27:4
יצחק חשב שעשו עוסק בציד ועניני עולם הזה בשביל להחזיק את יעקב, את הלומדי תורה
Isaac thought that Esau engaged in hunting and the affairs of this world in order to support Jacob, those who study Torah.
At first sight the matter is astonishing: how did Isaac our father err in loving the wicked Esau, to the point that he wished to bless him? And even if Esau deceived him, at any rate he certainly knew that Jacob was far more righteous than he, for he was a wholesome man dwelling in tents, and a priestess should not be treated like an innkeeper. At any rate it was fitting to bless Jacob the righteous one first with the birthright.
But in truth Isaac our father certainly knew that Jacob's portion was Torah and prayer and the service of Hashem, and Esau's portion was pursuit of this world, for he was a skilled hunter, a man of the field. But the wicked Esau deceived his father until he thought that he too desired the ultimate purpose and loved those who study Torah and wished to support them.
For in truth the wicked Esau, although his portion was this material world and not taking upon himself the yoke of Torah and mitzvos, nevertheless, had he wished, he could have become a vehicle for holiness if he had loved Jacob. For it was fitting for him to support Jacob and toil and work all his days for Jacob his brother, in order to support him so that he could occupy himself with Torah, like Zebulun and Issachar, of whom it is said: "Rejoice, Zebulun," etc.
For in truth this is the principal ultimate purpose of the masses, ordinary people who do not occupy themselves with Torah and do occupy themselves with a livelihood, commerce, and the thirty-nine labors: they must strive with all their strength to support worthy Torah scholars, and this is their principal ultimate purpose. For through this action is included in will, for Torah is the aspect of will, and they occupy themselves with action, that is, with conducting commerce and the thirty-nine labors; and through their supporting Torah scholars from their commerce, through this action is included in will, which is the principal ultimate purpose.
And the wicked Esau deceived his father with great deceit until he thought that he held to this trait, that he loved Torah scholars and wished to support them. And this is: "And Isaac loved Esau, for game was in his mouth." And its Targum is: "For he would eat from his hunting." And the matter is astonishing, that a righteous man like Isaac our father should love the wicked man because he gives him food to eat.
But in truth his principal love was because he thought that the wicked Esau loved the Torah scholar and wished to support him. And therefore he loved him because of the food he gave him, through which he thought that he wished to support the Torah scholar, which would have been Esau's principal ultimate purpose had he truly done this.
And this [is the meaning of] his deceiving [his father] and asking him: Father, how does one tithe salt and straw? For the priestly gifts and tithes that are given to a priest are the aspect of charity, a gift of the heart that one gives to the priests in return for their service that they perform in the Tent of Meeting, which is the aspect of charity that one gives to the Torah scholar, who is called a priest, who occupies himself with the service of Hashem, blessed be He, etc. And therefore Esau, who deceived his father until [his father] thought that [Esau] wished to support the Torah scholar, therefore asked him: Father, how does one tithe, etc.? As though he desired to increase charity, priestly gifts and tithes, to the point that he was even uncertain whether to separate tithes from straw and salt.
But in truth all this was deceit, for on the contrary, not only did he not wish to support Jacob his righteous brother, but moreover, on the contrary, he was a great hater of Jacob the righteous one.
בשביל זה רצה לברכו בשפע גשמי, שיוכל להחזיק את העוסקי תורה
For this reason he wished to bless him with material abundance, so that he could support those who occupy themselves with Torah.
And because of this deceit by which he deceived his father, therefore Isaac wished to bless him, that is, he wished to give him an abundance of livelihood in this world, as it is written: "And God shall give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth." It was with this blessing that he wished to bless the wicked Esau, for he thought that he wished to occupy himself with the work of the field, with the thirty-nine labors, and support his brother the Torah scholar. Therefore he said that it was good to bless him with this blessing so that he would occupy himself with the work of the field and support his brother the Torah scholar.
For Jacob has no need at all of this blessing, for he has no need to occupy himself with any business at all, only with Torah and the service of Hashem, and Esau his brother will support him, as it will truly be in the future, when "And strangers will stand and tend your flocks," etc., will be fulfilled, for their principal ultimate purpose is to support Israel so that they can occupy themselves with Torah and the service of Hashem, blessed be He.
And therefore Isaac said: "Bring me game, and I shall eat," etc., for specifically through his bringing him game to eat, to support the Torah scholar, through this he would receive the blessings. For certainly, had Esau truly wished for this, that he would work in the work of the field and support Jacob his brother the Torah scholar, certainly the blessing would have been due to him by Jacob's merit, so that he could support him. But in truth the wicked man, the aspect of Esau, has no desire for this at all; he only wishes to receive the blessings for the desires of his evil heart, so that he can fulfill all his desires; and on the contrary, he wishes to persecute, God forbid, the righteous one, his brother.
knew all this well, that Esau was completely wicked and his intention was to do harm; therefore she sent Jacob to receive the blessings from his father by deceit. For Jacob the righteous one cannot receive the blessings, which are the abundance of livelihood in this world, except through this deceit: he is compelled to clothe himself in the aspect of material action, which is the aspect of Esau, so that he can receive a livelihood. And this [is the meaning of] her clothing him in Esau's garments and [Isaac's] not recognizing him, "for his hands were hairy like the hands of Esau his brother, and he blessed him."
For in truth Jacob at his root is far from material livelihood, for his portion is only Torah and mitzvos, the aspect of the illumination of will, which is the opposite of material action. And in truth, in the future, when Mashiach comes, speedily in our days, Israel will not occupy themselves with any business, for "And strangers will stand and tend your flocks," etc., will be fulfilled.
And therefore, had Jacob entered Isaac's presence without Esau's garments and asked him to bless him, that Hashem, blessed be He, give him abundance and success in the affairs of his livelihood, Isaac would not have consented to this, for he would have said to him: Why should you think about livelihood at all? For you need only occupy yourself with Torah and prayer, and his livelihood will be provided through others, and they must ask for livelihood in order to support you, for this is their principal ultimate purpose. But you must only dwell in the tent, without thinking about any livelihood at all.
[This is] as it will truly be in the future, when "And strangers will stand and tend your flocks," etc., will be fulfilled, etc. And Isaac our father wished the world to conduct itself immediately in this aspect, in the aspect of "And strangers will stand and tend your flocks," etc. And therefore he did not consent to bless Jacob with dew and rain for livelihood, for his livelihood would be provided through others, and why should he think at all about the needs for material dew and rain, which are for work of the field, which is not relevant to him at all? Only those who will occupy themselves with his livelihood will receive this blessing by Jacob's merit, so that they can support him, and as above.
But in truth, at that time the world had not yet been refined or completely purified of the serpent's impurity that was drawn through the sin of Adam the first man. And at that time the intensity of the serpent's impurity clung to the wicked Esau through his evil deeds, until he became a hater of his righteous brother Jacob, and had no wish to support him at all; on the contrary, he wished to persecute him. And he had no desire to receive the blessing of material livelihood except for himself and his desire, to fulfill the desires of his belly and in order to persecute Jacob still more.
And of him it is said: "And he loved a curse, and it came upon him; and he had no desire for blessing, and it drew far from him." For he loved a curse, which is the curses with which one was cursed because of the sin of Adam the first man: thirty-nine curses, which are the aspect of the thirty-nine material labors, the aspect of "In sorrow you shall eat it," "By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread," etc. And he loved this curse, for he chose this as his portion, for he was a man of the field. And he had no desire for blessing at all, for he had no desire at all to be a vehicle for Jacob, to support him in order to be included in blessing; and through this the blessing truly drew far from him, for Jacob received all the blessings.
For as long as the serpent's impurity has not yet been completely rectified and the masses who occupy themselves with labors and commerce do not support Torah scholars, to that extent one must still occupy oneself with labors and commerce. For to the extent that Israel increase charity—and the principal charity is to support Torah scholars—to that extent they repel the serpent's impurity, the aspect of the thirty-nine labors, and the distractions and business affairs diminish.
For even for one who occupies himself with commerce and labors, not everything is equal, for sometimes livelihood comes easily, through a slight cause, without much toil, and sometimes great toil is required and the earnings are small. And everything is according to the merit of charity, through which the serpent's impurity, the thirty-nine labors, is repelled, and to that extent business diminishes, until the future, when "Zion will be redeemed through justice, and those who return to her through charity" will be fulfilled; then will will be revealed, and then we will not need to occupy ourselves with any business or labors at all, for "And strangers will stand and tend your flocks," etc., was fulfilled. But now, as long as we do not merit this, Israel too must occupy themselves with some business and commerce in order to draw livelihood, and as above.
And this is the aspect of Jacob our father's clothing himself in Esau's garments in order to receive the blessing from his father, which is the blessing of dew and rain for livelihood, for Esau is the aspect of material action, the aspect of the thirty-nine labors, as above. And Jacob is truly far from this, for he is in the aspect of will, as above. But because the world is not rectified and the wicked man does not wish to support the righteous one, therefore worthy Israelites too, who are in the aspect of Jacob, must clothe themselves in Esau's garments, in material activities, which are the affairs of commerce and the thirty-nine labors, in order to draw livelihood.
(הלכות ערב הלכה ג׳ אות כ״א)
(Likutay Halachos, Halachos of the Guarantor, Halacha 3, item 21)
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יעקב הכניע עזות דס״א וזכה לעזות דקדושה
Jacob subdued the brazenness of the Other Side and attained holy boldness.
These two traits, boldness and shame, are two opposites, but both are very necessary for holiness. Yet one must be very careful to use each and every trait in its proper place, but not reverse them, Heaven forbid. And whoever damages them and reverses the order, using boldness in a place where shame is needed, or being ashamed in a place where boldness is needed, causes great damage thereby.
And this is the aspect of the entire matter that occurred between Jacob and Esau concerning receiving the blessings: his mother Rebecca's advice was specifically, "And take for me from there two kids of the goats, etc.," for all the blessings are drawn down through holy boldness, the aspect of "Hashem will give strength to His people; Hashem will bless His people," etc.—the aspect of the mighty powers of rain. And therefore his mother Rebecca commanded him to prepare two kids of the goats, and rectify and refine them, so that he would strengthen himself to subdue the brazenness of the Other Side, which is the serpent's filth, the aspect of Esau, a hairy man; and to attain holy boldness. And through this he would receive the blessings that are drawn down from there, as above.
(הלכות בשר בחלב הלכה ד׳ אות ט׳)
(Halachos of Meat with Milk, Halacha 4, item 9)
bp-p142-m01 · bereishit 27:20
יצחק ידע שהברכות יהיו ליעקב אך חשב שתחלה יהיו לעשיו והוא יתנם ליעקב
Isaac knew that the blessings would be Jacob's, but thought that first they would be Esau's and he would give them to Jacob.
Because of the magnitude of the accusation and the provocation of Esau, who is the aspect of a scorpion lying in wait for Israel continually—particularly at the time when they want to receive the blessings, which are the aspect of a good find, for then he lies in wait and accuses all the more—it was therefore necessary that he go with guile. And [he] caused Hashem, blessed be He, [to bring it about] that Isaac should send Esau to hunt game, etc.; and in the meantime it was specifically Jacob who received the blessings, as is brought in the holy Zohar and in the writings of the Ari, of blessed memory, concerning this.
And this is what Isaac said to Jacob: "How is it that you hurried to find it, my son?"—specifically, "you hurried." For Isaac saw and understood then, from a distance, that this was Jacob, as is understood in the Torah portion, when he said, "Come near, please, and let me feel you," etc. Therefore he said to him: How is it that you hurried to find such a good find, to feed me and receive the blessings through this? That is, he said: For I know that, in the end, in the very end, all the blessings will reach you, Jacob; but I had thought that at first the blessings must be given to Esau, for he needs to rule first. And as Jacob himself said, 'Let my lord please pass before his servant,' as is brought. Therefore I wished to bless him first, and therefore: How is it that you hurried—specifically, 'you hurried'—'to find it, my son'? For in my view the blessings, which are the aspect of good finds, are not yet yours.
And he answered, “For Hashem your God brought it before me.” And it is stated in the Midrash: Rabbi Yochanan and Raish Lakish—one said: If the Holy One, blessed be He, provided for you for your sacrifice, as it is said, “And Abraham lifted his eyes and saw, and behold, a ram,” etc., then for your food, how much more so. And one said: If He provided for you for your match, as it is written, “Bring it before me, please, today”; and it is written, “And he saw, and behold, camels were coming”—then for your food, how much more so. And this is seemingly astonishing, for at first glance it is a refutable inference from the lesser to the greater: for certainly saving Isaac from the judgment of slaughter at the Binding, and likewise providing him with his match, is a greater deliverance than providing him with his food for the moment. But according to the foregoing, the Midrash will be well understood, and will come together as one coherent whole, and will be very pleasing to the soul, with the help of Hashem, blessed be He. For specifically the merit of the Binding and finding his match were what he mentioned then, when he wanted to receive the blessings. For he said: Was it not for the sake of the sacrifice of the Binding, which is to sweeten your mighty powers, that Hashem brought the ram? And likewise, in order to provide your match, Rebecca, who is the aspect of prayer that sweetens the aspect of judgment and might of Isaac, Hashem, blessed be He, helped in a wondrous way. Although it was very difficult to find your match because of the immensity of your mighty powers, as above, nevertheless Hashem had compassion and provided her for you. And all of it was for my sake, for Israel to descend from me. And now, for your food, which I wish to feed you in order to receive the blessings, so that Israel will be able to endure in the world and sustain themselves through all the severity and length of the bitterness of their exile—how much more so will Hashem, blessed be He, provide before me.
It follows that this Midrash is connected very beautifully: for specifically through the sweetening of the Binding, and through his match, Rebecca, the aspect of prayer, as above, through this he received the blessings, as above. And this is what is written (in Sefer HaAlef-Bais, item 7): that the eating of the tzaddikim is greater than sacrifices and than their marital union, etc. And understand well.
And therefore Isaac said then, “The voice is Jacob’s voice,” etc. For he understood then the immensity of Jacob’s power: he had attained the aspect of “we will do” and “we will hear” in completeness, to the combined whole of judgment and charity together, which are the aspect of Torah and prayer; through this one attains boldness, the aspect of voices, the aspect of “Behold, He will give forth with His voice a mighty voice,” as is explained there. Therefore Isaac said then: Now I know that “the voice is Jacob’s voice” is very strong, so that through this he will prevail over “the hands are Esau’s hands,” as our Rabbis of blessed memory expounded. For I see and understand that his voice is growing very strong, since he has merited to sweeten judgment through charity, to the point that he found [a way] to feed me and to receive the blessings. This is drawn down from the inclusion of Torah and prayer; through this one attains holy boldness, the aspect of voices, the aspect of “the voice is Jacob’s voice,” as above. And this is the aspect of “the voice,” “voice”—two voices: the aspect of the voice of Torah and the voice of prayer, which are included together. Through this comes the principal strengthening of holy boldness against the brazenness of the Other Side, to prevail over “the hands are Esau’s hands,” who draws nourishment from the aspect of judgment when it is not included in completeness in the aspect of charity. But through “the voice is Jacob’s voice,” the aspect of two voices drawn down from Torah and prayer that are included together, through this he prevails over “the hands are Esau’s hands,” and they nullify them, as above.
(הלכות מתנה הלכה ה׳ אות מ״ד)
(Halachos of Gifts, Halacha 5, item 44)
Independent printed apparatus · ציונים עצמאיים
Standalone source bodies; main ownership remains unassigned.
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פד. שנאמר לגבי נערה שנאנסה בפרשת כי תצא (כ״ב כ״ז)
84. Said concerning a young woman who was raped, in the portion “When you go out” (22:27).
bp-p132-n01
פה.
85.
עיין להלן פרשת אחרי מות בפסוק "וחי בהם" בהרחבה דברי רבינו ז״ל בזה.
See below, in the parshah of Acharay Mos, at the verse “And live by them,” the words of Rabbainu, of blessed memory, on this at length.
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פו.
86.
מובא בפסוק קודם "ויעקב איש תם ישב אהלים".
Brought at the preceding verse, “And Yaakov was a wholesome man, dwelling in tents.”
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פז.
87.
בחיי מוהר״ן (אות ר״מ): שמעתי שפעם אחת היה איש אחד מאנשי שלומנו קובל לפניו מאד על חסרון פרנסתו. אמר לו רבנו זכרונו לברכה,
In Chayay Moharan (item 240): I heard that once a man from among our companions complained very much before him about his lack of livelihood. Our master, of blessed memory, said to him:
איני יודע איך יש לכם לב כזה לבלבל אותי בהבלי עולם הזה, הלא אני דומה כמי שהולך יומם ולילה במדבר, חתר ומבקש לעשות ממדבר ישוב כי בכל אחד מכם בלבו מדבר שממה מאין יושב, ואין שם מדור לשכינה ואני חתר ומבקש בכל עת לעשות איזה תקון ומקום בלבבכם להיות שם מדור לשכינה. הלא כמה יגיעות צריכין לעשות מאילן סרק עב שקורין דמב לעשות ממנו כלים יפים וראויים לתשמיש אדם. כמה יגיעות צריכין לזה עד שמסתתין אותו ומנסרין אותו ומתקנין אותו במעצד ובשאר כלים הצריכין לזה. כמו כן ממש יגיעות כאלו צריך אני ליגע את עצמי עם כל אחד מכם לעשות עמו איזה תקון. ואתם מבלבלין אותי בהבלים כאלה. ע״כ.
I do not know how you have a heart like this, to disturb me with the vanities of this world. Surely I am like someone who walks day and night in a wilderness, striving and seeking to turn a wilderness into a settled place; for in the heart of each of you there is a desolate wilderness without inhabitant, and there is no dwelling there for the Divine Presence. And I strive and seek at every moment to make some rectification and a place in your hearts where there will be a dwelling for the Divine Presence. Surely how much toil is needed to take a thick barren tree called "damb" and make from it beautiful utensils fit for human use. How much toil is needed for this, until one hews it, saws it, and shapes it with an adze and with the other tools needed for this. Just so, with such toil I must exert myself with each one of you to make some rectification with him. And you disturb me with such vanities. End of quotation.
