Dvar Torah: Parshat Toldot

This week's Parsha, Parshat Toldot, highlights a well known story of Yaakov and Esav. In Rivka’s womb, Yaakov and Esav “struggled within her''; Rivka consults with HaShem regarding this matter, and He answers her. HaShem says there will be two nations formed from these children, and the older one will serve the younger one. When they were born, the elder baby was very hairy and redheaded, so they called him Esav. When the younger one was born, he was holding onto Esav’s heel; he was therefore named Yaakov.

Many years later, Yitchak was unable to see anymore and called his favorite and elder son, Esav, to bring him a meal, as he wanted to bless him before he died. We see a great act of כיבוד אב ואם, honoring one’s parents, in this section about Esav. When Yitzchak called him, Esav replied with “הנני: I am here” and was prepared to do whatever his father was going to ask of him. Although Esav had many negative characteristics, we can indeed learn one significant lesson about him: his willingness to perform Kibbud Av Va’em. Although Esav was known as one of extreme wickedness, he still performed this mitzvah. which is highly important. Esav’s Kibbud Av Va’em does not go unnoticed by Hashem, because in Sefer Devarim we see how Hashem respects this deed by telling Bnei Yisrael to pass through Edom, but they should not attack them or try to take their land. Hashem says he won’t give this land to Bnei Yisrael because he granted Har Seir to the descendants of Esav as a reward for their ancestor’s actions. From this, we can learn the significance of the commandment of honoring our parents and how crucial it is to Hashem that we fulfill this mitzvah.