Toldot: Worlds Apart

Parashat Toldot introduces us to the struggle between Jacob and his twin brother Esau.  Not only will the tensions of their actual relationship continue to reverberate in this section of the Genesis narrative; their sibling rivalry becomes an extended metaphor throughout history for struggles between Jews and other nations.  In the time of the Talmud, the rabbis heaped disdain upon Esau, and used him as a sort of proxy for venting their frustrations about Roman rule.  Some contemporary commentators have suggested that the conflict between Jacob and Esau we read about in Toldot presages the conflict between the modern state of Israel and her Arab neighbors.

The brothers, we are told, battled one another even in the womb.  The bartering of the birthright and the subsequent chicanery that allows Jacob to receive the blessing reserved for his brother only underscores this contentiousness.  Yet even in the midst of this drama, there are of course lessons for us to learn.

Esau cries out in anguish, after learning that his father has "mistakenly" blessed Jacob (how much of a mistake this truly was is, of course, the subject of much debate by biblical exegetes).  He asks, "Have you but one blessing, father?"

The answer to Esau's question, which the Torah treats as rhetorical, is an emphatic "no."  Each of us is capable and worthy of receiving our own blessings, tailor-made to our hopes, desires, talents, and needs.  Ultimately, I believe that Jacob received the blessing that would be most useful and meaningful for him, and Esau was granted what he needed.  The brothers would have done well to recognize that life is not a zero-sum game: we need not see others' opportunities diminished in order to enjoy the bounty of our own blessings.  This is a lesson we all can take to heart.

This is the first song I've selected that does not fit the genre of "rock/pop" music.  It's a song from the musical "Big River," a telling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  In it, Huck and Jim realize (as much as they can do so within the confines of a Broadway musical) that they have similarities and differences, and both are worthy of being celebrated

Please note, I do not own-- nor do I claim to own-- these songs.  Copyrights are held by the various artists.  I include them here for illustrative purposes.

Worlds Apart- (Toldot, Genesis 25:19-28:9)
Music and lyrics by Roger Miller.  From the musical "Big River."  Original cast recording featuring Daniel H. Jenkins and Ron Richardson.