Zohar Toldot - Section 9 - "The Boys Grew - For He Relished His Venison"

It is recommended to study the section prior to reading the Synopsis.

Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Toldot Section 9

It is best to study the Zohar in the following manner:

1. Read out loud the Aramaic Verse. If you need to transliterate in order to read with the sounds of the lettersthe verse see below. If you use the transliteration tool than make sure you scan the Aramaic first and last.

2. Read the English Translation - if you desire to understand and realize that your understanding will limit the energy you receive. This is why it is important to scan the aramaic verse first.

3.Write out your understanding of the verse. Send it to yeshshem@hotmail.com in an email. Use the Parasha Name and verse number in the subject. By sending your understanding you give yeshshem.com permission to post this to web page and any other uses Yeshshem may see a beneficial use.

4. Now read chanoch's Commentary or additions to enhance and or modify your own personal understanding.

SYNOPSIS:

The discussion moves to a more profound understanding of the metaphor of Esau as a hunter. Even in the womb, Jacob was drawn to The Creator, while Esau was drawn to idolatry. As a cunning hunter, Esau stole the minds of men and led them astray so that they would rebel against The Creator. As the Rabbis probe the issue of why Isaac did not know these things about his son, we discover that the Shechinah wanted only Jacob to be blessed with the spirit of the The Creator, which is precisely what transpired.

THE RELEVANCE OF THE PASSAGE:

The verses pertaining to Esau's coercing men into idolatry, function as a kind of spiritual homeopathy. Just as the cure for a deadly snake bite resides within the venom of the snake, the remedy for strengthening our consciousness against temptations of the material world resides within the verses that speak these matters. We also draw the Light of the Shechinah into our lives through the merit of Jacob.

Pasook 73. from the Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Toldot

וַיִּגְדְּלוּ הַנְּעָרִים. סִטְרָא דְאַבְרָהָם גָּרִים לוֹן לְאִתְגַּדָּלָא, וּזְכוּתֵיהּ סִיַּיע לוֹן, הוּא הֲוָה מְחַנֵּךְ לוֹן בְּמִצְוֹת, דִּכְתִיב, כִּי יְדַעְתִּיו לְמַעַן אֲשֶׁר יְצַוֶּה אֶת בָּנָיו וגו', לְאַסְגָּאָה יַעֲקֹב וְעֵשָׂו. וַיִּגְדְּלוּ הַנְּעָרִים וַיְהִי עֵשָׂו אִישׁ יוֹדֵעַ צַיִד וגו'. אֲמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, כָּל חַד וְחַד, אִתְפְּרַשׁ לְאָרְחֵיהּ דָּא לְסִטְרָא דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא, וְדָא לְסִטְרָא דַּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה.

Transliteration

Please use a Transliteration tool to read the Aramaic Verses. This enhances the energy transfer since it uses both sight of the Hebrew Letters and Sound as well. You may find a transliteration tool on the dailyzohar website or through an internet search for "Hebrew Transliteration".

Translation

"And the boys grew..." (Beresheet 25:27). This refers to the side of Abraham, THE RIGHT SIDE, WHICH IS CHASSADIM AND which caused them to grow. His merit supported them, for he was teaching them the precepts, as it is written, "For I know him, that he will command (Et) his children" (Beresheet 18:19). The particle Et means that Jacob and Esau are included AMONG HIS SONS. Therefore, the explanation of, "And the boys grew," IS THAT THEY GREW IN HOLINESS, ONLY AFTERWARDS ESAU BECAME CORRUPTED. Rabbi Elazar disagreed. HE BELIEVES THAT each went his own way -- one toward s faith, and the other towards idolatry.

chanoch's Commentary

Normallyohar is telling us that the grandchildren are the children of the grandparents. This hints to the spiritual law of up to 2 descendants or frames of reference AND NO MORE. This applies in many areas of halacha including Shabbat and kashrut.

Pasook 74. from the Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Toldot

וְכֵן הֲוָה בְּמֵעוֹי דְרִבְקָה, דְּתַמָּן כָּל חַד אָזֵיל לְסִטְרֵיהּ, דְּכַד אִיהִי אִשְׁתַּדְּלַת בְּעוֹבָדִין דְּכָשְׁרָן, אוֹ עֲבָרַת סְמִיךְ לַאֲתַר טַב, לְמֶעְבַּד פִּקּוּדֵי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא, הֲוָה יַעֲקֹב חָדֵי, וְדָחִיק לְנָפְקָא, וְכַד הֲוַות אָזְלָא, סְמִיךְ לַאֲתַר ע"ז, הַהוּא רָשָׁע בָּטַשׁ לְנָפְקָא, וְאוֹקְמוּהָ. וּבְגִין כָּך, כַּד אִתְבְּרִיאוּ וּנְפָקוּ לְעַלְמָא, כָּל חַד אִתְפְּרַשׁ, וְאָזֵיל וְאִתְמְשַׁךְ בְּדוּכְתֵּיהּ. דְּאִתְחֲזֵי לֵיהּ, וְעַל דָּא, וַיִּגְדְּלוּ הַנְּעָרִים וַיְהִי עֵשָׂו אִישׁ יוֹדֵעַ צַיִד וגו'.

Transliteration

Please use a Transliteration tool to read the Aramaic Verses. This enhances the energy transfer since it uses both sight of the Hebrew Letters and Sound as well. You may find a transliteration tool on the dailyzohar website or through an internet search for "Hebrew Transliteration".

Translation

So it was. While still in Rivkah's womb, each went toward his own side. When she was performing good deeds or passing near a place that is favorable to the precepts of Torah, Jacob was glad and struggled to come out. And when she walked past a place of idolatry, the wicked one struggled to come out. This has already been explained. For that reason, when they were born into the world, each was drawn to the place he deserved. Therefore it is written, "And the boys grew, and Esau was a cunning hunter..." WHICH MEANS THAT HE LED PEOPLE ASTRAY TO REBEL AGAINST HASHEM.

chanoch's Commentary

Rabbi Ashlag's comments make this pasuk clear.

Pasook 75. from the Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Toldot

וַיֶּאֱהַב יִצְחָק אֶת עֵשָׂו כִּי צַיִד בְּפִיו, הָא אוֹקְמוּהָ, דִּכְתִיב, אִישׁ יוֹדֵעַ צַיִד אִישׁ שָׂדֶה. וּכְתִיב הָתָם, הוּא הָיָה גִבּוֹר צַיִד אִישׁ שָׂדֶה, לְקַפְּחָא לוֹן לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא, וּלְקָטְלָא לוֹן, וְאִיהוּ אֲמַר דַּעֲבֵיד צְלוֹתָא, וְצַיֵּיד לֵיהּ בְּפוּמֵיהּ. אִישׁ שָׂדֶה, בְּגִין דְּחוּלַק עַדְבֵיהּ, לַאו אִיהִי בְּיִשּׁוּבָא, אֶלָּא בַּאֲתַר חָרוּב, בְּמַדְבְּרָא, בְּחַקְלָא, וְעַל דָּא אִישׁ שָׂדֶה.

Transliteration

Please use a Transliteration tool to read the Aramaic Verses. This enhances the energy transfer since it uses both sight of the Hebrew Letters and Sound as well. You may find a transliteration tool on the dailyzohar website or through an internet search for "Hebrew Transliteration".

Translation

"And Isaac loved Esau, for he relished his venison" (Beresheet 24:28). This verse has been explained. Here, it is written, "a cunning hunter, a man of the field," while elsewhere it is written, "he was a mighty hunter" (Beresheet 10:9). THERE IT MEANS THAT HE DELUDED MEN AND LED THEM ASTRAY TO REBEL AGAINST HASHEM; HERE, IT MEANS THE SAME. THUS, "a man of the field" is one who robbed and murdered people. And ESAU said HE WENT TO THE FIELD to pray, AS IT IS WRITTEN OF ISAAC, "AND ISAAC WENT OUT TO MEDITATE IN THE FIELD" (BERESHEET 24:63). He hunted AND CHEATED ISAAC through his mouth, as it is written, "He relished his venison (lit. there was venison in his mouth)." He was called "a man of the field," because his lot was not in a populated place, but in a desolate place, in the open wilderness, in the field. Thus, he was called "a man of the field."

chanoch's Commentary

This pasuk is explaining code words and expanding on their explanation.

Pasook 76. from the Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Toldot

וְאִי תֵימָא, הֵיךְ לָא יָדַע יִצְחָק, כָּל עוֹבָדוֹי בִּישִׁין דְּעֵשָׂו, וְהָא שְׁכִינְתָּא הֲוַת עִמֵּיהּ, דְּאִי לָא שַׁרְיָא עִמֵּיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא, הֵיךְ יָכֵיל לְבָרְכָא לֵיהּ לְיַעֲקֹב, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּבָרְכֵיהּ. אֶלָּא וַדַּאי, שְׁכִינְתָּא הֲוַת דָּיְירָא עִמֵּיהּ בְּבֵיתָא, וְדָיְירָא עִמֵּיהּ תָּדִיר, אֲבָל לָא אוֹדְעָא לֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּיִתְבָּרֵךְ יַעֲקֹב בְּלָא דַעְתֵּיהּ, אֶלָּא בְּדַעְתֵּיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְהָכֵי אִצְטְרִיךְ, דִּבְהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא דְּעָאל יַעֲקֹב קַמֵּי אֲבוּהִי, עָאלַת עִמֵּיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא, וּכְדֵין חָמָא בְּדַעְתּוֹי יִצְחָק, דְּאִתְחֲזֵי לִבְרָכָא, וְיִתְבְּרִיךְ מִדַּעְתָּא דִשְׁכִינְתָּא.

Transliteration

Please use a Transliteration tool to read the Aramaic Verses. This enhances the energy transfer since it uses both sight of the Hebrew Letters and Sound as well. You may find a transliteration tool on the dailyzohar website or through an internet search for "Hebrew Transliteration".

Translation

You may ask why Isaac did not know of all the wicked deeds of Esau, as the Shechinah was with him AND HE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN IT THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT. For without the Shechinah, how could he have blessed Jacob when he did? Assuredly, the Shechinah dwelt in his house and was with him always. But the Shechinah did not inform him of that, because Jacob was to be blessed only with the knowledge of the Holy One, blessed be He. And so it had to be. For when Jacob came before his father, the Shechinah came with him, and then Isaac saw in his mind that Jacob was worthy of being blessed and that he would be blessed by the approval of the Shechinah.

chanoch's Commentary

Isaac never asked the right question and thus the Shechinah did not answer and did not volunteer information.