R. Isaac said: ‘It is written: AND THE CHILDREN STRUGGLED TOGETHER WITHIN HER; AND SHE SAID, IF IT BE SO, WHEREFORE DO I LIVE? AND SHE WENT TO ENQUIRE OF THE LORD. Whither did she go? To the Academy of Shem and Eber. “And the children struggled together within her”, for there already Esau declared war against Jacob. The term vayithrozzu (and they struggled) is akin to a root meaning “to break”, and thus it implies that they broke asunder and drifted away from each other. Observe that the one was of the side of him who rides the serpent, whilst the other was of the side of Him who rides on the sacred and perfect throne; of the side of the sun that illumines the moon.
And observe further that because Esau was drawn after that serpent, Jacob dealt with him crookedly like the serpent, who is cunning and goes crookedly, as we read: “And the serpent was more cunning etc.” (Gen. 3, 1). Jacob then dealt with him after the manner of the serpent in order to draw him further serpentward, so that he should separate further from himself and thus not have any share with him either in this world or in the world to come; and our teachers have said, “When a man comes to kill you, kill him first.” It is written of Jacob: “In the womb he took his brother by the heel” (Hos. 12, 4), that is, he drew him downwards by1Al. “to the heel”, i.e. to the lower grades. the heel. So it says: AND HIS HAND HAD HOLD ON ESAU’S HEEL, i.e he put his hand on Esau’s heel in order thereby to force him down.
According to another explanation, the words “and his hand had hold” imply that he could not escape him entirely, but his hand was still clinging to his brother’s heel. Esoterically speaking, the moon was obscured through the heel of Esau; hence it was necessary to deal with him cunningly, so as to thrust him downwards and make him adhere to the region assigned to him.
AND HE CALLED HIS NAME JACOB. It was God who called him so. (So, too, it is written lower down, “Hath he not rightly called his name Jacob?” (Gen. 27, 36) and not “his name was called”.) God saw that the primeval serpent was full of guile to do mischief, and so when Jacob appeared He said: “Behold, here is one who can stand up to him”, and therefore He called him Ya’kob, akin to the term vaya’kebeni (and he acted toward me with guile) (Gen. 27, 35).
It has already been pointed out that the simple term vayikra (and he called), as when it says, “and he called unto Moses”, points to the lowest grade (of the Sephiroth). At no time did Jacob receive a name from a human being. So in another passage we find: “And the God of Israel called him El (God)” (Gen. 33, 20), signifying that the God of Israel called Jacob by the name of “El” (God), as though to say, “I am the God of the supernal world and be thou the God of the world below”.
Observe that Jacob knew that Esau was destined to ally himself to that tortuous serpent, and hence in all his dealings with him he conducted himself like another tortuous serpent, using all cunning devices; and so it was meet. The same idea was expressed by R. Simeon when, in expounding the verse, “And God created the great fishes, and every living creature that creepeth” (Gen. 1, 21), he said: ‘The “great fishes” are symbolic of Jacob and Esau, and “every living creature that creepeth” symbolises all the intermediate grades.’ Verily Jacob was endowed with cunning to enable him to hold his own with that other serpent; and so it was meet.
For the same reason every New Moon a goat is to be offered up so as to draw the serpent to his own place and thus keep him away from the moon. The same applies to the Day of Atonement, when a goat is to be offered. All this is cunningly devised in order to gain dominion over him, and make him impotent to do mischief. So Scripture says: “And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities into a land which is cut off’ (Lev. 16, 22), where the goat (sa ‘ir = Seir), as already explained, symbolises Esau. In all dealings with him cunning and craft are employed, in accordance with the words of the Scripture: “And with the crooked thou dost show thyself subtle” (Ps. 18, 27); and as the evil serpent is resourceful and crafty, trying to mislead the heavenly as well as the earthly beings,
Israel anticipate him and counter him with similar ruses and devices so as to prevent him from working his evil will; just as Jacob, who was endowed with the true faith, in all his actions towards Esau had no aim but to prevent the serpent from defiling the Sanctuary or even approaching it, and so achieving dominion over the world. There was however, no need either for Abraham or for Isaac to use such tortuous ways, seeing that Esau, who was of the side of the serpent, had not yet appeared in the world. But Jacob, being the master of the household, had to counter the serpent, and to give him no chance to tarnish the Sanctuary of Jacob. Hence Jacob had need of such shifts more than any other person. Israel, therefore, was chosen as the portion of the heritage of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written: “For the portion of the Lord is his people, Jacob the lot of his inheritance” (Deut. 32, 9).
אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, כְּתִיב, (בראשית כ״ה:כ״ב) וַיִּתְרֹצֲצוּ הַבָּנִים בְּקִרֵבָּהּ וַתֹּאמֶר אִם כֵּן לָמָּה זֶה אָנֹכִי וַתֵּלֶךְ לִדְרשׁ אֶת יְיָ, לְאָן אֲתַר אָזְלַת. לְבֵי מִדְרְשָׁא דְּשֵׁם וְעֵבֶר. וַיִּתְרֹצֲצוּ הַבָּנִים בְּקִרְבָּהּ, דְּתַמָּן הֲוָה הַהוּא רָשָׁע דְּעֵשָׂו אֲגַח קְרָבָא בֵּיהּ בְּיַעֲקֹב. וַיִּתְרֹצֲצוּ, אִתְבָּרוּ כְּמָה דְאַמְרִינָן, רָצַץ אֶת מוֹחוֹ. אִתְבָּרוּ דָּא עִם דָּא וְאִתְפְּלָגוּ. תָּא חֲזֵי, דָּא סִטְרָא דְּרוֹכֵב נָחָשׁ, וְדָא סִטְרָא דְּרוֹכֵב עַל כָּרְסְיָא שְׁלֵימָתָא קַדִּישָׁא בְּסִטְרָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא, לְשַׁמָּשָׁא בְּסִיהֲרָא.
R. Isaac said: ‘It is written: AND THE CHILDREN STRUGGLED TOGETHER WITHIN HER; AND SHE SAID, IF IT BE SO, WHEREFORE DO I LIVE? AND SHE WENT TO ENQUIRE OF THE LORD. Whither did she go? To the Academy of Shem and Eber. “And the children struggled together within her”, for there already Esau declared war against Jacob. The term vayithrozzu (and they struggled) is akin to a root meaning “to break”, and thus it implies that they broke asunder and drifted away from each other. Observe that the one was of the side of him who rides the serpent, whilst the other was of the side of Him who rides on the sacred and perfect throne; of the side of the sun that illumines the moon.
וְתָא חֲזֵי, בְּגִין דְּאִתְמְשַׁךְ עֵשָׂו אֲבַתְרִיהּ דְּהַהוּא נָחָשׁ, אָזִיל עִמֵּיהּ יַעֲקֹב בְּעֲקִימָא, כְּנָחָשׁ דְּאִיהוּ חַכִּים, וְאִיהוּ אָזִיל בְּעֲקִימוּ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (בראשית ג׳:א׳) וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוֹם וְגו', חַכִּים. וְעוֹבָדוֹי דְיַעֲקֹב לְגַבֵּיהּ הֲווּ לֵיהּ כְּנָחָשׁ, וְהָכִי אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ, בְּגִין לְאַמְשָׁכָא לֵיהּ לְעֵשָׂו בַּתְרֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא נָחָשׁ, וְיִתְפְּרַשׁ מִנֵּיהּ, וְלָא יְהֵא לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא עִמֵּיהּ בְּעַלְמָא דֵין וּבְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי. וְתָנִינָן, בָּא לְהָרְגְּךָ, אַקְדִּים אַנְתְּ וְקַטְלֵיהּ. כְּתִיב, בַּבֶּטֶן עָקַב אֶת אָחִיו דְּאַשְׁרֵי לֵיהּ לְתַתָּא, בְּהַהוּא עָקֵב, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (בראשית כח) וְיָדוֹ אוֹחֶזֶת בַּעֲקֵב עֵשָׂו, דְּשַׁוֵּי יְדוֹי עַל הַהוּא עָקֵב לְאִכַּפְיָא לֵיהּ.
And observe further that because Esau was drawn after that serpent, Jacob dealt with him crookedly like the serpent, who is cunning and goes crookedly, as we read: “And the serpent was more cunning etc.” (Gen. 3, 1). Jacob then dealt with him after the manner of the serpent in order to draw him further serpentward, so that he should separate further from himself and thus not have any share with him either in this world or in the world to come; and our teachers have said, “When a man comes to kill you, kill him first.” It is written of Jacob: “In the womb he took his brother by the heel” (Hos. 12, 4), that is, he drew him downwards by1Al. “to the heel”, i.e. to the lower grades. the heel. So it says: AND HIS HAND HAD HOLD ON ESAU’S HEEL, i.e he put his hand on Esau’s heel in order thereby to force him down.
דָבָר אַחֵר וְיָדוֹ אוֹחֶזֶת, דְּלָא יָכִיל לְמֵיפַּק מִנֵּיהּ מִכֹּל וָכֹל, אֶלָּא וְיָדוֹ אוֹחֶזֶת בַּעֲקֵב עֵשָׂו דָּא סִיהֲרָא, דְּאִתְכַּסְּיָא נְהוֹרָא בְּגִין עֵקֶב דְּעֵשָׂו, וְעַל דָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְמֵיהַךְ עִמֵּיהּ בְּחָכְמְתָא, בְּגִין לְדַחֲיָיא לֵיהּ לְתַתָּא וְיִתְדַּבַּק בְּאַתְרֵיהּ.
According to another explanation, the words “and his hand had hold” imply that he could not escape him entirely, but his hand was still clinging to his brother’s heel. Esoterically speaking, the moon was obscured through the heel of Esau; hence it was necessary to deal with him cunningly, so as to thrust him downwards and make him adhere to the region assigned to him.
(בראשית כ״ה:כ״ו) וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ יַעֲקֹב. קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קָרֵי לֵיהּ יַעֲקֹב וַדַּאי. תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב, (בראשית כ״ז:ל״ו) הָכִי קָרָא שְׁמוֹ יַעֲקֹב, נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא קָרָא שְׁמוֹ. וַיַּעַקְבֵנִי, וַדַּאי חָמָא לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּהָא הַהוּא חִוְיָא קַדְמָאָה אִיהוּ חַכִּים לְאַבְאָשָׁא, כֵּיוָן דְּאֲתָא יַעֲקֹב, אָמַר הָא וַדַּאי חַכִּים לְקֳבְלֵיהּ, וּבְגִין כָּךְ קָרָא לֵיהּ יַעֲקֹב.
AND HE CALLED HIS NAME JACOB. It was God who called him so. (So, too, it is written lower down, “Hath he not rightly called his name Jacob?” (Gen. 27, 36) and not “his name was called”.) God saw that the primeval serpent was full of guile to do mischief, and so when Jacob appeared He said: “Behold, here is one who can stand up to him”, and therefore He called him Ya’kob, akin to the term vaya’kebeni (and he acted toward me with guile) (Gen. 27, 35).
הָא (ק"ב ע"א) אוֹקִימְנָא בְּכָל אֲתַר, וַיִּקְרָא סְתָם הַאי הוּא דַּרְגָּא בַּתְרָאָה, כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, (ויקרא א׳:א׳) וַיִּקְרָא אֶל משֶׁה וְגו'. וְהָכָא וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ יַעֲקֹב, בְּכָל אֲתַר שְׁמֵיהּ לָא אִקְרֵי (ד"א ל"ג אלא) עַל יְדָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ. בְּאֲתַר אָחֳרָא מַה כְּתִיב, (בראשית ל״ג:כ׳) וַיִּקְרָא לוֹ אֵל אֱלהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קָרָא לֵיהּ לְיַעֲקֹב אֵל. אָמַר לֵיהּ, אֲנָא אֱלָהָא בְּעִלָּאֵי וְאַנְתְּ אֱלָהָא בְּתַתָּאֵי.
It has already been pointed out that the simple term vayikra (and he called), as when it says, “and he called unto Moses”, points to the lowest grade (of the Sephiroth). At no time did Jacob receive a name from a human being. So in another passage we find: “And the God of Israel called him El (God)” (Gen. 33, 20), signifying that the God of Israel called Jacob by the name of “El” (God), as though to say, “I am the God of the supernal world and be thou the God of the world below”.
וְתָא חֲזֵי, יַעֲקֹב הֲוָה יָדַע דְּעֵשָׂו הֲוָה לֵיהּ לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּהַהוּא חִוְיָא עֲקִימָא, וְעַל דָּא בְּכָל עוֹבָדוֹי אִתְמַשִּׁיךְ עֲלֵיהּ כְּחִוְיָא עֲקִימָא אָחֳרָא, בְּחָכְמְתָא בְּעֲקִימוּ, וְהָכִי אִצְטְרִיךְ. וְאַתְיָיא דָא, כִּי הָא דְּאָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, מַאי דִכְתִיב, (בראשית א׳:כ״א) וַיִּבְרָא אֱלהִים אֶת הַתַּנִּינִים הַגְּדוֹלִים, דָּא יַעֲקֹב וְעֵשָׂו. (בראשית א׳:כ״א) וְאֶת כָּל נֶפֶשׁ הַחַיָּה הָרוֹמֶשֶׂת, אִלֵּין שְׁאָר דַּרְגִּין דְּבֵינַיְיהוּ, וַדַּאי אִתְעֲבִיד יַעֲקֹב חַכִּים לְקֳבְלֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא חִוְיָא אָחֳרָא וְהָכִי אִצְטְרִיךְ.
Observe that Jacob knew that Esau was destined to ally himself to that tortuous serpent, and hence in all his dealings with him he conducted himself like another tortuous serpent, using all cunning devices; and so it was meet. The same idea was expressed by R. Simeon when, in expounding the verse, “And God created the great fishes, and every living creature that creepeth” (Gen. 1, 21), he said: ‘The “great fishes” are symbolic of Jacob and Esau, and “every living creature that creepeth” symbolises all the intermediate grades.’ Verily Jacob was endowed with cunning to enable him to hold his own with that other serpent; and so it was meet.
וּבְגִין כָּךְ בְּכָל יַרְחָא וְיַרְחָא חַד שָׂעִיר, בְּגִין לְאַמְשָׁכָא לֵיהּ לְאַתְרֵיהּ וְיִתְפְּרַשׁ מִן סִיהֲרָא. וְכֵן בְּיוֹמֵי דְכִפּוִּרִי לְאַקְרָבָא הַהוּא שָׂעִיר, וְדָא בְּחָכְמָה לְשַׁלְטָאָה עֲלֵיהּ וְלָא יָכִיל לְאַבְאָשָׁא, דִּכְתִיב, (ויקרא ט״ז:כ״ב) וְנָשָׂא הַשָּׂעִיר עָלָיו אֶת כָּל עֲוֹנוֹתָם אֶל אֶרֶץ גְּזֵרָה, וְאוּקְמוּהָ דְּדָא עֵשָׂו דְּאִיהוּ שָׂעִיר, וְכֹלָּא בְּחָכְמָה וּבְרַמָּאוּת לְגַבֵּיהּ. מַאי טַעְמָא, מִשּׁוּם דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים י״ח:כ״ז) וְעִם עִקֵּשׁ תִּתְפַּתָּל, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ חִוְיָא בִּישָׁא, עָקִים רוּחָא, חַכִּים לְאַבְאָשָׁא, אַסְטֵי לְעֵילָא וְאַסְטֵי לְתַתָּא.
For the same reason every New Moon a goat is to be offered up so as to draw the serpent to his own place and thus keep him away from the moon. The same applies to the Day of Atonement, when a goat is to be offered. All this is cunningly devised in order to gain dominion over him, and make him impotent to do mischief. So Scripture says: “And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities into a land which is cut off’ (Lev. 16, 22), where the goat (sa ‘ir = Seir), as already explained, symbolises Esau. In all dealings with him cunning and craft are employed, in accordance with the words of the Scripture: “And with the crooked thou dost show thyself subtle” (Ps. 18, 27); and as the evil serpent is resourceful and crafty, trying to mislead the heavenly as well as the earthly beings,
וּבְגִין כָּךְ, יִשְׂרָאֵל מְקַדְּמִין וְחַכְּמִין לֵיהּ בְּחָכְמָה, בְּעֲקִימוּ, בְּגִין דְּלָא יָכִיל לְאַבְאָשָׁא וּלְשַׁלְטָאָה. וְעַל דָּא יַעֲקֹב דְּאִיהוּ בְּרָזָא דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא, כָּל עוֹבָדוֹי לְגַבֵּי דְעֵשָׂו בְּגִין דְּלָא יָהַב דּוּכְתָּא לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא חִוְיָא, לְסָאֲבָא מַקְדְּשָׁא. וְלָא יַקְרִיב לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְלָא יִשְׁלוֹט בְּעַלְמָא. וְעַל דָּא לָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְאַבְרָהָם לְאִתְנַהֲגָא בְּעוּקְמָא, וְלָא לְיִצְחָק, בְּגִין דְּעֵשָׂו דְּאִיהוּ סִטְרָא דְּהַהוּא חִוְיָא, עַד לָא אֲתָא לְעַלְמָא. אֲבָל יַעֲקֹב, דְּאִיהוּ מָארֵיהּ (כ"א ע"ב) דְּבֵיתָא, אִיבָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְקָיְימָא לְקֳבְלֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא חִוְיָא, דְּלָא יָהִיב לֵיהּ שָׁלְטָנוּתָא כְּלָל לְסָאֲבָא בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא דְיַעֲקֹב. וְעַל דָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְיַעֲקֹב יַתִּיר מִכָּל בְּנֵי עַלְמָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל קַדִּישִׁין אִתְבְּרִירוּ חוּלַק עַדְבֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דִּכְתִיב, (דברים ל״ב:ט׳) כִּי חֵלֶק יְיָ עַמּוֹ יַעֲקֹב חֶבֶל נַחֲלָתוֹ.
Israel anticipate him and counter him with similar ruses and devices so as to prevent him from working his evil will; just as Jacob, who was endowed with the true faith, in all his actions towards Esau had no aim but to prevent the serpent from defiling the Sanctuary or even approaching it, and so achieving dominion over the world. There was however, no need either for Abraham or for Isaac to use such tortuous ways, seeing that Esau, who was of the side of the serpent, had not yet appeared in the world. But Jacob, being the master of the household, had to counter the serpent, and to give him no chance to tarnish the Sanctuary of Jacob. Hence Jacob had need of such shifts more than any other person. Israel, therefore, was chosen as the portion of the heritage of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written: “For the portion of the Lord is his people, Jacob the lot of his inheritance” (Deut. 32, 9).