Toldot 5774: Rivka (Part 2)

“And Yitzchak (Isaac) was 40 years old when he took Rivka (Rebecca), the daughter of Betuel the Aramean of Padan Aram, the sister of Lavan (Laban) the Aramean, to himself for a wife.” (Bereishit/Genesis 25:20)   This week’s Torah portion begins with a recap of the marriage of Yitzchak and Rivka. Rashi explains that Torah repeats Rivka’s family history in order to show that although she has been born into and raised in an immoral environment, her birth family’s influence does not taint her spiritually. (Kehot Chumash) After 20 years of infertility, Yitzchak’s and Rivka’s prayers are answered favorably and Rivka becomes pregnant with twins. It is a difficult pregnancy. “And the children struggled within her, and she said, ‘If so, why am I like this?’ And she went to inquire of the L-rd. And the L-rd said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb, and two kingdoms will separate from your innards, and one kingdom will become mightier than the other kingdom, and the elder will serve the younger.’” (Bereishit 25:22-23) Writes Mrs. Dina Coopersmith on aish.com: “She [Rivka] chooses not to tell Yitzchak of this prophecy which points to the superiority of the younger son. Instead, she keeps the information to herself, until such time when she must act to preserve its fulfillment.” Two boys are born, Esav (Esau) first, then Yaakov (Jacob). Although they appear distinct from one other at birth, at age 13, differences in their personalities emerge. “And the youths grew up and Esav (Esau) was a man who understood hunting, a man of the field, whereas Yaakov (Jacob) was an innocent man, dwelling in [study] tents. And Yitzchak loved Esav because [his] game was in his mouth, but Rivka loved Yaakov.” (Bereishit 25:27-28) Rivka and Yitzchak actually love both sons, but Esav is able to fool Yitzchak with false piety and scholarly questions and to “bribe” his father with freshly hunted game. By contrast, writes Mrs. Coopersmith, “[Rivka], with characteristic feminine insight, as well as her firsthand childhood experience with deceit and façade, sees through Esav.” When Yitzchak reaches old age, he senses it is time to confer the blessing on his firstborn, Esav. Rivka overhears his plan. In order to fulfill the prophecy she heard before the sons’ births, she devises a scheme to have Yaakov receive the blessing instead of Esav. She takes advantage of Yitzchak’s blindness (his elderly eyes can no longer see), dresses Yaakov in Esav’s clothing and covers Yaakov’s arms with goatskin so they will feel like those of Esav. Mrs. Coopersmith writes that Rivka is more comfortable with subtly deceiving her husband than boldly confronting him. She explains that by tricking Yitzchak and allowing him to experience for himself the results of this deceit (by the eventual arrival of the real Esav), Rivka ensures that Yitzchak gives the blessing to Yaakov with a full heart, without her influence or persuasion. Further, when he realizes that he has been tricked, Yitzchak experientially appreciates the existence of deceit, and finally understands Esav’s longtime deception, without Rivka’s telling him directly. Writes Dr. Lisa Aiken in To Be a Jewish Woman: “Esav used guile for evil purposes, but it could also be used for good. Rivka used deception to show her husband and son the power that evil can have when it is harnessed in the service of good, thereby enabling the good to reach its tremendous spiritual heights.” Esav is extremely angry with Yaakov for taking the birthright blessing and he plans to kill Yaakov. Through Divine inspiration, Rivka understands that Yaakov is in mortal danger. To keep the brothers apart, she devises a plan to send Yaakov to her brother, Lavan. Because it would upset Yitzchak to hear about Esav’s hatred for Yaakov, Rivka avoids telling him outright and does not insist that he send away Yaakov. Instead, she makes it seem as if Yitzchak has come up on his own with the plan for Yaakov. In the only conversation recorded in Torah between Yitzchak and Rivka, Rivka says, “I am disgusted with my life because of the Hittite women [Esav married]. If Yaakov marries a Hittite woman, what good will life be to me?” (Bereishit 27:46) Yitzchak immediately calls Yaakov, blesses him and sends him to find a non-Hittite wife from his birthplace, outside of Canaan. Torah makes no mention of Rivka’s death or the number of years she lives. The Midrash equates her lifetime with the 133 years of Kohat, the grandfather of Moshe (Moses). Rivka’s death is alluded to in the Torah portion Vayishlach. “Devorah, Rivka’s nurse died.” (Bereishit 35:8) Rivka is buried in Kiryat-Arba alongside Yitzchak, Chava (Eve) and Adam, Sarah and Avraham, and later, Leah and Yaakov. http://www.aish.com/jl/b/women/Women_in_the_Bible_Rivka.html http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/rebekah-midrash-and-aggadah