Toldot

· After being married for 20 years Yitzchak (now 60 years old) and Rivka (now 23 years old), davened to Hashem for a child. They each davened separately, and soon Yitzchak's Tefilos were answered and Rivka was expecting a child. During the nine months before the birth some very strange things began happening: There was an unusual amount of jumping and running inside of Rivka and she did not know what was going on. Also, every time she would walk by a shul or a holy place the baby would begin jumping trying to go in, but then when she would walk by a place of Avodah Zara he would do the same thing.

· Rivka decide to go and ask Hashem what was going on and she went to the Navi Shem ben Noach and Hashem revealed to Rivka (through the navi) that there were actually two children inside of her and that the jumping and fighting that she was feeling was really just a sample of the long and tough disagreement that will exist between the two great nations that will descend from these twins: the Romans and Bnai Yisrael. They were fighting over who would get a portion of the two worlds: Olam Hazeh, and Olam Habah

· Esav was born, and then Yaakov, holding onto Esav's heel. The name Esav comes from the word “Asui” fully created - because he had as much hair as a grown man. Yaakov comes from the word “Eikev” heel - because he was holding on to Esav’s heel, trying to prevent him from being born first.

· For the first thirteen years of their lives Yaakov and Eisav were not very different. People were not sure which was a tzadik and which was a rasha. After Bar Mitzva they began to change. Esav began spending most of his time hunting (for both animals and people!), while Yaakov sat in the tents of Torah becoming a tzadik.

· On the day of their grandfather Avraham's funeral, Yaakov was cooking lentils, (which is the minhag for an “אבל”). Esav rushed in, ravenous from a hard day of hunting and killing. He bellowed to Yaakov “Please pour some of that really red stuff into my mouth”. Yaakov realized that this was a good time to prove that Eisav was not interested in anything holy and did not deserve to represent hashem in this world. He told Eisav I will only give you cholent if you give me your בכורה Eisav asked “what is this Bechorah all about anyway?”. Yaakov replied “ It means that you can bring korbanos to Hashem in the Beis Hamikdosh, BUT you need to deserve this privelege. If you go to the Beis Hamikdosh while you are drunk or Tamei - you will die.” Predictably, Eisav was not interested in working hard for anything holy and he said “I am going to die; why do I need the Bechorah”. Right then and there he sold his rights to Yaakov.Eisav ingested the lentil soup (without a Bracha), drank a little bit (but didn’t bench), got up (without a kipa), and left (without even kissing the mezuza). Eisav proved that he did not care about or deserve the Bechora.

· Once again there was a famine in Canaan. Yitzchak prepared to escape to Mitzrayim just as his parents had done. Hashem appeared to Yitzchak and told him that since he was prepared and sanctified as a sacrifice, he was holy and must remain in the “Holy Land” for his entire life.

· Yitzchak moved to Gerar in the land of the Plishtim, where, to protect Rivka, he has to say she is his sister. The plishtim became jealous of Yitzchak when he earned massive amounts of money, and Avimelech the king asked him to leave, for his own safety.

· Yitzchak re-dug three wells that were dug by his Avraham. He called them by the same names that Avraham had called them.

· Avimelech saw that Yitzchak was blessed by Hashem and he made a treaty with him and his children and his children’s children. On that day the servants of Yitzchak found a well and Yitzchak named it באר שבע after the שבועה that he and Avimelech had made.

· When Yitzchak turned 123 he realized that he was within five years of the age his mother had been when she was nifteres. He summoned Esav to give him his Brachos, but told him to first find him some food for the Pesach seder that night.

· Rivka, who knew from the Navi that the brachos must go to Yaakov, arranged for Yaakov to impersonate Esav and receive the brachos.

· When Esav returned he got very upset and in his frustration revealed to his father that Yaakov had actually bought the Bechora. Yitzchak realized that the Bechora has been correctly given to Yaakov and confirmed the brachos he had given Yaakov.He gave a different much smaller bracha to Eisav.

· Esav said he would kill Yaakov as soon as Yitzchak was niftar, so Rivka sent Yaakov to her brother Lavan. Yitchak told him to find a suitable wife while he was there.