{"id":38732,"date":"2018-08-26T19:04:50","date_gmt":"2018-08-26T16:04:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=38732"},"modified":"2022-03-21T17:06:25","modified_gmt":"2022-03-21T15:06:25","slug":"the-pointed-love-of-esau","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-pointed-love-of-esau\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pointed Love of Esau"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[486,381,363],"acf":{"old_id":"38732","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":38220,"related_cahpter":"33","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Or: When might a kiss not be a kiss (but then again, still might be\u2026)","content":"

The sages viewed the encounter between Jacob and Esau as a guidebook to dealing with our enemies. Three major lessons that are emphasized are the need for: prayer; gifts; and preparedness for battle. \u00a0I would humbly like to add one more lesson: be aware of the ambiguity of motivation.<\/span><\/p>\n

“And Esau ran to greet him. And he embraced him and he fell upon his neck and kissed him and they cried” (33:3).<\/span><\/p>\n

When reading from a Sefer Torah one sees that the word for \u201cand he kissed him\u201d has dots over all six of its letters. Rashi quotes a midrash from the Sifrei that there is a disagreement regarding the proper interpretation of the dots. Some say that it means Esau did not kiss Jacob with all of his heart\u2014i.e. he still retained a certain amount of hatred towards his brother. Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said: It is a fact (the word <\/span>halakha<\/span><\/i> is used in the Hebrew) that Esau hates Jacob, but his compassion was aroused at that moment and he kissed him with all of his heart.<\/span><\/p>\n

In other words, are the dots meant as emphasis\u2014he <\/span>really <\/b>kissed him; or as scare quotes\u2014he \u201ckissed\u201d him. Emphasis, or irony? This lack of certainty regarding the message of the scribal technique perhaps mirrors the uncertainty of Jacob. Is Esau sincere, or is he putting on a show? It also reflects a deep uncertainty the reader has regarding Esau.<\/span><\/p>\n

Earlier, the text says (25:28) that Isaac loved Esau \u201c<\/span>ki tzayid b\u2019piv<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/i>\u201d The literal translation is \u201cfor the game was in his mouth\u201d\u2014what Esau had trapped in his hunting excursions was in Isaac\u2019s mouth. In other words, Isaac loved Esau because of what he put in his mouth. Rashi cites a midrashic reading that the game\/trap was in Esau\u2019s mouth\u2014meaning, he would trap\/trick his father with his own mouth and deceive him. We are left wondering was Esau deceptive or sincere?<\/span><\/p>\n

When dealing with our enemies we must resist the temptation to be swayed by overtures of affection. Kisses are fleeting\u2014true peace must be sealed with substantive action.<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":38768,"id":38768,"title":"Vayishakehu","filename":"Vayishakehu.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Vayishakehu.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-pointed-love-of-esau\/vayishakehu\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"vayishakehu","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":38732,"date":"2018-08-27 05:36:30","modified":"2022-03-21 15:05:03","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1280,"height":960,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Vayishakehu-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Vayishakehu-300x225.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":225,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Vayishakehu-768x576.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":576,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Vayishakehu-1024x768.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":768,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Vayishakehu.jpg","1536x1536-width":1280,"1536x1536-height":960,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Vayishakehu.jpg","2048x2048-width":1280,"2048x2048-height":960,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Vayishakehu-1200x900.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":900,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Vayishakehu-560x420.jpg","home_baner-width":560,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"Three Views on Esau's Kiss - 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