Parashat Toldot (Offspring)
Beresheet (Genesis) 25:19-28:9
Haftarah Malachi 1:1-2:7

During my recent flight to the United States, I had a conversation with one of the flight attendants about the situation back home in Israel. She expressed her concern about the growing hatred among Palestinians toward Israelis and told me that she simply could not see how we would ever overcome it or find a way to live together in peace.

As I was preparing this week's commentary, I thought about our conversation and the account of Jacob and Esau. I have written about this account in the past, but considering everything we are facing today, I felt it was important to revisit it. Thousands of years have passed, yet the jealousy, resentment, and hatred we read about in the Scriptures continue to influence our world today.

The story of Jacob and Esau reveals both God's sovereignty and the destructive power of jealousy. Isaac's wife, Rebekah, struggled with barrenness, but Isaac prayed to the LORD on her behalf, and God answered his prayer. Even in her womb, the twins were already fighting. Troubled by what was happening, she turned to God, and He revealed something that would have significance far beyond the lives of her two sons:

Two nations are in your womb; and two peoples shall be separated from your body; and one people shall be stronger than the other; and the older shall serve the younger.
Genesis 25:23

God had already revealed His purpose before either brother was born. His choice was not based on anything Jacob or Esau had accomplished, but on His sovereign will and the covenant He had established with Abraham.

Yet God's choice did not determine how the brothers would respond to one another. Esau would eventually despise his birthright, while Jacob would resort to deception to receive his father's blessing. Both made choices that would have consequences for their lives.

Esau lived for the moment. Hungry and exhausted, he was willing to surrender his birthright for a meal. Genesis 25:34 tells us, "Thus Esau despised his birthright." Jacob, on the other hand, recognized its value but later chose deception to receive his father's blessing. Although God had already revealed His purpose to Rebekah, Jacob and his mother took matters into their own hands. Their actions brought division into the family and eventually forced Jacob to flee from his brother.

The account does not justify Jacob's deception, nor does it excuse Esau's disregard for what he had been given. God's plan was not built on Jacob's perfection, but on His own faithfulness. At the same time, neither brother was free from the consequences of his decisions.

When Isaac blessed Jacob, he spoke words that carried significance far beyond the lives of the two brothers:

May peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you; be master of your brothers… Cursed be those who curse you, and blessed be those who bless you.
Genesis 27:29

When Esau discovered what had happened, his anger became so great that he vowed to kill Jacob. Rather than acknowledging his own decision to surrender the birthright, he directed his resentment toward his brother. What began as a struggle in the womb had developed into open hostility.

Yet before Jacob left his family, Isaac knowingly blessed him again, this time confirming the blessing of Abraham and the promise of the land:

May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May He also give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you, that you may possess the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham.
Genesis 28:3–4

This is important because it reminds us that God's covenant did not depend on Jacob's deception or Isaac's earlier misunderstanding. God had already established His purpose, and Isaac now knowingly affirmed that the covenant promise would continue through Jacob.

We see the consequences of resentment and hatred in our world today. When hatred is encouraged rather than challenged, it can become deeply rooted and passed from one generation to another. This is particularly troubling when children are taught to view others as enemies simply because of who they are. We cannot ignore the destructive influence of those who encourage violence and teach that Israel's destruction is a legitimate goal.

The Haftarah from Malachi brings us back to God's covenant with Jacob:

"'I have loved you,' says the LORD. But you say, 'How have You loved us?' 'Was not Esau Jacob's brother?' declares the LORD. 'Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated.'"
Malachi 1:2–3

The Hebrew word translated as "I hated" is saneti (שָׂנֵאתִי). In the context of Malachi, these words emphasize the contrast between God's covenant relationship with Jacob and His rejection of Esau, whose descendants became the nation of Edom. This distinction concerns God's covenant choice, rather than a change in His character or His promises. God chose to continue His covenant through Jacob according to His purpose, not because Jacob was perfect or more deserving.

Malachi goes on to describe God's judgment against Edom, the descendants of Esau. Their history reminds us that hostility and pride can have consequences far beyond one generation. Yet God's covenant with Israel remained, even when His own people failed to walk faithfully before Him.

As we consider Israel's present circumstances, we must remember that our connection to the land and our identity as a people did not begin with the establishment of the modern State of Israel in 1948. God's covenant with Abraham, confirmed to Isaac and continued through Jacob, was established thousands of years ago. Regardless of the opposition Israel faces today, God's covenant remains, and His promises to our forefathers have not been canceled.

However, God's faithfulness does not mean that we are free from responsibility. Malachi 1:6 reminds us:

A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a Father, where is My honor?

God was addressing His own people, reminding them that receiving His promises did not excuse their disobedience. This question is just as relevant for us today. Do we honor God in our decisions and in the way we treat others? Are we willing to stand for what is right even when it comes at a personal cost?

We are witnessing how hatred can lead people to justify terrible acts of violence. Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist organizations have deliberately targeted and murdered Israeli civilians, while their supporters have attempted to excuse these crimes in the name of resistance or justice. No political cause or historical grievance can justify the deliberate murder of innocent people. As believers, we must be willing to recognize evil for what it is and refuse to justify it, regardless of who commits it.

I understand the concern expressed by the flight attendant. The hatred we are witnessing is real, and its consequences are devastating. Yet the same God who established His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob remains faithful today. His promises have not changed, and neither has our responsibility to honor Him in the way we live and the choices we make.

May we learn from Jacob and Esau to recognize the danger of jealousy and bitterness, to remain faithful to God's Word, and to trust Him even when the circumstances around us seem uncertain.

Shabbat Shalom,
Moran