Daf 139b (דַּף קַל״ט ע״ב)

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), Some say: One time Rabbi Shim‘on was sitting with the rest of the Friends (ס״א: זִמְנָא חֲדָא, הֲוָה יָתִיב רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וּשְׁאָר חַבְרַיָּיא), Rabbi El‘azar his son entered before him (עָאַל קֳמֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרֵיהּ). He said to Rabbi Shim‘on (אֲמַהוּ לֵיהּ לְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן), We wish to ask a great matter before you (מִלְּתָא רַבְּתָא בָּעִינַן לְמִבְּעֵי קָמָךְ), concerning the matter of Ya'akov and Esav (בְּעִנְיָנָא דְּיַעֲקֹב וְעֵשָׂו). Why did Ya'akov not want to give Esav the lentil stew (אֵיךְ לָא בָּעָא יַעֲקֹב לְמִיהַב לְעֵשָׂו תַּבְשִׁיל דְּטַלּוּפְחִין), until he sold him his birthright? (עַד דְּזַבִּין לֵיהּ בְּכֵירוּתֵיהּ דִּילֵיהּ), And furthermore, Esav said to his father Yitzchak (וְעוֹד דְּאָמַר עֵשָׂו לְיִצְחָק אֲבוּהִי), “He has supplanted me these two times” (וַיַּעְקְבֵנִי זֶה פַּעֲמָיִם). He said to them (אָמַר לוֹן), At this moment you are liable for lashes (בְּהַדֵּין שָׁעֲתָא, אַתּוּן חַיָּיבִין לְקַבָּלָא מַלְקוּת), for you have believed the words of Esav (דְּהֶאֱמַנְתּוּן לְפִתְגָמֵי דְעֵשָׂו), and called false the words of Ya'akov (וְשִׁקַּרְתּוּן לְפִתְגָמֵי דְיַעֲקֹב), for the verse testifies about him (דְּהָא קְרָא אֲסַהֵיד עֲלֵיהּ): “And Ya'akov was a wholesome man” (Bereshit 25) (וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם). And furthermore it is written (וְתוּ כְּתִיב), “You will give truth to Ya'akov” (Micah 7) (תִּתֵּן אֱמֶת לְיַעֲקֹב). Rather, this is the matter of Ya'akov with Esav (אֶלָּא, כָּךְ הוּא עִנְיָנֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב עִם עֵשָׂו): Because Esav hated the birthright from the beginning (בְּגִין דְּעֵשָׂו הֲוָה סָנֵי לִבְכוֹרוֹתָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא), and wanted Ya'akov to take it from him even without money (וְהֲוָה בָּעֵי מִנֵּיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב דְּלִסְבָּא לֵיהּ אֲפִלּוּ בְּלָא כֶּסֶף). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב): “And he ate and drank and arose and went and Esav despised the birthright” (Bereshit 25) (וַיֹּאכַל וַיֵּשְׁתְּ וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלַךְ וַיִּבֶז עֵשָׂו אֶת הַבְּכֹרָה). “And Ya'akov cooked a stew, and Esav came from the field and he was faint” (Bereshit 25) (וַיָּזֶד יַעֲקֹב נָזִיד וַיָּבֹא עֵשָׂו מִן הַשָּׂדֶה וְהוּא עָיֵף).

Rabbi El‘azar said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר), “And Ya'akov cooked”-it has been established that this was because of the mourning for Avraham (וַיָּזֶד יַעֲקֹב-הָא אוּקְמוּהָ דְּהָא בְּגִין אֲבֵילוּתָא דְּאַבְרָהָם הֲוָה), but it should have said “And Yitzchak cooked a stew” (אֲבָל וַיָּזֶד יִצְחָק נָזִיד מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). Rather, “And Ya'akov cooked a stew,” for he knew his root, the side to which he was cleaving (אֶלָּא וַיָּזֶד יַעֲקֹב נָזִיד, דְּאִיהוּ הֲוָה יָדַע עִקָּרָא דִילֵיהּ, בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא דְּאִתְדָּבַּק בֵּיהּ), and for this reason he prepared red stew (וּבְגִין כָּךְ עֲבַד תַּבְשִׁילִין סוּמְקִין).

Lentils-this is a red stew (עֲדָשִׁים, תַּבְשִׁיל סוּמְקָא), for this dish breaks the strength and force of red blood (דְּתַבְשִׁילָא דָא מִתְבַּר חֵילָא וְתוּקְפָא דְּדָמָא סוּמְקָא), in order to weaken his strength and force (בָּגִין לְתַבָּרָא תּוּקְפֵיהּ וְחֵילֵיהּ). And for this reason he made it with Chokhmah, in that same red manner (וּבְגִין כָּךְ עֲבַד לֵיהּ בְּחָכְמְתָא, כְּהַהוּא גַּוְונָא סוּמְקָא). And for that stew, he was sold to become a servant, and sold his birthright to Ya'akov (וְעַל הַהוּא תַּבְשִׁילָא אִזְדַּבַּן לֵיהּ לְעַבְדָּא וְזַבִּין בְּכֵירוּתֵיהּ לְיַעֲקֹב). And in that moment, Ya'akov knew that for the sake of one goat that Yisrael would offer corresponding to his level, he would be transformed into a servant for his children and would not accuse them (וּבְהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא יָדַע יַעֲקֹב דִּבְגִין שָׂעִיר חַד דְּיִקְרְבוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל לְגַבֵּי דַּרְגָּא דִילֵיהּ, יִתְהַפַּךְ לְעַבְדָּא לִבְנוֹי וְלָא יְקַטְרֵג לוֹן). And in all things, Ya'akov approached Esav with Chokhmah (וּבְכֹלָּא אֲזַל יַעֲקֹב לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּעֵשָׂו בְּחָכְמָה), because of that wise level of Esav (בְּגִין הַהוּא דַּרְגָּא חַכִּים דְּעֵשָׂו), and he was not able to rule, and was subdued, and his house was not defiled through him, and he would guard over it (וְלָא יָכִיל לְשַׁלְטָאָה וְאִתְכַּפְיָא וְלָא אִסְתָּאַב בֵּיתֵיהּ וְאִיהוּ יָגִין עֲלֵיהּ).

(Missing text): And we found in another book as follows: “And Esav said to Ya'akov: Feed me, please, from that red, red stuff” (Bereshit 25) (חֲסֵר, וּמְצִאנָא בְּסִפְרָא אַחֲרִינָא וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ: וַיֹּאמֶר עֵשָׂו אֶל יַעֲקֹב הַלְעִיטֵנִי נָא מִן הָאָדֹם הָאָדֹם הַזֶּה). Why is “the red” written twice? (אֲמַאי כְּתִיב תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי הָאָדֹם) Rather, because all that is within him is red, as it is said: “And the first emerged ruddy…” (Bereshit 25) (אֶלָּא, בְּגִין דְּכָל מָה דְּאִית בֵּיהּ אָדוֹם, כַּמָּה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר וַיֵּצֵא הָרִאשׁוֹן אַדְמוֹנִי), and his stew was red, as it is written: “from that red, red stuff” (וּתְבַשִּׁילוֹ אָדוֹם דִּכְתִיב מִן הָאָדֹם הָאָדֹם הַזֶּה), and his land is red, as it is written: “to the land of Se’ir, the field of Edom” (Bereshit 32) (וְאַרְעָא דִּילֵיהּ אֲדֻמָּה דִּכְתִיב אַרְצָה שֵׂעִיר שְׂדֵה אֱדוֹם), and his people are red, as it is written: “He is Esav, father of Edom” (Bereshit 36) (וְגוּבְרִין דִּילֵיהּ אֲדֻמִּין דִּכְתִיב הוּא עֵשָׂו אֲבִי אֱדוֹם). And the one destined to take vengeance on him is red, as it is written: “My beloved is dazzling and red” (Song of Songs 5) (וּמַאן דְּזָמִין לְאִתְפַּרְעָא מִנֵּיהּ אָדוֹם, דִּכְתִיב דּוֹדִי צַח וְאָדוֹם), and his garment is red, as it is written: “Why is Your garment red…” (Isaiah 63) (וּלְבוּשֵׁיהּ אָדוֹם דִּכְתִיב מַדּוּעַ אָדֹם לִלְבוּשֶׁךָ), and it is written: “Who is this who comes from Edom” (Isaiah 63) (וְכְתִיב מִי זֶה בָּא מֵאֱדוֹם).

Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה), and so too was it seen with Lavan, for he was a sorcerer (וְכֵן בְּלָבָן אִתְחֲזֵי הָכִי, בְּגִין דְּהָא אִיהוּ חֳרָשָׁא הֲוָה), as it is written: “I have divined, and Hashem has blessed me for your sake” (Bereshit 30) (כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב נִחַשְׁתִּי וַיְבָרֲכֵנִי יְיָ בִּגְלָלֶךָ). And even though Ya'akov is called a complete man (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּיַעֲקֹב אִקְרֵי גְּבַר שְׁלִים), for this reason he was whole with one whom it was necessary to go with in compassion (בְּגִין כָּךְ הֲוָה שְׁלִים עִם מַאן דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְמֵיהַךְ עִמֵּיהּ בְּרַחֲמֵי הֲוָה אָזִיל), and with one whom it was necessary to go with in harsh judgment and crookedness, he went that way (וְעִם מַאן דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לְמֵיהַךְ עִמֵּיהּ בְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא וּבַעֲקִימוּ הֲוָה אָזִיל), because two aspects were within him (בְּגִין דִּתְרֵי חוּלָקֵי הֲווּ בֵּיהּ), and concerning him it is written: “With the kind You are kind, and with the perverse You are wily” (Psalms 18) (וְעֲלֵיהּ כְּתִיב עִם חָסִיד תִּתְחַסָּד וְעִם עִקֵּשׁ תִּתְפַּתָּל). “With the kind”-on the side of Chesed (עִם חָסִיד בְּסִטְרָא דְּחֶסֶד), and “with the perverse”-on the side of harsh judgment (וְעִם עִקֵּשׁ בְּסִטְרָא דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא), all as is proper (כֹּלָּא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת). “And there was a famine in the land, besides the first famine…” (Bereshit 26) (וַיְהִי רָעָב בָּאָרֶץ מִלְּבַד הָרָעָב הָרִאשׁוֹן וְגו׳). Rabbi Yehudah opened and said (רַבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “Hashem tests the righteous, and the wicked and one who loves…” (Psalms 11) (יְיָ צַדִּיק יִבְחָן וְרָשָׁע וְאוֹהֵב) -Initials spell “serpent” (ר״ת נָחָשׁ)-“violence, His soul hates” (חָמָס שָׂנְאָה נַפְשׁוֹ). How many are the works of Kudsha Berikh Hu arranged rightly! (כַּמָּה עוֹבָדוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִתְתַּקְּנָן) And all that He does is with judgment and righteousness (וְכָל מָה דְּאִיהוּ עָבִיד, כֹּלָּא עַל דִּינָא וּקְשׁוֹט), as it is written: “The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice; a God of faithfulness and without iniquity, righteous and upright is He” (Deuteronomy 32) (כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב הַצּוּר תָּמִים פָּעֳלוֹ כִּי כָל דְּרָכָיו מִשְׁפָּט, אֵל אֱמוּנָה וְאֵין עָוֶל, צַדִּיק וְיָשָׁר הוּא).