Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 25:34/אבן עזרא על בראשית כ״ה:ל״ד
אויבז עשו. גם זאת הבכורה בעבור שראה שאין לאביו עשר, ורבים יתמהו כי עזב לו אברהם ממון רב, וכאילו לא ראו בימיהם עשיר גדול בנעוריו ובא לידי עוני בזקוניו, והעד שהיה יצחק אביו אוהב את עשו בעבור צורכו, ואילו היה הלחם רב בבית אביו, והוא נכבד בעיניו לא מכר בכורתו בעבור נזיד, ואם היה אביו אוכל בכל יום מטעמים מה טעם אמר הביאה לי ציד, ולמה לא היה ליעקב בגדים חמודות. ולמה לא נתנה לו אמו כסף וזהב בדרך שהוא אומר ונתן לי לחם לאכול ובגד ללבוש, ולמה לא שלחה אליו הון והיא אוהבת אותו, כי הוצרך לשמור הצאן, והפסוק שאמר "ויגדל האיש" (בראשית כו יג) קודם זקנתו, ועורי לב יחשבו כי העושר מעלה גדולה לצדיקים, והנה אליהו יוכיח, ועוד ישאלו למה חסר השם ממון ליצחק, אולי יודיעונו למה חסר מאור עיניו, ואל ידחונו בקנה של דרש כי יש לו סוד, ואין לנו לחפש, כי עמקו מחשבות השם, ואין כח בדעת האדם להבינם וכן אחרים אמרו, הנה צאן יש לו, כי רבקה אמרה לו "לך נא אל הצאן" (בראשית כז ט) ויתכן שנשאר לו מקנה מעט, גם נכון הוא להיות פי' לך נא אל הצאן, אל מקום הצאן שהן נמכרות:
1SO ESAU DESPISED. Esau also despised the birthright66 (also this birthright) to gam baz et (he also despised the birthright). The point is that in addition to selling the birthright because he was weary, he also despised the birthright because his father had no wealth to leave him (Weiser). because he saw that his father had no wealth. Many are amazed at this because Abraham left Isaac a vast amount of money?”67 Have they never seen a man very rich in his youth and poor in his old age? Proof that Isaac was poor is the fact that he loved Esau because of his need.68). The printed texts read: because of his need (tzorko). Had there been ample food in Isaac’s house and Esau the honorable one in his father’s sight,69 he would not have sold his birthright for a dish of food. Furthermore, why did Isaac have to tell Esau, Bring me venison (Gen. 27:7), if he had savory meat at home for his daily meals? Additionally, why did Jacob not have choice garments 70 and why didn’t Rebekah give Jacob gold and silver for his journey (when he fled to Haran), seeing that Jacob was so poor that he had to say, “If God will…give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on” (Gen. 28:20). Also, why did Rebekah, who loved him so much, not send him money in view of the fact that he was so impoverished that he had to tend Laban’s flock? As to the verse which states, And the man waxed great…And he had possessions of flocks, and possessions of herds, and a great household (Gen. 26:13, 14), it refers to the period prior to Isaac’s old age. Now, those who are intellectually blind think that wealth is a great distinction for the righteous. However, the prophet Elijah shows that the opposite is the case.71 They further ask, why did God withhold wealth from Isaac? Let them tell us why God withheld sight from Isaac’s eyes. Let them not put us off with a poor answer based upon a Midrashic homily,72 15a) or as a result of the incense which Esau’s wives offered to the idols (Tanchuma 20:20). Additional Midrashic reasons for Isaac’s blindness are quoted by Krinsky in his comments on Gen. 27:1. for there is a secret meaning in the matter73 and we must not probe into it, for the thoughts of God are deep and beyond the ken of man. Similarly others say, behold Isaac had sheep,74 for Rebekah told Jacob, Go now to the flock (Gen. 27:9). However, it is possible that he had a few sheep remaining. It is also possible that Go now to the flock means go to the place where sheep are sold.