Study Desk

Then Avimelekh went to him from G'rar with his friend Achuzat and Pikhol the commander of his army.

In the course of time, after Yitz'chak had grown old and his eyes dim, so that he couldn't see, he called ‘Esav his older son and said to him, "My son?" and he answered, "Here I am."

Rivkah was listening when Yitz'chak spoke to his son ‘Esav. So when ‘Esav went out to the country to hunt for game and bring it back,

and you will bring it to your father to eat; so that he will give his blessing to you before his death."

Ya‘akov answered Rivkah his mother, "Look, ‘Esav is hairy, but I have smooth skin.

But his mother said, "Let your curse be on me. Just listen to me, and go get me the kids!"

So he went, got them and brought them to his mother; and his mother prepared them in the tasty way his father loved.

and she put the skins of the goats on his hands and on the smooth parts of his neck.

He went to his father and said, "My father?" He replied, "Here I am; who are you, my son?"

Ya‘akov said to his father, "I am ‘Esav your firstborn. I've done what you asked me to do. Get up now, sit down, eat the game, and then give me your blessing."

Yitz'chak said to his son, "How did you find it so quickly, my son?" He answered, " Adonai your God made it happen that way."

Ya‘akov approached Yitz'chak his father, who touched him and said, "The voice is Ya‘akov's voice, but the hands are ‘Esav's hands."

However, he didn't detect him; because his hands were hairy like his brother ‘Esav's hands; so he gave him his blessing.

Then his father Yitz'chak said to him, "Come close now, and kiss me, my son."

He approached and kissed him. Yitz'chak smelled his clothes and blessed Ya‘akov with these words: "See, my son smells like a field which Adonai has blessed.

But as soon as Yitz'chak had finished giving his blessing to Ya‘akov, when Ya‘akov had barely left his father's presence, ‘Esav his brother came in from his hunting.

He too had prepared a tasty meal and brought it to his father, and now he said to his father, "Let my father get up and eat from his son's game, so that you may give me your blessing."

Yitz'chak his father said to him, "Who are you?" and he answered, "I am your son, your firstborn, ‘Esav."

When ‘Esav heard his father's words he burst into loud, bitter sobbing. "Father, bless me too," he begged.

‘Esav said, "His name, Ya‘akov [he supplants], really suits him — because he has supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright, and here, now he has taken away my blessing!" Then he asked, "Haven't you saved a blessing for me?"