Commentary for Genesis 25:28

בפיו [THERE WAS HUNTING] IN HIS MOUTH — Understand this as the Targum renders it: in Isaac’s mouth (i. e. Isaac ate the venison he brought home). But its Midrashic explanation is: there was hunting in Esau’s mouth, meaning that he used to entrap and deceive him by his words (Genesis Rabbah 63:10).

BECAUSE THERE WAS VENISON IN HIS MOUTH. The commentators³⁰Ibn Ezra and R’dak. explained it as meaning either that he [Esau] gave venison into Isaac’s mouth, or that he brought Isaac venison. The act of giving or bringing is thus missing from the verse. Similarly: The set time which Samuel;³¹I Samuel 13:5. Here the word “appointed” is missing, the meaning of the verse being “at the set time which Samuel had appointed.” But the Lord — presented or made — me as a mighty warrior.³²Jeremiah 20:11.
It is possible to explain that Isaac loved Esau because there was always venison in the mouth of Isaac. All day he would desire to eat the venison, and it was always in his mouth. He would not eat anything else, and Esau was the one who brought it to him, as Scripture said, A cunning hunter.³³Above, Verse 27.
In my opinion the correct interpretation is that it is a metaphor which tells us that Esau, in the mouth of his father, was a hunter,³⁴Instead of calling him by his name, Isaac would call him “hunter.” as a person is surnamed by his constant occupation. Similarly, Thy habitation is in the midst of deceit;³⁵Jeremiah 9:5. Meaning “in the midst of people of deceit.” But the verse refers to the people by their constant practice. likewise, But I am all prayer.³⁶Psalms 109:40. Meaning, “But I am a man of constant prayer.” And so they said in Bereshith Rabbah,³⁷Bereshith Rabbah 63:15. “Good meat for his mouth, good drink for his mouth.”³⁸If he would find good meat or drink, he would bring it to his father. This Midrash thus indicates that Esau was constantly engaged in bringing food and drink to his father. Hence Isaac came to call him “hunter” because of his steady preoccupation with bringing him food.

כי ציד בפיו, the plain meaning corresponds to Onkelos, i.e. because he brought him venison to eat.

ויאהב יצחק את עשו, And Isaac loved Esau. According to the Midrash Tanchuma Esau snared the love of his father by misrepresenting his true character such as enquiring about the correct manner of tithing salt. He did not bother to engage in such trickery except when dealing with his father. This was because he was not concerned about the performance of good deeds but only wanted to ensure his father would have no reason to curse him. He also hoped to obtain blessings. His mother could not dispense either, therefore he made no effort to camouflage his true self when in his mother's presence. This is why we find later on (27,41) that Esau waited for the death of his father before killing Jacob, whereas he did not wait for his mother to die before committing murder. The reason Rebeccah did not inform Isaac of Esau's wickedness may have been that Esau was careful never to put on such a charade in her presence so as not to give his mother an excuse to challenge Isaac's love for him. According to Onkelos who renders the words כי ציד בפיו as ארי מצידה הוי אכיל, "that Isaac ate from the game Esau hunted," we must ask why this reason did not also cause Rebeccah to love Esau, for surely they took most of their meals together or at least Esau did not discriminate against her? Perhaps the reason is that in accordance with the commentary of the Maharik on Even Ha-ezer 70,1 Isaac was under an obligation to feed his wife a meat diet. When a wife comes from a family who is used to such a diet the husband must keep her in the style she was accustomed to. Bethuel was a wealthy and influential man in his town, and no doubt Rebeccah had been used to a high standard of living prior to her marriage. She would not therefore be particularly grateful for the venison, considering it merely as her due.

ויאהב, there was no need to mention that Yitzchok loved Yaakov; clearly his love for Yaakov was constantly on the increase seeing that Yaakov was righteous, etc. Esau’s claim to his father’s love was due only to the venison he brought his father from his hunting expeditions.

ויאהב יצחק את עשו, also Esau, not only Yaakov, even though he must have been aware that Esau was far less perfect than Yaakov.

כי ציד בפיו, “for he would provide venison to eat.” Onkelos explains that Yitzchok would eat from the proceeds of Esau’s hunting expeditions. Accordingly, our verse is slightly abbreviated and should have read: כי יתן ציד בפיו, “for he would feed him venison.” Alternately, the expression בפיו refers to Yitzchok’s mouth, and informs us that Yitzchok was in the habit of dining on venison. He loved Esau, seeing Esau was an expert in providing choice venison. Nachmanides holds that the statement is a euphemism describing Esau as deceiving his father into thinking he was loyal to his teachings by flattering him. The use of euphemisms by the Torah is nothing unusual.

Ein zweites Moment, das nur verderblich wirken konnte, war die Ge- teiltheit der Gefühle der Eltern hinsichtlich ihrer Kinder. Einheit der Eltern in der Erziehung und gleiche Gesinnung und Liebe zu allen ihren Kindern, — selbst zu dem weniger gut gearteten, das ja, mehr noch als das körperlich kranke, am meisten der liebenden Hingebung bedarf — das ist die erste Grundbedingung und der Eckstein einer jeden Erziehung. — Dass Isaaks Sympathien sich dem Esau und Rebekkas dem Jakob zuwendeten, lässt sich übrigens aus der Anziehungskraft der Kontraste leicht erklären. Isaak, den vom Opfertode wieder auferstandenen, sehen wir dem Geräusche der Welt gerne entzogen, lieber in der Nähe stiller Ode, am Brunnen des "mich- schauendenLebendige", als in der Nähe des bewegten Menschenverkehrs wohnen. Dass ihm Esaus kräftiges, tatkeckes Wesen gefiel und er in ihm vielleicht eine Kraft zur Stütze des Hauses erblickte, die ihm abging, wäre nicht unmöglich; Rebekka hingegen sah in Jakobs ganzem Wesen ein Lebensbild aufblühen, von dem sie im Hause ihres Vaters keine Ahnung hatte — die Sympathien sind erklärlich, allein Eltern sollten sich nicht von solchen dunklen Gefühlen in Beziehung zu ihren Kindern leiten und bestimmen lassen.—

ויאהב יצחק את עשו, “Yitzchok loved Esau;” in connection with Esau the Torah uses the past tense, i.e. ויאהב, to show that Yitzchok did not love Esau all the time, butonly at times when he provided him with venison. When describing Rivkah’s feelings for Yaakov, the Torah uses the present tense, אוהבת, as her feelings for him were constant. Furthermore, it is the nature of women to love those who look after her domestic animals.

אוהבת את יעקב, for she was aware of his perfection, also because the prediction to her of the prophet had been that the senior son would be subservient to the junior one. The Torah had to mention first that Yitzchok loved Esau in order for us to understand what had motivated to bless Esau, and what had motivated Rivkah to deceive him into blessing Yaakov.

בפיו. This meat was especially tasty. Moreover Yitzchok was already aged, being more than seventy years old, Clearly, unless Esau had been at least 12 years old at the time he would not have known how to hunt with bow and arrow.

ורבקה אוהבת את יעקב, she only loved Yaakov, recognising the wickedness of Esau.

ציד בפיו. Entweder: er führte die Jagd im Munde, wusste den Vater durch Erzählung seiner Jagdabenteuer und Heldenthaten zu fesseln, oder, was wahrscheinlicher: es war auch Jagd in seinem Munde, er übte auch Jagd, war auch ein Jäger mit dem Munde. Dieselbe berechnende und fangende Kunst wusste er auch gegen das Gemüt des Vaters zu üben. Rebekkas Liebe zu Jakob kam aber von selbst, war von ihm nicht "erjagt"; sein Wesen gewann ihre Liebe: אהבת את יעקב.

ורבקה אוהבת את יעקב, exclusively; the reason was that Yaakov pursued a lifestyle that would lead to eternal life, whereas Esau did the opposite. Not only did he not lead a life leading to eternal life after death, but he actively forfeited even life on earth, exposing himself to needless dangers. Seeing that Yitzchok was aging and sitting at home most of the time, he was not aware of Esau’s doings and was easily led to believe that Esau led a virtuous life, basing his belief on the daily supply of venison his son provided for him. The story unfolds at a time when Yitzchok was already incapable of seeing well with his physical eyes. The story of the sale of the birthright is told primarily to illustrate the disdain with which Esau looked upon spiritual values as a valuable acquisition, something guaranteeing a person life beyond death.