Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Commentary for Genesis 27:23

וְלֹ֣א הִכִּיר֔וֹ כִּֽי־הָי֣וּ יָדָ֗יו כִּידֵ֛י עֵשָׂ֥ו אָחִ֖יו שְׂעִרֹ֑ת וַֽיְבָרְכֵֽהוּ׃

And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him.

Sforno on Genesis

They were hairy and he blessed him. Until he felt him he suspected he was an imposter and intended to curse him and as the Sages have taught — one who wrongly suspects his colleague is required to bless him.
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Or HaChaim on Genesis

ולא הכירו כי היו ידיו כידי עשו, he did not recognise him since his hands were like those of Esau. Isaac rejected the doubt created by Jacob's voice since a person can change his voice or the listener may mistake a voice for that of someone else, whereas he cannot change the hairs on his hands, a very distinctive mark of identification.
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Rav Hirsch on Torah

Die Stimme und auch wohl die Redeweise — ד׳ אלקיך, wie die Weisen bemerken — erkennt Jizchak als Jakobs Stimme, und lässt sich doch durch eine solche einzelne Äußerlichkeit wie die haarichte Hand täuschen! So mag es wohl auch im ganzen Leben gewesen sein. Der Totaleindruck Esaus auf Jizchak war gewiß auch kein günstiger, und dennoch ließ er sich durch einzelne erkünstelte Äußerlichkeiten irre leiten.
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Or HaChaim on Genesis

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