창세기 27:42의 주석

ויגד לרבקה WERE TOLD TO REBEKAH — It was told her by the Holy Spirit what Esau was thinking in his heart (Genesis Rabbah 67:9).

AND SHE SENT AND CALLED JACOB. The meaning thereof is that Jacob was in another place, not in the tent of his father and mother, since he was hiding from his brother Esau who was complaining about him, and he was ashamed or afraid of him.

עשו בנו הגדול, her elder son Esau. The reason she used the word הגדול "the bigger one," instead of הבכיר, "the older one", was because she was describing Esau's relative prowess compared to the physically smaller Jacob.

ויגד לרבקה, how did she get to know about Esau’s intentions which he had not articulated? It is possible that she experienced a prophetic revelation, seeing that she was a prophetess. (compare Rashi) It is also possible that what Esau had thought about doing, he inadvertently mentioned to someone so that the one who had heard him reported it to Rivkah.

ותשלח ותקרא ליעקב, “she sent a message to Yaakov calling him to come and see her.” She had to send him a message as he was not at his usual place, being in hiding, either in fear of Esau’s revenge or because he was too embarrassed to face his brother, being ashamed of what he had done, and Esau having loudly complained about him to all who would listen.

Your brother Eisov is consoled (misnachem). Misnachem can also mean to “glorify oneself” — Eisov boasted of what he would do to Yaakov.

The meaning of consolation... You might ask: Does it not mean consolation according to the Midrash as well? The answer is: Rashi is saying that if we explain it as the Midrash does, meaning consolation — rather than as regret — then the verse can be explained [quite simply]: Eisov will comfort and console himself over losing the blessings by killing you. Thus, we need not explain it as referring to the cup of consolation.

יעקב בנה הקטן ,עשו בנה הגדול, wird gewiss nicht umsonst hervorgehoben, ebenso am Schlusse der ganzen Erzählung: אחי רבקה אם יעקב ועשו. Nach allen diesen Vorgängen blieb Esau der Ältere, Jakob der Jüngere und Rebekka Esaus Mutter wie Jakobs. In diesem ganzen spricht sich vollständig die edle reine Gesinnung Rebekkas und Jakobs aus und findet sich unsere Auffassung bestätigt. Bei gemeinen Naturen wird derjenige, der dem andern Unrecht gethan, dem andern dann erst recht böse, sucht nach Vorwänden und Gründen, um das getane Unrecht hinterdrein zu rechtfertigen. Gemeine Seelen werden nach getanem Unrecht nur noch rücksichtsloser. Und Rebekka und Jakob? Dass Esau nach dem Geschehenen mehr als ungehalten war, das findet Rebekka ganz natürlich. Esau konnte ja ihre Gründe niemals verstehen, geschweige verzeihen. Und hat Jakob auch nur im geringsten von der ברכה und der בכורה Gebrauch gemacht? Nicht im mindesten. Vielmehr sehen wir Jakob entschieden im Nachteil. Sie waren doch Zwillingsbrüder. Esau aber verheiratet sich bereits zu vierzig Jahren, bringt zwei, später bereits drei Schwiegertöchter ins Haus, nimmt Teil an des Vaters Wirtschaft und Hausstand, und Jakob geht nackt fort, ohne Heller, um sich als Knecht zu verdingen, und durch Knechtesarbeit sich einen Familienstand zu erwerben, ויעבד באשה ובאשה שמר. — Vielfach hat man es auffallend gefunden, wie Jizchak, der doch sowohl durch die Erbschaft von Abraham als durch selbstgewonnenen Segen ein mehr als gewöhnlich reicher Mann war, seinen Sohn Jakob so von allem entblößt mit seinem bloßen Wanderstab habe fortwandern lassen. Allein dieser Umstand wurzelt tief in all den Motiven, die diesen Vorgängen zu Grunde lagen. Wenn Jakob durch Rebekkas Veranlassung die ברכה und die בכורה erhalten, so sollte klar hervortreten, dass dabei auch nicht eine Spur von Rücksicht auf materiellen Wohlstand obwaltete. Esau sollte nach Jakobs Abreise auch nicht eine Stecknadel vermissen können. Es ist dies das größte Dokument für Rebekkas und Jakobs Seelenadel. Diese Worte אם יעקב ועשו sind gleichsam die Grabinschrift Rebekkas. Fortan tritt sie nicht mehr tätig auf. Sie war in allem und bis an ihr Ende Mutter Jakobs und Esaus, hat stets mütterlich gehandelt. —

ויגד לרבקה את דברי עשו בנה, “Rivkah was informed of the words of her son Esau;” he was saying quite openly what was in his heart, i.e. that as soon as his father would die, he would murder his twin brother. Someone who had heard him say this told his mother.

מתנחם לך DOTH COMFORT HIMSELF CONCERNING THEE — He regrets the brotherly relationship existing between you, harbouring thoughts other than those of brotherhood, to estrange himself from you and to kill you. The Midrashic explanation (Genesis Rabbah 67:9) is: In his eyes you are already regarded as dead and he has drunk for you (i. e. because he regards you as dead) the cup of consolation (which it was customary for near relatives of the deceased to drink). But according to the real meaning the word signifies “comforting” — he will comfort himself for the loss of the blessings by killing you.

HE DOTH COMFORT HIMSELF (‘LECHA’) TO SLAY THEE. “He comforts himself for the loss of the blessings by killing you.” Thus the language of Rashi.
But the simple interpretation is that “he comforts himself with you.”²⁵⁷According to Rashi, the comfort is for the blessings Esau lost. Thus the verse states that “his comfort for the loss he suffered is to slay thee.” But according to Ramban the comfort is for his own personal sake, and the meaning of the word lecha (to you) is as if it were written becha (with you), and the thought of the verse is that “his comfort with you is to kill you.” Similar cases [of the letter lamed having the meaning of a beth] are found in the verses, Thou hast chosen the son of Jesse,²⁵⁸I Samuel 20:7. The Hebrew: l’ben Yishai (to the son of Jesse). The verse thus means that “your choice lies with the son of Jesse.” And he took hold of him,²⁵⁹II Samuel 15:5. The Hebrew vehechezik lo here means vehechezik bo. and many similar cases.
Perhaps the interpretation is that “he is comforting himself concerning you,” just as in the verses: And the men of the place asked him of his wife;²⁶⁰Above, 26:7. The Hebrew word le’ishto in this verse does not mean “to his wife,” but “concerning his wife.” And he fell on his face;²⁶¹I Samuel 20:41. The Hebrew word le’apav in this verse does not mean “to his face,” but “on his face.” For the king had so commanded concerning him.²⁶²Esther 3:2. The word lo (to him) here means alav (concerning him). Onkelos, however, translates it as kemin lecha, meaning, “he lies in wait for you.” It would appear from his opinion that the meaning of the Hebrew expression, mithnachem lecha, is that “Esau effects the appearance of having been consoled about the matter of the blessings as if he no longer cares for them, but in truth he lies in wait for you and acts this way so that you should not be on guard.” Now Onkelos translated according to the intent of the verse but not according to the language.

מתנחם לך להרגך, he acts as if he is already consoling himself over the death of Yaakov. Or, the meaning of this phrase could be that Esau has made peace with his own death because he knows that at least he had first killed you. Once he has accomplished

מתנחם לך להרגך, “he is consoling himself with the plan to kill you.” According to Rashi this either means that he consoles himself over the loss of the blessings by killing you, or that he had already prepared the cup of wine given to a mourner to allow him to comfort himself over the loss of a dear relative.

מתנחם לך, consoles himself concerning you. The thought of killing you acts as consolation for him regarding what you have done to him. By killing you he means to restore to himself both the birthright and the blessing.

ותשלח, Jakob war also nicht zu Hause, nicht ein Muttersöhnchen, das immer um die Mutter gewesen wäre. אחיך, der dein Bruder ist und bleibt, und gegen den du nie vergessen darfst, dass er dein Bruder ist.