וַיַּ֨עַן יִצְחָ֜ק וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְעֵשָׂ֗ו הֵ֣ן גְּבִ֞יר שַׂמְתִּ֥יו לָךְ֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־אֶחָ֗יו נָתַ֤תִּי לוֹ֙ לַעֲבָדִ֔ים וְדָגָ֥ן וְתִירֹ֖שׁ סְמַכְתִּ֑יו וּלְכָ֣ה אֵפ֔וֹא מָ֥ה אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֖ה בְּנִֽי׃
האָט יצחק געענטפֿערט און האָט געזאָגט צו עֵשָׂון: זע, איך האָב אים געמאַכט פֿאַר אַ האַר איבער דיר, און אַלע זײַנע ברידער האָב איך אים געגעבן פֿאַר קנעכט, און מיט תּבואה און װײַן האָב איך אים פֿאַרזאָרגט, און פֿאַר דיר, װאָס קען איך דען טאָן, מײַן זון?
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
(Gen. 27:36:) THEN HE SAID: HAVE YOU NOT RESERVED ME]98See above, 5:6, n. 25; 6:1, n. 1. A BLESSING?99With the word BLESSING, Buber is able to follow his Oxford MS again. Resh Laqish said: This is one of three children of Adam who came with a legal circumvention against the Holy One.100Sanh. 101a (bar.) names Cain, Esau, and Manasseh as the three. Esau said to him: If both of us are righteous, does not your God have < enough > blessings to bless both of us? The Holy One said to him: May your mouth be stopped up! Look, Jacob is blessing twelve tribes, and it is not a case of him blessing one as he blesses another. Even so he was filled with compassion for him. He came to bless him, but the Divine Presence departed from him. He began to pray and say (in the words of Is. 26:10): LET THE WICKED BE SHOWN FAVOR.101Gen. R. 67:5. He said to him (ibid., cont.): HE WILL NOT LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS. He said to him: Do you desire to bless this one? He is going to destroy my house and confuse lands102‘Aratsot. Perhaps the text should read ‘otsarot (“treasures”) here. See MS 1240 of the De Rossi library in Parma. and riches. Thus it is stated (ibid., cont.): IN A LAND OF INTEGRITY HE WILL ACT UNJUSTLY. Isaac said to him: Give to him in this world, AND (ibid., cont.) HE SHALL NOT SEE THE MAJESTY OF THE LORD in the world to come because he would compel103Gk.: anangke. me to repay him the glory with which he honored me. Esau immediately raised his eyes upward and wept, as stated (in Gen. 27:38): AND ESAU LIFTED UP HIS VOICE AND WEPT. The Holy One said: Although he is wicked, flatter him. R. Eleazar said: Esau shed three tears, one from his right < eye >, one from his left, and one disappeared in the midst of his eye.104M.Pss. 80:4. The Holy One said: Look, the wicked one is weeping over his life! How am I to turn him away empty! He immediately told his father to bless him. This text is related (to Ps. 80:6 [5]): YOU HAVE FED THEM THE BREAD OF TEARS AND HAVE HAD THEM DRINK A SHALISH105The word SHALISH has the same spelling as shelish, which means “one-third,” and has the same root as the word for “three.” In the context of the psalm shalish denotes a dry measure, which is a third of an ephah. OF TEARS. R. Abbin said in the name of R. Aha: Israel said to the Holy One: Sovereign of the World, now if in the case of Esau the Wicked, because he had shed two tears, < you were > filled with compassion for him immediately; how much the more so in our case, when our tears < flow > constantly day and night like bread, as stated (in Ps. 42:4 [3]): MY TEARS HAVE BEEN MY BREAD DAY AND NIGHT. Up to now the proper time has not arrived for him to be filled with compassion over you. David has said (in Ps. 39:13 [12]): HEAR MY PRAYER, O LORD, AND GIVE EAR TO MY CRY. DO NOT KEEP SILENCE AT MY TEARS. The Holy One said to them: I will repay Esau the Wicked for the glory of his ancestors, and I will exalt him. Afterwards, I am coming to exalt you and repay {them} [you] for what you have achieved and for what your ancestors achieved. It is so stated (in Ps. 46:11 [ 10]): I WILL BE EXALTED AMONG THE GENTILES; I WILL BE EXALTED IN THE EARTH. It is simply that the Holy One said to Jacob (in Gen. 28:14): AND YOUR SEED SHALL BE LIKE THE DUST OF THE EARTH. It is also written (in Mal. 3:12): FOR YOU WILL BE A DELIGHTFUL LAND. Esau said to him (in Gen. 27:37): BLESS ME ALSO, O MY FATHER. Isaac said to him: With what shall I bless you? R. Berekhyah said: He said to him: I made him a lord over you. In anything whatever that I should bless you, I should be blessing him. Why? Because whatever the slave acquires, he acquires for his master. (Gen. 27:29:) BE A MASTER TO YOUR BROTHER is what Isaac said to Jacob. That was the seventh blessing (in Gen. 27:29). Now Isaac had set down ten blessings with which he had blessed him, but he said to him only (in vs. 27:37): "BEHOLD, I HAVE MADE HIM A MASTER OVER YOU." He did, however, say to him: With everything that you are thinking I should bless you, I should only be blessing him. Why? Because whatever the servant has belongs to the master. Thus in Egypt, even though they had been enslaved to them, when they left them they took all their property. So also in the case of thirty-one kings (in Josh. 12:7-24), Israel drove them from their land and took their wealth. So also now in respect to what the peoples of the world are plundering from Israel, Israel belongs to the LORD. Thus it is stated (in Is. 23:18): HER (in reference to Tyre as a harlot) PROFITS AND HER HIRE SHALL BE DEDICATED TO THE LORD {OF HOSTS}. THEY SHALL NOT BE TREASURED OR STORED, FOR HER PROFITS SHALL BELONG TO THOSE WHO DWELL BEFORE THE LORD FOR EATING THEIR FILL AND FOR SPLENDID CLOTHING.
Bereshit Rabbah
“Isaac answered and said to Esau: Behold, I have placed him a lord to you, and all his brethren I have given to him as servants, and I have supported him with grain and wine, and for you then, what shall I do, my son?” (Genesis 27:37).
“Isaac answered and said to Esau: Behold, I have [placed him] a lord” – Rabbi Berekhya said: “Behold, I have placed him a lord to you” – that was the seventh blessing,6The blessing "be master over your brothers" is the seventh blessing. why does he say it to him first? He said to him: ‘I rendered him king over you, and your blessings are his.’ The slave belongs to whom, his belongings belong to whom? A slave, everything that is his belongs to his master.
“All his brethren I have given to him as servants…and for you, then [lekha efo]” – however, for you, your bread is baked [afuya].7You will always have enough to eat, at the expense of your master.
Rabbi Yoḥanan and Reish Lakish, Rabbi Yoḥanan said: [“Lekha efo”] Let me be,8The word lekha is being interpreted as meaning lekh – leave. as an oven is baking for you everywhere.9You will be burned by him. Reish Lakish said: Let me be, as fury and wrath [af veḥema]10Efo is an acronym for af veḥema. are within his purview.
Rabbi Simlai and some say in the name of Rabbi Abahu: The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Did you say to him: “For you, then”?’11God asked Isaac: Did you intend to bless Esau? He said to Him: “Grant him grace”12Let me bless him. (Isaiah 26:10). He said to him: ‘He is “wicked”’ (Isaiah 26:10). He said to Him: ‘“Did he not learn righteousness?” (Isaiah 26:10) – did he not honor his parents?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘“In the land of the upright he will perform evil” (Isaiah 26:10) – he is destined to extend his hand against the Temple.’ He said to Him: ‘If so, grant him tranquility in this world, “and let him not see the majesty of the Lord” (Isaiah 26:10) – in the future.’
“Isaac answered and said to Esau: Behold, I have [placed him] a lord” – Rabbi Berekhya said: “Behold, I have placed him a lord to you” – that was the seventh blessing,6The blessing "be master over your brothers" is the seventh blessing. why does he say it to him first? He said to him: ‘I rendered him king over you, and your blessings are his.’ The slave belongs to whom, his belongings belong to whom? A slave, everything that is his belongs to his master.
“All his brethren I have given to him as servants…and for you, then [lekha efo]” – however, for you, your bread is baked [afuya].7You will always have enough to eat, at the expense of your master.
Rabbi Yoḥanan and Reish Lakish, Rabbi Yoḥanan said: [“Lekha efo”] Let me be,8The word lekha is being interpreted as meaning lekh – leave. as an oven is baking for you everywhere.9You will be burned by him. Reish Lakish said: Let me be, as fury and wrath [af veḥema]10Efo is an acronym for af veḥema. are within his purview.
Rabbi Simlai and some say in the name of Rabbi Abahu: The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Did you say to him: “For you, then”?’11God asked Isaac: Did you intend to bless Esau? He said to Him: “Grant him grace”12Let me bless him. (Isaiah 26:10). He said to him: ‘He is “wicked”’ (Isaiah 26:10). He said to Him: ‘“Did he not learn righteousness?” (Isaiah 26:10) – did he not honor his parents?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘“In the land of the upright he will perform evil” (Isaiah 26:10) – he is destined to extend his hand against the Temple.’ He said to Him: ‘If so, grant him tranquility in this world, “and let him not see the majesty of the Lord” (Isaiah 26:10) – in the future.’
Bereshit Rabbah
“Isaac his father answered and said to him: Behold, from the fat of the earth will be your dwelling, and from the dew of the heavens from above” (Genesis 27:39).
“Isaac [his father] answered and said [to him: Behold, from the fat of the earth will be your dwelling” – this is Italy.13Rome is viewed as being the descendant of Esau. “And from the dew of the heavens from above” – this is Beit Guvrin.
Another matter, “Behold, from the fat of the earth” – from the fat cats of the earth. What renders the earth fat? It becomes fat from the dew. Antoninos sent [an emissary] to Rabbeinu [Yehuda HaNasi], he said to him: ‘Because my royal treasuries are depleted, what can we do to fill them?’ He took the emissary and brought him into a garden. He began uprooting large radishes and planted small ones. He said to him: ‘Give me an answer.’ He said: ‘You do not need one.’ He ascended to him.14The emissary returned to Antoninos. He said to him: ‘Where is the response?’ He said to him: ‘He did not give me anything.’ He said to him: ‘What did he say to you?’ He said to him: ‘He did not say anything.’ He said to him: ‘Did he not do anything in your presence?’ He said to him: ‘He took me and had me enter into a garden. He uprooted large radishes and planted small ones; large beets and planted small ones; large lettuce, and planted small ones.’ He understood immediately. He began dismissing officers and appointing officers, until the coffers were filled.15Both the dismissed officers and the appointed officers paid higher taxes because they feared him, and the coffers were filled.
“Isaac [his father] answered and said [to him: Behold, from the fat of the earth will be your dwelling” – this is Italy.13Rome is viewed as being the descendant of Esau. “And from the dew of the heavens from above” – this is Beit Guvrin.
Another matter, “Behold, from the fat of the earth” – from the fat cats of the earth. What renders the earth fat? It becomes fat from the dew. Antoninos sent [an emissary] to Rabbeinu [Yehuda HaNasi], he said to him: ‘Because my royal treasuries are depleted, what can we do to fill them?’ He took the emissary and brought him into a garden. He began uprooting large radishes and planted small ones. He said to him: ‘Give me an answer.’ He said: ‘You do not need one.’ He ascended to him.14The emissary returned to Antoninos. He said to him: ‘Where is the response?’ He said to him: ‘He did not give me anything.’ He said to him: ‘What did he say to you?’ He said to him: ‘He did not say anything.’ He said to him: ‘Did he not do anything in your presence?’ He said to him: ‘He took me and had me enter into a garden. He uprooted large radishes and planted small ones; large beets and planted small ones; large lettuce, and planted small ones.’ He understood immediately. He began dismissing officers and appointing officers, until the coffers were filled.15Both the dismissed officers and the appointed officers paid higher taxes because they feared him, and the coffers were filled.