Aggada -- Translations into English; Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends; Midrash -- Translations into English
In his dismay, Isaac had had the intention of cursing Jacob for having
wrested the blessing from him through cunning. God prevented him from
carrying out his plan. He reminded him that he would but curse himself,
seeing that his blessing contained the words, "Cursed be every one that
curseth thee." But Isaac was not willing to acknowledge his blessing
valid as applied to Jacob, until he was informed that his second son
was the possessor of the birthright. Only then did he say, "Yea, he
shall be blessed," whereat Esau cried with an exceeding great and
bitter cry. By way of punishment for having been the cause of such
distress, a descendant of Jacob, Mordecai, was also made to cry with a
loud and bitter cry, and his grief was brought forth by the Amalekite
Haman, the descendant of Esau. At the words of Isaac, "Thy brother came
with wisdom, and hath taken away thy blessing," Esau spat out in
vexation, and said, "He took away my birthright, and I kept silence,
and now that he takes away my blessing, should I also keep
silence?[101] Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me
these two times."[102]
Isaac continued to speak to Esau: "Behold, I have made him thy lord, he
is thy king, and do what thou wilt, thy blessings will still belong to
him; all his brethren have I given to him for slaves, and what slaves
possess belongs to their owner. There is nothing for it, thou must be
content that thou wilt receive thy bread baked from thy master." The
Lord took it ill of Isaac that he cheered him with such kind words. "To
Mine enemy," He reproached him, "thou sayest, 'What shall I do for
thee, my son?'" Isaac replied, "O that he might find grace with Thee!"
God: "He is a recreant." Isaac: "Doth he not act righteously when he
honors his parents?" God: "In the land of uprightness will he deal
wrongfully, he will stretch his hand forth in days to come against the
Temple." Isaac: "Then let him enjoy much good in this world, that he
may not behold the abiding-place of the Lord in the world to
come."[103]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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