Illustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
When is your personality determined?
The Torah describes Yaakov and Esav when they were growing inside Rivkah’s belly:
וַיִּתְרֹֽצְצ֤וּ הַבָּנִים֙ בְּקִרְבָּ֔הּ
The children fought within her
What does this mean?
עוֹבֶרֶת עַל בָּתֵּי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְעֵשָׂו מְפַרְכֵּס לָצֵאת הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב "זֹרוּ רְשָׁעִים מֵרָחֶם" (תהלים נח:ד).
עוֹבֶרֶת עַל בָּתֵּי כְנֵסִיּוֹת וּבָתֵּי מִדְרָשׁוֹת וְיַעֲקֹב מְפַרְכֵּס לָצֵאת הֲדָא הוּא "בְּטֶרֶם אֶצׇּרְךָ בַבֶּטֶן" (ירמיה א:ה).
When she passed by houses of idolatry, Esav would struggle to get out—that’s what is written, “Wicked people are devious from the womb” (Tehillim 58:4).
When she passed by synagogues and houses of study, Yaakov would struggle to get out—that’s what is written, “Before I formed you in the belly I knew you; and before you came out of the belly I made you holy” (Yirmiyahu 1:5).
Our Rabbis often view Esav as a bad guy who loves idolatry, and Yaakov as a good guy who loves Torah. According to this midrash, the twins had their personalities even before they were born!
- Do you have any interests or desires you’ve had your whole life? What is the midrash trying to teach us about Yaakov and Esav?
- If you’ve felt one way about something your whole life, is it possible to change?
- In this midrash, Yaakov is naturally good and Esav is naturally bad. Do you think good acts still count if they come naturally to you, or is it necessary to have to struggle for it? What about bad acts - can someone be blamed if doing bad comes naturally? Why?
-------------------
-------------------
