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Bad Art, Good Torah: Toldot

Introduction: If you could only see the world through one type of art, what kind of art would you want it to be? (Pop art, claymation, etc.)

Part I: Text Study (15 minutes)

Jacob and Esau by Edna Aphek (transl. Yishai Tobin)

I hear the smell of your garments

Esau coming from the field

The yelling of your eyes

A kneeling

And Jacob keeps reading the book

Guiding questions:

How does this poem play with senses?

וַיֵּצֵ֤א הָרִאשׁוֹן֙ אַדְמוֹנִ֔י כֻּלּ֖וֹ כְּאַדֶּ֣רֶת שֵׂעָ֑ר וַיִּקְרְא֥וּ שְׁמ֖וֹ עֵשָֽׂו׃
The first one emerged red, like a hairy mantle all over; so they named him Esau.
אדמוני. סִימָן הוּא שֶׁיְּהֵא שׁוֹפֵךְ דָּמִים (בראשית רבה):
אדמוני RED — a sign that he would always be shedding blood (Genesis Rabbah 63:8).
כלו כאדרת שער. מָלֵא שֵׂעָר כְּטַלִּית שֶׁל צֶמֶר הַמְלֵאָה שֵׂעָר, פלוקי"דא בלע"ז:
כלו כאדרת שער means full of hair like a woolen garment that is full of hair old French floche; English flock).
ויקראו שמו עשו. הַכֹּל קָרְאוּ לוֹ כֵן, לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִגְמָר בִּשְׂעָרוֹ כְבֶן שָׁנִים הַרְבֵּה:
ויקרא שמו עשו AND THEY CALLED HIS NAME ESAU — every one called him thus because he was made (עשה means to make) and fully developed with hair as a lad several years old.
אדמוני, וברוב הנולדים יצאו אדומים אלא ר"ל אדמוני חזק באדמימות.
ויצא הראשון אדמוני, even though most newborn babies are reddish in colour, this was one was exceptionally so.
כלו כאדרת שער, היה כלו מלא שער כמו האדרת שהיא בעלת שער שתלוים בה תלתלי שער הצמר כאותה שקורין קלצא, והיה בשני דברים אלו משונה משאר הנולדים.
כלו כאדרת שער, as hairy as a fur coat. He had tufts of hair all over him. In both of these regards he was different from other newly born babies.

Guiding questions:

Which interpretation do you like best?

What's the story behind your name?

Have you ever named someone (a pet, a character, a stuffed animal)? Did their looks factor into your decision?

(כז) וַֽיִּגְדְּלוּ֙ הַנְּעָרִ֔ים וַיְהִ֣י עֵשָׂ֗ו אִ֛ישׁ יֹדֵ֥עַ צַ֖יִד אִ֣ישׁ שָׂדֶ֑ה וְיַעֲקֹב֙ אִ֣ישׁ תָּ֔ם יֹשֵׁ֖ב אֹהָלִֽים׃ (כח) וַיֶּאֱהַ֥ב יִצְחָ֛ק אֶת־עֵשָׂ֖ו כִּי־צַ֣יִד בְּפִ֑יו וְרִבְקָ֖ה אֹהֶ֥בֶת אֶֽת־יַעֲקֹֽב׃ (כט) וַיָּ֥זֶד יַעֲקֹ֖ב נָזִ֑יד וַיָּבֹ֥א עֵשָׂ֛ו מִן־הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה וְה֥וּא עָיֵֽף׃ (ל) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר עֵשָׂ֜ו אֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֗ב הַלְעִיטֵ֤נִי נָא֙ מִן־הָאָדֹ֤ם הָאָדֹם֙ הַזֶּ֔ה כִּ֥י עָיֵ֖ף אָנֹ֑כִי עַל־כֵּ֥ן קָרָֽא־שְׁמ֖וֹ אֱדֽוֹם׃

(27) When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the outdoors; but Jacob became a mild man, raising livestock.(28) Isaac favored Esau because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah favored Jacob. (29) Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the open, famished. (30) And Esau said to Jacob, “Give me some of that red stuff to gulp down, for I am famished”—which is why he was named Edom.

מן האדום האדום הזה היה התבשיל מאודם מן העדשים שהיו אדומות או שרקחו בדברים אדומים ועשו לא ידע מה הוא וקרא שמו אדום על כן קרא שמו אדום כי לעגו עליו שמכר בכורה נכבדת בעבור תבשיל מעט כי סובא וזולל יורש (משלי כג כא):
OF THIS RED, RED POTTAGE. The dish was either reddened by the lentils which were red, or it had been compounded with some red substance, and Esau, not knowing what it was, called it edom (red). Therefore was his name called Edom since they mocked at him for having sold an honorable birthright for a small dish. For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty.

Guiding questions:

What do you make of the use of the color red here?

Do you have a nickname? Have you ever given someone else a nickname?

What's your favorite kind of bean?

Part II: Art Time! (20 minutes)

We're going to make family trees out of leaves from campus! You can make your own family tree, the family tree from the parasha, or a family tree from your favorite book/tv show.

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