Ilustration Credit: Rivka Tsinman
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
In Vayehi, many mourners bury Yaakov in מְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה (Me’arat Ha-Makhpelah, the Cave of Makhpelah).
A midrash (Bavli Sotah 13b) tells us that there was a lot of excitement in this story! The midrash describes the mourners reaching Me’arat Ha-Makhpelah, and Esav is standing there waiting to stop them from burying Yaakov. Esav claims that the one spot remaining in the burial cave belongs to him.
Yaakov’s children answer that Esav had sold his place in the burial cave when he sold the birthright to Yaakov (back in Toldot). Esav demands evidence, and Yaakov’s children explain that the document proving this was left back in מִצְרַיִם (Mitzrayim, Egypt). Esav insists on seeing the document, so Yaakov’s sons send Naftali back to get it because he’s the fastest runner. We learn this from Yaakov’s blessing to Naftali, which compares him to a doe (a female deer):
(כא) נַפְתָּלִ֖י אַיָּלָ֣ה שְׁלֻחָ֑ה הַנֹּתֵ֖ן אִמְרֵי־שָֽׁפֶר׃
Naftali is a doe let loose, who gives lovely fawns.
A doe can run as fast as 47 miles per hour! Naftali must have been really speedy.
R. Abbahu teaches that the end of this pasuk hints at the events described in the midrash:
אָמַר רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ: אַל תִּקְרֵי ״אִמְרֵי שָׁפֶר״, אֶלָּא ״אִמְרֵי סֵפֶר״.
R. Abbahu says: Do not read it as imrei shafer (lovely fawns); rather, read it as imrei sefer (the words of the book – the written evidence from Mitzrayim that Naftali ran to get).
- Why do you think the midrash shows Esav continuing to compete with Yaakov, even after Yaakov’s death? What’s that supposed to tell us?
- In the midrash, how does Naftali use his special talent? Have you ever been called on to help in a tense moment, because of your special talents? Can you think of a situation where your special talents could come in handy?
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