וַיַּ֤עַשׂ לָהֶם֙ מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה וַיֹּאכְל֖וּ וַיִּשְׁתּֽוּ׃

Isaac agreed, and he made a feast for them, and they ate and drank, in accordance with the custom after establishing a covenant.

וַיַּשְׁכִּ֣ימוּ בַבֹּ֔קֶר וַיִּשָּׁבְע֖וּ אִ֣ישׁ לְאָחִ֑יו וַיְשַׁלְּחֵ֣ם יִצְחָ֔ק וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ מֵאִתּ֖וֹ בְּשָׁלֽוֹם׃

They awoke in the morning and took oaths to one another that they would keep the covenant and maintain friendly relations from that time forward. Isaac sent them back, and they went from him in peace.

וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ עַבְדֵ֣י יִצְחָ֔ק וַיַּגִּ֣דוּ ל֔וֹ עַל־אֹד֥וֹת הַבְּאֵ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָפָ֑רוּ וַיֹּ֥אמְרוּ ל֖וֹ מָצָ֥אנוּ מָֽיִם׃

It was on that day that Avimelekh left, and Isaac’s servants came and told him with regard to the well that they had dug. Isaac’s servants had continued digging wells. They said to him: We have again found water.

וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֹתָ֖הּ שִׁבְעָ֑ה עַל־כֵּ֤ן שֵׁם־הָעִיר֙ בְּאֵ֣ר שֶׁ֔בַע עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ (ס)

He called it Shiva, in allusion to the oath [shevua]; therefore, the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

וַיְהִ֤י עֵשָׂו֙ בֶּן־אַרְבָּעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וַיִּקַּ֤ח אִשָּׁה֙ אֶת־יְהוּדִ֔ית בַּת־בְּאֵרִ֖י הַֽחִתִּ֑י וְאֶת־בָּ֣שְׂמַ֔ת בַּת־אֵילֹ֖ן הַֽחִתִּֽי׃

Esau was forty years old. Esau tried to imitate his father, at least on the superficial level. Just as Isaac married at forty, at an age when one’s mind is already settled, Esau did the same. And he took as a wife Yehudit, daughter of Be’eri the Hitite, and Basmat, daughter of Eilon the Hitite, who were two Hitite women.

וַתִּהְיֶ֖יןָ מֹ֣רַת ר֑וּחַ לְיִצְחָ֖ק וּלְרִבְקָֽה׃ (ס)

The Torah attests: They were a source of bitterness to Isaac and to Rebecca.

וַיְהִי֙ כִּֽי־זָקֵ֣ן יִצְחָ֔ק וַתִּכְהֶ֥יןָ עֵינָ֖יו מֵרְאֹ֑ת וַיִּקְרָ֞א אֶת־עֵשָׂ֣ו ׀ בְּנ֣וֹ הַגָּדֹ֗ל וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ בְּנִ֔י וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו הִנֵּֽנִי׃

It was when Isaac was old, and his eyes dimmed from seeing, as he became blind, or his sight diminished considerably; he summoned Esau, his elder son, and said to him: My son. He, Esau, said to him: Here I am. Esau responded in the proper manner, as there was a mutually positive relationship between father and son.

וַיֹּ֕אמֶר הִנֵּה־נָ֖א זָקַ֑נְתִּי לֹ֥א יָדַ֖עְתִּי י֥וֹם מוֹתִֽי׃

He, Isaac, said: Behold, I have now grown old; I do not know the day of my death. In actuality, Isaac lived far longer than he expected, for as it follows from various calculations, he did not die until many years after this episode. Perhaps due to his blindness and inactive life, he felt old and frail before his time.

וְעַתָּה֙ שָׂא־נָ֣א כֵלֶ֔יךָ תֶּלְיְךָ֖ וְקַשְׁתֶּ֑ךָ וְצֵא֙ הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה וְצ֥וּדָה לִּ֖י צידה [צָֽיִד׃]

Now, please take your hunting gear, your quiver, which is hung on one’s back, and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me.

וַעֲשֵׂה־לִ֨י מַטְעַמִּ֜ים כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר אָהַ֛בְתִּי וְהָבִ֥יאָה לִּ֖י וְאֹכֵ֑לָה בַּעֲב֛וּר תְּבָרֶכְךָ֥ נַפְשִׁ֖י בְּטֶ֥רֶם אָמֽוּת׃

Prepare for me tasty food from the animals you capture, such as I like. As stated above (25:28), Esau would regularly feed Isaac from the animals he hunted, and Isaac enjoyed such meals. And bring it to me, and I will eat, so that my soul will bless you before I die.

וְרִבְקָ֣ה שֹׁמַ֔עַת בְּדַבֵּ֣ר יִצְחָ֔ק אֶל־עֵשָׂ֖ו בְּנ֑וֹ וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ עֵשָׂו֙ הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה לָצ֥וּד צַ֖יִד לְהָבִֽיא׃

Rebecca heard as Isaac spoke to Esau his son. Esau went to the field, in accordance with his father’s command, to hunt game in order to bring it to him.

וְרִבְקָה֙ אָֽמְרָ֔ה אֶל־יַעֲקֹ֥ב בְּנָ֖הּ לֵאמֹ֑ר הִנֵּ֤ה שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ אֶת־אָבִ֔יךָ מְדַבֵּ֛ר אֶל־עֵשָׂ֥ו אָחִ֖יךָ לֵאמֹֽר׃

Rebecca said to Jacob her son, saying: Behold, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying as follows:

הָבִ֨יאָה לִּ֥י צַ֛יִד וַעֲשֵׂה־לִ֥י מַטְעַמִּ֖ים וְאֹכֵ֑לָה וַאֲבָרֶכְכָ֛ה לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י מוֹתִֽי׃

Bring me game and prepare for me tasty food, and I will eat, and I will bless you before the Lord before my death.

וְעַתָּ֥ה בְנִ֖י שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹלִ֑י לַאֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י מְצַוָּ֥ה אֹתָֽךְ׃

Now, my son, heed my voice to that which I command you. Rebecca invokes her authority in her address to her son, as she is telling him to perform a complicated and ostensibly questionable maneuver.

לֶךְ־נָא֙ אֶל־הַצֹּ֔אן וְקַֽח־לִ֣י מִשָּׁ֗ם שְׁנֵ֛י גְּדָיֵ֥י עִזִּ֖ים טֹבִ֑ים וְאֶֽעֱשֶׂ֨ה אֹתָ֧ם מַטְעַמִּ֛ים לְאָבִ֖יךָ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר אָהֵֽב׃

Please go to the flock and take for me from there two fine goat kids. Rebecca assumed that Esau would return from his hunt with a deer or two. Consequently, she asked Jacob to bring two goat kids, which are similar in taste to deer. And I will make them tasty food for your father, such as he likes. Since she knew how to cook for her husband and was familiar with his sensitivities, it was likely that she could prepare him a dish of goat meat whose taste he would be unable to distinguish from that of deer meat.

וְהֵבֵאתָ֥ לְאָבִ֖יךָ וְאָכָ֑ל בַּעֲבֻ֛ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר יְבָרֶכְךָ֖ לִפְנֵ֥י מוֹתֽוֹ׃

You shall bring it to your father and he will eat, so that he will bless you before his death.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֔ב אֶל־רִבְקָ֖ה אִמּ֑וֹ הֵ֣ן עֵשָׂ֤ו אָחִי֙ אִ֣ישׁ שָׂעִ֔ר וְאָנֹכִ֖י אִ֥ישׁ חָלָֽק׃

And Jacob said to Rebecca his mother: I cannot approach my father as Esau, as behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man. Covered with hair already at birth, Esau had become even more hairy over the years. And I am a man of smooth skin. Jacob might not have been entirely hairless, but he was smooth-skinned in comparison to Esau.

אוּלַ֤י יְמֻשֵּׁ֙נִי֙ אָבִ֔י וְהָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינָ֖יו כִּמְתַעְתֵּ֑עַ וְהֵבֵאתִ֥י עָלַ֛י קְלָלָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א בְרָכָֽה׃

Perhaps my father will feel me, not necessarily to discover my identity, but innocently, due to our physical proximity; and I shall be in his eyes as a deceiver, a trickster, as he will realize that I have disguised myself as Esau. And this is dangerous, as I shall bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing.

וַתֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ אִמּ֔וֹ עָלַ֥י קִלְלָתְךָ֖ בְּנִ֑י אַ֛ךְ שְׁמַ֥ע בְּקֹלִ֖י וְלֵ֥ךְ קַֽח־לִֽי׃

His mother said to him: If you will be cursed, your curse is upon me, my son. This is a rhetorical expression of her acceptance of responsibility for the curse. Only in the meantime heed my voice, and go, take the goat kids for me, as I have commanded you.

וַיֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ וַיִּקַּ֔ח וַיָּבֵ֖א לְאִמּ֑וֹ וַתַּ֤עַשׂ אִמּוֹ֙ מַטְעַמִּ֔ים כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר אָהֵ֥ב אָבִֽיו׃

He went, and took the kids, and brought them to his mother, as she requested; and his mother made tasty food, such as his father liked.

וַתִּקַּ֣ח רִ֠בְקָה אֶת־בִּגְדֵ֨י עֵשָׂ֜ו בְּנָ֤הּ הַגָּדֹל֙ הַחֲמֻדֹ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתָּ֖הּ בַּבָּ֑יִת וַתַּלְבֵּ֥שׁ אֶֽת־יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּנָ֥הּ הַקָּטָֽן׃

In response to the problem Jacob had raised, Rebecca took the fine garments, the best clothes, reserved for special occasions, of Esau, her elder son, that were with her in the house, and she dressed Jacob, her younger son, in them.

וְאֵ֗ת עֹרֹת֙ גְּדָיֵ֣י הָֽעִזִּ֔ים הִלְבִּ֖ישָׁה עַל־יָדָ֑יו וְעַ֖ל חֶלְקַ֥ת צַוָּארָֽיו׃

The hides of the kids of the goats she placed as sleeves on his hands and on the smooth of his neck, as these are the exposed areas of the body where the difference between the brothers is likely to be most noticeable. When the blind Isaac felt the hides, he would assume that it was Esau standing before him.

וַתִּתֵּ֧ן אֶת־הַמַּטְעַמִּ֛ים וְאֶת־הַלֶּ֖חֶם אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑תָה בְּיַ֖ד יַעֲקֹ֥ב בְּנָֽהּ׃

She gave the tasty food and the bread that she prepared into the hand of Jacob her son.

וַיָּבֹ֥א אֶל־אָבִ֖יו וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אָבִ֑י וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הִנֶּ֔נִּי מִ֥י אַתָּ֖ה בְּנִֽי׃

He came to his father and said: My father. He, Isaac, said: Here I am; who are you, my son? It is possible that the voices of the twins, Jacob and Esau, were very similar, and therefore Isaac would always ask this question upon their arrival.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֜ב אֶל־אָבִ֗יו אָנֹכִי֙ עֵשָׂ֣ו בְּכֹרֶ֔ךָ עָשִׂ֕יתִי כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתָּ אֵלָ֑י קֽוּם־נָ֣א שְׁבָ֗ה וְאָכְלָה֙ מִצֵּידִ֔י בַּעֲב֖וּר תְּבָרֲכַ֥נִּי נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃

Jacob said to his father: I am Esau your firstborn; I did as you spoke to me. Arise now, sit and eat from my game, so that your soul will bless me.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יִצְחָק֙ אֶל־בְּנ֔וֹ מַה־זֶּ֛ה מִהַ֥רְתָּ לִמְצֹ֖א בְּנִ֑י וַיֹּ֕אמֶר כִּ֥י הִקְרָ֛ה יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ לְפָנָֽי׃

Since Jacob did not go out hunting but simply took goat kids from the goat shed, he arrived sooner than his father had anticipated. Therefore, Isaac said to his son: How is it that you hastened so to find it, my son? According to my calculation, the hunt and the preparation of the dish should have taken longer. He, Jacob, said: Because the Lord your God coordinated it, the outcome, so that the game appeared before me without delay.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יִצְחָק֙ אֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֔ב גְּשָׁה־נָּ֥א וַאֲמֻֽשְׁךָ֖ בְּנִ֑י הַֽאַתָּ֥ה זֶ֛ה בְּנִ֥י עֵשָׂ֖ו אִם־לֹֽא׃

Sensing that something strange was going on, Isaac said to Jacob: Please approach, that I may feel you, my son, so that I will know: Are you my son Esau or not? Due to his faulty eyesight, Isaac was unable to tell the twins apart.

וַיִּגַּ֧שׁ יַעֲקֹ֛ב אֶל־יִצְחָ֥ק אָבִ֖יו וַיְמֻשֵּׁ֑הוּ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הַקֹּל֙ ק֣וֹל יַעֲקֹ֔ב וְהַיָּדַ֖יִם יְדֵ֥י עֵשָֽׂו׃

Jacob approached Isaac his father, and he, Isaac, felt him. He said: The voice is the voice of Jacob, as the subtleties of the voice bring to mind the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

וְלֹ֣א הִכִּיר֔וֹ כִּֽי־הָי֣וּ יָדָ֗יו כִּידֵ֛י עֵשָׂ֥ו אָחִ֖יו שְׂעִרֹ֑ת וַֽיְבָרְכֵֽהוּ׃

He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like the hands of his brother, Esau; and he blessed him. Although Jacob’s voice unnerved Isaac, his hands felt like those of Esau. Some say that Jacob’s vocabulary was also identical to that of Esau.

וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אַתָּ֥ה זֶ֖ה בְּנִ֣י עֵשָׂ֑ו וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אָֽנִי׃

He said: Are you my son Esau? Isaac sought further confirmation of his identity. He said: I am.

וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הַגִּ֤שָׁה לִּי֙ וְאֹֽכְלָה֙ מִצֵּ֣יד בְּנִ֔י לְמַ֥עַן תְּבָֽרֶכְךָ֖ נַפְשִׁ֑י וַיַּגֶּשׁ־לוֹ֙ וַיֹּאכַ֔ל וַיָּ֧בֵא ל֦וֹ יַ֖יִן וַיֵּֽשְׁתְּ׃

He said, in a somewhat ceremonial fashion: Serve me, and I will eat from my son’s game so that my soul will bless you. He served him, and he ate, and he brought him wine, and he drank.

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו יִצְחָ֣ק אָבִ֑יו גְּשָׁה־נָּ֥א וּשְׁקָה־לִּ֖י בְּנִֽי׃

After eating, Isaac’s spirits lifted, and he sensed a closeness to his son. And Isaac his father said to him: Approach and kiss me, my son.

וַיִּגַּשׁ֙ וַיִּשַּׁק־ל֔וֹ וַיָּ֛רַח אֶת־רֵ֥יחַ בְּגָדָ֖יו וַֽיְבָרֲכֵ֑הוּ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר רְאֵה֙ רֵ֣יחַ בְּנִ֔י כְּרֵ֣יחַ שָׂדֶ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בֵּרֲכ֖וֹ יְהוָֽה׃

He, Jacob, approached and kissed him. He, Isaac, smelled the scent of his, Esau’s, fine garments, which had absorbed the scent of one who frequents the fields, and he blessed him and said: See, the scent of my son is as the scent of a field that the Lord blessed. The Sages suggest that Isaac smelled the scent of an orchard, as a field of grain does not emit a pleasant fragrance, whereas one can smell the fruit in an area planted with trees.