Diaspora Yeshiva Toras Yisrael | Mount Zion, Jerusalem
Torah From Zion
Defining One's Essence
December 2nd, 2024 / 1st of Kislev 5785
In Bereishis Rabba [Genesis Rabbah] (63:6), the sages depict Rivka Imeinu’s [our mother] experiences when she was pregnant with Yaakov [Jacob] and Esav [Esau].
“And the children moved violently within her” — when she stood before houses of prayer and study, Yaakov struggled to come out, in line with the verse, “Before I created you, in the womb, I knew you” (Yirmiyahu [Jeremiah] 1:5). When she passed by temples of idol worship, Esav tried to leave, as it says, “Evildoers are estranged yet in the womb” (Tehillim [Psalms] 58:5).
We see that even before they were born, Yaakov and Esav displayed their respective traits; Esav was already considered a rasha [wicked person].
On the other hand, the Midrash relates (ibid. 65:16) that Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel said:
All my days I served my father, but I did not succeed in serving him a hundredth of Esav’s example. I would serve him even with soiled clothing, although when I ventured out in public I’d wear clean clothes. Esav, however, served his father with nothing but royal vestments.
This Midrash depicts Esav as righteous in honoring his parents – even 100 times more than R’ Shimon ben Gamliel! How then are we to understand Esav’s true identity
Tzaddik and Rasha — Compatible Terms?
Usually, we consider the concepts of tzaddik [righteous person] and rasha as incompatible opposites. If we regard someone as a rasha, it follows that he cannot be a tzaddik, and vice versa. Perhaps in different areas he displays better and worse attributes, but we can’t grasp that in one area he is at once both tzaddik and rasha.
Another seemingly impossible situation — and indeed defying logic — is to be classified overall with both titles. After tallying up mitzvos [commandments] and aveiros [sins], there must be a decision: tzaddik or rasha.
And yet these two ideas are found in the writings of the Rishonim [early Torah commentators] as actualities. The Gemara [Talmud] in Niddah [a tractate of the Talmud] (14a) indicates that camel riders are considered resha’im. Tosfos asks, however, that in Kiddushin [Betrothal] (82a), it states that on the whole, camel riders are upright! Tosfos answers that it depends on the issue. Camel riders are lacking with regard to thoughts of sin but are honest in their business dealings. We thus find an example of a group of people identified by their occupation who simultaneously represent tzaddikim and resha’im.
The second, more problematic, paradox is evident in the Rambam’s famous summation in Hilchos Teshuva [Laws of Repentance] (3:1–4): Every person has virtues and sins. Whoever has more virtues than sins is a tzaddik; more sins than virtues, a rasha; equal amounts of each is a beinoni [intermediate].
Mitzvos and aveiros are not only causes for reward or punishment but also categorize one’s status. The majority of actions gain the title of tzaddik or rasha (only Hashem [God] Himself knows how to calculate the values of our deeds, the Rambam points out; some are more weighty than others). Now, one who has equal amounts of sins and mitzvos is called a beinoni. If we analyze him, the mitzvah half is considered a tzaddik and the aveira half, a rasha. Here we see a man who is both a tzaddik and a rasha! This is a thorny philosophical conundrum, which we won’t elaborate upon here.
Esav and His Kibud Av
Let us try to comprehend Esav’s combination of characteristics, and thereby clarify our subject. At the end of Parshas Toldos [the Torah portion of Toldos], we are told that Esav realized that his father Yaakov disapproved of marrying a Canaanite woman. He therefore went to Yishmael and wed his daughter, in addition to his (Canaanite) wives. Rashi notes that he heaped evil upon evil by not divorcing his first wives.
In sum, Esav attempted to honor his father’s wishes and avoid marrying a Canaanite, yet retained his Canaanite wives. Furthermore, the new woman he found was not from Canaan, but was just as evil – the daughter of Yishmael! This certainly would not find favor in Yitzchak’s eyes. How are we to understand the contradictions in Esav’s behavior?
Tzaddik to Oneself / to Hashem
Esav did not have the correct outlook on true good and bad. He denied the World to Come, as the Midrash (Tanchuma, Terumah [Contribution] 9) states that Yaakov belongs to the Next World and Esav, to this world. Disconnected from the Future, he made decisions of propriety based solely on his existence in this life. Whatever was beneficial for the imminent future was favored, regardless of its effects in the Next World. It is possible that Esav had a sense of decision-making, but without absolute, true values. Thus, his value system was open to changes, depending on the moment. Only one who knows of the true, eternal good and bad has an unchanging perspective on life.
Secondly, the word tzaddik derives from the root tzodeik, which means “correct.” This indicates that anyone who keeps to a set of values bears a certain degree of tzidkus [righteousness]. Obviously, we are to behave according to Hashem’s doctrines and be tzodeik in His eyes, but even if one follows his own mindset faithfully, he is somewhat a tzaddik. At least he is not dishonest to himself.
Esav – A Tzaddik in His Own Eyes
Now we can explain the contradiction in Esav’s actions: trying to please his father, and yet causing him grief by his conduct.
Esav decided on courses of action based on the limited temporary existence of this world. He did, however, maintain a consistent adherence to what he deemed appropriate. Thus, when he heard that his father did not want daughters-in-law from Canaan, he took it literally and failed to realize the spiritual, Next World-implication involved. He married a member of his father’s family, thinking that he was fulfilling his father’s will to the fullest. He missed the point, because this lady was just as wicked as the Canaanites. But it fit in with his outlook on good and bad.
This is an example of the duality of Esav. He fulfilled the mitzvah of kibud av [honoring his father] to a remarkable degree, such that even a Tanna [sage] was in awe of it. However, he lacked the proper set of values, and while he thought he was acting as a tzaddik, according to the eternal truths it was actually evil. He was not a tzaddik to Hashem. This side of him is expressed by the verse as he “turned away in the womb,” ultimately classifying him as a rasha.
Esav Had the Ability to Improve
An even more amazing facet of Esav’s character is revealed when he was on the way to meet Yaakov. The Torah emphasizes that Yaakov took his eleven children and passed over the Yabok crossing (Bereishis 32:23). The Midrashim wonder, where was his twelfth child – Dinah? Rashi brings the answer that Yaakov had concealed Dinah for fear that Esav might desire to take her as a wife. For this Yaakov was punished in the incident with Shechem (Bereishis Rabba) with the following critique:
“You didn’t want her to marry a circumcised one; see, she will be with an uncircumcised man. You didn’t want to give her over in marriage in a permitted way; behold, she will go in a forbidden way, etc.”
This seems perplexing; where was Yaakov’s mistake? Should he have given his daughter to Esav the rasha? Rashi concludes with the key:
“Maybe she would have influenced him to return to good.”
Apparently, there was a realistic chance that Dinah could have changed Esav by marrying him, and for preventing this opportunity Yaakov was found lacking. How could she have turned him to good? Simply, we can imagine that she would cause him to have thoughts of teshuva [repentance]. According to the above, this is more understandable. Esav had an element of tzidkus in his character, only he lacked the proper moral compass. Had Dinah taught him the true outlook, which she had learned in Yaakov’s home, she could have ignited the spark of tzidkus in Esav and transformed him into a tzaddik for Hashem.
Esav and His Element of Peace
Anticipating his meeting with Esav, Yaakov prays for salvation, “Save me from my brother, from Esav” (ibid. 32:12). In his commentary on the Torah, the Beis Halevi questions Yaakov’s double language – why did he refer to Esav by both descriptions? He answers that Yaakov knew there were two ways Esav might approach him. Either he’d wage war with him, as Esav, or decide to make peace with him, as a brother.
These two possibilities are expressed by the earlier verse (32:8), “And Yaakov became very afraid, and it pained him.” He was afraid of the battle, and pained by the thought of Esav drawing close to him in peace.
The Beis Halevi thus explains that both options would be disastrous for Yaakov. Physical injury or death on one hand, and the threat of being influenced by Esav’s impurity and falsehoods on the other. What did Yaakov want? A peaceful coexistence, with a distance between them, to avoid Esav’s influence. He received his request, as Esav returned peacefully to his land.
We thus see that Esav was capable of overcoming his instinctive anger and making peace. Although Yaakov needed to daven [pray] for it to come about, it shows that Esav had the ability to change. This derived from Esav’s personal tzidkus, in that he decided that peace with Yaakov would be beneficial for his earthly life.
In Summary, esav had the element of tzidkus in his own eyes, in that he adhered to his personal set of weighing good and bad. This prompted some flawed decisions and modes of conduct, as he lacked the right belief system to formulate actions that would be tzodeik in Hashem’s eyes – the real tzidkus. So he tried to honor his father at the highest level but married women that distressed him.
More examples of his righteousness are his inherent ability to return to full teshuva, as proved by the punishment for withholding Dinah from him; and his self-control to make peace with Yaakov.
We Are Who We Are in Potential or in Reality?
Let us now explore a fascinating question based on the above.
If everything has potential to change, how are we to classify different powers and things in the world? Should we look only at its natural state, or regard its reversed condition as its temporary classification?
Similarly, how do we consider a person to be a tzaddik or a rasha – according to his usual state, or are particular situations that elicit differing conduct significant? When a person leaves this world, he can be judged either according to the majority of his conduct throughout his lifetime, or the Heavenly Court may look only at his behavior at the moment of death. Even if he was not righteous during his life, if he ended his time here with a good deed, he may be deemed a tzaddik.
Indeed, we find Chazal [the sages] describing such an approach with Yishmael, from the verse, “I have seen the youth as he is there (meaning I judge him based on who he is at present, irrespective of what may come of him in the future)” (Bereishis 21:17). When man is judged, the judgment is according to his actions at that very time (Rosh Hashana [Tractate] 16b).
Definition and Test of Identity
Let us resolve this by concluding that man is not defined by individual modes of conduct, but by his internal essence. This can actually be tested with analysis of his ultimate course in life and his reactions in particular situations.
This explains Yaakov’s comment to Esav, “With Lavan I dwelt” (ibid. 32:5), to which Rashi adds the Midrash, “and I upheld the 613 mitzvos.” He meant to impress upon Esav that since he kept all the mitzvos even in the detrimental atmosphere of Lavan’s house, it revealed his true essence. It qualified him as a tzaddik, and so Esav could not wield any power over him.
This also sheds light on the Midrash we began with, when Rivka sought advice regarding the contradictory conduct of her fetus. So upset by the situation, she cried, “Why am I thus?” Why did I want and daven for this pregnancy (Rashi)? And she requested of Shem to tell her the destiny of her child. When he told her that she is bearing twins and that each one is drawn to a different lifestyle, she apparently was relieved.
The commentators are bothered; why did Shem’s reply put Rivka at ease? Shouldn’t she still be troubled that one of her children runs to idol worship?
We can explain with the same idea as before. Rivka was from a family of resha’im – Besuel [Bethuel] her father and Lavan [Laban] her brother. As hard as she tried to perfect herself, she was plagued by doubt if she had succeeded in altering her inner essence. So when her fetus (so she thought) was drawn to both good and bad, she assumed it inherited her nature and thus reflected upon her.
She was unsure if its entity was that of a tzaddik, and thus yearned to enter the batei medrash [houses of Torah study] of Shem and Eiver, while interest in idols was just happenstance; or, perhaps it was the opposite, and its true nature was that of idol worship! Once she found out that there were two children within her, and one was fully righteous, she was comforted by the thought that he could express her true likeness.
Teshuva: Changing Essence or Returning to the Source?
One final subject to discuss in this topic is the mechanics of teshuva. If a person behaved until now as a rasha [wicked person], what exactly happens when he repents? Does he then alter his essence?
For Jews, it is clear that teshuva is simply a return to one’s former state. We all stood at Har Sinai [Mount Sinai] and acquired the sanctity of Jews, and forever retain an inner core of kedusha [holiness]. Teshuva merely reconnects us to that soul-root.
The question remains regarding non-Jews: can they do teshuva, and if so, what occurs through that process?
Indeed, all people can do teshuva. However, the mechanics differ between Jew and gentile. As we said, a Jew needs only to return to his inner point of holiness. Others, and our Patriarchs before Matan Torah [the Giving of the Torah], must effect a complete change of their essence to transform from rasha to tzaddik. This is an astonishing creation of Hashem’s abundant mercies, to allow for the teshuva system to alter one’s very essence.
Excerpted with permission from Imrei Mordechai, Vol. 2, A Collection of Inspirational Insights from the “Mussar Shmoozes” of HaGaon Rabbi Mordechai Goldstein Ztzvk”l, The Imrei Mordechai Institute, Diaspora Yeshiva Toras Yisrael, Mount Zion, Jerusalem, Kislev 5779.
Share This!
Come Learn Torah!
From beginner to advanced, if you’re a Jewish man, 18 to 35 years of age, and you’re ready to give your heart to HaShem, and to get serious about learning Torah, Diaspora Yeshiva has a place for you with us on Mount Zion, Jerusalem.