AND REBEKAH TOOK THE CHOICEST GARMENTS OF ESAU, ETC. These were the garments of which Esau had despoiled Nimrod. They were precious garments which, originally belonging to Adam, in time came into the hands of Nimrod, who used them as his hunting dress, for so Scripture says: “He was a mighty hunter before the Lord” (Gen. 10, 9). Then Esau went out into the field and made war against Nimrod, and slew him and possessed himself of those garments, as is hinted in the passage: “And Esau came in from the field, and he was faint” (Ibid. 25, 29), that is, from killing, as in the passage, “for my soul fainteth before the murderers” (Jer. 4, 31).
Now, Esau kept those garments in Rebekah’s apartment, from whence he would fetch them whenever he went a-hunting. On that day, however, he went out into the field without them, and thus he stayed there longer than usual. Now when Esau put on those garments no aroma whatever was emitted from them, but when Jacob put them on they were restored to their rightful place, and a sweet odour was diffused from them. For Jacob inherited the beauty of Adam; hence those garments found in him their rightful owner and thus gave off their proper aroma.
Said R. Jose: ‘Can it really be so, that Jacob’s beauty equalled that of Adam, seeing that, according to tradition, the fleshy part of Adam’s heel outshone the orb of the sun? Would you, then, say the same of Jacob?’ Said R. Eleazar in reply: ‘Assuredly Adam’s beauty was as tradition says, but only at first before he sinned, when no creature could endure to gaze at his beauty; after he sinned, however, his beauty was diminished and his height was reduced to a hundred cubits. Observe further that Adam’s beauty is a symbol with which the true faith is closely bound up. This is hinted at in the passage: “And let the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us” (Ps. 90, 17), as well as in the expression, “to behold the graciousness of the Lord” (Ibid. 27, 4). And Jacob assuredly participated of that beauty. The whole, then, is deeply symbolical.’
AND HE SMELLED THE SMELL OF HIS RAIMENT, AND BLESSED HIM. Observe that it is not written “the raiment”, but “his raiment”. This is explained by the text “Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment” (Ps. 104, 2). The word “his” may also be understood to indicate that it was only when Jacob put them on that the garments emitted their sweet odour; and it was only the sweet odour diffused by them that made Isaac bless him, for only then did he feel that there was before him one deserving of the blessings, since otherwise all these divine aromas would not have accompanied him. Hence the sequence of the verse: AND HE SMELLED THE SMELL OF HIS RAIMENT, AND BLESSED HIM, AND SAID: SEE THE SMELL OF MY SON IS AS THE SMELL OF THE FIELD WHICH THE LORD HATH BLESSED.
The subject of the word “said” is, according to some, the Shekinah, according to others, Isaac himself. “The field which the Lord hath blessed” alludes to the “field of apple trees”, the field which the patriarchs cherish and cultivate.
(בראשית כ״ז:ט״ו) וַתִּקַּח רִבְקָה אֶת בִּגְדֵי עֵשָׂו וְגו', אִלֵּין אִינוּן לְבוּשִׁין דְּרָוַוח עֵשָׂו מִנִּמְרוֹד, וְאִלֵּין לְבוּשֵׁי יְקָר דְּהֲווּ מִן אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, וְאֲתוּ לְיָדָא דְּנִמְרוֹד, וּבְהוּ הֲוָה צָד צֵידָה נִמְרוֹד, דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית י׳:ט׳) הוּא הָיָה גִּבּוֹר צַיִד (קל"ז ע"ב, ויקרא ס"ד ע"א) לִפְנֵי יְיָ וְגו', וְעֵשָׂו נָפַק לְחַקְלָא, וְאַגַּח בֵּיהּ קְרָבָא בְּנִמְרוֹד וְקָטַל לֵיהּ, וְנָסַב אִלֵּין לְבוּשִׁין מִנֵּיהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (בראשית כ״ה:כ״ט) וַיָּבֹא עֵשָׂו מִן הַשָּׂדֶה וְהוּא עָיֵף, וְאוּקְמוּהָ. כְּתִיב הָכָא וְהוּא עָיֵף, וּכְתִיב הָתָם (ירמיהו ד׳:ל״א) כִּי עָיְפָה נַפְשִׁי לְהֹרְגִים.
AND REBEKAH TOOK THE CHOICEST GARMENTS OF ESAU, ETC. These were the garments of which Esau had despoiled Nimrod. They were precious garments which, originally belonging to Adam, in time came into the hands of Nimrod, who used them as his hunting dress, for so Scripture says: “He was a mighty hunter before the Lord” (Gen. 10, 9). Then Esau went out into the field and made war against Nimrod, and slew him and possessed himself of those garments, as is hinted in the passage: “And Esau came in from the field, and he was faint” (Ibid. 25, 29), that is, from killing, as in the passage, “for my soul fainteth before the murderers” (Jer. 4, 31).
וְעֵשָׂו הֲוָה סָלִיק לוֹן לְאִינוּן לְבוּשִׁין לְגַבָּהּ דְּרִבְקָה, וּבְהוּ הֲוָה נָפִיק וְצָד צֵידָה, וְהַהוּא יוֹמָא לָא נָטַל לוֹן, וְנָפַק לְחַקְלָא וְאִתְעַכַּב תַּמָּן. וְכַד הֲוָה לָבִישׁ לוֹן עֵשָׂו, לָא הֲווּ סָלְקִין רֵיחִין כְּלָל. כֵּיוָן דְּלָבִישׁ לוֹן יַעֲקֹב, כְּדֵין תָבַת אֲבֵדָה לְאַתְרָהּ, וּסְלִיקוּ רֵיחִין. בְּגִין דְּשׁוּפְרֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב, שׁוּפְרֵיהּ דְּאָדָם הֲוָה. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אַהֲדָרוּ בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא לְאַתְרַיְיהוּ, וּסְלִיקוּ רֵיחִין.
Now, Esau kept those garments in Rebekah’s apartment, from whence he would fetch them whenever he went a-hunting. On that day, however, he went out into the field without them, and thus he stayed there longer than usual. Now when Esau put on those garments no aroma whatever was emitted from them, but when Jacob put them on they were restored to their rightful place, and a sweet odour was diffused from them. For Jacob inherited the beauty of Adam; hence those garments found in him their rightful owner and thus gave off their proper aroma.
אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, שׁוּפְרֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב (הוה) דְּאִיהוּ שׁוּפְרֵיהּ דְּאָדָם אֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר, וְהָא תָּנִינָן, תַּפּוּחַ עֲקֵבוֹ דְּאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, מַכְּהֶה גַּלְגַּל חַמָּה. וְאִי תֵימָא דְּכָךְ הֲוָה יַעֲקֹב. אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, וַדַּאי הָכִי הֲוָה, בְּקַדְמִיתָא עַד לָא חָב אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, לָא הֲווּ יָכְלִין כָּל בְּרִיָין לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בְּשׁוּפְרֵיהּ. כֵּיוָן דְּחָטָא, אִשְׁתַּנִּי שׁוּפְרֵיהּ וְנִתְמָאָךְ רוּמֵיהּ וְאִתְעֲבִיד בַּר מְאָה אַמִּין. וְתָּא חֲזֵי, שׁוּפְרֵיהּ דְּאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, רָזָא אִיהוּ, דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא עִלָּאָה תַּלְיָא בְּהַהוּא שׁוּפְרָא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ, (תהילים צ׳:י״ז) וִיהִי נֹעַם יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ עָלֵינוּ. וּכְתִיב, (תהילים כ״ז:ד׳) לַחֲזוֹת בְּנֹעַם יְיָ, וְדָא הוּא שׁוּפְרֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב וַדַּאי, וְכֹלָּא רָזָא עִלָּאָה אִיהוּ.
Said R. Jose: ‘Can it really be so, that Jacob’s beauty equalled that of Adam, seeing that, according to tradition, the fleshy part of Adam’s heel outshone the orb of the sun? Would you, then, say the same of Jacob?’ Said R. Eleazar in reply: ‘Assuredly Adam’s beauty was as tradition says, but only at first before he sinned, when no creature could endure to gaze at his beauty; after he sinned, however, his beauty was diminished and his height was reduced to a hundred cubits. Observe further that Adam’s beauty is a symbol with which the true faith is closely bound up. This is hinted at in the passage: “And let the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us” (Ps. 90, 17), as well as in the expression, “to behold the graciousness of the Lord” (Ibid. 27, 4). And Jacob assuredly participated of that beauty. The whole, then, is deeply symbolical.’
וַיָּרַח אֶת רֵיחַ בְּגָדָיו וַיְבָרַכֵהוּ. תָּא חֲזֵי, וַיָּרַח אֶת רֵיחַ הַבְּגָדִים לֹא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא רֵיחַ בְּגָדָיו. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (תהילים ק״ד:ב׳) עוֹטֶה אוֹר כַּשַּׂלְמָה נוֹטֶה שָׁמַיִם כַּיְרִיעָה. דָבָר אַחֵר (נ"א דא הוא) וַיָּרַח אֶת רֵיחַ בְּגָדָיו וַיְבָרַכֵהוּ. דְּכֵיוָן דְּאַלְבִּישׁ לוֹן יַעֲקֹב, סְלִיקוּ רֵיחִין בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא, וְעַד דְּלָא אָרַח (דארח) רֵיחִין דִּלְבוּשֵׁיהּ, לָא בָּרְכֵיהּ, דְּהָא כְּדֵין (לא) יָדַע דְּאִתְחֲזֵי הוּא לְאִתְבָּרְכָא, דְּאִי לָא אִתְחֲזֵי לְאִתְבָּרְכָא, לָא סְלִיקוּ כָּל הַנִּי רֵיחִין קַדִּישִׁין בַּהֲדֵיהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיָּרַח אֶת רֵיחַ בְּגָדָיו וַיְבָרַכֵהוּ.
AND HE SMELLED THE SMELL OF HIS RAIMENT, AND BLESSED HIM. Observe that it is not written “the raiment”, but “his raiment”. This is explained by the text “Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment” (Ps. 104, 2). The word “his” may also be understood to indicate that it was only when Jacob put them on that the garments emitted their sweet odour; and it was only the sweet odour diffused by them that made Isaac bless him, for only then did he feel that there was before him one deserving of the blessings, since otherwise all these divine aromas would not have accompanied him. Hence the sequence of the verse: AND HE SMELLED THE SMELL OF HIS RAIMENT, AND BLESSED HIM, AND SAID: SEE THE SMELL OF MY SON IS AS THE SMELL OF THE FIELD WHICH THE LORD HATH BLESSED.
(בראשית כ״ז:כ״ז) וַיֹּאמֶר רְאֵה רֵיחַ בְּנִי כְּרֵיחַ שָׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרַכוֹ יְיָ. (ק"ב ע"ב) וַיֹּאמֶר, מִלָּה סָתִים הוּא. אִית דְּאַמְרֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא הֲוַת, וְאִית דְּאַמְרֵי יִצְחָק הֲוָה. כְּרִיחַ שָׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרַכוֹ יְיָ, מַאן שָׂדֶה, דָּא שָׂדֶה (רמ"ט ע"ב) דְּתַפּוּחִים. שָׂדֶה דְּאֲבָהָן עִלָּאִין (חמידי) סְמִיכוּ לֵיהּ וּמְתַקְנִין לֵיהּ.
The subject of the word “said” is, according to some, the Shekinah, according to others, Isaac himself. “The field which the Lord hath blessed” alludes to the “field of apple trees”, the field which the patriarchs cherish and cultivate.