ENOUGH OF US BEING "TWINS"!

1 Kislev 5782
Rosh Chodesh
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Toldot 

Parashat Toldot - Bereshit 25.23-26 with Rashi Commentary

..."Two nations are in your womb, and two kingdoms will separate from your innards, and one kingdom will become mightier than the other kingdom, and the elder will serve the younger.

will separate from your innards: From the womb they are separated, this one to his wickedness, and this one to his innocence.

will become mightier than the other kingdom: They will not be equal in greatness; when one rises, the other will fall, and so [Scripture] states (Ezek. 26:2): “I shall become full from the destroyed city.” Tyre became full [gained power] only from the destruction of Jerusalem. — [From Meg. 6a, Pes. 42b]

And her days to give birth were completed, and behold, there were twins in her womb.

there were twins in her womb: [תוֹמִם is spelled] defectively [missing an “aleph” and“yud”], but concerning Tamar, it is written תְּאוֹמִים, with the plene spelling, [with an “aleph” and“yud”] because they (Perez and Zerah) were both righteous, but here, one was righteous and one was wicked. — [From Gen. Rabbah 63:8]

And the first one emerged ruddy; he was completely like a coat of hair, and they named him Esau.

ruddy: That is a sign that he will be a person who sheds blood (Gen. Rabbah 63:8).

And afterwards, his brother emerged, and his hand was grasping Esau's heel, and he named him Jacob.

Esau’s heel: [This is] a sign that this one (Esau) will not manage to complete his reign until this one rises up and takes it from him. — [From Gen. Rabbah 63:9]

From the Stone Edition Chumash Commentary...

Through Shem, God conveyed to [Rivkah] that the unborn infants represented two nations and two conflicting ideologies - Israel and Edom - and that their struggle in the womb symbolized the future rivalries between them, which would end with the younger prevailing over the older (R' Hoffmann).  Thus, the turmoil within her was due to the irreconcilable conflict between two nations that was already taking shape (Mizrachi).

The Sages teach that the two of them will never be mighty simultaneously; when one falls, the other will rise (Megillah 6a).  History has demonstrated this prophecy in practice.  Two regimes, one espousing morality and justice and the other standing for license and barbarity, cannot long coexist.  They must always be in conflict until one comes to dominate the other, whether through victory on the battlefield or in the contest for men's minds.  

~ CHODESH TOV & SHABBAT SHALOM ~