18 Nov LIFE IS A MASQUERADE

My beloved mother, Rebbetzin Esther
Jungreis a”h, was unfortunately painfully
weak and ill. I only wanted to be with my
ema as much possible.
“Chaya Sorale, could you please get me a
cup of water.” I would run down to the
kitchen, wanting to fulfill my mother’s
request. My mother would take a few sips,
and then put the cup down. A little while
later, my mother would tell me that she was
sorry to bother me, but could I get her a
coffee. Once again, I would go downstairs,
this time bringing up a coffee. Again, ema
would take only a few sips.
I realized that my mother was giving me a
special gift, an opportunity to fulfill the
mitzva of kibud av v’eim, honoring one’s
parents. A mitzva that would be with me.
With each cup, ema gave me yet another gift
– a special bracha. As weak as ema was, she
would turn to me saying, “Chaya Sarale,
come here. Let me give you a bracha”. My
mother would put her hands on my head and
bentch me. A bracha for gezunt, for myself,
my husband, my children and grandchildren.

Brachos of “nachas from the kinderlech”. A
bracha of nachas from myself, to be happy
with where I am in life. Brachos to follow in
the footsteps of our holy zeides and bubbas.
Long, meaningful brachos, given with a
mother’s love and tears.
What I would give to hear my mother’s
voice, to receive her brachos once again.
In this week’s parsha, Toldos, Yitzchak
Avinu turns to Eisav with a request. “I am
old, and don’t know the day of my death. Go
out to the field and hunt for me some game.
Then make for me ‘matamim’, savory food,
just the way I like it, in order that my soul
may bless you before I die.” (Bereishis
27:2-4)
Did an elderly Yitzchak, a tzaddik of a man,
really need a savory meat dish? Is that what
was missing from his life? Of course not.
Yitzchak was a loving father. Eisav was his
son. A father wants to do for a son. Yitzchak
wanted to give Eisav a merit. A chance to do
the mitzva of kibud av v’eim, a reason to be
worthy of a bracha.
The Ohr HaChaim (1696-1743) teaches that
Yitzchak hoped that by giving Eisav a
bracha, he would change his ways. As a

father, Yitzchak never gave up on
his son. This doesn’t mean that
Yitzchak thought Eisav was the one
to carry on his legacy, but it does
mean that he loved him for being
his son.
Rabbi Meir of Premishlan (1703-
73) explains that Yitzchak took his
actions up to shamayim with him,
pleading before HaShem. “I also
had a son who sinned. I loved him,
and forgave him. I am a basar
v’dam, a man of flesh and blood.
You, Ribbono shel Olam, are
infinite and known for Your
compassion. How much more so
must You forgive Your children, and look at
all Your children, bnei Yisroel, with ahava.”
This leads us to a deeper question about the
nature of Yitzchak’s love for Eisav. The
Chumash tells us “Va’yeh’eh’hav Yitzchak
es Eisav kee tzayid b’feev, and Yitzchak
loved Eisav, for game was in his mouth,
v’Rivka o’heh’ves es Yaakov, but Rivka
loves Yaakov.” (Bereishis 24:28).
How does one explain the difference in
tense. Regarding Yitzchak, the past tense
“va’yeh’eh’hav” is used, while regarding
Yaakov, “o’heh’ves” in the present tense
is used. The Shelah HaKadosh (1555-
1630) explains that Yitzchak loved Eisav
because of what he did. A father looking
for the good in his son, Eisav’s bringing
meat to him. A love contingent on an
action. But Rivka’s love for Yaakov was
constant, loving him for whom he is.
Yitzchak’s love was a love in this world,
while Rivka’s was an everlasting, eternal
love, both in this world and in Olam Haba.
While there is an understanding that
Yitzchak knew exactly what Eisav was up
to, Rashi cites a Midrash that comments
otherwise. The Torah uses the term tzayid,
having the same root as tzaid, a trap. Eisav
knew how to “entrap” his father Yitzchak.
With his words, he was able to deceive his
father, convincing Yitzchak that he was
observing mitzvos.
Yitzchak grew up in the house of Avraham
and Sara. A house full of chesed and emes.
These midos formed Yitzchak’s pure
neshama, a soul that only saw the good.
Rivka, on the other hand, was from Aram,
raised in the house of Besuel. Her brother
was Lavan, She grew up in a home of
tricksters, in a culture of dishonesty. Rivka
was keen on Eisav’s actions. When Rivka
hears that Yitzchak was prepared to give
Eisav a bracha, she feels that it’s time to
intervene. To make it known to Yitzchak
that Eisav was truly not deserving of the
bracha. As we know, Eisav sold the

bechora, the honor and privilege of the
firstborn for a bowl of red bean soup.
“Vayivez Eisav es ha’bechora, And Eisav
despised the firstborn birthright.” It didn’t
mean anything to him.
Rivka was in a quandary. She felt it was her
obligation to stop Eisav from receiving the
bracha, but she was unsure how.
Rivka was the “veiled” one. When she first
saw Yitzchak, he was davening in the field.
She was awestruck, immediately
recognizing the holiness and greatness that
Yitzchak represented. She took her veil and
covered herself. Rivka was a modest and
humble woman. She was honored to be
Yitzchak’s wife, and would only approach
him with great respect. She was not a
woman who would raise her voice, and did
everything in her power to avoid
confrontation. Yet, she wanted to make her
point known to Yitzchak.
Rivka devised a plan, that Yaakov should
don Eisav’s clothing and bring food to his
father. She tells Yaakov, “Sh’ma b’koli,
Listen to my voice”.
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808-88)
teaches that Yaakov’s dressing like Eisav
was to shock Yitzchak. It was Rivka’s way
of gently telling Yitzchak how easy it was to
be fooled. Life is a masquerade. Eisav is
making himself into something that he isn’t.
Please don’t fall for it. As Rav Hirsch so
eloquently explains, “That if Yaakov, an ish
taam, a pure soul, so easily masquerades as
a gibor tzayid, a powerful hunter, how much
more easily can Eisav masquerade as an ish
taam.”
Rivka’s plan worked, and Yitzchak blesses
Yaakov.
Life is a masquerade. As we look at the
world around us, things are not always not
what they seem to be. We have to do our

best and place our trust in HaShem, the All-
knowing who sees behind the masks. We

ask Him for guidance to lead us in the right
direction, to give us the wisdom to discern
between what is real and what is masked.