Parashah 6- Toldot

8/20/2019 Parashah 6- Toldot

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Parashah 6: Toldot “ Generations "

Parashah 6: Tol'dot (History) - Genesis 25:19 through 28:9.

Haftarah (Writings and Prophets): Malachi 1:1 through 2:7.

B'rit Hadasha (New Testament): Romans 9:6-16; Hebrews 11:20; 12:14-17.

Summary & Overview

TORAH

o Genesis 25:19 | The Birth and Youth of Esau and Jacob

o Genesis 25:29 | Esau Sells His Birthright

o Genesis 26:1 | Isaac and Abimelech

o Genesis 26:34 | Esau's Hittite Wives

o Genesis 27:1 | Isaac Blesses Jacobo Genesis 27:30 | Esau's Lost Blessing

o Genesis 27:41 | Jacob Escapes Esau's Fury

o Genesis 28:6 | Esau Marries Ishmael's Daughter

In this week's Parashah we learn the history of Yitz'chak (Isaac), Abraham's sonas well as the lives of his two sons Jacob and Esau. What is interesting is thatSarah, Rebecca & later Rachael all struggled to bear children, why is that? It isso that they could get YHVH involved and get pregnant through faith. YHVHstretches us in every way so that we could learn to be people of faith. The Wordsays that it is impossible to please YHVH without faith and that we firstly have tobelieve that He exist and secondly believe that He is a rewarder of those whodiligently seek Him. (Heb 11:6)

Before we start this, I would like to “zoom out” and describe a concept from abigger picture point of view to lay the foundation for explaining the battles weface in life and why faith and even Satan exist.

Q – Ever wondered why YHVH created man, why Satan exists and how theconcept of faith came into existence?

YHVH created people in order to have arelationship with Him. If He created us without

free will, then we would have been like Robotsdoing every command as programmed and bevery predictable and boring. It is better to havesomeone choose to have a relationship with yourather than have someone forced orprogrammed to have a relationship with. This iswhat the concept of love entails is that love is anact of free will and has to do with choice. Agapelove is the highest form of love and is based onchoice and not feelings.


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Free will can only exist if you have a choice. You can only choose when youhave different options. If YHVH’s Word and His standard was the only option,then free will would not have been possible.

In order to have a choice you have to have alternative options to choose fromand that is why Satan was created so that there will be another set of options to

choose from. The Word says that YHVH created evil just like He created ashadow which exists in the absence of light and cold that exist in the absence ofheat. (Isa 45:7)

Now you have a choice; you can either choose to do what YHVH asks of you oryou can choose the options Satan present to you in every given situation. Whatwill be your choice and how will you exercise your free will?

If YHVH zapped you every time you made a wrong choiceaccording to His Standards, then it will “program” you toalways choose His will, and that will take away your freechoice. This is why YHVH introduces “Time” or delayed

response where the consequences of your actions willonly manifest after a period of time of time making theoffender think that he/she has got away with it allowingthem to make a wrong choice and enabling them toexercise their free will. This is also true for making the rightchoice and the consequences of that is blessings that willonly come after a particular time making you do it in faith-learning patience. Thismeans that “Time” introduces “Faith” and the Spiritual needs to travel through“Time” while the believer stands in “Faith” until it manifests in the Physical.

All of this because YHVH wanted a relationship with man out of free will, all

these “supporting” factors had to be “created” so that free will can exist. Withfree will you have choices but these factors not only exist on the outside, butthey are also internal as well, and that is what we are going to look at in thisTorah Portion; the Two Enemies Within.

The Two EnemiesLast week we discussed the concept of the two souls; theNashama (Spiritual Soul) and the Nefesh (Fleshly Soul). Itis within these two “souls” that the battle raged fordominance, just like two dogs, a white dog representing

good and a black dog representing evil. The dog you feedwill be the strongest and overcome the other, and thatnature will be dominant in your life.

The “Nef esh” or physical soul manages our physicaldesires is responsible for the “Lust of the Flesh” that causes us to sin and is atwar against our “spiritual soul” as Paul describes in Romans 7 that is usuallymisunderstood.

Rom 7:21-25 I find then a law (obeying the nefesh), that evil is presentwith me, the one who wills to do good (nashama). 22 For I delight in theTorah of Elohim according to the inward man (nashama). 23 But I seeanother law in my members (fleshly desires - nefesh), warring against thelaw of my mind (spiritual desires - nashama), and bringing me intocaptivity to the law of sin (lust of the flesh) which is in my members


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(flesh). 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this bodyof death? 25 I thank Elohim—through Y’shua Messiah my Master!

This ties in with this week’s Torah Portion where we will look at the Twins, Jacoband Esau representing these two souls and every one of us is a “Rebecca” withthese invisible forces within us. What is interesting is that Isaac was 60 when

the twins were born, and 6 is the number of man that ties in with this currenttopic regarding the soul of man and free will. We will look at Jacob’s and Esau’slives to see how the two souls operate and interact with each other and thedynamics and internal conflict where the one is trying to have the upper hand inorder to manifest through each one of us.

The conflict between these two forces are found all over Scripture and is about awar between flesh and the spirit, the Nashamah and the Nefesh, good and badand on the world stage, the conflict between Israel and many other nations.

Let's look at these twins side by side to see what these two opposing forces areall about:

Esau JacobCame out first – fleshly man Born second – “born again” spirit man

Came out Red with a hairy mantle thatgave him his name Esau that means“hairy”.

Came out with his hand on hisbrother’s “aqov” or heel that gave himhis name Ya’aqov or “heel catcher.”

Man of the field – animal like anexternal man. He had a physicalappetite

A wholesome man living in tents – aninside man. A man of learning andstudy and they say that the Torah washanded down to him from the “tents ofShem”

Represents the Nefesh – Muscularphysical soul

Represents the Nashama – FeminineSpiritual Soul

Esau was born a mighty hunter beforeYHVH, like Nimrod.

Jacob was born pure “tom” like Noah,righteous in his generation

Isaac loved Esau because of what hegave him to eat.

Rebecca loved Jacob because hehelped her around the household.

Isaac’s Life

Isaac settled in Gerar, and when the men of Gerarasked Isaac about his beautiful wife, he said that shewas his sister out of fear that the people might kill himon account of her. Like father like son… Abimelechsummoned Isaac and complained that one of thepeople might have lain with her, and Isaac would havebrought guilt upon the Philistines. This shows us thatIsaac did not learn from his father ’s mistakes andexperience and had to face the test himself in order tosee if he is a man of fear or a man of faith – he failed.

Yet another test for the people of YHVH, a famine struck the land, and Isaacwent to the house of the Philistine King Abimelech in Gerar. YHVH told Isaac

not to go down to Egypt, but to stay in the Land YHVH would show him, forYHVH would remain with him, bless him, as He had sworn to Abraham.


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YHVH told Isaac to do something that is not logical according to man, he had toplant in the midst of a famine and not go to Egypt where the Nile and abundanceis. Isaac passed the test, obeyed YHVH and kept His Commandments, andYHVH blessed him, and Isaac reaped bountiful harvests.

Personal Application: What we learn from this is that when times are hard

and challenges comes your way in the form of financial problems, sickness orrelationship dynamics, etc. then you have to know what YHVH says aboutthis in His Word and follow that “instruction” and He will bless you within that“famine”. YHVH told Isaac not to go to Egypt (Sin & Bondage), looking at theworld and what solutions it can bring, but rather look at YHVH’s Word andwhat solution He can make within your situation.

Isaac grew very wealthy, to the envy of the Philistines. The Philistines stoppedup all the wells that Abraham's servants had dug, and Abimelech sent Isaacaway, for his household had become too big. So Isaac left to settle in the wadi ofGerar, where he dug anew the wells that Abraham's servants had dug and

called them by the same names that his father had. But when Isaac's servantsdug two new wells, the herdsmen of Gerar quarrelled with Isaac's herdsmen andclaimed them for their own, so Isaac named those wells Esek and Sitnah. Isaacmoved on and dug a third well, and they did not quarrel over it, so he called itRehoboth.

Isaac went to Beersheba, and that night YHVH appeared to Isaac, telling Isaacnot to fear, for YHVH was with him, and would bless him and increase hisoffspring for Abraham's sake. So Isaac built an altar and invoked the Lord byname. Isaac pitched his tent there, and his servants began digging a well. Then Abimelech came to Isaac and told him that he recognised that YHVH had beenwith Isaac, and sought a treaty that neither would harm the other.

Isaac threw a feast for the Philistines, and the next morning, they exchangedoaths, and the Philistines departed from him in peace. Later in the day, Isaac'sservants told him that they had found water, and Isaac named the well Shibahso that place became known as Beersheba.

Q – What do you think these wells represent on a deeper level?

The first wells were dug by his father Abraham and reopened by Isaac. TheIsaac’s servants dug 4 new wells and onthe opening of the 4th

Well, he encountered YHVH as well asmade a covenant with the Philistines.

A Well in Scripture always represents aplace where YHVH’s Word (water) aregathered and distributed and canrepresent an Assembly but can alsorepresent teachings.

Abraham dug wells and Isaac reopenedtwo. Abraham represents the Father, and Isaac represents Y’shua. Y’shua saidthat the Commandments are still valid and hang on two key Commandments or

Headings; You shall love YHVH your Elohim with all your heart soul andstrength and you shall love your neighbour as yourself.


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Then Isaac dug four new wells, and during the fourth He encountered YHVH,reaffirming the Covenant he made with Abraham and making a new Covenantwith the Philistines (Gentiles).

Number 3 means “Covenant”, and when Y’shua died, He rose after 3 days andre-established the Covenant He made with Abraham after His encounter with

death. Number 4 means the “Work of the Messiah”, and this is where He madea “New Covenant” with Abimelech (Father & King) that included the Gentiles(Philistines) to be part of the Kingdom. This teaches us that the “New Covenant”as described in ………is not replacing the original Covenant made with Abraham, but established it and sealed it with the “Real Blood” of Y’shua ANDnow includes the Gentiles to become part of it.

Personal Application: Wells is a symbol of “Sources of life for generations tocome”. Wells of parents and teachers you drank form you need to re-digthem, which they dug for you. You need to procure this spiritual nourishmentyourself when you reach maturity. Will reward your efforts and not the efforts

of your parents or teachers.

Selling of the Birthright

Gen 25:29 Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field,and he was weary. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with thatsame red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom.

According to Jewish tradition, Jacob wasmaking lentil soup for Isaac on the day of thefuneral of his grandfather Abraham. Esaucame in from the field and asked Jacob to

give him some of the “Ha adom ha adom” or“red stuff” but Jacob replied and said he willonly give him some if he would sell him hisBirthright. The red stew caused Esau’s nameto change to Edom. He was called “hairy” atbirth, and his name changed because of hisfleshly appetite.

In Hebrew culture, your name represents yourcharacter, and your destiny and the namechange typically happened when someone

encountered YHVH as in the case of Abraham and Sarai.

Here we saw that Esau did not encounter YHVH, but food. Interesting! Thismeans that his destiny changed because of the choice he made by“disconnecting” himself from YHVH’s Blessing that was part of being theFirstborn.

Q - What does it mean to receive the Birthright?

In the ancient culture, the Firstborn received the Birthright that means that theyreceived a double portion. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? But with this double portioncame great responsibility; after the death of the father he had to look after therest of the family, stepping up and acting as the father figure in that household.Not only that, but he was also responsible for acting as the Priest of the house


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looking after the Spiritual affairs of the family, teaching them the ways of YHVHas handed down to him from his father who received it from his father and so on.This is the way YHVH preserved His Word and transferred His Covenant Hemade with Abraham from one generation to another.

The Firstborn also had the responsibility to provide animals and perform the

sacrifices on behalf of the family. He had to literally act as a Priest of hishousehold which made him the spiritual leader. Later on, in Scripture, we readthat all the Tribes except Levi sinned bowing down to the Golden Calf andYHVH stripped all the Tribes from all their “Firstborn Priestly” responsibilitieswithin every family and gave it to Levi. Levi became the “Tribe of Priests” whofulfilled and facilitated the duties of the Firstborn and received the Birthright ofevery Tribe just like Jacob did.

Esau did not want the Spiritual responsibility, only physicalmaterial blessings that went with the Birthright because of hisfleshliness and he was not Spiritually enlightened like his

brother Jacob. All of this was in the mind of Esau when he soldhis Birthright to Jacob.

Personal Application: How many people sin because of theflesh following an impulse not thinking about the bigger pictureand the consequence of their decisions? Our “Birthright” as

believers is to inherit the Kingdom of YHVH, not only receiving eternal lifebut also receiving the Spiritual responsibility as YHVH’s Royal Priesthood.Esau is a perfect picture of our flesh that is only concerned about theimmediate fleshly needs that has to be satisfied regardless of losing your“Birthright” or salvation. This is the second place where man’s “appetite”caused him to sin; first event is where Adam and Eve ate of the forbiddenfruit and was removed from the Garden and then we find Esau eating “redsoup” losing his Birthright and was “chased out” of the Nation of Israelbecoming their enemy instead.

Q - Did Jacob sin and lie blatantly?

There are three levels of explanation to answer this question:

1st level – Jacob did not technically lie. The words inHebrew are very carefully chosen which technically meanthat he did not lie, but he did cause confusion andmisinterpretation the same as the “lie” Abraham told the King.

When Jacob came to Isaac and faced him, Isaac asked him “…isit you my son? Then Jacob replied and said “…it is I, Esau your firsborn”. If you translate Hebrew directly it reads “…it is me, Esau is yourfirstborn.”

2nd level – Yes, Jacob cheated and lied blatantly.

3rd level – Deeper meaning. Nashamah learned to “trick” the Nefesh to takeback that what was rightfully theirs. The Word says that we should be“cunning” as a serpent but gentle as doves. There is an active war betweenSpirit and Flesh in every person every day, and you must learn wisdom toovercome the flesh in order to “rob” the Nefesh in order to feed the

Nashamah. This is one of the reasons why Fasting is so powerful becauseyou enhance the Spirit while the flesh is starved.


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Q - There was a man in the Bible that had all the characteristics of Jacob andEsau combined, but he lived a perfect life before YHVH, who was this man?

The word “admoni” (Red) used to describe Esau is only used two times inScripture, it is used here in Genesis as well as in the Book of 1 Samuel whereYHVH send Samuel out to the house of Jesse to anoint the new King namely

David. David was the 8th

son Jesse and he was “red” with fair eyes. He was an“outdoor man of the field,” a skilled hunter and knew how to handle a weapon, just like Esau. The only difference between Esau and David was that Samuelanointed David and the Spirit of YHVH came upon David imparting orquickening the Nashama within. The phrase “YHVH’s Spirit came upon him” isthe equivalent of YHVH breathing His Ruach or Sprit into his nostrils so that hecan become a living soul or Nashama. This gave David the attributes of Jacob,an indoor man who loved to study the Word of YHVH. David was a well-balanced combination of Jacob and Esau because he had the Nashama andNefesh. This made David a perfect example of what it means to have “free will” ,choosing from what the Nefesh or the Nashama present to him so that he can

have a relationship with YHVH. David was known to have a beautifulrelationship with YHVH even committing grievous sins. We saw in David’s lifethat his Nefesh sometimes dictated him that caused him to sin against YHVHbut on the other hand he followed the Spirit becoming thegreatest King Israel ever had.

Personal Application: Esau could have become just likeDavid if he received the Spirit of YHVH and we asbelievers having the Sprit of YHVH can overcome theflesh and have a balanced relationship with YHVH justlike David. We need YHVH’s Spirit as well as His Word

in order to “divide” the Nefesh from the Nashama sothat the Nashama can be released from the bondageof the flesh reign through the body.

Heb 4:12 For the Word of YHVH is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to thedivision of soul (nefesh) and spirit (nashama), and of joints and marrow,and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

This is what spiritual freedom actually means, not freedom from the Torah butfreedom from the bondage of the Nefesh and its fleshly desires.

Blessings and Birthright

The Hebrew word for Birthright is “becor ” that is also translated as Firstborn.

“becor ”XKA is made up of the letters “Bet -A – Kaf -K- Resh-X that hasnumerical values 2 – 20 – 200 respectively. All these numbers have the samemeaning namely “Restoration of Relationships” and this is the first topic wediscussed in this Parashah of why YHVH created man and the outflow of theconcept of “free will” etc. Let's look a bit deeper at this word through the

meaning of each one of these letters. “Kaf ”

K means “palm of the hand”, Resh

X means “head or Leader” and can also mean “Human Reasoning” (that has a


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negative connotation). These two letters give us the picture of a “Hand grasping

the Head”. If we reverse the “Kaf “and “Resh”, it spells the word “Berach”JXA that means Blessing.

These two pictures show us the blessing of the Firstborn

where Isaac’s hand is upon the head of Jacob. Blessingsand Birthright go hand in hand, and you can only receiveYHVH’s Blessings when you receive His “Birthright”through receiving His Spirit and becoming like David,taking on the “Spiritual responsibilities” of the householdallowing the Gifts of His Spirit to manifest through you inorder to serve the Body of Messiah. This does not meanthat Blessings are only spiritual, but the spiritual aspect ofbeing blessed by YHVH takes president over materialblessings. Totally different to what we have been taught inChurch.

Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Master Y’shua the Messiah,who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places inthe Anointed One,

3 John 1:2 Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and bein good health, just as your soul prospers.

Isaac blessed JacobIsaac was an old man with limited sight and at the end of

his life he asked Esau to go and hunt and prepare hisfavourite meal so that he can give him the blessing as thehead of the promised line. Rebecca overheard this andknew that Jacob was the chosen one that has to carry theBlessing of Abraham.

Q – What do we learn from Isaac and Rebecca?

They represent the “Nashama” (Spirit) and the “Nefesh”(Flesh) with Rebecca being the one that heard from YHVHand Isaac the “spiritually blind” one who was only

concerned about a meal. We see the same theme overand over again. The same fleshly drive that tricked Adamand Eve tricked Esau and now Isaac.

Q – Do you think that this is why YHVH introduced dietary laws to govern ourflesh?

Personal Application: We see the same in each one of us where the flesh isblind and only driven by fleshly desires and our urge to stay alive takespriority. This is the area inside of us that are concerned about us, our lives,what we shall eat or drink or wear, what we can do to live and survive and be

prosperous. Y’shua said in Matthew that we should not seek these thingsfirst, but seek His Kingdom instead.


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The flesh is also the area where we worry and fear in contrast to our spiritwhere faith resides, where we are strong and courageous. When YHVHcalled Joshua He called him strong and courageous, Joshua could not see itbecause he was only familiar with his physical abilities. YHVH anointed Him,and His Spirit-man came alive with those attributes He spoke over him.

On the one hand, you have the feminine spiritual side thatgenerally submits under the male dominant fleshly side.You will also see this in a marriage situation where thewomen, who are more spiritual have to submit to theman, who is more fleshly orientated that causes therelationship to be unbalanced and spiritually dead.Marriage is like a boat; the man is the rudder, and theanchor that gives direction and stability and the woman isthe sail that catches the wind (breath of YHVH) to givetheir marriage its “spiritual energy” taking it places.

After Esau found out that Jacob received the Blessing fromIsaac he wanted to kill Jacob. Jacob never wanted to kill Esau and the“nashamah” (spirit) would never kill the “nephesh” (flesh) but the “Nefesh” always wants to destroy and kill the “Neshama” or the Sprit.

Q - What does it mean to be saved?

To be “saved” or “Born again” means to receive YHVH’s Spirit so that He canchange your Nature. Without His Spirit, you will be like Esau, a person in the“field” (sign of the world) that is driven by the human nature. To be “Born Again”means that the older (Esau) will serve the younger (Jacob) and this means that

the flesh will serve the Spirit.We read the Blessing of Jacob in Gen 27:27 Isaac mentioned the dew ofheavens and fatness of earth. In verse 39 Esau received a blessing from Isaacwhere Isaac reversed the order, mentioning the fatness of the earth and thenthe dew of heaven. Another difference is that the Name of YHVH is onlymentioned when Jacob was blessed meaning that Jacob received the Spirit ofYHVH.

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Parashah 6- Toldot