The Torah selection for this Shabbat, Parashat Toldot, begins to share the life of the third patriarch, Jacob. The motif of the barren woman again presents itself in the births of Jacob and Esau to their mother Rebecca. The miraculous birth of the twins portrays their arrival as a gift from G-d.

Already in the womb, the twins Jacob and Esau are fighting each other. Rebecca seeks divine counsel about the conflict. Jewish lore claims she sought the advice of Shem and Ever at their academy. A short poem, an oracle, speaks of the two nations within Rebecca's womb. "The elder shall serve the younger" was traditionally interpreted as Esau's subservience to Jacob. Ironically, Christian exegesis analyzed this verse as Judaism's position in relationship to Christianity.

Jacob's name is interpreted to mean "heel" as he emerged grasping his brother's foot. The name "Yaakov" is attested to in other ancient languages of the Near East. The dichotomy between the personalities of Jacob and Esau is present in the written Torah. The Midrash expands on this difference tremendously. Esau is associated with the violence of pagan society; Jacob is symbolic of the piety of Judaism. The characters are more complex in the written Torah. Jewish lore tends to make the personalities as archetypes. Jacob is Judaism; Esau is Rome or Christendom.

The birthright episode offers a second folk origin of the name of Esau. This narrative explains that the name "Edom" derives from the reddish color of the lentils that Jacob sold to him. The theme that the mantle of leadership does not necessarily pass to the first-born is a common motif throughout the Torah, as well as the Bible. Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses are not the first-born of their family. The blessing of Jacob to his grandchildren, the blessing utilized on Shabbat reverses the birth order of the sons. "May G-d make you like Ephraim and Menasseh." David is not the first-born son of Jesse; neither is Solomon the first born of David.

Again, we have the wife-sister motif presented in Genesis. This time, Isaac brings his wife Rebecca to Avimelech, the Philistine king. The patriarch asserts that Rebecca is his sister, not his spouse. In this episode, Avimelech actually sees Isaac and Rebecca engaged in physical activity. Avimelech is apologetic for his behavior and provides Isaac and Rebecca with protection.

A similar story regarding wells and the Philistines is shared in both the lives of Abraham and Isaac. In the episode involving Isaac, the Philistines have closed up the wells from the time of Abraham. Ultimately, a truce is established between Isaac and Avimelech. The wells of strife are given symbolic names, "Esek" (contention) and "Sitna" (strife). The wells of hope are also given special names, "Rehovot" (open spaces) and "Shiva" (some translate as 'fortune'). Both the names "Rehovot" and "Beersheva" have been revitalized in modern Israel as new, modern cities in the country.

The Torah shares the marriages of Esau. Ironically, the first mention of the name "Judith" in Jewish literature is as the wife of Esau. Because Esau's wives were not from the family of Abraham, they were a "bitterness of spirit" to Isaac and Rebecca. The ban on intermarriage in Jewish culture is seen as having early roots in this story.

The final episode in the life of Isaac is his deception by Jacob. Isaac is the weakest of the three fathers of the Hebrews. Isaac seems to be passive in the narratives of the Torah. His father Abraham offers him as a sacrifice. His clan arranges his marriage. His wife and son deceive him.

Isaac requests that his beloved Esau prepare him venison. In turn, Isaac will bless Esau prior to his death. Rebecca assists Jacob in deceiving the elderly patriarch. She cooks two goats to be presented to her husband. When Jacob complains that Esau is hairy, Rebecca places the garments of the latter upon him.

Jacob presents his father with the food Rebecca has prepared. When Isaac wonders why Esau has returned so quickly, Jacob responds that G-d has assisted him in the hunt. From these pious words, Isaac becomes suspicious. His famous response is, "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau." The voice of Jacob has become associated with the voice of young generations of Jews committed to Jewish study and prayer. Isaac is deceived when he feels the hairy arms of Jacob. He gives Jacob the blessing of the first-born son.

Esau returns from the hunt with the venison he has killed. Esau discovers that his younger brother has tricked both him and his father. The name "Jacob" is again explained as the embodiment of a trickster. Esau is given a blessing that seems very similar to that received by Jacob. Esau vows to murder his brother.

Rebecca informs Jacob that he must flee the household as his life is in danger. She advises her son to run away to his uncle Laban. Rebecca again deceives Isaac by telling him that Jacob needs to choose a wife in Mesopotamia.

Genesis 28 asserts that Jacob left for Mesopotamia under the guidance of his father. Isaac explains that Jacob must marry within the family of Abraham. In order to appease his father, Esau also weds within the clan. Esau marries the daughter of Ishmael. Literary source criticism of the Torah points out the difference between Jacob's flight in chapter 27 and his departure in chapter 28.