PARSHAS TOLDOS
"El Lavan Ben Besuel HaArami, Achi Rivka, Aym Yaakov V’Esav" (Perek Chof Ches Pasuk Hey). The Pasuk tells us that Yitzchak sent Yaakov to live by Rivka’s brother Lavan. The question can be asked, why does the Pasuk find it necessary to say "Aym Yaakov V’Esav", mother of Yaakov and Esav? Wasn’t it enough to just say "Achi Rivka", the brother of Rivka? We know the Torah doesn’t just add words, so what is the Chumash trying to teach us? If you look at Rashi on the words "Aym Yaakov V’Esav", it says, "Einie Yodeah Ma Milamdenu", I don’t know what this teaches us. The Sifsei Chachomim asks, if Rashi doesn’t know, why does he say anything? There are many Pesukim on which Rashi doesn’t comment. Why say, I don’t know, just don’t say anything. The Sifsei answers that Rashi had a number of explanations, he wasn’t sure which to put down. Again, there are many places where Rashi brings down more than one explanation. So what are we supposed to learn? One can explain the words of Rashi in this manner. When a young man is involved in a Shidduch and is interested to know what his children will be like, he should look at the girl’s brothers. Children generally take after their mother’s brothers. The same then can be said in the reverse. If you want to know about the character of a man, look at his sister’s children. Yitzchak was trying to prepare Yaakov for what he would find in Lavan’s house. "Achi Rivka", if I want to know about Rivka’s brother, I have to look at Rivka’s children. "Aym Yaakov V’Esav", Rivka is the mother of Yaakov and Esav. That is what Rashi means when he says "Einie Yodeah Ma Milamdenu" I don’t know what he, Lavan, will teach you because I don’t know whether he is like Yaakov or like Esav.
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