Rambam vs. Ramban: Was Yaakov's encounter with this man "real"?

Was Yaakov's encounter with this man "real"?

• Rambam: This happens as a Nevuah or a dream. The reason it doesn't state that it is a Nevuah is because it is implies that whenever a person encounters with G-d it is through a Nevuah or a dream. It is not possible to touch an angel. This is not a real event.
• Ramban: Ramban thinks that it is not a Nevuah, it was some sort of physical encounter with Hashem. Yaakov woke up/ when it became morning Yaakov had a limp. Yaakov also said he spoke to G-d face to face. This is a real event. A Malach took a physical form and fought with Yaakov.

We also get an opinion from Abravanel: Sometimes if we imagine we went through a vision we could feel the pain. Yaakov went through this tramatic experience and he could have woken up with pain from this experience.

Radak vs. Rashi: Who is this man? What was his purpose?

Yaakov leaves in the midst of the night and left the camp. While leaving he runs into a strange man who he fought with until morning then gets a Bracha from him. We asked who is this man? and What was his purpose? We got an answer from Radak and Rashi.

• Radak: The random person that Yaakov fought with was the angel Gavriel. He was there to strengthen Yaakov's heart so he wouldn't be afraid of Esav. The angel fought him in a way that he wouldn't get hurt so that when he fights with Esav he will not get hurt. The reason they fight until morning is that like light comes after dark, Esav is dark and Yaakov is the light so he will win the fight. It mentions that Yaakov's rib is hurt. Esav was able to hurt Yaakov, but he was not able to destroy Yaakov. So all he got from the fight was a little wound
• Rashi: This man is a bad angel and he is fighting with Yaakov he is an officer of Esav who was there to destroy Yaakov. Rashi asks another question: Why did this angel bless Yaakov? he answers: The officer really wanted to kill Yaakov, since Yaakov won he asked for the Bracha so that  this bad man can be released. He is giving the Bracha showinf that he could actually deserve the physical Bracha which was the reason that Yaakov and Esav were fighting. 

יעקב's fight with the "איש"

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1C1AVSA_enUS433US433&q=esavs+angel&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1366&bih=635&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=jhieT6SoEY6u8ASeraGaDw#um=1&hl=en&rlz=1C1AVSA_enUS433US433&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=jacob+fighting+with+the+angel&oq=jacob+fighting+with+the+angel&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_nf=1&gs_l=img.3...0.0.4.384536.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0.E1HUH0Oiv40&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=dd233e692f100d8b&biw=1366&bih=635

If you do a google images search on the words "jacob fighting with the angel", this (^) is what you will find. Almost every, if not every one of them seems to use רשי's opinion of the איש that יעקב was fighting with and the nature of the fight. They all depict a man with wings (human idea of an angel) having a fistfight if you will with יעקב. As these pictures depict, רשי thinks that the "איש" was עשו's heavenly representative or a "bad" angel and that the fight between the two "men" was a physical one; יעקב physically fought off an angel until the sunrise. The ברכה that the angel then gave יעקב, according to רשי, was the declaration that he (יעקב) was perfectly deserving of the physical part of the ברכה given by יצחק as well as the spiritual part.

רדק on the other hand, thinks that רשי's "bad angel" or "heavenly representative" was really 'ה showing and teaching יעקב that he can defeat עשו in a direct encounter. 'ה is doing it, according to רדק, in order to give יעקב the confidence and courage he needs to openly confront and fight עשו.

Of course it's completely up to you to decide which idea you like better, but personally even though I've always been taught differently, I like רדק's idea better. I like the idea that 'ה was letting this happen as a way of helping יעקב, not just letting it happen to him by someone/something else. The only problems that I have with it though, are:

1. If 'ה was doing it to help יעקב and give him confidence and courage, why would he injure him (with the גיד הנשה)?
2. How could יעקב possibly be able to match 'ה with or without Him being in some kind of form that יעקב would be able to fight?
3. Why would 'ה mention that He had to go at the sunrise and beg יעקב to let Him go? If He actually had to go (which He wouldn't have), He would have been able to just go. He is all powerful. And if He didn't actually have to go, why say that He did?

Religious Growth

We didn't really learn anything about Yaakov's religious growth during his time away from home. I have been pondering it though and come to the conclusion that he has in fact grown spiritually. I have concluded this mainly from the end of our story. When Rachel stole her fathers idols I choose to believe that she did so in order to make him a better person, a more G-d following person. I think she wanted her father to follow the path that she was on. Personally I think that Rachel did that and wanted her father to be more like her because she had been influenced by Yaakov for all those years. I think that unintentionally Yaakov helped strengthen someone else's connection to Hashem and by doing that he strengthened his own. I am not sure if he ever found out that Rachel took them (I don't remember if we learned if she told him or not), but I think that he would have been a little proud of her for doing so. He would have been happy to have been married to a woman strong enough in her beliefs that she would take away her fathers idols, which was more risky than not. Rachel really could have been punished pretty harshly for what she did. Her father could have been very angry with her and done something to her. I think that just furthers the spiritual connection because she has faith in Hashem that again she did something wrong, lying to her father, for the greater good.
As for Yaakov, I think that the fact that he now has the ability and strength to face Esav and even stand up to his father in law in some ways connects back to Hashem. He now knows that whatever he does he will be protected. That Hashem is on his side no matter what. Yaakov also left Lavan's house. After spending 20 years in a house full of idols and immoral people, Yaakov remained connected. He stayed true to his beliefs. I know from experience that when everyone around you is doing the opposite, it's very hard to stick to your ground. I think Yaakov has grown, spiritually as well as physically.
Yaakov is now returning home with 2 wives, a self made fortune, and enough sheep and belongings to even give some as a peace offering to Esav. Although Yaakov tries so appease and calm the waters a bit with Esav before actually going and meeting with him by sending gifts, that does not sway my thoughts. In any case, I think that made him smarter. Testing the waters in this case, when his brother wants to kill him is a smart idea.
Overall I think the journey and stay with Lavan was very beneficial for Yaakov. I think he not only came back with a fortune as well as a family, but he also came back more spiritual and connected than ever!

Ready or Not?

When Yaakov left Haran he had confronted Lavan and had finished growing and developing. He was supposed to be ready to finally confront Eisav and take his role as leader of Bnei Yisrael. That was the plan. Go to Charan. Grow. Develop. Learn how to confront manipulative people like Lavan. Assert yourself. Mature. And along the way there was the opportunity of gaining family and wealth. Then return home and confront Eisav. Everything seems to be going swell. Yaakov leaves Haran prepared for his imminent encounter with Eisav along with all of the wealth he had picked up in Charan and his wives and children. Yet, what confuses me is that Yaakov begins to seem scared and nervous to see Eisav again. Was everything that happened in Charan just a fluke? Did Yaakov just snap back to his old self once he thought about the possibility of facing off with Eisav?

Yaakov sent messengers to Eisav, which already sounds like a weakness. Although they are called messengers, it sounds more like they are spying on the competition. Doesn't Yaakov have any faith in himself that he can defeat Eisav without any prior knowledge of Eisav's plans or thoughts of their upcoming face-off? Or at the least, does he not have faith that G-d will protect him and his family? When the messengers return they tell Yaakov that Eisav has 400 men with him. This terrifies Yaakov. He assumes that Eisav is coming to attack him, and he immediately prepares for the attack. First, he splits his camp into two. This way, if Eisav destroys one camp, at least the other can escape. Yaakov also prays to G-d and reminds Him of His promise to Yaakov (and his fathers). Then, Yaakov sends gifts to Eisav. Yaakov's actions can be understood as intelligent and clever or they can perceived as a display of his former insecurities that have resurfaced. If he had truly believed that he was prepared to defeat Eisav, then why was he so scared when he hears about Eisav's men?

In Pasuk 23, it says that "he arose during that night". He then took his family across the river. By saying that he woke up that night, it seems like he is trying to be sneaky. Yaakov is supposed to be fully prepared and ready for this confrontation. Why is he acting like they're undercover? My main question is (which I'm sure will be answered this week) is: Is Yaakov actually ready to confront Eisav? And if he is then why is he not acting like it?

The Angel Man

This week in class, we learned about the encounter between Yaakov and the man who came and attacked him in the middle of the night.  When Yaakov heard that Esav was coming to meet him and his family, Yaakov immediately evacuated his family.  Once he had taken them to the safe side of the river, he returned to the other side to fetch some jars that he left behind.  On his way, he was attacked by a mysterious, unnamed man.  They wrestled until dawn, when the man mysteriously said that he had to leave.  He blessed Yaakov and changed his name to Yisrael.  Who, then was the man?  According to Rashi, the man was the angel or guard of Esav who came to physically injure or kill Yaakov on Esav's behalf.  When the angel realized that he could not overcome Yaakov, he chose to bless him and let him know that in the future, G-d will change his name to Yisrael, so as to remove any shadow of trickery which led him to gain leadership of the ethical monotheist nation.  The angel said he had to leave at dawn because he had to "report" to heaven to sing the morning songs.  Radak has a different opinion all together.  He says that the man was not an angel, but some sort of manifestation of G-d who came to teach Yaakov that he can defeat Esav in a direct encounter.  When it was all over, G-d vowed to change Yaakov's name at the proper moment.

These two explanations are all fine, but I have one further question: Was this encounter physical or spiritual?  When I thought about this situation, I thought of it both a spiritual/mental and physical struggle where Yaakov's consciousness and physical power won.  This scenario can be compared to the final battle in the "Eragon" series.  The evil king fights with Eragon by first attacking his mind and then by throwing physical obstacles at him.  The combination of the two would be overwhelming to most people.  To relate this back to the case of Yaakov, maybe the angel was attempting to take over his mind while simultaneously attacking his body.  I was wondering what the rest of you think about this situation and what kind of fight it was.

Growth & Development

When Yaakov sets out for Charan, he is alone and penniless. His mother had to force him to leave because he was not ready to confront his brother, Eisav, who had made it his mission to kill Yaakov. While Yaakov remained in exile (Charan) he had to develop as a person so he could one day be the leader that he was destined to become and become able to finally confront his brother; so Yaakov did just that. He married Leah and Rachel only after being tricked by their manipulative father, Lavan. At this point he still was not ready to confront Lavan. Yaakov became the father of many children, but only after his favorite wife, Rachel had a child was he ready to leave Charan. Lavan, manipulative as ever, convinced Yaakov to stay, but as part of the deal, Yaakov would get all of the spotted and speckled sheep that came out of Lavan's white sheep. With help from G-d, Yaakov discovered how to make the speckled and spotted sheep multiply fast causing him to be instantly wealthy. G-d finally told Yaakov it was time to return home. On the way, Lavan accused Yaakov of stealing his idols. Here Yaakov's development is evident. He stands up to Lavan and tells him that everything he has was given to him by G-d/due to G-d's help. This confrontation proved that he was ready to confront his brother and be a great leader for Bnei Yisrael. He had fulfilled his mission.

In class we focused on the growing and developing as a person Yaakov did while he was in Charan. Although, by looking at the chiastic structure we made in class, you can see that Rachel also did some developing and growing of her own. When we first meet Rachel in Perek 29 she's daddy's little girl. As soon as she sees Yaakov, she runs to tell her father that he is there. She even stays loyal to him throughout the entire wedding-trickery incident. She knew that her father was tricking Yaakov and probably also knew that what de was doing was immoral; yet, she stayed loyal to him. After Yaakov and Rachel got married, Lavan continued tricking and manipulating Yaakov. It took time but Leah and Rachel finally realized how immoral Lavan's actions were, especially towards their husband and they were no longer loyal to him. Rachel's actions later on prove how much she had deviated from the path of being daddy's little girl. Rachel stole her father's idols. She even lied to him so he could not find them.

Rachel and Yaakov both went through major changes during Yaakov's time in Charan. Yaakov could not return home without having grown and developed like he did. Rachel's development and growth is much less noticeable, but also necessary. She had to recognize how immoral Lavan was so she could grow into the role model she is for all Jews.

Yaakov really has changed so much over our studies! From being naive, non-confrontational person to someone who stands up to his father in law. Yaakov had to run away in the first place because he did not want to confront Esav after stealing his bracha. It is understandable that Yaakov was afraid of being killed, but still he chose to run instead of facing what was in store for him. Anyway, he runs away. Fortunately for him he runs into a well where his future wife is. Yaakov puts up a very impressive face. He lifts this huge rock alone, which other shepherds had to come together in order to move. Then he "waters" his sheep and places the rock back in place. Rachel runs back to her father, Lavan, and tells him all about what she saw. He then invites Yaakov into his house, but Yaakov has a condition, only if he can marry Lavan's daughter Rachel. Lavan agrees in return of 7 years of labor. At the end of these 7 years Yaakov gets married to who he thinks is Rachel, but really it is Lavan's other daughter Leah. Yaakov is very mad, but agrees to work 7 more years in order to marry the real love of his life, Rachel.
They get married and all is happy. Until Leah starts having children. Rachel was baron and could not have any. She was worried that Yaakov would love Leah more because she was able to have children. Bilha has some kids and Leah has some more and finally Rachel also has. Yaakov then decides it is time to return home. He goes to speak to Lavan, but he just convinces Yaakov to stay and work longer. Yaakov makes a deal that he would get all of Lavan's spotted sheep. It was not time for Yaakov to make a fortune after he had made one for Lavan. Lavan agrees to giving him all the spotted sheep. Yaakov makes a fortune for himself and packs up all his family and belongings and heads out. During their travels, they decide to set up camp and rest. Lavan finds out about them leaving and runs after them. When he catches up to them he is infuriated. Lavan accuses Yaakov of taking his idols. Rachel was really the one who took them, but Yaakov had no idea about it. Rachel sits on top of them in her tent when Lavan comes to check and claims she is too sick to get up. Lavan is also upset that Yaakov ran away with his daughters. Yaakov gets very mad and yells at Lavan before sending him back home.
There are so many parallels. Rachel who used to be loyal to her father has just tricked or hid something from him. Yaakov has grown so much as a person. He is now able to face the problems in front of him instead of backing down. Yaakov is also finally ready to go back home and face those problems that await him.

Spirituality in Lavan's House

We found out as we read the story of Yaakov's stay in Lavan's house, that Yaakov never mentions HaShem while there and only once after he has already left. This gives us a problem. Does this mean that while Yaakov was working on his worldliness and learning about the "politics" of life that his spirituality and connection with HaShem were somewhat sacrificed? Could it be that by being around Lavan (though he didn't totally lose his connection with HaShem, which might have been an amazing feat all on its own) Yaakov was losing some of his connection with HaShem and the spiritual side of Birkat Avraham? Could that have been why he decided to leave for home right then? Because he realized what was happening?

Yaakov and Genetics

This week in class, we discussed Yaakov's sheep breeding.  When Yaakov confronted Lavan about going back to Canaan, Lavan convinced him to stay.  Yaakov's main goal at this point was to take care of his family. He asked Lavan if he could tend his sheep.  Lavan made super-complicated conditions for Yaakov to tend the sheep.  First, Yaakov could only keep the speckled and spotted sheep from Lavan's flock.  Second, Lavan gave Yaakov the white flock to tend and put a three day distance between the two men.  Yaakov saw this "obstacle" as a chance to prosper.  He took the heterozygous white sheep (one allele for white fleece and one for speckled or spotted fleece) and bred them with each other.  This would produce (on average) three white sheep (two heterozygous and one homozygous offspring) and one speckled and spotted sheep.  Yaakov then bred the speckled and spotted offspring together.  The only possible outcome of this union is a speckled and spotted sheep since being speckled and spotted is a recessive trait.

During our class discussion, we said that Yaakov was WAY ahead of his time.  For the rest of the world, genetics came to the forefront of scientific study after the works of Gregor Mendel gained recognition.  Yaakov was actually the first person in recorded history to realize that living organisms could be bred for certain traits.  Obviously, he did this correctly and managed to produce an entire flock of speckled and spotted sheep.  Unfortunately, people do not recognize Yaakov as the father of genetics.  I wonder if Yaakov was ahead of his time in any other areas.  Any ideas?

Eisav's Reaction

Eisav's reaction to being told that Yaakov had stolen his bracha was not a good one. He said that he was going to kill his brother. However, is he truly unjustified? Firstly, at this point he is probably feeling angry and betrayed. His twin brother just took the one thing that he had going for him, his one connection to his father's way of life and even his father after death. Not only did Yaakov take it from him, he took something that cannot be given back. He may also be feeling a little left out because now that Yaakov has the bracha, what is left for him? He had no real connection with his mother and now his father is dying. He will have nothing to remember him by. He is also thinking over the deal he made with Yaakov when they were younger. In his anger he is not thinking clearly and so is trying to find a way to pin his frustration on his brother. Succeeding in doing this serves only to make him more frustrated and say something he may have never said otherwise. Maybe he meant it then, but did he really want to go through with it later? Maybe, maybe not. It could be that circumstances forced him to continue his hatred and misunderstanding of his brother. We will never know.

Mizbeach and Matzevah

In class we were talking about the difference between a mizbeach and a matzeva. Yaakov builds a matzevah at Bet El after he wakes up from his dream and realizes that G-d was in that place. Why does he build a matzevah and not a mizbeach? A mizbeach is permanent, while a matzevah is temporary. Yaakov is showing us that he can't build anything permanent at that moment, but he has made a commitment to do so in the future. The matzevah is almost a promise or a place holder for what will be there later on. Yaakov will come back and make that place a place for G-d. That is also why he changed the name of the place to Bet-El. He will make sure that soon it will become a place for Hashem.

Arranged marriages

I was talking to someone about arranged marriages, and how they turn out either for better or for worse. Then, we figured out that this is the same with many of the couples in the Tanach. Many of the couples that had arranged marriages did not have very easygoing marriages, while many of the couples that picked their spouses tended to have happier marriages. For instance, Yitzchak and Rivka were set up, and their marriage was kind of rocky. Yaakoc, however, picked his wive[s] and they appear to have a better relationship with him. There are more examples like this that support this idea. Interesting, isn't it?

Did Yitzchak mean to split the bracha?

There are three different opinions on whether Yitzchak meant to do with the bracha. The first opinion is that Yitzchak intended on giving the entire bracha to Esav. This opinion is saying that Yitzchak was intending on making what we believe was the wrong choice. In this scenario, Esav would have recieved everything, and who knows where we would be today if that had happened.

The second possibility is that he planned on splitting the bracha. Yitzchak may have known that Esav's strenghts were in worldy things, and that he was manipulative and good at politics. He would be powerful and have agricultural success. Yaakov would have Avraham's blessing. HE was the more spiritual and G-dly one, and he would inherit the zera and aretz. They were both sons from the same mother and father, and he loved both of them. Why couldn't both of them take care of this job?

The last possibility is that Yitzchak meant for Yaakov to have the entire bracha. He may have made this decision because he saw that Yaakov was capable of handling the entire bracha, not just the spiritual parts. He may have realized that Yaakov's descendants deserved the entire bracha, not Esav's.

Rivka might have some balance issues

As we learn earlier in Bereshit, Rivka falls off her camel when she sees Yitzchak. Why does she fall off her camel? She doesn't even know who he is, much less that he is the man who is going to be her husband. A possible reason is that she saw how spiritual and holy he was because he was praying, and she felt insignificant and on a lower level. Perhaps she was also just nervous about meeting the man she was going to marry and walking blindly into the whole situation. Maybe she was overwhelmed, ans she had every right to be. She may have been thinking about the family and the life she left behind. Or perhaps, we are over-examining this whole situation, and Rivka just had a small balance problem. Or then again, she could have been dizzy and nervous becuase...

Dysfunctional Family (Part 2)

As Alyssa so awesomely said in her post, the family of Yitzchak, Rivka, Esav, and Yaakov was quite dysfunctional. In my mind though, the family of Betuel and Lavan was the ultimate family mess.

The first time we hear about these people is when Eliezer comes to Charan to find a bride for Yitzchak. He finds Rivka at the well. She displays extreme kindness, generosity, and other traits essential to an ethical monotheist. When Eliezer goes to meet her family, he finds the most fake and messed-up kind of people imaginable. When he confronts them with the idea that Rivka should come with him to Canaan and marry Yitzchak, they start using the name of G-d to swear that, "Of course, that is what should be done!" The next morning, they change their minds. They say, "No, Rivka can't go because she's too young." In the end though, they decide that it is Rivka's choice and she agrees to go with Eliezer. I can only imagine what Eliezer must have been thinking. How is it possible that such a person like Rivka came from such evil? Honestly, this whole scenario seems oddly similar to an overdrawn drama. The villains are just so beyond evil and the good people are "saint-like", for lack of a better word. The fact that they were not even bothered by their own evilness also bothers me. Do these people not have a conscience?

The only way I can explain this is as follows: Rivka's horrible family made her practice of Tzedek U'mishpat that much more fantastic. This situation is not a Midrashic exaggeration of what might have actually happened. Clearly, Lavan and Betuel just wanted to be evil. We see later on that Lavan deceived Yaakov intentionally and forced him into fourteen years of hard labor for his wife. The fact that Rivka grew up in such an environment and still turned out an ethical monotheist makes her that much greater. This is a lesson for all people: evil always comes back to bite you. Although the evil people do seem to benefit in the short term, I believe that G-d won't let them win.

My Opinion: Did Yitchak Know What He Was Doing?

We all talk about Yitzchak's intentions as far as the giving of the 3 brachos to Yaakov and Esav. We have come up with 3 options so far: Yitzcka planned on splitting the Bracha all along, Yitzchak was going to give it all to Esav, and Yitzchak was going to give it all to Yaakov. We have come up with different facts and aspects in class pointing to one or another of the three options above. We said that Yitzchak probably wasn't planning on giving it all to Esav because when Yitzchak blessed Yaakov thinking he was Esav, he didn't include anything about the spiritual aspect of the world or even mention HaShem. Yitzchak was a very spiritual person, so why would he ass on the full bracha to one son and not mention HaShem or religion? We also seem to think that Yitzchak was not planning on giving the whole bracha to Yaakov either because the torah says that he trembled a great trembling when he realized that it was Yaakov that he had given the bracha to instead of Esav. I think that Yitzchak really did plan on splitting the bracha between his two sons, but when Yaakov took Esav's place for the first part, Yitzchak realized that Yaakov really was capable of presiding over both parts: the spiritual and the political/social. Yitzchak then gave Esav his own bracha because after all, he was the elder son and Yitzchak's favorite (for better or for worse).

A Dysfunctional Family

Yitzchak, Yaakov, and Rivka are known to the Jews as role models and some of the most spiritual, moral people we can think of. Whether some of their actions were moral is debatable, but the majority of Jews admire their actions and characteristics and strive to be more like them. What I've noticed from learning about their family is that they made a incredible dysfunctional family. I'm not sure this family could even get through a family dinner without causing drama.

Firstly, we know that Yitzchak and Rivka's relationship was a bit rocky. They didn't speak to each other. The only time we see that they actually agree on something is when Eisav marries a Canaani girl. As soon as Rivka sees Yitzchak for the first time, she immediately feels insecure and feels that she is on not on the same level as he is. She wonders how she is good enough to be his wife. After all, she didn't grow up with a spiritual or moral family. Even when she feels 'irregular activity' inside of her womb (during her pregnancy) she does not go to Yitzchak. When she is told that there are two nations inside of her and the older will serve the younger, she does not pass on this knowledge to Yitzchak. She doesn't even tell him this when he is about to bless Eisav, when she knows that Yaakov deserves the blessing. And how does Rivka know that Yitzchak is planning on giving the blessing to Eisav? She overhears it. In other words, she was not supposed to hear it, but somehow she did. So, then what does she do? She uses Yaakov to trick her old, blind husband. Rivka is the mastermind behind the trickery that occurs in Perek 27. Because Rivka couldn't work up the nerve to talk to her husband, Yaakov and Rivka have to go behind Yitzchak's back and even lie to him in what is known as one of the most [ethically] controversial events in Bereishis.

Another parenting flaw is written out in the Pesukim. Rivka loved Yaakov and Yitzchak loved Eisav. Picking favorites? It just doesn't seem necessary. Some even think that Yitzchak loved Eisav because he brought him food from what he hunted. These two clearly need to attend some parenting seminars. And visit a marriage counselor.

Then, as if there aren't enough problems going on with Rivka and Yitzchak, the twins also have some problems of their own. Eisav and Yaakov also take part in a very controversial event, the Lentil coup incident or the Selling of the Bechora. In this event, Yaakov arguably takes advantage of Eisav. Later when Eisav finds out that Yaakov "stole" his blessing from Yitzchak, he swears that he will kill Yaakov once his father dies (common twin/brother problems, right?). Then Eisav marries a Canaani girl. This action is bad enough to make Rivka and Yitzchak agree for once! They are both upset and make sure that Yaakov does not end up marrying a Canaani girl. Eisav hears this, even though he is clearly not meant to be part of this conversation, and marries a girl from Yishmael's family to try to make things right.

These are only a few examples of how dysfunctional this family is. This family has many problems: eavesdropping, trickery, lies, a lack of communication skills, jealousy, favoring (children), and the minor problem of a twin swearing to kill his other twin. It seems like with so many moral, righteous people living in one house they should be a model family, but for some reason, that is not the case. At all.