Was Eisav Jewish?

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Was Eisav Jewish?

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Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    It is not so simple to answer your question with a “yes” or “no”. It is true that Avraham is the first of the Avos and it is possible to say that Avraham was the first Jew. If that is the case then Eisav was Jewish.

    However, there is a view that “Jews” as a definitive entity only came into being at Har Sinai, and, until then the Avos and all those who came after them were not Jewish, per se. Rather, they were Monotheists. If so, that would mean that Eisav was not Jewish – not because of his lifestyle choices, but, simply, because no one was formally Jewish yet.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team