Jacob Hates Esau?

Question

I read somewhere in the Rabbinic writings that it is an eternal law that Yaakov hates Esav. Can you explain what this means? Does it mean that the descendants of Jacob will always hate the descendants of Esau, like a law of nature?

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Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    It is the other way around. The Midrash, Bereshis Rabbah, teaches that it is a “Halacha – law” that “Eisav hates Yaakov.” The commentaries explain the usage of the word “Halacha” – which is somewhat incongruous in this context – in various different ways.

    Rabbi Menachem Ziemba writes, “Is it correct to use the term Halacha here? After all, it is not teaching us any laws?” Rabbi Ziemba then explains that the Midrash is teaching us that Eisav’s hatred for Yaakov hatred is without any logic or reason. In effect, it is just like an indisputable Halacha.

    There is a very famous responsa from Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, Iggros Moshe Choshen Mishpat 2:67, where he writes, “Why is the word Halacha here? It is because, just as Halacha never changes, so also Eisav’s hatred of Yaakov never changes. Even when non-Jewish nations behave well [toward the Jews], their hatred is actually strong.”

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team