Parshat Toldot thoughts for 5773/2012

Basics here.

I can't think of anything new (yet), except that it seems to me that another, different reason for the city of Beersheva's name (see B'reshit/Genesis 26:33) had already been given in a previous parshah.  Of course, I can't find the quote.  :)

Oldies:

• Toldot: Yaakov the ganiff (Jacob the thief) (Monday, November 15, 2004)
• Parshat Toldot:Aftermath of 1st recorded shidduch crisis (Wednesday, November 18, 2009)
• Parshat Toldot:Callous indifference,or senile dementia? (Monday, November 23, 2009)
• DovBear defends Esav (November 05, 2010)
• Parshat Toldot & Haftarat Machar Chodesh (Monday, November 08, 2010) (Yes, I know that we'll be chanting the regular haftarah instead of  Haftarat Machar Chodesh this year.)

•Parshat Toldot


Genesis Chapter 26

5 because that Abraham hearkened to My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.'
[ ¶ ]
What commandments, statutes, and laws? As best I recollect, the only laws that had already been given were "p'ru u-r'vu, be fruitful and multiply," and the law of circumcision.
[ ¶ ]
I'm guessing that it's from this verse that the rabbis derived the highly-anachronistic notion that the Avot and Imahot (Patriarchs and Matriarchs) knew of and obeyed all of Jewish law, even thought it wouldn't be given until after the Exodus."

• Parshat Toldot: Disabled persons on our family tree? (Wednesday, November 23, 2011)

"Here's a new thought: Was Esau/Eisav/Esav learning disabled? He couldn't actually name the pottage/stew, calling it "that red red stuff" (ha-adom ha-adom ha-zeh), and didn't seem to have understood the value of a birthright (until later, after he'd sold it). (See B'reishit/Genesis, chapter 25, verses 30-32).

And here's an old-new thought, something that I've heard for years: Some say that Yitzchak/Isaac was developmentally disabled. . . ."

Speaking of which, see:

• Book review:"Esau's Blessing," by Ora Horn Prouser (Thursday, February 02, 2012)

Friday, November 16, 2012 update:

• Conservadox has some interesting thoughts about Parshat Toldot.