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Orchard of Delights Toldot

The Talmud states that women were endowed with an extra portion Rashi begins his commentary on the level of remez. The verses
of understanding (Niddah 45b); thus, it is no surprise that Leah and preceding this story make absolutely clear how upset Isaac and
Rachel named the children. The reasons given for the names seem Rebecca were over Esau’s Canaanite wives. Linking Isaac’s blindness
somewhat paradoxical though: the choices appear to stem more from to this state of affairs, Rashi quotes a Midrash which suggests
the mothers’ overflow of personal emotions than from their prophetic that these verses were juxtaposed to allude to the fact that Isaac’s
insight into their children’s future. Yet this paradox reveals a deep blindness was caused by the incense smoke offered by Esau’s wives
truth – being totally engrossed in the present opens a gateway to the to their foreign gods. (Midrash Tanchuma, Parashat Toldot 8).
future. One of the great secrets of time is that every moment of time Next Rashi cites another Midrash to offer a homiletical or more
contains, in potential, all of time: past, present, and future. allegorical derash (Bereishit Rabbah 65:10). The Midrash relates that

The climatic moments and days surrounding a birth bring with when Isaac was bound on the altar and it appeared that his father
them flashes of inspiration and insight born of that peak experience. was going to consummate the sacrifice, the heavens opened and the
These moments of inspiration reveal the illusion of linear time, angels began crying. Their tears fell into Isaac’s eyes causing him to
bridging it, and opening a portal to a much expanded experience of go blind later in life.
time, especially as regards the essence of the new child.
Finally, Rashi concludes with a mystical sod interpretation.
This notion of time sheds light on how Judaism perceives astrology Again citing Midrash Tanchuma, Rashi states very simply, but
as a field of wisdom capable of providing insight into an individual’s enigmatically, that Isaac had to go blind so that Jacob would receive
potential based on the position of the sun, moon, and planets at the the blessing, not Esau as Isaac had wished.
very moment of his or her birth. While the Torah forbids the use of Now let us return briefly to consider each of Rashi’s explanations.
astrology to predict the future or to relieve someone of the burden of The notion that the smoke of the incense offered by Esau’s idol
free choice, it does not forbid the use of astrology to better understand worshipping wives dimmed Isaac’s eye sight can be understood both
someone’s potential. The Talmud contains scores of references to literally and on a more subtle mind/body level. Over a prolonged
the stars’ power and influence along with the appropriate warnings period of time, the irritation caused by such smoke could certainly
regarding the misuse of this information. have damaged Isaac’s eyes. Yet Rashi seems to be hinting at more
On our birthdays’ our potential or mazal (literally, zodiacal sign) than just a physical malady. Particularly traumatic one-time events
– the preordained “deck of cards” that we enter this world with – is and, without a doubt, ongoing traumas undermine an individual’s
strengthened and ascendant. Therefore, it is appropriate to spend our overall health. (This is a subject we will plumb more deeply in
birthdays in deep introspection regarding our missions and purposes discussing Tazria, in the book of Leviticus.) Clearly, Esau’s wives
in the world. had a deleterious effect on both Isaac and Rebecca. In Isaac’s case,
As each child was born, Leah and Rachel experienced the his blindness becomes an external manifestation of his inability to
circumstances and feelings surrounding the birth and understood see reality clearly and act upon it in a forceful manner.
them to be a gateway into divining the child’s inner essence and The claim that angels’ tears led to Isaac’s blindness alludes to deep
prophetically glimpsing the mission and character of each of the spiritual, mystical, and psychological truths that cannot be properly
future tribes of Israel. examined within the constraints of this book. However, one insight
deserves to be mentioned because it has especial pertinence to our
era. According to tradition it took Isaac three years to integrate
the awesome events known as Akeidat Yitzchak; however, this

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