Parshat Toldot provides the reader with valuable insight on the popular debate on whether one’s success is based on nature or nurture. Some argue that man is not born with talents, rather he garners all of his skills and abilities by working hard and placing himself in an environment conducive to his success. Parshat Toldot, however, displays the opposite; Jacob and Esav’s personality traits are described right after they were born, implying that one is born with innate abilities. As it says in Perek 25, Pasuk 27 “The lads grew up and Esav was a man who understood hunting, a man of the field, and Yaakov was a totally dedicated man, living in tents.” We see that Esav was born with an affinity towards hunting, while Jacob was born a dedicated man that would succeed in independent study.
Rav Hirsch explains that this pasuk also teaches the reader about Isaac and Rivka’s mistake in their upbringing of Jacob and Esav. They naively tried to educate the two totally different children in the same exact manner; they had them sit and learn in a classroom-like setting. This method of education was ideal for Jacob because of his proclivity towards learning but anathema to Esav who wanted nothing more but to be in the field. Rashi points out their behavior was not outwardly discernable until they turned thirteen. However, once they turned thirteen, Rivka and Isaac should have noticed the sharp contrast between Jacob and Esav’s personalities and taken a different educational approach towards Esav. As Shlomo Hamelech says in Mishei “Bring up each child according to his own way.” If, once they noticed Esav’s aversion towards his studies, Rivka and Isaac decided to educate Esav in a manner more appropriate to his interests and talents then Esav could have turned out much different. If his days were spent, for example, learning how to properly schecht the animals that he killed, then he could have directed his talents towards complementing Jacob. They could have worked as a team, similar to that of Isaachar and Zevulun, where Esav would earn the daily bread and support Jacob the scholar.
Isaac and Rivka’s mistake in parenting can teach everyone in Yeshiva a valuable lesson about our own learning and life pursuits. We must recognize that each and every one of us was born with different proclivities, talents and abilities. Some of us are left-brained, some of us are right-brained; some of us are extroverted, and some of us are introverted. It isn’t as important what our individual talents are as it is that we recognize what are strengths and weaknesses are and utilize this knowledge to plan our further course of study. We can’t all be expected to fit a set mold. A student who struggles in math and science but excels in reading and writing should, for example, pursue a field more conducive to his interests than engineering. And a student seeking to reconcile his doubts about faith should spend his free time studying philosophy rather than force himself to learn Talmud which he can’t connect to. This isn’t to say that one should not attempt to pursue studies or courses in life which he finds challenging, rather that one should focus his attention on learning what he wants to learn.
Rav Hirsch explains that this pasuk also teaches the reader about Isaac and Rivka’s mistake in their upbringing of Jacob and Esav. They naively tried to educate the two totally different children in the same exact manner; they had them sit and learn in a classroom-like setting. This method of education was ideal for Jacob because of his proclivity towards learning but anathema to Esav who wanted nothing more but to be in the field. Rashi points out their behavior was not outwardly discernable until they turned thirteen. However, once they turned thirteen, Rivka and Isaac should have noticed the sharp contrast between Jacob and Esav’s personalities and taken a different educational approach towards Esav. As Shlomo Hamelech says in Mishei “Bring up each child according to his own way.” If, once they noticed Esav’s aversion towards his studies, Rivka and Isaac decided to educate Esav in a manner more appropriate to his interests and talents then Esav could have turned out much different. If his days were spent, for example, learning how to properly schecht the animals that he killed, then he could have directed his talents towards complementing Jacob. They could have worked as a team, similar to that of Isaachar and Zevulun, where Esav would earn the daily bread and support Jacob the scholar.
Isaac and Rivka’s mistake in parenting can teach everyone in Yeshiva a valuable lesson about our own learning and life pursuits. We must recognize that each and every one of us was born with different proclivities, talents and abilities. Some of us are left-brained, some of us are right-brained; some of us are extroverted, and some of us are introverted. It isn’t as important what our individual talents are as it is that we recognize what are strengths and weaknesses are and utilize this knowledge to plan our further course of study. We can’t all be expected to fit a set mold. A student who struggles in math and science but excels in reading and writing should, for example, pursue a field more conducive to his interests than engineering. And a student seeking to reconcile his doubts about faith should spend his free time studying philosophy rather than force himself to learn Talmud which he can’t connect to. This isn’t to say that one should not attempt to pursue studies or courses in life which he finds challenging, rather that one should focus his attention on learning what he wants to learn.
