This week’s portion, Toldot, focuses on the family life of Isaac, the son of Abraham. In this portion, we see how Isaac and his wife, Rebecca, interact with their twin sons, Jacob and Esav. As we already know, Jacob is portrayed as the righteous son, while Esav embodies the negative traits. Despite this, Esav remains the favored son of Isaac, and Isaac decides to give him G-d’s most powerful blessing. Isaac hopes that by bestowing this blessing, he will restore order to the world. However, his plan is thwarted, and we should be grateful that it is.

Who thwarts Isaac’s plan? None other than his wife, Rebecca. She instructs her son, Jacob, to trick Isaac by dressing up as Esav and receiving the blessing that was meant for his brother. Naturally, Jacob is unsure about deceiving his father, but Rebecca assures him that any curse resulting from the deception will fall upon her. To understand this moment fully, it’s important to remember that Rebecca is a reincarnation of Eve. In this story, Rebecca takes on a role similar to the serpent, but her intentions are entirely different. Whereas Eve’s action led to the original sin, Rebecca’s act of trickery serves a redemptive purpose. She ensures that the negative forces—represented by Esav—do not receive a blessing that would only perpetuate chaos. Through her actions, Rebecca restores balance and rectifies the mistake of the original sin.

This is not the only food-related incident in the portion. We also see Jacob striking a deal with Esav, who comes to him, starving and desperate for food, while Jacob is eating lentils. Jacob doesn’t simply give Esav the food, as one might expect from a righteous person. Instead, he demands Esav’s birthright in exchange for the meal. This deal has puzzled many spiritual seekers. Is Jacob taking advantage of his brother’s vulnerability? Is he exploiting Esav’s desperation? How can someone who is righteous engage in such a transaction? The confusion we feel in this moment is, in itself, a lesson.

When we know that someone is good and another is bad, we must approach the situation with that understanding in mind. It’s not right to read this story and immediately side with Esav. If our initial reaction is negative, it means we don’t have all the information. In fact, what we fail to recognize at first is that Esav didn’t even want his birthright. He had already asked Jacob to take it from him. By making this deal, Jacob merely facilitates Esav’s own wishes. However, if we rush to judge Jacob harshly without this context, we miss the true intention behind his actions. We let our judgment cloud our perspective.

How often do we make snap judgments based on incomplete information? Have you ever found yourself momentarily on the side of what is wrong, simply because you didn’t understand the full picture? This is a dangerous place to be, and yet it happens often. This is why, when someone we consider good does something that confuses us, we must trust in their intention rather than quickly assuming the worst. If we fail to do so, we risk over-identifying with the negative side. Negative behavior is never easy to understand, and if we can rationalize it, we may be heading down the wrong path. Instead of trying to explain or defend negativity, we should acknowledge that there are many things we simply don’t understand. To know everything for sure is to limit ourselves, but not knowing leaves us open to infinite possibilities. Acknowledging the unknown is the more spiritually liberating stance.

To truly discern good from bad, we need spiritual insight. In this portion, we see Isaac digging five wells. This is a metaphor for our spiritual connection to G-d, which is symbolized by the water. This connection exists within us; it does not need to be brought from outside. But, to access it, we must dig. What "dirt" covers our connection to G-d? What obstacles prevent us from fully connecting with the Divine? Each time we allow our negative traits—represented by Esav—to take control, we pile more dirt between ourselves and G-d. The physical world, with its distractions and material concerns, acts as a thick barrier between us and our spiritual essence. To reconnect with the Divine, we must do the work of digging—through spiritual practice, introspection, and discipline.

Another key moment in this portion is when we see miracles becoming mundane. The handmaiden, for example, sees angels, yet there is no awe in her reaction. This seems surprising to us, as we expect that any encounter with the Divine should inspire wonder and amazement. How could she treat this experience as ordinary? We might be tempted to judge her for this ingratitude. But in truth, we emulate her every day. We take for granted the miracles that allow us to wake up, breathe, eat, love, learn, and grow. When incredible things become part of our routine, we stop seeing them as extraordinary.

This serves as a powerful reminder: part of the "digging" we need to do in our spiritual lives is to cultivate conscious and intentional gratitude. It’s easy to lose sight of the miraculous when we are focused on the mundane. The second part of our spiritual work is accepting the unknown and always favoring the good.

This is the essence of Toldot—to live with a deeper awareness of the divine presence in our lives, to avoid hasty judgments, and to always seek the good, even when things are unclear. Through these practices, we can reconnect with the Divine, rectify our mistakes, and live in accordance with a higher purpose.