A potter does not examine defective vessels, because a single blow would break them. What then does he examine? Only the sound vessels, for he will not break them even with many blows. Similarly, G-d tests not the wicked but the righteous.
Esau emerges first; Jacob is born clutching Esau's heel. Esau grows up to be "a cunning hunter, a man of the field"; Jacob is "a wholesome man", a dweller in the tents of learning. Isaac favors Esau; Rebecca loves Jacob. Returning exhausted and hungry from the hunt one day, Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for a pot of red lentil stew.
The stage is set for a cosmic struggle which still engulfs us today...
Thought for the Day
Childish Delight
The child delights in the simple things of life.
Sometimes that delight could lead in the wrong direction.
But the delight in itself is good.
We need to embrace and nurture the delight
while weaning it from those things unwholesome.
From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe; words and condensation by Tzvi Freeman. To order Tzvi's book, "Bringing Heaven Down to Earth, click here.
Rabbi Freeman is available for public speaking and workshops. Read more on his bio page.
