סיפא בזבינא חריפא אי הכי לוקח בפחות אפילו שווה בשווה אלא
but not all [the descendants of] Isaac. <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. [IF ONE SAYS, 'KONAM] THAT I DO NOT BENEFIT FROM ISRAELITES', HE MUST BUY THINGS FROM THEM FOR MORE [THAN THEIR WORTH] AND SELL THEM FOR LESS.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because if he trades on ordinary terms, he is benefiting from them.
');"><sup>10</sup></span> [IF HE SAYS, 'KONAM] IF ISRAELITES BENEFIT FROM ME, HE MUST BUY FROM THEM FOR LESS AND SELL FOR MORE [THAN THEIR WORTH], BUT NONE NEED CONSENT TO THIS.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., since others are not likely to trade on such terms, in practice he may not trade with them at all.
');"><sup>11</sup></span> THAT I MAY NOT BENEFIT FROM THEM, NOR THEY FROM ME, HE MAY BENEFIT ONLY FROM HEATHENS.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The point is this. One might think that since it is almost impossible for such a vow to be kept, it is by its very nature invalid; hence it is taught that its observance is not impossible, as he can fall back upon heathens.
');"><sup>12</sup></span> <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. Samuel said: If one takes an article from an artisan<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ran reads: from a tradesman.
');"><sup>13</sup></span> on approval, and whilst in his possession it is accidentally damaged, he is liable for it. Hence we see that in his view the benefit is on the side of the buyer.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Trustees are divided into various categories, according to their degrees of responsibility, depending upon the benefit they derive from their trust. Only one who borrows an article is liable for accidental damage, because all the benefit is on his side, the lender receiving nothing in return. Since Samuel rules that the prospective purchaser is liable for accidental damage, it is evident that he puts him in the same category as a borrower, who is the only one to derive benefit.
');"><sup>14</sup></span> We learnt: [IF ONE SAYS, 'KONAM] THAT I DO NOT BENEFIT FROM ISRAELITES,' HE MUST … SELL THEM FOR LESS. Hence he may not sell at its actual worth: but if the purchaser benefits [not the vendor], why not sell at its actual worth? — The Mishnah refers to an unsaleable article.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., something for which there are no buyers. Hence the vendor benefits from the transaction, unless he sells below market price.
');"><sup>15</sup></span> If so, consider the first statement: HE MUST BUY FOR MORE THAN THEIR WORTH.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But if it is unsaleable, even if he pays no more than its market value, he is not benefiting.
');"><sup>16</sup></span> Moreover, consider the second clause: [IF HE SAYS, 'KONAM] IF ISRAELITES BENEFIT FROM ME,' HE MUST BUY FROM THEM FOR LESS AND SELL FOR MORE THAN THEIR WORTH. But if this refers to unsaleable merchandise, even [to sell] at its actual worth [should be permitted]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the purchaser does not thereby benefit from him.
');"><sup>17</sup></span> — The second clause refers to 'keen' merchandise.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Goods in keen demand.
');"><sup>18</sup></span> If so, why must he purchase at a lesser [price]; he may even pay the full value?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As the vendor does not benefit, since he can easily sell it to someone else. ');"><sup>19</sup></span> —
Shenei Luchot HaBerit
Jacob was the descendant of Isaac and Rebeccah. In the case of Abraham's son Isaac, G–d had promised Abraham only כי ביצחק יקרא לך זרע, that part of Isaac would be his worthy seed, not all of Isaac. The Torah reports that Rebeccah loved Jacob (25,28). We have said that then the world was filled with Jacob's "beauty," which was of the kind once possessed by Adam, מטתו שלמה, Jacob's bed was perfect, i.e. all his children were loyal to his teachings which enabled him to become known as ישראל. Since only ישראל is called אדם, the connection between Jacob and Adam is clear.
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Shenei Luchot HaBerit
We need to appreciate that the name יעקב is in fact ישראל. The name יעקב alludes to an exalted position on earth, i.e. in this world; it reflects observance of Torah in this world, not expecting to be rewarded in this world, but being content היום, לעשותו, מחל לקבל שכרם, as we have explained earlier. The name ישראל is the direct outcome of יעקב having been what he was here on earth. Our sages have taught us that שכר מצוה מצוה, that the reward of performing a commandment is the מצוה itself (Avot 4,2). This means that the spiritual element of the מצוה one performs on earth becomes the glue with which one attaches oneself to G–d in the Hereafter. When David refers to the great reward in store as a result of observing the commandments, i.e. בשמרם עקב רב (Psalms 19,12), he points to the seemingly insignificant commandments people are in the habit of ignoring. The word Eikev means סוף, end. The word סוף also means תכלית, the ultimate purpose of life as defined by Solomon in Kohelet 12,13 in the words: סוף דבר את האלוקים ירא ואת מצותיו שמור כי זה כל האדם. "To sum up: Fear the Lord, observe His commandments, for this is what man is all about." This סוף which Solomon speaks about in Kohelet is the latter part of Jacob's name עקב, heel, itself the tail-end of a person. This יעקב was alluded to earlier in the Torah when G–d said to Isaacs, “I shall multiply your seed like the stars of the heaven" (26,4). G–d goes on to say that inheritance of the land of Israel will be due to Abraham having listened to G–d's voice and having observed His commandments, עקב אשר שמע אברהם בקולי. The word עקב refers to that part of יעקב's name.
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Shenei Luchot HaBerit
All these matters are alluded to in the word הזה in Genesis 28,17. Bereshit Rabbah 63,8, commenting on Genesis 25,22, where Rebeccah complained about the fetuses within her quarreling, by saying: אם כן למה זה אנכי, quotes Rabbi Nechemiah as saying that Rebeccah had sufficient merit to become the mother of twelve tribes, in accordance with the numerical value of the letters in the word זה; seven corresponding to the letter ז, and five to correspond to the letter ה. Did Rabbi Nechemyah think that we could not count to twelve and had to have this calculation broken down for us? I believe the Midrash wanted to stress why the number twelve here is composed of a combination of 7+5, and not of, say, 8+4 or 9+3. Why did the Midrash have to see in that number a reference to the twelve tribes? The Torah does not mention anything about that number of children! Maybe the number twelve refers to something else?
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Shenei Luchot HaBerit
Having concluded with the development of Esau's descendants, the Torah turns to Jacob's settling in ארץ ישראל. The Torah next tells us that the true descendant of Jacob was Joseph. Since the word Toldot also means the further development, even through re-incarnation, we are told that it was Joseph who set in motion these developments, i.e. the refinement of the Jewish people in the "iron crucible," the bondage experience in Egypt. Having concluded the process of refinement, Israel was ready to receive the "crown" of Torah. Even Jacob personally had to reside in Egypt for a while in order to rid himself of the sin of not having performed the commandment of honoring father and mother during the twenty years he was at Laban's and the two years (on the journey to Laban and back). Although G–d had told Abraham that his descendants would be part of Isaac's seed (Genesis 21,12 expounded on in the Talmud Nedarim 31), and the Torah meant this to exclude Esau as the carrier of the Abrahamitic tradition, the fact remains that during the years of Jacob's absence from his father's home, the people in the land of Canaan perceived Esau as the true heir, for it was he who ministered to the needs of his father and mother in spectacular fashion. As a result, Jacob had to suffer pain at the hands of his most precious seed, his son Joseph. He observed mourning for Joseph for twenty-two years during which Joseph was in Egypt, the land described as the pubes of the Earth. During those years Joseph atoned for the fact that only part of Isaac's seed developed in the manner hoped for.
