Isaac+and+Rebecca

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Isaac grew up, Abraham sent Eliezer,his servant, to find a wife for Isaac. As Eliezer left he asked God -"Let it be the the maiden to whom I shall say, 'Please tip over your jug so I may drink,' and who replies, 'Drink, and I will even water your camels,' her will You have designated for Your servant, for Isaac". And he went on. But right away a woman appeared. She was Rebecca. Eliezer asked for her to let him drink and she let him and even watered his camels! [ sounds familiar?! It turned out that Rebecca's grandfather was a brother of Abraham's. Then Rebecca invited the servant to her home, there Eliezer told the family everything. Rebecca agreed to marry Isaac. And so, Eliezer came back with rebecca and told Abraham everything. Isaac agreed too. And so they married. They were very happy together. Later they had twin boys named Jacob and Esau. Rebecca had a struggle during her pregnancy - " Rebecca was extremely uncomfortable during her pregnancy and went to inquire of God why she was suffering so. According to the Midrash, whenever she would pass a house of Torah study, Jacob would struggle to come out; whenever she would pass a house of idolatry, Esau would agitate to come out. She was told that her twins were fighting in her womb and would continue to fight all their lives, and after they became two separate nations. This statement also said that the older would serve the younger. When the time came for Rebecca to give birth, the first to come out emerged red and hairy all over, with his heel grasped by the hand of the second to come out. Onlookers named the first Esau The other child was named Jacob. Here is another section from the same website about the deception of Isaac- "Isaac became blind in his old age and decided to bestow the blessing of the firstborn upon Esau. According to the Midrash, Isaac had reached the age of 123, five years shy of the age his mother, Sarah, had been at her death. At this time, the Sages state that one should begin to think he might not exceed the age of whichever parent died first. Isaac therefore sent Esau out to the fields to trap and cook a piece of savory game for him, so that he could eat it and bless Esau before he died.

Rebecca overheard this conversation and realized that Isaac's blessings should go to Jacob, since she was told before the twins' birth that the older son would serve the younger.She therefore ordered Jacob to bring her two goats from the flock, which she cooked in the way Isaac loved, and had him bring them to his father in place of Esau. When Jacob protested that his father would recognize the deception and curse him as soon as he felt him, since Esau was hairy and Jacob smooth-skinned, Rebecca said that the curse would be on her instead. Before she sent Jacob to his father, she dressed him in Esau's garments and laid goatskins on his arms and neck to simulate hairy skin. Thus disguised, Jacob entered his father's room. Surprised to perceive that Esau was back so soon, Isaac asked how it could be that the hunt went so quickly. Jacob responded, "Because the LORD your God arranged it for me"; Isaac's suspicions were aroused because

Esau never used the personal name of God. Isaac demanded that Jacob come close so he could feel him, but the goatskins felt just like Esau's hairy skin. Confused, Isaac exclaimed, "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau!"Still trying to get at the truth, Isaac asked him point-blank, "Are you really my son Esau?" and Jacob answered simply, "I am" (which can be taken as "I am me", not "I am Esau"). Isaac proceeded to eat the food and to drink the wine that Jacob gave him, and then he blessed him with the dew of the heavens, the fatness of the earth, and rulership over many nations as well as his own brother. Jacob had scarcely left the room when Esau returned from the hunt to receive the blessing. The realization that he has been deceived shocks Isaac, yet he acknowledged that Jacob received the blessings. Esau was heartbroken by the deception, and begged for his own blessing. Having made Jacob a ruler over his brothers, Isaac could only promise, "By your sword you shall live, but your brother you shall serve; yet it shall be that when you are aggrieved, you may cast off his yoke from upon your neck" Esau was filled with hatred toward Jacob for taking away both his birthright and his blessing. He vowed to himself to kill Jacob as soon as Isaac died.- [|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecc] At the top of the page there is a video about The Deception of Isaac. Plus a painting showing Jacob pretending to be Esau.

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