November 26, 2022; 2 Kisleiv, 5783
Parsha
What caused Yaakov to become Yaakov Avinu (our holy forefather), and Eisav to become Eisav HaRasha (the evil one)? The Midrash (Beraishis Rabbah, Parshas Toldos) tells us that until their Bar Mitzvah, Yaakov and Eisav were nearly identical in their deportment. However, after their bar mitzvah, things started to change. How did Yaakov and Eisav turn out so differently?
Rav Dov Meir Rovman ZT”L (1895-1967) was a student of the Kelm Yeshiva, the Rosh Yeshiva in Vilkomir and the founder of the Tiferes Yisroel Yeshiva in Haifa. In his Sefer, Zichron Meir (Maamar 37), he points out that from the Passuk in Malachi (1:2) which states, “Behold Eisav is a brother to Yaakov” we see that Eisav was comparable to Yaakov in certain respects and had remarkable qualities...