Two weeks ago, in the Haftarah of Toldot, we read that Esav’s dismissive attitude to serving G-d is hateful in the eyes of the prophet. This week, the Haftarah of VaYishlach describes the retribution that will be meted out to the nation of Edom in the days of Moshiach. It states:
…וְדָלְקוּ בָהֶם וַאֲכָלוּם וְלֹא יִהְיֶה שָׂרִיד לְבֵית עֵשָׂו כִּי ה’ דִּבֵּר
They will set them afire and consume them, and there will be no survivor to the House of Esav, for Hashem has spoken. (Ovadiah 1:18)
It appears that the Haftarah is saying that Esav and all his descendants will be destroyed, and there is no possibility for redemption. The Midrash, however, presents a more nuanced interpretation of this verse:
לא יהיה שריד לבית עשו – יכול לכל? ת”ל: לבית עשו, בעושה מעשה עשו והכתיב: שמה אדום מלכיה וכל נשיאיה! א”ל: מלכיה ולא כל מלכיה, …מלכיה ולא כל מלכיה פרט לאנטונינוס בן אסוירוס
“There will be no survivor to the House of Esav”: Does the prophet really mean absolutely none? Rather, it says, “the House of Esav”, that is, whoever acts like Esav. But elsewhere, it says (Yechezkel 32): “Edom will be destroyed, its kings and all its princes!” He answered: It says “kings”, and not “all kings” – which king is the exception? Antoninus son of Aseurus. (Avodah Zara 10b)
The Midrash asserts that only those that continue to act like Esav and perpetuate his negative attitude toward serving G-d will be punished. There is, according to this Midrash, at least one of Esav’s descendants who did not follow that path – Antoninus, a Roman emperor who was a contemporary of R’ Yehudah HaNassi.
The relationship between R’ Yehudah HaNassi (also known as “Rebbe”) and Antoninus is mentioned in many stories throughout the Midrash and Gemara. Their first encounter was when Antoninus’ mother saved the life of the infant Yehudah, by allowing his mother to bring Antoninus as proof to the authorities that she did not violate the ban on circumcision. Ultimately, this became the foundation for a genuine and fruitful friendship. Antoninus showed great respect to Rebbe, not only as a person, but as the embodiment of the wisdom of Torah.
The Midrash sees their relationship as the fulfillment of the prophecy given to Rivka regarding Yaakov and Esav:
שני גוים בבטנך גיים כתיב, אלו אנטונינוס ורבי, שלא פסקו מעל שולחנם לא צנון ולא חזרת לא בימות החמה ולא בימות הגשמים:
“Two nations in your womb”: [The word “nations”] is spelled “proud ones”: referring to Antoninus and Rebbe (R’ Yehudah HaNassi), whose tables lacked neither radishes nor lettuce both in summer and in winter.
(Rashi on Breishit 25:23)
There were many kings before then, in both nations, who might have been called “proud ones” – Julius Caesar, King Solomon – but never in at the same time. Yitzchak’s blessing to Esav asserts: “When one is up, the other is down.” Indeed, when the Jewish People were at their zenith, Esav’s nation Edom was at their nadir, and when Esav’s descendants settled in Rome and launched the rise of the Roman Empire, the Jewish People suffered their greatest defeat.
The only case of Yaakov and Esav both being “proud ones” at the same time was Antoninus and Rebbe. Antoninus, as the Caesar of the Roman Empire, represented the Kingdom of Edom at its height. R’ Yehudah HaNassi, the political and spiritual leader of the Jewish People, represented the Kingdom of Israel, temporarily restored to glory. Their “pride” is illustrated in the Midrash by the wealth of their respective royal tables. Just as the infant Yaakov and Esav were nurtured together in Rivka’s womb, lacking nothing, so nature transcended its seasonal limitations to provide bounty for their royal descendants. This proves that Yaakov and Esav’s struggle had never been about resources. The potential for harmony had been present all along; the dissonance between them was caused by Esav’s dismissal of the spiritual destiny of his forefathers. Antoninus’ respect for the Torah of R’ Yehudah HaNassi cleared the way for this potential to be realized.
The Talmud recounts many philosophical discussions between Antoninus and Rebbe. These discussions were quite different from other debates in our history, whose object was to humiliate us by “proving” that the Jewish outlook on life is false and our mission obsolete. In contrast, Antoninus had no agenda other than the pursuit of truth. Like all genuine discussions between people who respect each other, the insights flowed both ways:
ואמר לו אנטונינוס לרבי: מאימתי יצר הרע שולט באדם, משעת יצירה או משעת יציאה? אמר לו: משעת יצירה. אמר לו: אם כן בועט במעי אמו ויוצא! אלא: משעת יציאה. אמר רבי: דבר זה למדני אנטונינוס, ומקרא מסייעו שנאמר לפתח חטאת רבץ
Antoninus said to Rebbe: “From what point does the Evil Inclination begin to rule over a person, from conception or from birth?” He said, “From conception.” He answered, “If so, a baby would kick his way out of the womb! It must be from birth.” Rebbe said, “This idea was taught to me by Antoninus, and it has a verse to support it, as it says (Bereishit 4:7) ‘sin bides by the opening’.” (Talmud Bavli Sanhedrin 91b)
Not only does Rebbe accede to Antoninus’ reasoning, he finds textual support for it, and quotes this newly acquired idea in his name.
The subject of this particular debate is relevant to the question of whether or not “there will be a survivor to the house of Esav”. Esav was born with a set of inclinations which tend toward violence, yet he was born into a family of righteous people. Did his Yetzer Hara (Evil Inclination) “kick in”, so to speak, even before he was born? According to his descendant Antoninus, the Yetzer Hara only takes effect when a person comes out into the world. It was Esav’s choice whether he would use his abilities and inclinations for good or for evil. It is the choice of each of his descendants whether or not they follow in Esav’s footsteps or forge their own path in harmony with Yaakov. Antoninus himself chose to use his power for good. According to the Midrash on the Haftarah, Antoninus is more than a private individual who happened to be a nice guy, more than a foreign ruler who happened to be “good for the Jews.” Antoninus is the alternative to the total destruction of Esav, showing that it is possible for Esav to live with Yaakov in mutual respect, prosperity, and brotherhood.
Copyright © Kira Sirote
In memory of my father, Peter Rozenberg, z”l
לעילוי נשמת אבי מורי פנחס בן נתן נטע ז”ל