There are a few moral problems which arise this week in the tale of Yitzchak's blessings. This story presents two thorny problems: first, the tricking of a blind old man, using his vulnerability in order to deceive him into blessing the son whom he had not intended to bless; second, the taking of a blessing which was intended for the older twin by the younger, an act which causes deep pain and impotent anger on the part of the swindled brother. Two people are responsible for this deception: Rivka, who instigates, directs and abets this act, and Ya'akov, who despite his initial hesitation, executes this act to its completion. How does the Torah assess the questionable behavior of Rivka and Ya'akov? In order to answer this question, we will analyze both the text of the story, as well as what precedes and follows it, in order to glean an explanation to this episode.
