מדוע שובץ ספר יואל לפני ספר עמוס בסידור התנ"ך?

הארבה הוא סוג מיוחד של אויב, שגובר על האדם בגלל כמותו הרבה. מתי הכמות גוברת על האיכות? כאשר האדם יורד באיכותו, וכבר אינו ראוי לאויב אנושי מולו. דווקא דרך מכת הארבה פוגש האדם את הטבע, מתפייס עמו ומתפלל יחד עמו לה'.

Towards the beginning of Parashat Toldot, we learn of Esav's surrendering of the birthright to his younger brother, Yaakov. Rashi (25:32) explains that Esav relinquished the birthright out of genuine fear of the immense responsibility involved. Upon hearing of the many strictures, rigorous guidelines and prohibitions applicable to the service in the Bet Hamikdash (which was to be the exclusive right of the first-born), and the death penalty issued against violators, Esav declined the privilege of the birthright.

"But the children clashed inside her, and when this occurred, she asked, 'Why is this happening to me?' She went to seek a message from God."(Bereishit 25:22)

“Va-ye’ehav Yitzchak et Eisav ki tzayid be-fiv, ve-Rivka ohevet et Ya’akov” – “And Yitzchak loved Eisav for game was in his mouth (he was a hunter), and Rivka loves Ya’akov.” How are we to understand Yitzchak’s and Rivka’s preferences, and what can we learn from their choice to “play favorites?”

As famine breaks out in the land of Canaan, Yitzchak takes a leaf from his father's book and makes for the more fertile land of the Pelishtim. He arrives in Gerar where Avraham had dug his wells a generation before. The Torah tells us (Bereshit 26:15-18):

Parashat Toladot opens as follows: "These are the 'toladot' of Yitzchak: Avraham begot Yitzchak."

Although the term "toladot" generally refers to offspring, many translators and commentators prefer to translate this phrase as "This is the story of Yitzchak..." The reason is clear: if the verse opens, "These are the offspring of Yitzchak," then we expect the verse to continue with Yitzchak's children, not the already-known fact that Avraham was Yitzchak's father!

Throughout the story of Esav, from its beginnings in this week's parasha to its last mention in this week's haftora (taken from the last chapters of the Tanakh), Esav is described as wicked in an almost deterministic manner. One can explain that there was nothing deterministic at all but that God only "informed" his mother before his birth what his future would be.

Famine strikes the land of Canaan. Isaac heads south towards Egypt, as his father had done in a similar situation. Before Isaac leaves the land, however, God reveals himself to him and commands him not to leave. At this moment, God addresses Isaac, renewing and expanding the covenant that had previously existed with Abraham. After promising that he and his offspring would inherit the land, He explains that it is because Abraham had succeeded in maintaining his end of the covenant.

If the family had so emphatically approved of the match, why did they later want Rivka to remain with them?