For last week’s Parsha I added each story as an individual entry, but for this week I will simply add them all here. A bit longer post, but it is practical for me, and easier for later archival/sharing/documenting.

In fact, I think I will go back and edit the stories from Chayei Sarah into one long entry!

Let’s start at the very beginning a very good place to start:

Story 35 – Rebecca is Pregnant

First story of Toldot: Sarah is pregnant. After the obvious dramatic revelation that she is barren, but then she is with child. Or with children!

And the young should rule over the old.

Elohim is not part of this story…

Story 36 – Sale of Birthrigh

Words have power.

And cooking is what makes us human.

Welcome to the story of the plate of lentils that changed the world!

This story has always been a favorite of mine. How many times as a kid, I wanted to buy my brother’s “older son” status, just so I could be older.

Also, Poor Esau gets a bad reputation and is even sent to hell in Dante’s Comedy (fun fact, the “Divine” in the title was added later!)

I don’t know… but this Jacob character has a lot of growing to do!

Story 37 – Isaac and Abimelech

Everyone’s favorite bible trope makes a comeback: “My sister my wife”

Abimelech makes a comeback to our story.

All good at the end, but a lot of water wells, fights over them, and naming.

The name of G-d is related to altar building, and Elohim is more about the water wells. Interesting fact.

Story 38 – Esau gets tricked

A lesson for parents (from someone who read about it on the internet):

Don’t have a “favorite child”. – It never ends well!

Oh man… this gets personal. Thankfully this seems to be the reason number one why there is a field of science called Psychology!

I bet my two psychologists and my psychiatrist are all happy this is not just “a bible” story but rather an example of the human condition!

Isaac is old and blind. Rebecca is a trickster and Jacob… Well, let’s not say much about him for now.
Esau was doing his thing and got scammed.


But then Esau goes and marries out! I bet there was mixed dancing!

Story 39 – Jakob Goes Away

Jacob has to go away. Either because

– His brother is mad at him… He stole his blessing, and in the desert, there are a finite number of blessings!
– or because he needs a wife, so has to go travel to the land of his mother (and by extension his grandfather). Rebecca really doesn’t like the women around, so she sends him away!

El-Shaddai makes a short appearance. And there is a mention of Elohim’s promise to Abraham, that elusive Covenant!

And our good friend Laban makes an appearance, albeit just by name!

Story 40 – Esau Gets Another Wife

Here is the last Story map for Parshat Toldot.

Esau gets married again, this time with a distant relative from Ishmael’s side of the family.

That’s it for. This week… More maps, hopefully, sooner next week, and not in one spam session.

A side note

Side note: I had to recon the Story numbering. I went back to Parsha Bereshit and started all over again, and I was off by 3 stories…

Here is the full Parshat Toldot Map (with some variations)