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Parshat Toldot has the makings of a dramatic television series. There are family issues, sibling rivalries, lies, deception and thoughts of murder.
While one may tend to focus on what is wrong in the Covenantal family, I would like to draw attention to a positive aspect.
A couple is married for twenty years and they struggle to have children. When pregnancy finally is achieved (a difficult one at that) followed by the birth of twins, there is reason to celebrate. Yes, the boys are very different. Yes, one "purchases" the birthright from the other. Yes, one pretends to be the other in order to receive the illustrious "Bracha."
Is this any different than our own family dynamics? Yet, when we look at what other families have to deal with, we always prefer our own "Pekkele Tzarros."
The underlying reason in my opinion is that we all have levels of Bracha and blessing in our lives. Some are more acutely aware of the Bracha in their lives than others are. But in the end, Bracha it is.
We must make every attempt to see the positive in all of our family struggles as the alternative usually is much worse.
Shabbat Shalom
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