Torah Portion Summary
The sixth reading from the book of Genesis is named Toldot, which means "generations." It is so named because the Torah portion begins with the words "Now these are the records of the generations of Isaac" (Genesis 25:19). Toldot tells us the story of the birth of Jacob and Esau and their struggle for the birthright and blessing of their father, Isaac. We also learn about Isaac's trials and difficulties in the land of Canaan. The portion concludes with Jacob's deception of Isaac in order to procure the family blessing.
Haftarah Portion Summary
The Haftarah for Parashat Toldot comes from the first part of the book of Malachi. Malakhi means "my messenger" and was one of the last of the Hebrew prophets who served the LORD after the Babylonian exile during the Second Temple period.
The LORD had shown great favor to the Jewish people as the descendants of Israel. He had showered them with blessings, even to the exclusion of their ancestor Esau (who despised the role of the priesthood by rejecting his status as bechor). He gave to Israel alone the land of promise, and restored the Temple and priesthood as in the days of old.
Yet despite all the good favor shown to them, the Jewish people showed a disdainful attitude toward the Temple and its service (and therefore to God Himself). Malachi described how the people would offer blind sacrifices or animals that were lame or sick, and thereby held the altar of the LORD in contempt. Moreover, the priests themselves failed to live up to the legacy of the great heroes of the Tribe of Levi.
The haftarah ends with a warning that such contempt would change their blessings as God's chosen people into a curse, since the children of Israel were now acting in a manner that resembled their profane ancestor Esau!
B'rit Chadashah Portion Summary
The reading from Romans reveals Paul's desire to see all of Israel come to understand the truth of salvation as given through the Promised Seed of Abraham, Yeshua the Mashiach. Nevertheless, since it is true that many of the Jewish people have rejected their Mashiach, Paul consoles himself by reflecting that not all physical descendants of Abraham are made the inheritors of the covenantal blessings from the LORD. No, Abraham had two sons, but it was Isaac (not Ishmael) who was chosen; and Isaac also had two sons, but it was Jacob (not Esau) who was chosen. In other words, even though Ishmael and Esau were physical descendants of Abraham, they were not chosen to be inheritors of the blessing of God.
Indeed, regarding the case of Jacob and Esau, Paul goes further by saying that "though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad -- in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of his call -- Rebekah was told, "The older will serve the younger." He then quotes from the haftarah (Malachi 1:3): "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
Paul then asks the rhetorical question of whether all this might be unfair. After all, was it Esau's fault that he was rejected when God had Himself foreordained that the blessing should not be his? Paul answers this by flatly saying that the LORD God of Israel is sovereign and can choose to show mercy and grace to whomsoever He wills - man's objections notwithstanding. In other words, God has the complete right to predestine outcomes to suit His good pleasure and purposes, and mankind must simply accept His rule and reign in the universe.
Being a physical descendant of Abraham is not enough to be a part of God's family, since only the children of the promise are counted as God's offspring. And that even includes "goyim," or Gentiles, as the prophet Hosea revealed: "those who were not my people I will call 'my people,' and her who was not beloved I will call children of the Living God" (Hosea 1:10). And did not the prophet Isaiah also cry out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved"?
Paul ends this line of thinking by saying that those who trust in the promise of God's salvation through the Mashiach have attained righteousness by faith; but those who pursue their own righteousness based on the law will never succeed in reaching that goal, since Yeshua alone is the "end of the law for righteousness" to all who believe:
"For by works of the law no one will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it - the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith." (Romans 3:20-4).