The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
The first vort related to Bereishis 25:27 which states וַיְהִ֣י עֵשָׂ֗ו אִ֛ישׁ יֹדֵ֥עַ צַ֖יִד אִ֣ישׁ שָׂדֶ֑ה. Rashi explains that Esav was conniving and knew how to trick his father with his mouth. He would ask Yitzchak, how do you tithe salt or hay. Yitzchak then thought, if he wanted to tithe this, he must be a tzaddik.
But in reality how is this a question? If you asked this to someone, he would say - the Torah says in Devarim 14:23 - מַעְשַׂ֤ר דְּגָֽנְךָ֙ תִּירֹשְׁךָ֣ וְיִצְהָרֶ֔ךָ. Salt and hay are not grain, oil or wine!
R' Frand quoted a Sefer called Be'er B'Sadeh who said that this was not his question. Instead he asked - is there something that can be done to make salt or hay cable of tithing.
R' Frand then quoted the Sefer Tzedah L'Derech who said this was ingenius on Esav's part. If he really wanted to ask an interesting question he could have asked - is there a way that I can be required to put up a Mezuzah in a room that is less than the minimum size. Or some other Mitzva that is exempt, but is there a way that I can fulfill it? So why did he ask this question? Because the Rambam states that Yitzchak instituted Ma'aser. Esav knew that Yitzchak was the one who created the mitzvah of Ma'aser and Yitzchak would have Nachas from Esav seeking to add or extend to the Mitzva.
R' Frand said a second vort in the name of the Shela HaKadosh who observes that this Parsha often falls in the week of Rosh Chodesh Kislev and there must be a connection. R' Frand quoted the Sefer HaKesav V'HaKaballah which notes that in Parshas Toldos, a significant portion of the Parsha deals with the wells that Avraham dug and which were filled in by the Pelishtim and Yitzchak re-dug (See Bereishis 26:18).
The Ramban states that there is a Yesod - Maaseh Avos Siman L'Banim. There are many stories in Sefer Bereishis that one can ask - why is this relevant? But all of them are meant to teach a lesson for the future - that what the Avos went through is a paradigm for what will happen in the future. This includes the story of the wells. Avraham dug the wells and gave them names and then the Pelishtim filled them in. Yitzchak went and re-dug the wells and gave them the same names that Avraham did.
But there is a deep issue related to the Pelishtim filling in the wells. Throughout history, people have fought over wells as water is a precious commodity. So why would the Pelishtim fill in the wells? The Kesav V'HhKaballh notes that besides digging the wells, Avraham gave them names. Doing so, gave the wells an added importance and the name has an influence. This is why the Gemara states that you should not tell someone that you will meet them near a landmark if that landmark is a Beis Avodah Zarah. Because the name of the place has an impact on a person, even by mentioning it.
When Avraham was being Mekarev people, he put Hashem's names in their brains and in their hearts. When people finished their meals, they would ask what the price was. Avraham would tell them that there are two prices - you can pay me or thank Hashem. People would ask who is Hashem? Avraham would say - He is the one G-d, all the rest of Avodah Zarah. The people would gladly agree.
But beyond the meals, Avraham would give the wells names that used Hashem's name as part of the name of the well. People would then meet at the wells and each time they would mention Hashem's name in identifying the particular well. This was part of Avraham's plan...but the Pelishtim did not want to recognize one G-d. So they stuffed them up and filled them in after Avraham's death.
Yitzchak's purpose was to continue his father's legacy. So he re-dug the wells and used his father's names for the wells.
Perhaps this is why the Pasha falls during the week of Rosh Chodesh Kislev. Because the holiday of Chanukah celebrates our victory over the Greeks who were not interested in destroying Jews, they wanted to destroy Judaism. The battle with the Greeks was not over land, it was about theology. They did not want the Jews to keep Shabbos or Millah, which keep us separate. This was a religious war and they believed in the supremacy of man, not G-d. So they were Metamei the Beis HaMikdash and wanted to keep us away from religion.
This is why the story with the wells is the blueprint for the future - the Pelishtim did not want a recognition of Hashem as the one true G-d and they saw the wells as anathema to their beliefs. So even though they needed the water, they filled in the wells to eradicate Hashem's name. Fast forward to the Chanukah story and the concept repeats itself.
R' Frand closed the vort by stating that this is the motif of Sefer Bereishis and the challenge is to identify how each story is a lesson for the future.
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