The first rule we learn in parenting school is: "never play favourites with your children." Is it possible that Yitzchak and Rivka did not know this rule? After all, they are Yitchak Avinu -our forefather Yitzchak -and Rivka Imeinu -our matriarch Rivka! Of course they knew this rule! Why is it then that the Torah says:

"'yeahav Yitzchak es Esav ki tzayid ''fiv, v'Rivka oheves es Yaacov -Isaac loved Esau for game (food) was in his mouth, but Rebecca loved Jacob."

Our great forefathers and mothers are not guilty of playing favourites. Yitzchak was an idealist. He knew that Esav was a materialistic man -a hunter. He knew that Yaacov was the spiritual leader, the real heir of Jewish tradition. But he dreamt of a partnership between Esav and Yaacov. He hoped that Esav would be willing to provide material sustenance -food and financial support -to Yaacov, the one who would learn and teach Torah -and together they would be heirs to the Jewish way of life. That is why he loved Esav because of "the game". It was the sustenance he was ideally going to provide to Yaacov. Rivka, however, saw with her "binah" -woman's intuition -that Esav was not interested in being a partner with Yaacov. She saw that Esav was interested in using his material successes only for himself. And so, she loved Yaacov. She saw Yaacov as the only heir to Jewish tradition.

There was an ongoing debate between Yitzchak and Rivka as to whether Esav was really interested in being Yaacov's partner or not. Rivka always said no; Yitzchak was hopeful that it might be possible. That is why Yitzchak wanted to give the blessing to Esav - so that he could share the material blessings with Yaacov.

When Yaacov came to his father for the blessings, Yitzchak said: "Hakol kol Yaacov, ''hayadayim yedai Esav" -"The voice is the voice of Jacob, and the hands are the hands of Esau." Yitzchak saw that Yaacov was the voice of Torah and spirituality, and Esav's were the "hands" -the power of the sword and materialism. He wanted them to work together. But in the end, Rivka's prophecy was proven right. Yaacov received the blessings of

"...the dew of the heavens and the fatness of the earth, and abundant grain and wine...Your mother's sons will bow before you..."

Yaacov received the blessings of material wealth -the fat of the earth -and now Esav would bow to Yaacov, but would not become his partner.

When Yaacov held on to the heel of Esav at birth, it meant that Yaacov was destined to take the role of Esav. Yaacov would have both the material as well as the spiritual blessings. But among Yaacov's own children, there was to be a partnership of spirituality and material wealth- between Yissachar and Zevulun. Zevulun, the shipper, would support his brother Yissachar, the scholar, and Yissachar would teach Zevulun Torah. So the partnership did happen, within Yaacov's own family. Yitzchak's idealism, and his dream of a partnership of wealth and spirituality, did become reality -within his own family.

So, there are two things we can learn here. First, we should not "judge" our forefathers on a superficial reading of the Torah, as if they played "favourites". They most certainly did not. There was a much deeper issue going on. Second, we should realise that supporting Torah causes, like Zevulun did for Yissachar, is a Torah ideal. The merit of the Torah learning is then shared between the one who learns and the one who supports it.