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Why does Yaakov respond to Esav's question about his family by mentioning only the children? The shiur contrasts Yaakov's child-centered approach (where women are defined primarily as mothers) with Esav's wife-centered model. Modern society's shift toward viewing women primarily as partners rather than mothers undermines both women's fulfillment and children's emotional development.
Rabbi Zweig addresses what he considers the greatest change in family relations over the past 30-50 years: the shift from viewing women primarily as mothers to viewing them primarily as partners or companions. He draws from the encounter between Yaakov and Esav in Parshas Vayishlach to illustrate two fundamentally different approaches to family structure. When Esav asks "Who are these women and children?" Yaakov responds "These are the children that the Almighty gifted me with." The Ramban (רמב"ן) suggests Yaakov didn't feel proper mentioning the women directly, but Rabbi Zweig proposes that Yaakov's answer addresses both - the women are defined by their role as mothers. This interpretation is supported by Rashi (רש"י)'s observation that when relocating, Yaakov put children first, then wives, while Esav put wives first, then children.
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Parshas Vayishlach - Yaakov and Esav's encounter
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