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Why does Yaakov tell Esav that their father's berachos weren't fulfilled in him? The shiur develops a yesod that physical berachos only have value when connected to spirituality. Yaakov explains to Esav that since Esav only cares about immediate material dominion, he already has what he wants - the current physical world.
Rabbi Yeshaya Greenberg ZT"L begins by analyzing Yaakov's message to Esav through the angels in Parshas Vayishlach, where Yaakov claims the paternal berachos were not fulfilled in him - he remained a ger (temporary resident) rather than becoming important, and his possessions (ox and donkey) were not from heaven or earth as the bracha promised. The Mizrachi asks a fundamental question: Is Yaakov telling Esav that their father's berachos are worthless? This seems problematic - why would Yaakov diminish his father's berachos, and why would Esav believe such a claim unless it were true? The Mizrachi offers a resolution by distinguishing between physical and spiritual berachos. He suggests that the berachos 'mitalo shamayim u'mishamaney ha'aretz' (from the dew of heaven and the fat of the earth) refer not to material wealth but to spiritual blessings like Torah (תורה) and mitzvos. According to this interpretation, when Rashi (רש"י) in Parshas Toldos mentions that there are 'midrashim with many interpretations,' he's referring to these spiritual explanations. Yaakov could thus tell Esav that the physical berachos weren't fulfilled because Esav only understood them materially, while their true spiritual meaning was indeed fulfilled in Yaakov.
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Parshas Vayishlach
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