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Why did bringing food blind Yitzchok to Esav's true nature? A Midrash comparing Esav's gifts to judicial bribery reveals that the Torah (תורה) prohibition on bribery isn't about corruption—it's about being predisposed to favor someone perceived as righteous. When a litigant gives a bribe while claiming he only wants justice, he subtly positions himself as a tzaddik, blinding the judge through perceived righteousness rather than corruption.
The shiur opens with a Midrash on the verse "Vayehi ki zakein Yitzchok, vatechiena einav meiros" (his sight became dimmed). The Midrash connects this to Esav through the principle of semichus haparshiyos, explaining that Yitzchok was blinded because he favored Esav due to "tzayid befiv"—Esav knew how to trick him through bringing food. The Midrash applies the verse "hashochad ye'aver einei chachamim visalef divrei tzadikim" (bribery blinds the eyes of the wise), teaching that Esav's gifts functioned as a form of bribery that blinded Yitzchok to his son's true character. Rabbi Zweig uses this Midrash to illuminate a fundamental misunderstanding about the Torah (תורה) prohibition against judicial bribery. He distinguishes between two types of bribery scenarios. The first is straightforward corruption: a litigant offers money explicitly to secure a favorable ruling regardless of truth. This, Rabbi Zweig argues, is not actually what the Torah prohibition addresses—it is simply theft and requires no sophisticated halachic analysis. No self-respecting judge would accept such an arrangement, and the very proposal insults the judge by declaring him corruptible.
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Bereishis 27:1 (Parshas Toldos)
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