What are the implications of "ha'Kol Kol Ya?akov, ve?ha'Yadayim Yedei Eisav"?
Rashi: Yitzchak's suspicions were aroused by the manner of speech of Ya?akov 1 - in that he spoke softly (inserting the word "please", whereas Eisav tended to speak gruffly. 2
Rashi #2 (in Bamidbar 20:16 & 20): When Yisrael wanted to pass through the land of Edom, Moshe sent a message to the king of Edom that Hashem had answered our prayers in Egypt with the B?rachah that our father Yitzchak had blessed us; 3 to which the king replied with a threat to attack them - with the B?rachah that Yitzchak blessed Eisav. 4
Gitin 57b #1: "Ha'Kol 5 " - refers to the Emperor Hadrian, who killed in Alexandria of Egypt one million two hundred thousand; "Kol Ya?akov" - refers to the Emperor Vespasian, who killed four million [others say forty million] - in the town of Beitar; "veha'Yadayim Yedei Eisav" - refers to the kingdom of Rome, which destroyed 'our house,' burned our Heichal, 6 and exiled us from our land.
Gitin 57b #2: "Ha'Kol Kol 7 Ya?akov" teaches us that no Tefilah is answered that does not include the participation of a descendent of Ya?akov; and no battle is won that does not include the participation of a descendent of Eisav.
Yerushalmi (Ta'anis, 4:5): The voice of Ya?akov cries out from what Eisav did to Ya?akov in Beitar.
Bereishis Rabah: 'When the voice of Ya?akov is heard in the Batei Keneisiyos (in Torah and Tefilah), the hands are not the hands of Eisav 8 (Malbim - rather, then also Ya?akov has Eisav's hands (physical strength), wealth and authority). When his voice is not heard, then the hands are the hands of Eisav. 9
Oznayim la'Torah #1: Yitzchak gave Ya?akov the voice of Ya?akov (Torah and Tefilah) and the hands of Eisav (the strength to fight and win wars). Only he made it clear that the hands are theirs only when they are 'borrowed' from Eisav, 10 and are not to be used freely to engage in warfare. 11
Oznayim la'Torah #2: When the voice of the youth is heard studying Torah in the Batei Keneisiyos then the hands are the hands of Eisav. But when they do not, their hands are the hands of Eisav - when they indulge in sport (and other activities that belong to Eisav) and Hashem does not recognize us.
Maharam Shif (Gitin 57b): It seems that the text should read 'when there is the voice of talebearers in Ya?akov, the hands of Eisav (overpower). In the days of Sha'ul, Yisrael were Tzadikim, but they fell because there were talebearers'.
See Pasuk 31.
"ha'Kol Kol Ya?akov!"
"ve'Al Charb?cha Sichyeh (27:40). The Mechilta in Beshalach cites also "ve?ha'Yadayim Yedei Eisav."
Rashi (ibid): The voice is of Yisrael screaming and crying. Yitzchak saw all this through prophecy. Maharsha: This was Midah ke'Neged Midah - because Ya?akov was afraid of being recognized through his voice or hands.
Alei Tamar (Ta'anis 4:6): The Mikdash (including the Azaros) was destroyed, but only the Heichal was burned.
Maharsha (to Gitin 57b): "Kol" is repeated, to teach that it must be a voice of supplication - like that of Ya?akov.
See Oznayim la'Torah, who elaborates on this point.
Oznayim la'Torah: That rule over us, Chas v'Shalom.
Oznayim la'Torah: As the Torah hints in the next Pasuk ,"ve'Lo Hikiro, ki Hayu Yadav ki'Yedei Eisav, Se'iros" ? Pasuk 23.
Why is Yaakov's greatness expressed in his 'voice,' whereas that of Esav is expressed in his 'hands'?
Gur Aryeh (to Bamidbar 21:35): 'Voice' is intangible; the power of Yaakov is to connect to HaSh-m, Who is intangible. In contrast, Esav's physicality is expressed though the hands, a person's ability to spread out, which is the nature of a physical entity. 1
Maharal (Ohr Chadash, p. 113): Yaakov is inward and modest, just as one's voice emanates from within. In contrast, Esav is out in the open, all external, just as the hands protrude outwards. 2 Ultimately, the inward strength of Yaakov prevails.
We may explain that the hands act and create, thus expanding a person's influence. All physical entities have three dimensions, whereas the spiritual does not have these dimensions. (EK)
Maharal: This is also reflected in the order of their birth - Esav emerged first, while Yaakov still remained within.
If Yitzchak recognized Yaakov's voice, why did he conclude that it must be Esav, and proceed to bless him?
Rashbam: Because the fact is that, being twins, their voices were similar enough to confuse one for the other, 1 which is why, when he felt that Ya?akov?s neck was hairy, he conceded that it was indeed Eisav.
Ohr ha'Chayim: The voice can change, due to the speaker or the hearer (if he does not hear so well), wheresas feeling the hair of the hands is a fully reliable sign.
Compare to Gur Aryeh; refer to 27:22:1.1 and 25:23:151.1.
Why did Yitzchak say that the hands are like those of Esav? He touched goat skin. Goat hair is very unlike human hair!
Seforno #1: Because, after Rivkah worked on it, the hair resembled human hair.
Seforno #2: Because Yitzchak's age probably dimmed his sense of touch, to the point that he could not tell the difference. 1
Seforno: Similar to when Barzilai ha'Gil'adi told David ha'Melech that his sense of taste was affected by his old age (Shmuel II 19:36). (This contravenes the Gemara in Shabbos 152a, which maintains that Barzilai lied; or that his senses were dimmed because he was steeped in sexual indulgence! - PF)
Why is the first "Kol" missing a 'Vav'?
Rosh and Divrei Eliyahu: So that it can be read "ha'Kal Kol Ya?akov" in which case it means that when the voice of Ya?akov is lax, the hands of Eisav are strong." 1
In other words, when the children of Yaakov are lax in the study of Torah and in Tefilah, that is when Esav is able to defeat them in battle.
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes: "'The voice of Yaakov' - He spoke politely (lit. beseechingly), 'Please arise... '" Why not explain simply, that Yaakov's voice was different than Esav's?
Gur Aryeh: If their voices were distinguishable, that would have been a certain identifying feature, 1 and Yitzchak would have known it was Yaakov. Their voices must have been the same. 2
See Chulin 96a.
Maharal (Derush Al ha'Mitzvos, p. 60): Esav and Yaakov were similar in appearance and voice; this only emphasizes their existential difference. Refer to 25:23:151.1.
Rashi writes: "'The voice of Yaakov' - He spoke politely." According to Rashi, why does Yitzchak refer here to Yaakov's politeness, and not to his use of HaSh-m's Name, which had alerted Yitzchak in the first place that it might be Yaakov (see Rashi to 27:21)?
Gur Aryeh: There were two factors that indicated that it was Eisav ? a. one does not lie to his father regarding something that will be discovered, b. his hands were hairy. But there were also two indicators that it was Ya?akov ? c. he used Hashem's Name, d. he spoke beseechingly. Factors a. and c. cancel each other out; they are usually, but not always, the case. That leaves factor d. - '"ha'Kol Kol Ya?akov" to speak beseechingly; and factor b. - "ha'Yadayim Yedei Eisav," i.e. hairy. Even someone who always speaks brashly might possibly change and speak politely, whereas one cannot change one's hands at all. Therefore, Yitzchak decided it was Eisav, and gave a blessing. 1
Rashi writes: "'The voice of Yaakov' - He spoke politely." And did Esav not? We know that Yitzchak assumed Esav to be worthy!
Gur Aryeh: Yitzchak reasoned that Yaakov spoke in the manner of a poor man, whereas Esav spoke brusquely like a rich man (see Mishlei 18:23). This indicated to him that Esav would be an officer or lord, and that he ought to be blessed.
