Eisav’s Teshuva

We are introduced in this week’s Parsha, תולדות, to the evil son, Eisav. The prevalent opinion among the Rabbis is that Eisav represents Rome, or Christianty, and Yishmael represents Islam. It is difficult to be certain of the ultimate role that Yishmael and Eisav are destined to play in the “end of days.” The בעל הטורים, at the end of the Parsha expresses that it is Yishmael, or Islam, that must be subdued, before the Mashiach is able to come. Eisav, despite his evil, is meant to do Teshuva during that same time. Rome will no longer wish to harm us, but will even help us get to Messianic times. The Pasuk, ורב יעבוד צעיר, “the great one, (Eisav) will serve the younger one (Yakov), has not yet been fulfilled. It does, however, hint that a time will come when Eisav will want to make things right. The Teshuva is needed to rectify the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Jews at the hands of the Christians, during our bitter Exile. We are living during miraculous times and the events going on are greater than our comprehension. However, we are beginning to see how these predictions of the ultimate roles of Eisav and Yishmael and Eisav, do seem to be unfolding before our eyes.