EXTRA · classical (not a TT unit)

Toldos 25:22 · EXTRA

Parashas Toldos · Passuk 25:22

The Complete Passuk

וַיִּתְרֹֽצְצ֤וּ הַבָּנִים֙ בְּקִרְבָּ֔הּ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אִם־כֵּ֔ן לָ֥מָּה זֶּ֖ה אָנֹ֑כִי וַתֵּ֖לֶךְ לִדְרֹ֥שׁ אֶת־יְהֹוָֽה׃

But the children struggled in her womb, and she said, “If so, why do I exist?” And she went to inquire of Hashem.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Rashi on Bereishis 25:22 (classical source on this passuk; not listed as a numbered Torah Temimah unit here).

Lemma / focus: ויתרוצצו.

Sefaria

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
עַל כָּרְחָךְ הַמִּקְרָא הַזֶּה אוֹמֵר דָּרְשֵׁנִי, שֶׁסָּתַם מָה הִיא רְצִיצָה זוֹ וְכָתַב אִם כֵּן לָמָּה זֶּה אָנֹכִי. רַבּוֹתֵינוּ דְּרָשׁוּהוּ לְעִנְיַן הַדֹּחַק לָצֵאת.

English: This verse necessarily calls for midrash, for it leaves unexplained what this struggle was and then writes “If so, why am I?” Our Sages expounded it as running: when she passed the doors of the study-house of Shem and Ever, Yaakov ran and struggled to go out; when she passed the doors of idolatry, Esav struggled to go out.

On the daf / in context: The opaque struggle is opened by the midrash into a prenatal conflict of destinies—Torah versus idolatry.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Rashi / midrash) — not a formal named middah of the 13: the unexplained verb is taken as a call for derash about the twins’ opposing leanings.

What Is Learned

The children struggled in the womb toward opposite callings: Yaakov toward the houses of study, Esav toward idolatry; Rivkah then went to inquire of Hashem.