Toldos 27:1 · unit 2

Parashas Toldos · Passuk 27:1

The Complete Passuk

וַֽיְהִי֙ כִּֽי־זָקֵ֣ן יִצְחָ֔ק וַתִּכְהֶ֥יןָ עֵינָ֖יו מֵרְאֹ֑ת וַיִּקְרָ֞א אֶת־עֵשָׂ֣ו בְּנ֣וֹ הַגָּדֹ֗ל וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ בְּנִ֔י וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו הִנֵּֽנִי׃

When Yitzchak was old and his eyes were too dim to see, he called his older son Esav and said to him, “My son.” And he answered, “Here I am.”

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Megillah 28a.

TT lemma: ותכהין עיניו.

Sefaria — Megillah 28a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וְלֹא בֵּרַכְתִּי לִפְנֵי כֹהֵן, וְלֹא אָכַלְתִּי מִבְּהֵמָה שֶׁלֹּא הוּרְמוּ מַתְּנוֹתֶיהָ. דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אָסוּר לֶאֱכוֹל מִבְּהֵמָה שֶׁלֹּא הוּרְמוּ מַתְּנוֹתֶיהָ. וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: כׇּל הָאוֹכֵל מִבְּהֵמָה שֶׁלֹּא הוּרְמוּ מַתְּנוֹתֶיהָ, כְּאִילּוּ אוֹכֵל טְבָלִים. וְלֵית הִלְכְתָא כְּווֹתֵיהּ. וְלֹא בֵּרַכְתִּי לִפְנֵי כֹהֵן, לְמֵימְרָא דִּמְעַלְּיוּתָא הִיא? וְהָא אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: כׇּל תַּלְמִיד חָכָם שֶׁמְּבָרֵךְ לְפָנָיו, אֲפִילּוּ כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל עַם הָאָרֶץ — אוֹתוֹ תַּלְמִיד חָכָם חַיָּיב מִיתָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״כׇּל מְשַׂנְאַי אָהֲבוּ מָוֶת״. אַל תִּקְרֵי ״מְשַׂנְאַי״, אֶלָּא ״מַשְׂנִיאַי״.

English: Rabbi Elazar said: Whoever gazes at the image of a wicked person — his eyes grow dim, as it is said “When Yitzchak was old and his eyes were too dim to see,” because he gazed at Esav the wicked.

On the daf / in context: The dimming of Yitzchak’s sight is attributed (in part) to looking upon Esav; the Gemara also records that it is improper to gaze at the face of a wicked person.

Type of Learning

Custom (Bavli — gazing at a wicked person dims the eyes)

What Is Learned

Gazing at the face of a wicked person can dim one’s eyes; Yitzchak’s loss of sight is linked to his having looked upon Esav.