Jacob is not an easy biblical character to like.

He is a deceiver, a thief, a manipulator — a man who schemes his way into birthright and blessing, leaving behind anger, rupture, and exile. Traditional readings tend to judge him harshly at first and then redeem him quickly through divine encounter. But there is another way to read Jacob, one that does not excuse his behavior yet allows for a deeper and more compassionate understanding.

In the Book of Genesis, Jacob emerges as a morally ambiguous figure — the younger twin who supplants his brother Esau, deceives his blind father Isaac, and flees into exile carrying both blessing and guilt. His story is familiar, but its psychological texture is often flattened by moral judgment or by redemption that arrives too quickly.

That alternative reading begins with a simple question:

What kind of family did Jacob come out of?

A Family That Trains Indirection

Jacob grows up in a divided household. Isaac favors Esau; Rebecca favors Jacob. Love and loyalty are split, not shared. There is no unified parental authority capable of mediating rivalry or holding the family together. Scarcity governs the emotional economy: there........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)