יַעֲקֹב
Yaakov
Jacob
תּוֹלְדֹת
Torah Portion 6 of 12 · Bereshit (Genesis) 25:19–28:9
Parashat Toldot: the story, then the game.
Twins struggle before they're even born. A bowl of stew buys a birthright, Yitzchak re-digs his father's wells, and one disguise at his bedside sends Yaakov running.
Toldot: "Generations"
The Story of Parashat Toldot
Two nations
Yitzchak prays for Rivkah, who has no child, and twins struggle within her. She's told that two nations are in her womb and the elder will serve the younger. Esav is born red and hairy, and Yaakov comes out holding his heel. One day Esav comes in from the field exhausted and sells his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew.
The wells
Famine takes Yitzchak to Gerar, not down to Mitzrayim, and his crop yields a hundredfold. The herders of Gerar quarrel over the wells he digs, so he names them Esek and Sitnah, contention and accusation, and moves on until he digs one nobody fights over: Rechovot, room at last.
The blessing
Yitzchak is old and his eyes are dim. He asks Esav to hunt game and receive the blessing. Rivkah dresses Yaakov in Esav's clothes and puts goat skins on his arms. "The voice is the voice of Yaakov, but the hands are the hands of Esav." When Esav returns, the blessing has gone. Yaakov flees toward Charan.
Read in synagogues on Shabbat, November 14, 2026.
What You Play
The part of the story we focus on.
You switch heroes partway through: Yitzchak at the wells, then Yaakov in the tent, with Esav on his way back.
שְׁנֵי גוֹיִם
Two Nations
Play as Yitzchak: entreat at Be'er Lachai Ro'i, meet the twins, grow the lentils and see the birthright sold.
Bereshit (Genesis) 25
מֵאָה שְׁעָרִים
A Hundredfold
Survive the famine at Gerar, reap a hundredfold harvest, dig Esek, Sitnah and Rechovot, and swear with Avimelech.
Bereshit (Genesis) 26
הַבְּרָכָה
The Blessing
Become Yaakov: the kids, the savory meat, the goat skins and Esav's garments, then flee before Esav's anger.
Bereshit (Genesis) 27–28
This portion at a glance
- Yaakov and Esav are born25:19–26
- The birthright, sold for stew25:27–34
- Yitzchak in Gerar, re-digging the wells26:1–22
- The blessing goes to Yaakov27:1–40
- Yaakov is sent toward Paddan Aram27:41–28:5
Hebrew from Parashat Toldot
עֵשָׂו
Esav
Esau
בְּכֹרָה
Bechorah
The birthright
גְּרָר
Gerar
Land of the wells
Talk about it
- Who do you think is most responsible for what happens with the blessing?
- Why does Yitzchak keep digging after the first two wells?
- What did the birthright mean to each brother?
About Parashat Toldot
What is Parashat Toldot about?
Yaakov and Esav, the birthright and the blessing. The name, תּוֹלְדֹת, means "Generations."
Where is Parashat Toldot in the Bible?
It runs from Bereshit 25:19 to Bereshit 28:9, which is Genesis 25:19–28:9 in an English Bible. It's portion 6 of the 12 in the book.
Can I play Parashat Toldot in Gan Eden?
Playable now in Gan Eden, free in your browser.
גַּן עֵדֶן
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