A quick thought about Parshat Toldot

 

Our story so far -- During a famine, Isaac heads to G'rar. At this point, he has fathered his boys and they have been named. The second one (who came out holding the heel of his elder brother) was named Ya'akov. The root here (ayin-kuf-vet) can be used to make the word "heel," the root of the word "trickery" or "deception" and "because."

In Bereisheet 26:5, as God reassures Yitzchak that he will be OK and his descendants will be numerous  Hashem says "עֵ֕קֶב אֲשֶׁר־שָׁמַ֥ע אַבְרָהָ֖ם בְּקֹלִ֑י וַיִּשְׁמֹר֙ מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֔י מִצְוֺתַ֖י חֻקּוֹתַ֥י וְתוֹרֹתָֽי׃

because Avraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws."

There is, of course, a simpler word for "because" or "since" -- ki which is used a huge number of times in the book of Bereisheet. But not here. Weird, right? In the book of Devarim (7:12) the word is used but it is explained as "reward". The Ibn Ezra writes (copied from the sefaria's translation) "Ekev (because) has the same meaning as ekev (reward) in For ever, reward (Ps. 119:112). It means the reward which will be given at the end." Clearly, it is used instead of the simpler word "ki" because it imports specific reference to the reward and isn't a simple causal indicator.

I would suggest, though, that there is a deeper meaning. Hashem is telling Yitzchak not to think that his son Ya'akov is a deceiver. He is planting the seed in Yitzchak to help counter any later feeling that Ya'akov has tricked anyone by showing that his name is tied to the reward for following the mitzvot. Isaac is going to be confused -- which of his children deserves the blessings of leading Hashem's people? Hashem makes it clear that the answer is "ekev asher shama" that Ya'akov is the one who listened to God's words. Saying "ki" would not allude to Ya'akov and would not prime Isaac's subconscious to think a certain way about Ya'akov's actions.

When Ya'akov has been blessed and leaves and Eisav shows up, Yitzchak describes Ya'akov's actions as "mirmah" which commentators (based on Onkelos) see as "wit" or "subtlety" (or as is reported by the Netinah LaGer though I haven't looked in Bereisheet Rabbah for the source, "בחכמת התורה" which the intelligence borne of Torah learning). As the Siftei Chachamim writes, "With cleverness. Otherwise, [if it meant deceit], why should he be blessed?" So it seems that what comes out of Yitzchok's mouth by way of judgment is that Ya'akov did something smart and infused with Torah, not deceit. Eisav's response is that his brother tricked him (ya'akveini) saying he has lived up to the name Ya'akov. But Yitzchak does not agree. He reiterates that the blessing has been given and he doesn't criticize Ya'akov at all, maybe bacuse he now realizes that, as he had been told in G'rar, Ekev is the one who listens to Hashem and Ekev is the reward. This is why in Chapter 28, Yitzchak blesses Ya'akov with even more instead of excoriating him or at all holding back out of any resentment.