ויתן לך האלהים. זו מדת הדין כלו' אם אתה ראוי לכך ואולם גבי עשו כתיב הנה משמני הארץ יהיה מושבך בין ראוי בין אינו ראוי וכן מצינו בתפלת שלמה ע"ה גבי ישראל אמר ועשית לאיש כדרכיו לפי שלא יקרא תגר וגבי נכרי ועשית ככל אשר יקרא אליך הנכרי וגו' שאם לא כן יקרא תגר ויטיח דברים כלפי מעלה. וכן אתה מוצא עשרה ברכות כנגד עשרה מאמרות שבהן נברא העולם וכנגד עשרת הדברות ובשבעה מקומות נתברך כאן ולקמן ואל שדי יברך אותך. והנה ה' נצב עליו ויאמר לא אשלחך כי אם ברכתני. וירא אלהים אל יעקב ויאמר אנכי אלהי אברהם אביך וכן אברהם נתברך בשבע ברכות ואעשך לגוי גדול וגו' וכנגדן ז' מועדות בשנה שבת פסח שבועות ר"ה יום הכפורים סוכות שמיני עצרת וז' כוכבים רועים ומשמשים את השמש ואת הירח ושבעה אינם רועים ושמם כסיל וז' כוכבים של כימה בעת שהיא שוקעת הגיע זמן הארץ לזרוע וכשהיא עולה הגיע עת הקציר: ויתן לך אלוקים, “and may G–d give you, etc.;” Yitzchok, -remarkably- addresses the attribute of Justice of G–d when we might have expected him to address the attribute of mercy. By doing so he implied that this blessing was conditional on the person on whom it had been bestowed being worthy of it. Nonetheless, when it comes to Esau, we see that Yitzchok does not include such a condition in his blessing, as in verse 39 in our chapter he reassures him by saying: “your dwelling will be in the fat parts of the earth and you will enjoy the dew from above. You will live by the sword, although you will serve your brother.” He adds that on the contrary, the blessing given to his brother Yaakov is conditional on his not making your life intolerable.” [my choice of words. Ed.] It is noteworthy that in his lengthy prayer after consecrating the Temple he has built, King Solomon attaches the condition of worthiness when speaking of how G–d shall respond to the prayers of the Israelites, whereas when speaking of gentiles coming to Jerusalem to pray there, he does not attach such a condition but asks G–d to grant the wishes of such gentiles, regardless. (Kings I 8,32-43) Solomon is concerned that the gentiles should not get the impressions that our G–d is someone with Whom one needs to bargain. Yitzchok was concerned about the same when realising that Esau, if he insisted on his blessing surely credited G–d in heaven with being the One Who would provide its becoming reality. If he did not think so, why would he demand it? [When G–d fulfills the requests of a gentile, without regard to his worthiness, if the gentile as a result does not become G–d fearing and grateful, he will find that the very fulfillment of his request will eventually boomerang and he will more than lose its benefit. Ed.] You will also find that there are ten different categories of blessings, corresponding to the ten utterances used by G–d when He created His universe, and corresponding to the Ten Commandments. These blessings were pronounced on seven different occasions. 1) here; 2).Genesis 28,3: ואל שדי יברך אותך and the attribute of G–d known as shadday will bless you. 3) Genesis 28,13 (to Yaakov); 4) Genesis 32,27: “I will not let you depart (Yaakov to the angel he had wrestled) until you bless me;” 5) Genesis 35,9: “G–d appeared to Yaakov;” 6) Genesis 46,3; and Genesis 12,2, where G–d blessed Avraham for the first time. Avraham was blessed by G–d on seven different occasions. The Jewish people were given seven different (days) that are holy, most of them festivals: Sabbath, Passover, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Sh’mini Atzeret. There are seven stars that serve the sun and the moon in their orbits. [The author adds some astronomical observation that have to do with the time to plant and harvest being related to sunset and sunrise which I have not understood. Ed.]