The blacksheep of the Torah
I have long held the opinion that there are three primary blacksheep in the Torah, all within Genesis. They are Ishmael, Esau, and Dinah.
I think that what makes them the blacksheep is that they all consistently lived in the shadows of their siblings, and lived out of favor with their parents, and unjustly.
Ishmael was Abraham's first child, begot by Hagar at the request of Sarah. Ishmael, like all babies, did not ask to be brought into the world, and he and his mother suffered terrible abuse as a result of him simply being born. I wonder if Hagar carried resentment towards Ishmael as a result, even if she loved him. Ishmael goes on to be the progenitor of the Northern Arab tribes, and, according to tradition, builds the Kaaba in Mecca with his father which established a strong link between Abrahamic faith and Arab identity. The importance of what he does, who he goes on to be, and everything he sets out to accomplish is left out of the Torah. We as Jews are not told of the life of our ancestor, Abraham's first child, because he was not Sarah's first child. G-d had a plan for Ishmael, but his plan detracts him from his father and brother, from the Jewish legend that Ishmael could have become. When Ishmael is last mentioned in the Torah, his life is loosely, simply summarized in a shallow paragraph. His story remains a mystery in the Jewish telling of things and it seems like Ishmael was designed to be of Abraham, but not of the Jewish people. That, to me, is a tragedy for Ishmael. Living in his younger brother's shadow, the difficult relationship between his parents and Sarah, and the fast-forwarding of his life in the Torah lead me to believe that Ishmael truly is a blacksheep.
Esau, the child of Isaac and Rebekah, the grandson of Abraham, was the older twin brother of Jacob. As the technical first-born, Esau was entitled to certain blessings and political juxtapositions (I imagine) that did not apply to his brother. However, Esau, more impulsive and brute than Jacob, sells his birthright when on the verge of collapse after a long day in the field. True, Esau sold away his birthright, but it was wrong for Jacob to demand such a thing. I imagine that Esau, as his father's favorite, really burned a hole in the side of Rebekah, who preferred Jacob--to the point that she manipulates her husband into giving Jacob the blessings that he wanted to give Esau. Esau was betrayed not only by his twin brother and mother, but by his father also. I always found it unreasonable that Isaac could not bless both sons, and seemingly Esau did as well. He goes on to live with his family, whom all make exceptions for Jacob that they may not make for Esau, and he is aware of that. Esau's misfortune goes on when his decisions appear to displease those around him. At one point, he returns to his uncle Ishmael to seek wives that would not offend his parents, as Jacob's wife Rachel did not. I find it wholesome that the two blacksheep are together. Two firstborn sons swindled out of whatever may have been theirs by those that were supposed to love them the most. When Esau and Jacob remeet, they are full of love, though Jacob had anticipated the worst from his brother (granted, Esau had vowed to kill him). Esau's acceptance and positive reaction towards his brother says volumes of Esau's personal growth and increased empathy, though he does not exactly receive this praise throughout the passage. Even his good work seems to go unnoticed.
Dinah was the daughter and seventh-born child of Jacob and Leah. Dinah's position as the only daughter in the family may have meant that she would be dotted on and favored, but not so for her. Perhaps because she is the child of his least-favorite partner, Jacob seems to never speak to or about Dinah; even when she is raped, he remains silent. When Dinah's brother retaliate on her behalf, Jacob scolds them. He is much more concerned about the reputation of the family than the safety of his only daughter, and never admits to the atrocity of rape itself. There is a midrash that says that Leah knew that she was born with another son; however, she prayed to G-d for a miracle and the fetus transformed from a boy to a girl. Did Jacob resent Dinah for being born a girl, when he could have had another son? Jacob carried the opinion that sons were superior to daughters, and Dinah was likely to Jacob another woman under his roof to contend with. We know that the family life of Jacob's clan is messy, but Dinah seems more removed fro the mess than anyone. Aside from her assault, she is nearly never mentioned. Dinah is one of the 70 individuals to relocate to Egypt, and that is all we really know about her story.
Do you agree with my synopsis of the blacksheep in the Torah? Is there anyone else you would put on the list?
