The Voice is Yaakov’s Voice, but the Hands are Eisav’s Hands By Binyamin Bak (‘24)

In this week’s Parashah, Parashat Toledot, there is a well known phrase “הקול קול יעקב והידים ידי עשו,” “The voice is Yaakov’s voice, but the hands are Eisav’s hands.” Rashi explains that it was not Yaakov’s voice which was different from Eisav’s, but rather it was the way Yaakov spoke - with his refined manner - that surprised Yitzchak. However, this doesn’t seem to make sense: Yaakov was well aware of how his brother (Eisav) spoke, and he knew that he was pretending to be him. So why didn’t he speak the way Eisav would? Rav Moshe Feinstein gives a beautiful answer: A person who is filled with Torah values - a “sincere Jew” - is not able to speak in an insensitive way, even if he tries. Therefore, Yaakov Avinu, who spent all his days learning Torah in the study hall, was incapable of speaking the way Eisav would speak.

Leah - More Than Meets the Eye By Yonatan Kurz (‘18)

Appearance and Middot: Looking Like Your Father’s Son By Dovid Gopin (‘23)