Essay 9 – The Ninth Commandment in Toldot
The Ninth Commandment is a significant aspect to consider in Toldot, addressing themes of truth and honesty.────────────────────────
The Ninth Commandment in Toldot: “You Shall Not Bear False Witness” – The Goatskin Lie That Told the Truth
Most people read Genesis 27 and say:
“Jacob lied. He dressed in Esau’s clothes, put goatskins on his arms, and deceived his blind father. That’s bearing false witness. That’s sin.”
The Torah says something very different.
It plants the Ninth Commandment centuries before Sinai and flips the entire concept of truth-telling upside-down.
Exodus 20:16
לֹא־תַעֲנֶה בְרֵעֲךָ עֵד שָׁקֶר
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
But in Toldot, the “false witness” Jacob gives actually tells the truth — the truth God already declared in Genesis 25:23:
“The elder shall serve the younger.”
Rabbi David Fohrman (Aleph Beta: “The Deception of Isaac”) explains:
Jacob didn’t lie to Isaac. He lied to protect the truth from being murdered by Esau’s rage.
The Chiastic Mirror – False Witness, True Revelation
| Level | Toldot (Genesis 27) | False Witness Motif | Broader Torah Parallel | False Witness Motif |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A – Apparent Lie | Jacob says “I am Esau your firstborn” (27:19) | Surface-level falsehood | Midwives in Egypt lie to Pharaoh (Exodus 1:19) | Lie to protect life |
| B – Blind Authority | Isaac is physically blind – cannot see truth (27:1) | Blind judge accepts false witness | Pharaoh blinded by power – accepts lies about Israelites | Blind ruler |
| C – Deception Tool | Goatskins on hands/neck, Esau’s clothes & smell (27:15–27) | Mimicry to deceive senses | Golden Calf – Israel mimics foreign gods to “replace” truth | Mimicry as false witness |
| D – Divine Truth Hidden | God already told Rebecca: “The elder shall serve the younger” (25:23) | Jacob’s “lie” reveals pre-existing divine truth | Torah given to Israel – nations reject it first (Midrash Deut. Rabbah 7:8) | Truth hidden from those who reject it |
| C’ – Consequences | Esau believes the lie → vows to kill Jacob (27:41) | False witness leads to attempted murder | Nations throughout history bear false witness against Jews | False witness leads to attempted destruction |
| B’ – Eyes Opened | Isaac trembles, realizes God’s plan (27:33) – blesses Jacob willingly | Blindness lifted; truth accepted | Redemption – nations will see truth (Isaiah 2:3) | Eyes opened to divine plan |
| A’ – True Witness Restored | Jacob’s deception fulfills God’s word – no theft, only alignment | “False” witness becomes true testimony | Israel at Sinai – true witness to God’s voice | True witness to covenant |
What “Bearing False Witness” Really Means
The Ninth Commandment is not about never lying.
It is about not lying to destroy justice or covenant.
Jacob’s goatskins were not false witness against Esau.
They were true witness for God — protecting the blessing that Esau had already sold for lentil stew (25:29–34).
The midwives in Egypt lied to Pharaoh to save Hebrew babies — and God blessed them (Exodus 1:21).
Abraham lied about Sarah being his sister to save his life — and God protected him (Genesis 12:13; 20:2).
The Torah distinguishes:
- False witness that murders justice → forbidden.
- Deception that protects life or covenant → sometimes commanded.
Rebecca and Jacob didn’t bear false witness against Esau.
They bore true witness against Esau’s willingness to murder the covenant (27:41).
Why This Matters for Jewish Chosenness
Every time a religion bears false witness against the Jewish people — claiming “they rejected the Messiah” or “they corrupted the Torah” — they violate the Ninth Commandment in Toldot.
They lie to steal the blessing that was never theirs.
But the Torah answers:
The goatskins didn’t steal the blessing. They protected it.
As Rabbi Dr. Akiva Tatz teaches:
“Truth is not what happened on the surface. Truth is what God intended from the beginning.”[^1]
Internal Links – Continue the Series
- Essay 1: The Ten Commandments in Toldot – They Began with Rivkah, Not Sinai
- Essay 2: The Second Commandment in Toldot – Esau’s Rage and “No Other Gods”
- Essay 3: The Third Commandment in Toldot – “Why Should I Lose Both of You in One Day?”
- Essay 4: The Fourth Commandment in Toldot – The First Shabbat in Exile
- Essay 5: Shabbat for All Humanity – The Rainbow Sign
- Essay 6: The Sixth Commandment in Toldot – Hair That Binds Esau & Samson
- Essay 7: The Seventh Commandment in Toldot – Esau’s Wives, Samson’s Women
- Essay 8: The Eighth Commandment in Toldot – The Blessing That Was Never Esau’s
Next in this 10-part series:
Essay 10 – The Tenth Commandment in Toldot: “You Shall Not Covet” – Esau’s Final Covetousness and the Root of All Theft
Shabbat Shalom from a Kohen who learned that some lies protect the greatest truth,
[Hazan Gavriel ben David ]
Beit HaShoavah – Return, Repent, Rejoice
https://beithashoavah.org
[^1]: Rabbi Akiva Tatz, “Worldmask” lecture on truth vs. surface reality (YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f_6bG1bE9A)
Outbound Links:
- Aleph Beta – Rabbi David Fohrman “The Deception of Isaac”: https://www.alephbeta.org/playlist/the-deception-of-isaac
- Sefaria – Genesis 27 full text with commentaries: https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.27?lang=bi
- Midrash on nations rejecting Torah (Deuteronomy Rabbah 2:7): https://www.sefaria.org/Devarim_Rabbah.2.7?lang=bi