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Regarding the question of how to teach Eisav and Ya'akov:
Rav Lichtenstein once related an incident that occurred when he was a
talmid in the Mesivta of Chaim Berlin. Rav Hutner zt"l once overheard an
older talmid explaining to a younger one that according to Reb Chaim
tashlumei gzeila is based on dinei nizikim. Rav Hutner told him that it
is first necessary to understand that gzeila is gzeila and nezek is
nezek. After the distinction is clear only then can you begin to discuss
the relationship - if any - that exists between them.
Rav Hutner proceeded with the following example. It says that Eisav
approached Ya'akov with 400 "ish" - people. The term "ish" refers to
important people (see miraglim). "Feer hundred roshei yeshivos"!!
Nevertheless it is crucial to first teach that Eisav is a rasha mirusha
and Ya'akov is tzaddik tamim. Once this is ingrained in the minds on
talmidim, only then can more complex explanations be suggested.
Yair Kahn</HTML>
