President Donald Trump is a reincarnation of the Biblical Esau, son of Isaac and Rebecca, according to Torah scholar and international speaker Rabbi Mendel Kessin.
At a talk in Jerusalem that lasted well over two hours, Rabbi Kessin laid out his Bible-based case that Trump has a singular role to play in preparing the world for redemption. He did not claim that Trump is the Messiah, though Rabbi Kessin said, “Trump is a messianic figure,” meaning he is connected to the process of moving redemption forward.
Rabbi Kessin began his talk by quoting the verse from the Bible that speaks about the two nations that Rebecca had in her womb. One was Jacob, who, through his 12 sons, was the ancestor of the Jewish people.
The other nation in Rebecca’s womb came from Esau, who, as Rabbi Kessin explains, “became Edom, which became Rome, which became Christianity, which became Western civilization.” In Genesis 25:23, it is written, “And the older shall serve the younger.” The older is a reference to Esau and the younger to Yaakov. Though they were twins, Esau emerged first, as is plainly stated in Genesis.
The first one emerged red, like a hairy mantle all over; so they named him Esau.Then his brother emerged, holding on to the heel of Esau; so they named him Yaakov. Yitzchak was sixty years old when they were born. Genesis 25:25-26
The Hebrew word for ‘serve,’ as in “the older shall serve the younger” is ya’avod. In essence, Esau was given the task of assisting his brother Jacob. But according to the Jewish Sages, Esau had a second choice. He could either assist Jacob (ya’avod) or enslave or oppress him, a concept expressed by the very similar Hebrew word ya’aved.
Esau and his descendants were destined to have an important role to play in the process of bringing the world to redemption. But the choice, for Esau and for his descendents has always been ya’avod or ya’aved: Will they cooperate and assist the Jewish people or will they enslave and oppress them?
According to Rabbi Kessin, Esau had the potential to be the fourth Biblical forefather, after Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He and his descendents have always been part of the process of redemption.
At age 13, Esau decided on a path of sin and evil. He and his descendants fulfilled his Biblical mandate through enslaving and oppressing, rather than assisting and cooperating with the Jewish people throughout much of the last 2,000 years.
However, with the election of Trump, and what some believe is the subsequent rise of Christian Zionism, that is all beginning to change.
According to Rabbi Kessin, although Esau chose sin and evil, he also had within him the potential for spiritual greatness. This quality is what Rabbi Kessin calls the “tov she’b’Eisav” – the potential for good that was in Esau.
And that potential, according to Rabbi Kessin, is represented today by America.
Trump’s purpose, on a spiritual level, is to turn from ya’aved (oppressing Israel and the Jewish people) to ya’avod (cooperating with and assisting Israel and the Jewish people). This potential has already been actualized with Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and his plan to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Rabbi Kessin predicted that Trump’s presidential bid would be successful at the beginning of the primary season, when there were still many strong candidates vying for the position.
The more powerful and prosperous America becomes under the leadership of Trump, the more it can assist the Jews and the State of Israel, claims Rabbi Kessin. The stature of Israel will rise in the eyes of the world, and other nations will want to align with and cooperate with Israel, exactly because America is behind it.
Rabbi Kessin concluded this portion of his remarks with a spiritual explanation for the virulent opposition to Trump. The hateful rhetoric “is a function of his messianic mission.” He said the source of the extreme opposition to Trump is because Trump is being used as one of God’s instruments in rehabilitating the relationship between the Biblical Jacob and Esau.
