In this weeks Parashas Toldos, Rivka tells Yaakov to get "Shnei Gedoyee Izim" and she will make delicacies for Yitzchok while Esav is away hunting. Rashi asks "Does Yitzchak need two young goats to eat?!" Rashi answers that "Pesach Hayah".
Now, would Ytzchak have sent Esav hunting on Pesach?!
Even if you will say that Esav was such a good hunter that he could shoot and shecht at the same time; such an act would still be called Tzayid and be Osur. Is that not true?
Thank you for listening.
alex lebovits, toronto, canada
Surely what Rashi means is that it was Erev Pesach (which by the way, Tanach usually refers to as "Pesach"). How else could Eisav bring venison in time for the Seider (see Rashi 27:9)?
This only partially answers the question however, since we will still need to explain how Yitzchak would base his Seider on venison, and not on sheep or goats.
Remember, the Avos were not obligated to observe the Mitzvos, but only volunteered to do so.
It strikes me therefore, that even though they kept all the Mitzvos on principle, they did not necessarily keep them in the same way as we do, and that some of the details differed from the way that we observe them. In any case, we find on a number of occasions that they did not keep some of the Mitzvos: Ya'akov married two sisters, Amram married his aunt (whatever the reasons).
The point you made, by the way, is correct. It is still called Tzeidah!
Be'Virchas Kol Tuv
Eliezer Chrysler