What is the significance of the "precious clothes of Esav" with which Rivkah dressed Yaakov?
Rashi #1 and Targum Onkelos: They were clean clothes.
Rashi #2 and Targum Yonasan: They were the clothes that Eisav had coveted and taken from Nimrod (after he killed him). Nimrod himself had obtained them from Adam ha'Rishon. 1
Rashbam: They were the special clothes that Eisav wore when he served his father during meal-times.
Yerushalmi (Megilah, 1:11): They were the clothes that Eisav wore when served as Kohen Gadol. 2
Chizkuni #1: They were new clothes, and they still bore the smell of the dye. (Yitzchak would recognize the smell; this would help to convince him that he was Eisav). 3
Chizkuni #2: They were Eisav's hunting-clothes, and they still bore the smell of the field. (This helped to convince Yitzchak that he was indeed Eisav). 4
Sifsei Chachamim - they had pictures of Chayos. When he wore them, animals came to him (and he could easily catch them). Peirush Yonasan: They were miraculous hunting-clothes. When he wore them, all animals and birds fell in front of him, as hinted in the Pasuk in 10:9 "ke'Nimrod Gibor Tzayid".
See Torah Temimah, note 7.
The Torah specifically states that Yitzchak blessed Ya?akov after he smelled "like the smell of a field..." (27:27).
See note on answer #5.
Why was Esav not wearing his special clothes when he went to hunt?
Peirush Yonasan #1 and Oznayim la'Torah #1: Hashem caused him not to wear them that day, so that it would take him longer to hunt, to enable Ya?akov to receive the B?rachos.
Oznayim la'Torah (citing a Midrash): Rivkah hid them to gain time, so that Ya?akov should receive the B?rachos - because, had Eisav returned and found Ya?akov being blessed, he would have killed him on the spot.
Oznayim la'Torah #2: Eisav honored his father to such an extent that he wore the special clothes 1 only when he served him.
Oznayim la'Torah #3: Eisav did not take them because he wanted to increase his Kibud Av by working harder to catch the deer for his father. 2
Peirush Yonasan #2: Eisav needed them only for hunting large animals.
What is the significance of the fact that Rivkah dressed Ya?akov in Eisav's clothes?
Because then he would resemble Esav at least in that one respect and would justify his statement to his father, 'I am Esav....' (EC)
Ohr ha'Chayim: They were too big for him so she fixed them for "Benah ha'Katan."
Malbim (in 27: 15,16): If an action accompanies a prophecy, the prophecy will be fulfilled in any case, like the Ramban writes. Benefits of this world, e.g. wealth and authority, are compared to garments, which are external to the person and do not cling to him; they are secondary to him. They are proper for Esav, and are called Bigdei Esav. Voice represents a human Nefesh that speaks; perfection of the Nefesh is proper for Yaakov. Putting Esav's garments on him shows that his inner intrinsic identity is Yaakov, but externally he has benefits of this world, i.e. Esav. Indeed, Yitzchak said "ha'Kol Kol Yaakov, veha'Yadayim Yedei Esav" (27:22)!
Ha'Kesav veha'Kabalah: Yaakov did not want to trick his father. He would not take them himself to put them on.
Why did Esav give these special clothes to his mother for safekeeping, and not to his wives?
Rashi Because he did not trust his wives.
Why does the Torah see fit to mention that Esav was Rivkah's big son, and Yaakov, her small one?
Refer to 27:15:2:2.
Ramban: In praise of Rivkah, inasmuch as, although it is natural for a mother to favor her firstborn son regarding Berachos, esteem and gifts, she acknowledged the Yaakov's righteousness and Esav's evil. And as a result, she went to such lengths, to transfer the Berachos and the Kavod from the older son to the younger one. 1
Ha'amek Davar: Esav was bigger, so his clothes totally covered Yaakov. Rivkah needed skins only for his hands, which he must use, and his neck, to which clothes do not cling.
Maharal (Gevuros Hashem Ch. 8, p. 48): The added phrase, "Her older son," seems redundant! Refer to 27:1:151.1:1.
Gur Aryeh (to Bamidbar 21:35): The added phrase, "Her younger son," seems redundant! Something physical may be described in terms of size; whereas the meta-physical has no space. 2 That is why Yaakov is referred to as "small."
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes: "'Coveted [garments] (ha'Chamudos)' - Alternatively, Esav coveted them from Nimrod." Why?
Gur Aryeh: Like Esav, Nimrod was a hunter ("Gibor Tzayid" - 10:9). 1 When Nimrod would wear these garments, the wild beasts and birds would gather around him; and he would trap them.
Rashi writes: "Esav coveted them from Nimrod."What were these garments?
Maharal (Netzach Yisrael Ch. 16, p. 90): These were the garments of Adam ha'Rishon. While Yaakov inherited the Tzelem E-lokim of Adam; 1 Esav inherited his garments. Although garments bring a person honor, 2 they are not a G-dly attribute like Tzelem E-lokim. Thus, they reflect Esav's standing in this world. 3
