Answer · confidence: thin

Did Rashi excuse or blame Jacob for wanting the birthright?

Research question: How do Rashi and other medieval Jewish commentators explain why Jacob wanted the birthright, and do they excuse or blame him for buying it?

The records provided do not explain how Rashi or other medieval Jewish commentators account for Jacob's wish for the birthright, or whether they excuse or blame him for buying it ¹². The only material available concerns the Targum of Hosea 12, where the article finds the translator was concerned to counteract any potential negative image of Jacob ¹. That Targum presents Jacob as a role model rather than as a deceitful figure whose character his descendants reflect ². Because the Targum is not Rashi or a medieval commentator, these points cannot answer the question as asked ¹². The newest fact is from 2012, about fourteen years before October 2026 ¹².

Checked 2026-10-18. Only documented and supported facts are used.

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[1] supported

The article finds that the Targum Jonathan translator of Hosea 12 was concerned to counteract any potential negative image of Jacob, though this concerns the Targum rather than Rashi or other medieval commentators.

"An analysis of the translation clearly shows the meturgeman’s concern to counteract any potential negative image of Jacob."

The Image of Jacob in the Targum of Hosea 12 (2012)

[2] supported

In the Targum's reading of Hosea 12, Jacob is presented as a role model rather than as a deceitful figure whose character his descendants reflect, though this concerns the Targum rather than Rashi.

"Instead, the relationship is seen as contrasting: Jacob functions as a role model."

The Image of Jacob in the Targum of Hosea 12 (2012)