qualitative vs quantitative bracha

The Midrash (B"R 60:13) writes that Rivka did not conceive until Yitzchak davened for her lest people say that the blessing that Lavan gave her produced results:

 אֲחֹתֵנוּ אַתְּ הֲיִי לְאַלְפֵי רְבָבָה, רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה וְרַבִּי לֵוִי בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָה מִפְּנֵי מָה לֹא נִפְקְדָה רִבְקָה עַד שֶׁנִּתְפַּלֵּל עָלֶיהָ יִצְחָק, שֶׁלֹא יִהְיוּ עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים אוֹמְרִים תְּפִלָּתֵנוּ עָשְׂתָה פֵּרוֹת, אֶלָּא (בראשית כה, כא): וַיֶּעְתַּר יִצְחָק לַה' לְנֹכַח אִשְׁתּוֹ.

 

The very next line in the Midrash, quoting the same man d'amar, continues as follows:

 

רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר (איוב כט, יג): בִּרְכַּת אֹבֵד עָלַי תָּבֹא, בִּרְכַּת אֹבֵד זֶה לָבָן הָאֲרַמִּי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כו, ה): אֲרַמִּי אֹבֵד אָבִי. עָלַי תָּבֹא זוֹ רִבְקָה, אֲחֹתֵנוּ אַתְּ הֲיִי לְאַלְפֵי רְבָבָה, וְעָמְדוּ מִמֶּנָּהּ אַלּוּפִים מֵעֵשָׂו וּרְבָבָה מִיַּעֲקֹב. אַלּוּפִים מֵעֵשָׂו (בראשית לו, טו): אַלּוּף תֵּימָן אַלּוּף קְנַז. מִיַּעֲקֹב רְבָבָה, דִּכְתִיב (יחזקאל טז, ז): רְבָבָה כְּצֶמַח הַשָּׂדֶה נְתַתִּיךְ. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים אַף אֵלּוּ וְאֵלּוּ עָמְדוּ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, דִּכְתִיב (במדבר י, לו): וּבְנֻחֹה יֹאמַר שׁוּבָה ה' רִבְבוֹת אַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

 

Here the Midrash tells us that the bracha of Lavan did in fact produce results and led to Rivka producing two great nations!

 

This view is echoed in the  gemara (Meg 15a) that tells us that the bracha of an aku"m works:

 

ואמר רבי אלעזר אמר ר' חנינא לעולם אל תהי ברכת הדיוט קלה בעיניך שהרי שני גדולי הדור ברכום שני הדיוטות ונתקיימה בהן ואלו הן דוד ודניאל דוד דברכיה ארונה דכתיב ויאמר ארונה אל המלך וגו' דניאל דברכיה דריוש דכתיב אלהך די אנת פלח ליה בתדירא הוא ישיזבינך

 

R' Gershon Edelstein explained that there is no contradiction here.  He distinguished between a qualitative bracha and a quantitative bracha.  To produce someone of the caliber and quality of a Yaakov Avinu is only possible through the tefilah and bracha of a Yitzchak.  To produce a great quantity of people, enough to form a nation, is a something that can result even from the bracha of a Lavan.   The bracha of an aku"m is limited to what is tangible in olam ha'zeh; anything beyond that is off their radar.  Lavan blessed his sister that her offspring should be great.  You can measure a quantity of greatness by taking a census and seeing that there are a lot of people.  Our version of greatness is, or should be, a little different.  To us, the pnimiyus should matter most.   Lavan's bracha could not change that.  Yitzchak's tefilah was needed to produce a nation that was ; qualitatively great.

 

I think this distinction can help us make sense of Eisav and Yaakov's desire for the bracha of Yitzchak.  Is it not strange that Eisav would be so concerned with receiving a blessing?  Is Eisav the type character we imagine ran to rebbes to receive brachot?  The Beis Yisrael of Ger said that Eisav, with all his faults, is still an einekel of Avraham Avinu, and so something inside him compelled him to seek out his father's bracha.  My thinking is that the bracha Eisav was looking for was maybe not the same blessing that his brother Yaakov wanted.  Eisav understood the idea of a blessing like his uncle Lavan did -- quantitatively more stuff, i.e. more of olam ha'zeh.  Maybe he did not entirely believe in the power of brachos, but it's worth hedging your bets.  Yaakov understood that the bracha of Yitzchak would qualitatively transform his life.  That's a different kind of bracha.