In this week’s parsha we are introduced to two famous brothers, Yaakov (Jacob) and Esav (Esau). As they grew up they went their separate ways.
וַיִּגְדְּלוּ הַנְּעָרִים וַיְהִי עֵשָׂו אִישׁ יֹדֵעַ צַיִד אִישׁ שָׂדֶה וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם יֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים׃
When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the outdoors; but Jacob was a mild man who stayed in the tents (of Torah study).” (25:27)
Esav is a very conflicted person. Our Sages hold him up as the paradigm of honoring one’s father because he had a special set of clothing just for when he interacted with his father. Yet those clothes were acquired by means of killing their owner!
He’s considered the paradigm of honoring one’s father yet we see that he doesn’t speak so respectfully to him. In the last section of this week’s parsha Yaakov (disguised as Esav) brings food to his father and says, “Please sit up and eat of my game” (27:19). When Esav brings food he says, “Let my father sit up (no please) and eat of his son’s game” (27:31).
The Midrash relates how Esav asked his father Halachik questions such as “How do you tithe salt?” and “How do you tithe straw?” Now both of these don’t need to be tithed. Was he being sincere or conniving? He followed in his father’s footsteps and married at the age of 40. Was he trying to emulate his father or was he trying to fool people into thinking that he was? Based on the Midrash’s depiction of his immoral and lustful lifestyle it would seem he was not for real.
There is an explanation given that Esav struggles because intellectually he comprehends the purpose and meaning of life on an extremely lofty level . This is brought out in a fascinating way. When Yaakov died, Esav tried to impede his internment in Meoras HaMachpela where his grandparents and parents were buried claiming that the burial rights were his and not his brother’s. Yaakov’s grandson, Chushim, brought the issue to a close by walking over to Esav and beheading him! The Midrash says that Esav’s head rolled into Meoras HaMachpela and remained there. That means that Esav’s head, representing his perceptions, deserved to be buried with the rest of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs.
Conceptually Esav was at a very high level. But the road from one’s head that understands what is right to one’s heart that yearns for gratification from the opposite is a long and difficult one. The bridge between them is self control that one must summon from within. This was where Esav failed. His desires were intense and he didn’t practice the self control that his intellect called for.
So essentially Esav is not much different than the rest of us. This is why there’s some of Esav in all of us. Self control is challenging. We either cave in to our desires and ignore what we know is right or our desires confuse us and we justify giving in to our temptations. We see this in Eisav’s behavior.
When Esav agrees to sell his firstborn rights to Yaakov for a meal of lentils (see 25: 29-34) he reasons:
הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ לָמוּת וְלָמָּה־זֶּה לִי בְּכֹרָה׃
I am at the point of death, so of what use is my birthright to me? (25:32)
The commentary of Rashbam explains that Esav was saying that as a hunter he is constantly putting his life in danger and probably won’t live to see the first born rights . So what’s the point of waiting for them when he can relieve his terrible hunger. After he eats the Torah proclaims:
וַיִּבֶז עֵשָׂו אֶת־הַבְּכֹרָה׃
Thus did Esav belittle the birthright. (25:34)
Rashbam explains that later in the parsha when Esav realized that Yaakov recieved the blessings from their father originally intended for him he exclaimed, “Was he, then, named Jacob that he might cheat me these two times? First he took away my birthright and now he has taken away my blessing!” How can Esav say, “first he took away my birthright” when he agreed to sell it? This shows that Eav regretted what he did because he realized that the reason he gave for selling it was just an excuse to eat. That’s why the Torah describes Esav as belittling the firstborn rights.
If there’s some Esav in all of us let us pray to Hashem that we be given the strength not to belittle the important parts of our lives by trading them for a proverbial bowl of lentils.
Shabbat Shalom!
Yitzchak