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Beit Midrash
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Our sedra begins the amazing story of Yakov & Esav. This is a saga that never really ends; the progeny of Yakov - we Jews - will go on forever, we will be locked in battle, both physical & spiritual, with Esav’s descendants until the end of time.
The parsha begins with the story of the B’chora. It represents the "birthright" of having first-born status, but in actuality, it refers to the mantle of leadership that will now be bestowed upon one of these two young men. We know or we think we know – the events: Esav comes in from hunting out in the field, & he is ravenously famished. He craves the lentil stew that Yakov is making (by tradition it is for the Shiva meal after grandfather Avraham’s funeral) & so he trades the B’chora for the bowl.
That is the common conception – or misconception. Because nowhere in the narrative do we see that Esav is hungry! What it does say – twice! – is that Esav was tired, & that is a huge difference. To be hungry after work outdoors is understandable & natural, but to be tired is an entirely different thing.
What, exactly, is exhausting Esav? I’ll tell you what is going on here: Esav is tired of hearing that he is going to be the family’s leader; that he has the responsibility to represent the family & behave in a way that will bring honor to his ancestors & evoke respect from the outside world. He is tired of hearing, "Esav, you must behave yourself; Esav, you must be dignified, a model of morality; Esav, you must present an image of integrity."
No way, Jose. Esav wants none of that; he’d rather have a lowly meal of lentils than a life of high standards. And so he opts out.
He also oddly remarks: "I’m going to die anyway, so what good is the B’chora?!" Esav views life solely as the number of years he will survive. He doesn’t understand that Jewish leaders live forever; the examples they set & the lessons they teach are immortal & carry on long, long after their physical demise. True leaders build on the past but lay the groundwork for the future.
There are two crucial lessons here that must not be lost on us as we wage war with the forces of evil. The first is that we do not have the luxury of being tired. We – both the soldiers and the entire Jewish People – must continue to push forward, determined to achieve our goals. We cannot & must not rest until we have won, no matter how exhausted we may be, for he who falters will have lost.
Secondly, what should give us strength & inspire us to fight unceasingly is the knowledge that we are doing this not only for ourselves in the here& now; we are fighting for the future of Am Yisrael. It is because we faltered in previous crises, because we stopped short of our goals then, that we are paying a heavy price now.
Yakov says to Esav: "Swear to me today." Yakov understands that "today" is all that Esav cares about. But Yakov, like the rightful standard-bearer that he is, knows that tomorrow, & not today, is the all-important mission.
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
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