B"H

 

 

 

TOLDOS

 

TALMUDIC SOURCES                                                                                    Compiled by: http://www.neshamaart.com

 

 

AISAV SELLS HIS BIRTHRIGHT TO YAACOV

 

Everyone knew the sad news. Avraham had passed away.

Yitzchak sat down to mourn for his father, and Yaakov went himself to the kitchen to prepare lentils for his father since lentils are the dish that is served to mourners.

Why are lentils given to mourners? They are meant to comfort him with the knowledge that just as the lentil is round, so does the wheel of fortune revolve in the world, striking sometimes one and sometimes another.

    

There was only one person in the house who was not affected by the tragedy of the day - Aisav. He disappeared to the field as usual. On this day, Aisav committed the sin of taking a girl who was betrothed to someone else. He also killed Nimrod (who was a son of the Nimrod slain by Avraham). This happened in the following manner:

 

As Aisav was hunting in the field, he discovered Nimrod's soldiers at a distance, surrounding King Nimrod. Nimrod wore the precious garments which Hashem had made for Adam that bore designs of animals. These attracted all beasts of the field and subdued them. Aisav immediately desired these clothes. He waited until Nimrod's soldiers left the king and he was only guarded by two men. Aisav approached him stealthily and attacked him from the back, cutting off Nimrod's head. The two men who were with Nimrod threw themselves at Aisav, but he killed them also. Aisav robbed Nimrod of his precious garment and now returned home, exhausted from the killing. He was worried that Nimrod's descendants would avenge their father and he might be slain by them.

    

When Aisav entered, he found Yaakov cooking in the kitchen. Aisav snickered, "Why do you trouble yourself to prepare this elaborate dish? There is a great variety of delightful food which may be consumed with less involved preparation: fish, insects and bugs, pork, and so on!"

    

"You surely heard that our grandfather Avraham died and our father Yitzchak is mourning," replied Yaakov. "I am therefore cooking lentils, the food of mourners, to give to Yitzchak!"

    

"What, the old man Avraham was cut off from this exciting world already? He didn't live hundreds of years?" Aisav sneered. "He is gone forever, never to arise again! He died, just as the first man Adan died and will never return, and just as the righteous Noach who rebuilt the world died an eternal death!"

    

Aisav thus denied olam haba (the world to come) and techias hamaisim (the resurrection of the dead).

    

The wicked Aisav believed that the main purpose of man is to live a long and good life in this world.

    

Aisav looked at the lentils, noticing that Yaakov also had a bottle of wine. "I am famished," Aisav exclaimed. "Just give me some of that red wine you have here and pour this red food down my throat!" He was so tired and weak that he was unable to even lift up the dish and serve himself.

    

Aisav opened his mouth as wide as a camel. Yaakov was dismayed. "How could this wicked man who denied olam haba be the future head of the household?" he wondered. Was Aisav worthy to exercise the right of the first-born, offering the sacrifices for the household?

    

Yaakov thought, "I will acquire the right to offer sacrifices in his stead." He explained to Aisav, "I prepared this dish for my father, and I do not want to lose the mitzva of giving it to him on account of you. If you wait a little while, I will prepare you another dish. If you want to eat immediately, I will give you what I prepared for our father, but only on one condition: that you sell me your birthright! I am allowed to give away this dish which was intended for a mitzva, for the sake of acquiring a different mitzva - bying the birthright!"

    

"Of what benefit is the birthright to me?" Aisav replied disdainfully. "After exerting myself all my life in the Divine service, I will die just like all other people who did not sacrifice. Therefore, why should I trouble myself with His service?"

    

Aisav pointed with his finger upwards and exclaimed, "Why do I need Him?" He thus denied Hashem's providence.

    

Aisav cried out (25:32), WHY DO I NEED THE BIRTHRIGHT?"

    

The Heavenly Voice echoed, WHY DO YOU NEED THE BLESSING?"

 

Yaakov knew his wicked brother well, that his mood was fickle and his decision meaningless. He therefore said to Aisav, "Let us make this sale as crystal clear as the day! Swear to me by Yitzchak's life that the birthright will be mine forever!"

    

Aisav swore.

    

Yaakov bought the birthright by paying Aisav with gold. In conclusion of the deal, Yaakov fed Aisav a meal of lentils and bread.

    

From where do we know that the transfer of the first-born right from Aisav to Yaakov was approved by Heaven? This is evident from the fact that Hashem calls Yaakov's descendants, "Yisrael is my son, my first-born." (Sh'mos 4:22)

    

The angels Michael and Gavriel noted down that the birthright belonged to Yaakov.

    

Aisav invited a gang of hooligans from the street and told them, "Let us dine together at Yaakov's expense!"

    

They ate and drank and mocked Yaakov, to whom Aisav had sold a birthright which, in their eyes, was worthless.

 

At the time of the sale, Aisav laughed at Yaakov's naiveté. This simpleton Yaakov had given away a good substantial meal in return for a birthright which at that time was of no tangible value. Aisav was amused at having deceived the tzaddik whose sole aspirations in life were of spiritual nature.

    

What was the end of the story? Aisav cried out bitterly, finding out that the momentary gain realized by selling his birthright had caused him an eternal loss. Similarly, the rasha (wicked) exchanges eternal values for transitory enjoyments. He may trade in a teffilla (prayer) with concentration, or a few hours of Torah-study, for the pleasures of a higher standard of living. In his heart he scorns the tzaddik who devotes himself single-mindedly to Hashem's service. How great and bitter will be his outcry of disappointment in the World of Truth, when he will find out that he exchanged the real and lasting thing for the mirage of a sweet life.

 

[Rabbi Moshe Weissman, The Midrash Says, The Book of Beraishis, p.245-249]