Earlier in November we studied the Torah Portion Toledot , Genesis 25:19-28:9, the story of the rivalry between Esau and Jacob, Isaac’s sons, starting even in Rebecca’s womb, where she cried “If so, why do I exist?” God replies to Rebecca, ‟Two nations are in your womb, two separate people will issue from your body; one people shall be mightier than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.”
Esau and Jacob grow up to be entirely different young men; Esau is an outdoorsman, always out hunting in the fields, and favored by Isaac; Jacob is more of a stay-at-home, tending the home, and favored by Rebecca. (It’s a danger when parents favor one child over the other.) One day, Esau comes back from the hunt, and Jacob is cooking a red soup; Esau barks at Jacob, “Hey, gimme some of that red stuff, I’m starving!” Jacob replies, “Sure, but you’ll have to give up your birthright.” Esau says, “What good’s the birthright going to do me, I’m starving!” And so Jacob gives Esau a bowl of soup.
(I’ve always thought that Esau wasn’t too bright to do this-give up his right to take over the family business for a bowl of soup? What kind of judgement could he bring to the tribe’s administration, if he thinks like this? Plus, I suspect Esau would rule the tribe like a military autocrat, with his hunting and bullying of Jacob.
(A lot of great literature deals with this theme-the old king hasn’t long to live, so who is he going to have inherit the kingdom? Esau would have been a disaster.)
Isaac orders Esau to go out and hunt some game to cook, so that Isaac can eat it and receive Isaac’s blessing. Rebecca then orders Jacob to cook a lamb and put on animal skins to imitate Esau, so that he, Jacob, would receive the blessing to take over the family instead of Esau.
Jacob does this, and posing as Esau, presents the meal to his father, who is blind. Isaac knows it’s Jacob’s voice instead of Esau, but he goes along with the game anyway; I suspect Isaac, like Jacob, knows that Esau would make a terrible leader for the tribe, and this is his way to getting around that decision.
Here in the Torah, we see living breathing humans living difficult lives, making mistakes while doing God’s work. It’s further proof that God isn’t in the sky, but present here on Earth.
https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.25.20?lang=bi&aliyot=1
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