Nachal novea; makor chochma -
A flowing river; the source of wisdom (Mish. 18:4)
Ya'akov's underlying philosophy was that life is for the purpose of
connecting oneself to Hashem. As such, he invested all of his resources,
focus and emphasis in trying to achieve true happiness for himself and
for others. For Hashem is the source of all happiness. In order to be
connected to Hashem one must be happy. In order to be happy one must do
things that bring him to true happiness, which ultimately means doing
Hashem's will. Therefore, Ya'kov tried to spread his philosophy
throughout the world by teaching people how to be joyful, i.e. how to do
Hashem's will. On the other hand, Aesav had utter contempt for Hashem
and anything holy, and he wished to eradicate all knowledge of Hashem.
Aesav's goals would ultimately lead to sadness and depression.
Therefore, his methodology had to offer something that could challenge
the joys that result from following Ya'akov's philosophy. It had to
insulate a person from the sadness and depression of being far from
Hashem. So, it calls for one to invest his entire effort and focus in
trying to attain material pleasure for himself and for others like him.
Aesav tried to spread this philosophy of hedonism throughout the
world.
Untimately everything in the material world is connected to sorrow and
depression, as the verse says, "Cursed is the ground [and all material
things associated with it] because of you (Adam, that you sirmed);
through sorrow shall you eat of it all the days of your life." (Genesis
3:17) However, in order to ensure that people would have free choice,
Hashem infused pleasure into all material things so that the potential
would exist that people be lured away from the true happiness of being
connected to Him, as the verse says, "Hashem has also set one [the
pathways that lead away from Hashem, through excessive material
pleasure] that corresponds to the other [the pathways that lead to the
joys of holiness]." (Eccl. 7:14) [Note: One should never confuse true
joy, which comes from cormecting oneself to Hashem, with material
pleasure. They are at opposite ends of the spectrum. To briefly
highlight their differences: The disadvantage of spiritual joy is that
it comes only through slow and hard work whereas material pleasure is
usually immediate. However, spiritual joy results in true happiness and
contentment and earns one eternal bliss in the hereafter. Material
pleasure ultimately results in sadness and depression it causes a person
to fall away from Hashem and true happiness. In addition, the hunger for
material pleasure can never be satisfied because involvement with a
particular physical activity stales with age, becoming dull and
boring. Then one must find a new activity to satisfy him. Finally, the
one who overindulges in material pieasure diminishes his possibilities
of enjoying eternal bliss in the hereafter.]
In summary, Rav Noson says that the conflict between Ya'akov and Aesav
was essentially between the philosphies of pursuing goals that require
patience and hard work, but in the end lead to true happiness and
pursuing goals that provide immediate gratification, but ultimately lead
to sadness. Ya'akov was willing to endure the initial rigors of hard
work in this world to achieve eternal joy in the hereafter. He had the
necessary patience and trust in Hashem to wait for true happiness,
despite the initial, temporary hard work and suffering one must endure
in this world. He trusted in Hashem that the end will be full of joy and
therefore performed Hashem's will. Aesav didn't have any patience to
work hard, to delay the gratification of his urges, nor did he want to
inconvenience himself in the slightest way. Spiritual bliss did not
appeal to Aesav because it meant being subservient to someone else's
will i.e. Hashem's. He wanted to be the center of his own universe.
Aesav didn't believe in the notions and promises of some remote and
distant future reward and happiness. Therefore, since he did not believe
in the hereafter, Aesav wanted all the pleasure he could get
immediately, in this world, as expressed in the verse, "Behold joy and
gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking
wine; let us eat and drink for tomorrow we shall die." (Isaiah 22:13)
Many verses throughout the Bible illuminate the contrast between Ya'akov
and Aesav. "Ya'akov will exult, Israel [another name for Ya'akov] will
rejoice." (Psalms 14:7) "You (Aesav) shall serve your brother (Ya'akov)
[slavery causes sadness], when you are [full ofl grief you may cast off
his yoke from upon your neck." (Genesis 27.:40)
It is mentioned in the beginning of our parsha that Ya'akov prepared
lentil soup. The Talmud explains the purpose of this soup, "The sages
teach that Avraham died that day and Ya'akov was preparing lentil soup
as the traditional mourner's meal for his father Yitzchak (Isaac)."
(Talmud: Bava Basra 16b) By preparing lentil soup, Ya'akov was actually
activating the spiritual energies of joy in order to comfort his
mourning father. Rabbi Nachman says that the mission of all those who
want to connect themselves to Hashem is to take all of the spiritual
energies of sadness and sorrow in this world and convert them to joy, as
the verse says, "You (Hashem) have transformed my lament into dancing.
You undid my sackcloth and girded me with gladness." (Psalms 30:12)
Lentils resonate with joy because they are shaped like a revolving wheel
which represents continual change. Change is connected to joy because
life is orchestrated by the Creator, Hashem, and all the shifts are for
the purpose of transforming the negative aspects of the human condition
to good. In other words, roundness represents change, and all change
ultimately is designed to bring each person to the final goal of eternal
joy. The climax of change will be when, after all the rectifications of
this world have been accomplished, Hashem will abolish death and all
those who have experienced this extreme state of sorrow will rise again
and experience eternal joy. Thus lentils contain the spiritual energies
of joy and are the traditional food of mourners.
The Midrash tells us that Aesav became degenerate on the very day of the
passing of his grandfather because he couldn't accept the fact that such
a holy and righteous man could die. Aesav was so shocked and appalled at
the death of Avraham that he questioned the entire concept of a
hereafter. He felt that such a righteous individual as Avraham should
have been excluded from death as a reward for his many good deeds. In
other words the shock of Avrahain's death caused Aesav to reject the
concept of change, to reject that in the future there will be a revival
of the dead where all of the gloom and doom associated with this world
will be tramformed into joy. Thus, Aesav's inability to change sorrow
into joy and to believe that sorrow can be changed to joy, caused him to
further attach himself to the here-and-now pleasures of this world.
Aesav refused to participate in consoling his grieving father because it
contradicted his fimdamental beliefs. On the other hand, Ya'akov, who
believed that all sorrow will eventually be turned to joy, did soothe
his father's pain. [Note: Rabbi Nachman explains, based on the above,
why the Jews have suffered so much throughout the ages. In order to
attain the destined eternal joy of the Messianic era, the Jews must
negate and conquer every form of sadness in the world by turning it to
joy. Therefore, by continuing to adhere to Hashem, despite their
difficult history, the Jews are the true heirs of their father Ya'akov
who strongly believed that life's difficulties always lead to a good
end.
According to the Baal Shem Tov, "Our sages teach, 'Reward for the
performance of the commandments in this world does not exist.' (Talmud:
Kiddushin 39b) This means that this world cannot tolerate the light of
the reward for the performance of any commandment. This infinite light
comes from Hashem, Who is infinite. However, this world, on the other
hand is finite." (Sefer Baal Shem Tov: Parshas Ve'Eschanan 86) Of this
concept, Ya'akov was aware and so, reacted to the death positively: He
realized that reward is to be enjoyed in the future world and was not
shocked by Avraham's death.
When Ya'akov was the manner by which Aesav referred to his food and the
way in which he guzzled it down, Ya'akov realized that Aesab was a very
unholy man. For the Talmud saus that a Tzaddik's (saint's) eating is
like a sacrificial offering. A man of holiness is connected to true
happiness. Sacrificial offerings are joyful, as the verse refers to the
manner by which they should be eaten, "You shall rejoice before Hashem,
Your G-d..." (Deut 12:12) Therefore, only those people who are connected
to joy are worthy to offer sacrifices. Ya'akov realized that Aesav was
connected to the spiritual energies of depression, and thus was totally
unfit to have the birthright and its accompanying rights and
responsibilities.
Rav Noson says that Ya'akov merited to receive his father's blessings,
including having the birthright confirmed upon him, because he served
his father a mean of holiness, which is related to joy and belief in
Hashem and the future. On the contrary, Aesav served his father a meal
of unholiness, which is connected to depression and lack of faith. Since
Isaac was a very holy man, he was able to detect the difference between
the two meals. So he then decided to confer the birthright upon the son
who was worthy of it. (Lekutai Halachot: Orach Chaim: Hilchot Ho'daw;ah
6:18)
And so, we should never behave like Aesav, not believing nor investing
in the future, ready to sell eternity for a mere portion of lentil soup.
As descendants of Ya'akov it is incumbent upon every Jew to carry on the
legacy of our holy ancestor, to live our lives in a way that manifests
our belief in a brighter future, doing good deeds and remaining cheerful
despite adversity. Amen!
The wicked Aesav and the righteous Ya'akov were twin brothers. However,
their goals and philosophies were diametrically opposed. Aesav's
orientation was solely to enjoy the material world. Conversely, Ya'kov's
goal was to use the material world as a vehicle through which he could
find and connect himself to Hashem (G-d). The Torah's mention of the
conflict between Ya'akov and Aesav is vital, not only to clarify the
distinctions between their divergent philosophies, but also because this
conflict is ongoing, inherited by their descendants in every generation
until moshiach (the Messiah) comes.
OPPOSING PHILOSOPHIES
More evidence that the path of Ya'akov is one that leads to joy and the
path of Aesav to sorrow is in the fact that originally, the sacrificial
service was performed by the firstborn. Many verses associate the
sacrificial service with the spiritual energies of joy; such as (Isaiah
56:7), "And I (Hashem) will bring them [the nations of the world] to My
holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer [when they
offer] their burnt offerings and their sacrifices, [and they] shall be
accepted upon My altar..." This means that in order for one to be worthy
to officiate over the sacrificial service, he must be connected to the
spiritual energies and pathways of joy. Rav Noson points out that Aesav,
who was technically the firstborn, lost his birthright and thus, the
right to perform sacrifices, which strongly implies that he was not
connected to the spiritual energies and pathways of joy, and that his
younger brother, Ya'akov, who received the birthright instead, was.
Our parasha describes how Aesav lost his birthright through an incident
involving a seemingly insignificant bowl of lentil soup. Rav Noson
explains, however, that this is, in fact, very significant. He points
out that the lentil soup incident and the contrast in Ya'akov's and
Aesav's reaction to their father's bereavement epitomizes the great
difference between their respective, chosen paths.
Aesav reacted very differently to his father's bereavement, consistent
with his chosen path, "And Aesav came in from the field, and he was
exhausted." (Genesis 25:29) The Talmud explains the meaning of this
verse, "The great dignitaries of all the nations of the world stood in
the mourners row and lamented [over Avraham's death], 'Woe to the world
that has lost its leader, woe to the ship that has lost its pilot!"
(Talmud: Bava Basra 91b), but Aesav went about his evil business as
usual, uninvolved in his father's bereavement. In addition, Rashi,
quoting the Talmud comments, "'And he (Aesav) was exhausted' through
murdering people." When the word exhaustion is mentioned in the Torah it
alludes to murder as the verse says, 'For my soul is exhausted before
the murders.' (Jeremiah 4:31) (Talmud: Bava Basra 16b) Murder is
associated with anger and death, resonating with the energies of
depression. In other words, Aesav reacted to the passing of his
grandfather, Avraham, by committing murder, which indicates that he was
despondent and therefore wanted to solidify his connections to this
world, i.e. to feel immediate pleasure even though it ultimately leads
to more sorrow.
Rabbi Nachman taught that faith can greatly fortify a person. If one has
faith, he has a source of comfort and inspiration, even when troubles
strike. The person eventually comes to realize that all troubles are
ultimately for his good, and can be an atonement for his sins. He will
come to realize that Hashem will be good to him in the end, both in this
world and the next. The faithless skeptic, on the other hand, has
nowhere to turn when troubles strike. He is utterly alone, with neither
comfort nor inspiration. [This is what Aesav experienced, causing him to
react to kvraham's death in the way that he did]. (Sichot Ran 32)
OF A LOVED ONE'S DEATH
Rav Noson asks, what prompted Ya'akov to buy the
prestigious birthright from Aesav? Why was the lentil soup
incident the appropriate time for Ya'akov to do so? When
Aesav came in from the field tired and exhausted, he
instructed Ya'akov, "Pour into me now some of that very red
stuff [referring to the lentil soup] for I am exhausted.
Therefore, [the onlookers (Sforno) called his name Edom (lit. the red
one) [Aesav had a ruddy complexion and sold his birthright in exchange
for red food. Thus the term Edom is a term of contempt (Rashbam)]."
(Genesis 25:30)
The Talmud says, in many places, that one can determine the purity and
character of a person by the way he expresses himself. It mentions a
case of a kohen (priest) who, because he used foul language, was
investigated and found to be invalid to perform the Temple service. Rav
Noson says that the color red indicates the presence of the spiritual
energies of severity (din) and depression. By referring to the
lentil soup as "that very red stuff," Aesav indicated that he was very
stongly connected to the spiritual roots of din and depression,
the opposite of what a servant of Hashem should be.
Those who have faith in the future are connected to joy and can
remain cheerful even in the face of adversity and tragedy ... During
WWII, there was a group of Gerer chasidim who were being marched
to the gas chambers. Understandably, they were broken and demoralized
because they knew the end was near. Suddenly, the leader of the group
said, "Today is Purim, the happiest day of the Jewish calendar, why
should we be sad!? What difference does it make if we are about to die,
it is Purim and we are required to rejoice and be happy on Purim. Are we
going to let these Nazis deprive us of this great mitzvah
(commandment)!?" They then broke ranks and formed a circle and all the
Jews began to sing and dance with all their might. The Nazi guards
immediately shouted at them to stop dancing and get back into line, but
the chasidim totally ignored them and began to dance with even
more fervor. The guards were unaccustomed to such defiance and panicked
because they had lost their control over the inmates. They then
threatened to shoot them all, but the chasidim continued to
dancee An officer gave the orders to shoot the Jews. and the guards
readily complied, shooting the Jews one by one as they danced, and yet
the remaining Jews steadfastly continued to celebrate. The Nazi fired at
the dancing Jews until they were all dead. However, one of the Jews who
was thought to be dead, was merely wounded and escaped to tell over this
story. Although, the chasidim were unable to physically escape
from their tormentors, belief in the future -- the bliss of the
hereafter -- enabled them to transcend the Nazis and their guns and
ascend to the upper realm. (Stories of the Holocaust)