Questions on the sale:
- Did Yaakov exploit Esav's vulnerability at a moment when Esav was starving to death?
- Was Yaakov not guilty of extortion by purchasing the birthright for a meager pot of lentils?
- What is a birthright? Material or Spiritual?
- What is Yaakov's & Esau's view of the value of the birthright
- Can one sell a birthright? Are there any Biblical parallels to our transfer and transaction? Did Yaakov ever receive the birthright which he purchased?
What is the Birthright? Some sources in the Torah.
Rashbam Bereshit 25:22,27-28
| Lidrosh TO INQUIRE OF THE LORD: From the prophets of those days, as in the phrase (I Kings 22.8), "lidrosh 'et yhwh me'oto – through whom we can inquire of the LORD," and the phrase (Ex. 18.15), "lidrosh 'et yhwh – [The people come to me] to inquire of the LORD." (27) Yodea' A HUNTER KNOWING: how "to hunt game to bring home" (Gen. 27.5). Yoshev A TENT DWELLER: who shepherded his father's flocks, as I explained about the phrase (Gen. 4.20), "who dwell in tents and amidst herds." (28) Ki GAME WAS IN HIS MOUTH: The plain meaning of Scripture is the one offered by the Targum. 'Ohevet REBEKAH LOVED JACOB: because she recognized his innocence and because of what God said (vs. 23), "The older shall serve the younger." The text had to tell the reader beforehand about Isaac's love of Esau and Rebekah's love of Jacob to prepare the reader for what is written below (Gen. 27) that Isaac wanted to bless Esau but Rebekah acted with guile to see that Jacob would be blessed. |
| (31) Mikhrah SELL ka-yom: I.e. immediately. "Sell me right away your first-born's share in father's money in exchange for money that I will give you and afterwards I will give you the food in order to corroborate and confirm the transaction." The transaction would follow the same pattern as is described in the verse (Gen. 31.46), "And they partook of a meal there on the mound," to confirm the pact between Laban and Jacob. (32) Hinneh I GO TO DIE: "Every day I go to hunt animals in the forest where one finds bears and lions and other vicious animals and I am in danger of dying. WHAT USE IS THERE FOR ME to await a firstborn’s share after our father's death?" My father, his eminence, R. Meir, offered the above explanation. [This speech of Esau] constitutes [the text's elaboration of how] "Esau spurned the birthright" (vs. 34). (33) Vayyimkor HE SOLD THE BIRTHRIGHT: for money. Then, afterwards (vs. 34), JACOB GAVE ESAU ..., as is the common custom, to confirm the transaction. (34) Vayyivez ESAU SPURNED: Since he would later regret his actions, as it is written (Gen. 27.36), "First he took away my birthright," accordingly the text informed the reader beforehand of Esau's foolishness. At this point, when he was eating, he spurned the birthright; later, however, he had regrets. Vayyivez is like [i.e. is an apocopated form of] vayyivzeh, from [the root b-z-h, the same root as can be found in the phrase] (Num. 15.31), "He spurned (bazah) the word of the LORD," just as vayyiqen is derived from [the root] q-n-h. |
Radak Bereshit 25:28
| ויאהב, there was no need to mention that Yitzchok loved Esau; clearly his love for Yaakov was constantly on the increase seeing that Yaakov was righteous, etc. Esau’s claim to his father’s love was due only to the venison he brought his father from his hunting expeditions. בפיו. This meat was especially tasty. Moreover Yitzchok was already aged, being more than seventy years old, Clearly, unless Esau had been at least 12 years old at the time he would not have known how to hunt with bow and arrow. ורבקה אוהבת את יעקב, exclusively; the reason was that Yaakov pursued a lifestyle that would lead to eternal life, whereas Esau did the opposite. Not only did he not lead a life leading to eternal life after death, but he actively forfeited even life on earth, exposing himself to needless dangers. Seeing that Yitzchok was aging and sitting at home most of the time, he was not aware of Esau’s doings and was easily led to believe that Esau led a virtuous life, basing his belief on the daily supply of venison his son provided for him. The story unfolds at a time when Yitzchok was already incapable of seeing well with his physical eyes. The story of the sale of the birthright is told primarily to illustrate the disdain with which Esau looked upon spiritual values as a valuable acquisition, something guaranteeing a person life beyond death. |
Radak Bereshit 25:29
| ויזד, the formulation of vayazed which normally should have been vayizad with a dagesh in the letter ז, the middle letter of the root, is not as unusual as it appears, The meaning of the expression is that “he cooked a dish ויבשל נזיד;” the Torah reports that on a certain day when Yaakov had cooked a dish Esau returned from the hunt tired and found the dish Yaakov had cooked ready for eating. He requested to be given some of it so that he could eat it. The purpose of this story being recorded in the Torah is in order to contrast Yaakov’s virtues with Esau’s irresponsible way of looking at life. Not only that, but Esau considered the gobbling up of food as an end in itself, he was what our sages call a גרגרן, glutton. Yaakov, on the other hand, was so little concerned with the physical gratifications available on earth that when cooking for himself, he cooked a dish of lentils, the simplest undistinguished vegetable. If, in spite of his general outlook, Yaakov refused to share this dish with Esau unless the latter sold him his birthright, even though Essau was his brother, this demonstrates Yaakov’s intelligence and his moral principles which made it difficult for him to give something for which he had toiled to someone who was self-centered and who did not make any contribution to civilisation at all, assuming that whenever he felt ravenous he could demand to be gratified by what belonged to others. It is concerning people like Esau that Solomon said in Proverbs 22,16:נותן לעשיר אך למחסור, “(He who oppresses the poor) is like giving gifts to the rich. The end result is loss.” |
Radak Bereshit 25:31-33
| (31) ויאמר יעקב מכרה כיום, the letter כ in the word כיום is known as the כ האמתי, a formulation we also encounter in Samuel I 9,13 כי אותו כהיום תמצאון אותו, “for truly today you will find him.” Other examples of this prefixכ being used to emphasise the truth of something are found in Numbers 11,1 and Proverbs 10,20, as well as in Hoseah 5,10. In our verse the letter כ means that Yaakov did not want Esau to sell him the birthright symbolically, but that he meant for a fully fledged legal transaction to be completed, his making a proper kinyan acquisition. In spite of Yaakov compensating his brother Esau in “real” terms for something to which his claim was thus far only potential, he was punished for initiating such a sale because he had upset the norms of civilised society by doing so. The fact that Esau rose to great prominence and distinction and hardly seems to have suffered any disadvantage for the deal Yaakov offered him, did not exonerate Yaakov from trying to upset the norms of society. (32) ויאמר עשו, it is not clear whether the Torah records Esau’s reflections on Yaakov’s demand, something Esau did not articulate, or whether Esau told Yaakov in so many words that the birthright was of no value to him as he did not expect to live long enough to benefit from it (33) ויאמר השבעה לי, he was afraid that Esau would have second thoughts after having eaten. |
Radak Bereshit 25:34
| ויעקב נתן לעשו, as the price for the birthright. He is not reported as having given Esau wine, as the wine he drank was that belonging to the household of his father. However, fresh bread, which Yaakov had baked for himself, he did give him together with the dish of lentils. My father, of blessed memory, wrote that Yaakov positively compensated Esau with money, and that the dish of lentils and the bread he gave him and which they both ate together was only to seal the bargain between them, a custom to which we have already referred. וילך, he returned to the field to continue hunting. ויבז, even after he had eaten and drunk he did not feel that Yaakov had tricked him and taken advantage of him when he had felt hungry. |
Abarbanel
"Yaakov said to Esav: The firstborn son takes the place of his father, and he is entrusted with leading the household when the father becomes weak and old… You, Esav, do not act thus; you are always out in the field, you have no concern for what is going on at home. I am a young, suffering boy; I have to serve my father in his illness, to prepare stew that he might eat. As if that is not difficult enough, you come from the field like an angry bear, asking me – like a glutton – 'Let me gulp, I pray you,' as though I must prepare [food] for you, too!… Therefore, please choose: If you wish to be the firstborn, take over the running of the household and taking care of its needs, in place of our father, and let the entire yoke rest upon you. If you do not wish to take it on, leave the birthright for me, and I shall do everything, and I shall feed you as the firstborn gives his younger brothers… Then Esav considered this and said: I myself do not choose to walk in the way of my fathers, who prided themselves on dwelling at home… Let Yaakov take upon himself all the responsibility for the household, and taking care of its needs and preparing them. And so it was that he [Yaakov] immediately gave Esav bread and lentil stew, as the elder brother gives the younger to eat…."
"This was an attempt to inherit the blessing of Avraham, that God blessed him, namely the exclusivity of Providence for him and his descendants… This was the money and riches that Yitzchak inherited from his father Avraham, and this is the money, riches, and treasure that he will bequest to his children, not other possessions… Yaakov believed that this Divine inheritance could not be shared between him and Esav together, since not only did they have different natures, but also their natures and personalities were the polar opposites of one another. Yaakov was a God-fearing man, loving God's commandments dearly, and he was therefore worthy of inheriting the Divine destiny. But Esav was a man of evil ways, with no fear of God. He did not believe in God's Providence, nor did he seek His closeness. How, then, could he be the inheritor of the Divine heritage? …Yaakov knew that Esav would not suffer because of this [sale], since he did not believe in that destiny and did not desire that heritage, as it is written, 'Of what use to me is the birthright?' …And Esav pondered and said to himself: If I put aside the way of my forefathers, of what profit is it to me that I be called their firstborn? For this birthright would not be to inherit assets… and even if it were concerned with spiritual goodness – I do not believe in it, or in the destiny of Avraham. Hence, of what use to me is the birthright? …Thus it becomes clear that Yaakov sought the birthright solely because of the matter of the Divine destiny, because he saw that Esav did not believe in it…."
Rashi
22) ויתרצצו AND [THE CHILDREN] STRUGGLED – You must admit that this verse calls for a Midrashic interpretation since it leaves unexplained what this struggling was about and it states that she exclaimed "If it be so, wherefore did I desire this" (i.e. she asked whether this was the normal course of child-bearing, feeling that something extraordinary was happening). Our Rabbis explain that the word ויתרוצצו has the meaning of running, moving quickly: whenever she passed by the doors of the Torah (i.e. the Schools of Shem and Eber) Jacob moved convulsively in his efforts to come to birth, but whenever she passed by the gate of a pagan temple Esau moved convulsively in his efforts to come to birth (Genesis Rabbah 63). Another explanation is: they struggled with one another and quarrelled as to how they should divide the two worlds as their inheritance (Yalkut). ותאמר אם כן means AND SHE SAID, "IF the pain of pregnancy be so great, למה זה אנכי WHY IS IT that I longed and prayed to become pregnant?" (Genesis Rabbah 63).
ותלך לדרש AND SHE WENT TO ENQUIRE – at the school of Shem (ib.).
'לדרש את ה TO ENQUIRE OF THE LORD – that He might tell her what would happen to her at the end.
(27) ויגדלו… ויהי עשו AND THEY GREW … AND ESAU WAS – So long as they were young they could not be distinguished by what they did and no one paid much attention to their characters, but when they reached the age of thirteen, one went his way to the houses of learning and the other went his way to the idolatrous temples (ib.).
יודע ציד A CUNNING HUNTER literally, understanding hunting – understanding how to entrap and deceive his father with his mouth. He would ask him, "Father how should salt and straw be tithed"? (although he knew full well that these are not subject to the law of tithe). Consequently his father believed him to be very punctilious in observing the divine ordinances (Tanchuma).
איש שדה A MAN OF THE FIELD – Explain it literally (i.e., not in a Midrashic manner): a man without regular occupation, hunting beasts and birds with his bow....
תם A PLAIN MAN – not expert in all these things: as his heart was his mouth (his thoughts and his words tallied). One who is not ingenious in deceiving people is called תם plain, simple....
יושב אהלים DWELLING IN TENTS – the tent of Shem and the tent of Eber (ib.).
(28) בפיו [THERE WAS HUNTING] IN HIS MOUTH – Understand this as the Targum renders it: in Isaac's mouth (i.e. Isaac ate the venison he brought home). But its Midrashic explanation is: there was hunting in Esau's mouth, meaning that he used to entrap and deceive him by his words (ib.).
(29) ויזד means boiling, as the Targum renders it.
והוא עיף AND HE WAS FAINT – through murdering people, just as you mention faintness in connection with murder, (Jeremiah 4:31) "For my soul fainteth before the murderers" (Bava Batra 16b).
31) מכרה כיום SELL ME THIS DAY (literally, like the day) – Explain it as the Targum renders it "as this day": just as this day is certain, so make me a sure sale.
בכרתך THY BIRTHRIGHT – Because the sacrificial service was then carried out by the first-born sons, Jacob said, "This wicked man is unworthy to sacrifice to the Holy One, blessed be He" (Genesis Rabbah 63).
(32) הנה אנכי הולך למות BEHOLD I AM IN PERIL TO DIE – The birthright is something unstable, for not always will the sacrificial duties be performed by the first-born, for the tribe of Levi will assume this. Further Esau said: What is the nature of this Service? Jacob replied, "Many prohibitions and punishments and many acts involving even the punishment of death are associated with it — just as we read in the Mishna, (Sanhedrin 22b): The following priests are liable to death: those who carry out their duties after having drunk too much wine and those who officiate long-haired. He said: If I am going to die through it, why should I desire it.
(34) ויבז עשו THUS ESAU DESPISED – Scripture testifies to his wickedness: that he despised the Service of the Omnipresent
Ramban OF THIS RED, RED POTTAGE. The dish was either reddened by the lentils which were red, or it had been compounded with some red substance, and Esau, not knowing what it was, called it edom (red). Therefore was his name called Edom since they mocked at him for having sold an honorable birthright for a small dish. For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty.
...SELL ME THIS DAY ('KAYOM') THY BIRTHRIGHT. “I.e., as this day. Just as this day is certain, so make me a binding sale.” This is Rashi's language. The literal meaning of the word kayom is “at this time,” just as: “But stand thou still at this time (kayom), that I may cause thee to hear the word of G-d;” “At this time (kayom) you shall find him;” “Let the fat be made to smoke at this time (kayom); But unto us belongeth confusion of face, as at this day (kayom).
... And some scholars say that the price for the birthright was not the pottage at all. Rather, Scripture tells that when Esau, being faint, desired to eat, Jacob said to him, "Sell me your birthright for money and then eat," and Esau, in his haste for food, answered him, "What is this birthright to me? It is sold to you." He then swore to him upon it, and they sat down to eat and drink. Scripture however did not reveal the price. I do not agree with this interpretation.
33. SWEAR TO ME THIS DAY. When Esau said, "What is this birthright to me? I do not desire it," Jacob said to him, "Swear tome that you will not desire it, nor will you inherit it forever." Thereupon he swore to him, and following that he sold it to him, and Jacob gave him the purchase price or the pottage he desired. It is possible that Esau said, "What is this birthright to me? It is sold to you," and Jacob said, "Swear to me that you will never complain about the sale." And when Scripture says that first he swore to him and then he sold it to him, its intent is as if it said that he sold it to him first and then swore to him.
34. SO ESAU DESPISED HIS BIRTHRIGHT. “Who so despiseth the word shall suffer thereby.” But, indeed, Scripture has already explained the reason that Esau consented to the sale. This was because he was in mortal danger from his hunting animals, and it was likely that he would die while his father was alive, and the birthright carried with it no distinction except after the passing of the father. So of what benefit was the birthright to him? This then is what Scripture says: “And he did eat and drink, and he rose and went, and he despised,” for, after having eaten and drunk, he returned to his hunt in the field which was the cause of the despising of the birthright. “For there is no desire in fools” except to eat and drink and to fulfill their momentary desire, “notgiving a care for tomorrow
Now Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra has erred here exceedingly by saying that Esau despised the birthright because he saw his father destitute of wealth. Now, [continues Ibn Ezra] many wonder about Isaac's poverty since Abraham left him with great wealth. But have they never seen a person who was wealthy in his younger years and became poor in his old age? An indication that Isaac was indeed poor is the fact that Isaac loved Esau because of his venison. Furthermore, had there been abundant food in his father' house and he [Esau] "the honorable one in his sight,” he would not have 'sold his birthright for pottage. Also, if his father at savory meat every day, what reason was there for him to say to Esau, "Bring me some venison?” Why did Jacob not have costly garments as Esau had? Why did his mother not give Jacob some silver and gold for his journey when he fled to Haran so that he had to say, “And He will give me bread to eat, and a garment to put on? Why did she not send him some money - since she loved him - so that he was required to tend Laban's flock? The verse which states, “Thus the man grew [in wealth],” must refer to the period before he became old. Now ignorant people think that wealth is a great distinction for the righteous. Let Elijah prove the contrary. These ignorant people further ask, "Why did G-d cause Isaac to lack wealth?" Perhaps they could also inform us why He caused Isaac's vision to be diminished? And let them not dismiss me with a reply based upon a drash for there is indeed a secret in the matter, and we must not probe since the thoughts of G-d are deep and no man has the power to understand them. All these are Abraham Ibn Ezra's words
Now I wonder who has blinded Abraham Ibn Ezra's reasoning in this matter, causing him to say that Abraham left Isaac great wealth, and he lost it just prior to this event, [that is, the sale of the birthright], and for this reason, Esau despised the birthright, for this matter of the sale of the birthright took place when Jacob and Esau were still young, before Esau married, as Scripture tells, and after the sale of the birthright, Isaac again became wealthy in the land of the Philistines “until he became very great... and the Philistines were jealous of him.” Following that, [according to Ibn Ezra, we must say that Isaac] again became poor, and he desired the venison of his son Esau and the savory meats. All this is laughable
Furthermore, the verse says, “And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that G-d blessed his son Isaac.” Now the blessing refers to increase of wealth, possessions and honor, but where was His blessing if he lost the wealth of his father and became impoverished? Afterwards it says, “And I will be with Thee, and I will bless thee,” (but according to Ibn Ezra you will have to say that Isaac] became rich and then poor! And if it be true that in matters of wealth, “There are righteous men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked,” this does not apply to those righteous men who have been expressly blessed by the Holy One, blessed be He, since “the blessing of the Eternal maketh rich, and no sorrow is added thereto.”
Rather, the patriarchs all were as kings before whom kings of the nations came and with whom they made covenants. Now it is written concerning Isaac and Abimelech, “And they swore one to another.” But if Isaac had suffered bad fortune and lost his father's wealth, how did [Abimelech, King of the Philistines, and Phichol, the head of his army], say, we saw plainly that the Eternal was with thee, when he was already in financial difficulty? Rather, Esau's disdain of the birthright was due to his brutal nature.
It is possible that the law of double portion to which the firstborn is entitled according to the statutes of the Torah was not in effect in ancient times. [At that time the birthright] was only a matter of inheriting the pre-eminence of the father and his authority so that he [the firstborn] would receive honor and distinction in relation to his younger brother. It is for this reason that Esau said to Isaac, I am thy son, thy firstborn, meaning to say that he is the firstborn who deserves to be blessed. Similarly, Joseph said to his father, [Jacob], “For this is the firstborn; put thy hand upon his head,” thereby meaning that Jacob should give him precedence in the blessing. Perhaps the firstborn also took slightly more of the inheritance since the law of double portion is an innovation of the statutes of the Torah.
And as for the venison in his mouth which Isaac desired so strongly, this is in keeping with the custom of princes and kings. They prefer venison above all food, and out of fear, all nations bring them gifts of venison. Esau flattered his father by bringing him all the venison so that he may always eat of it to his heart's content, and the love of a father for his firstborn is easily understood. As for Isaac's saying that he would bless Esau after he had prepared the savory meats for him, that was not a reward or a recompense for the food. Instead, he wanted to derive some benefit from him so that his very soul would be bound up in his at the time that he brought him the food so that he would then bless him with a complete desire and a perfect will. Perhaps Isaac discerned in himself that following the meal his soul would be delighted and joyous, and then the Ruach Hakodesh would come upon him, [as was the case with Elisha the prophet, who said], “But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Eternal came upon him.
And as for not giving wealth to Jacob, that was [not due to Isaac's poverty but rather] because Jacob was fleeing for his life. He left the country alone without his brother's knowledge, and had he been given along wealth, servants and camels, they would have increased his enemies' jealousy and resulted in their ambushing him and killing him. Our Rabbis do indeed say that Jacob was robbed. And who has told Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra that Jacob had no costly garments, fine linen and silk and embroidered robes? Rather, Scripture states that when going to the field to hunt, Esau would change his garments for his hunting clothes, and due to the fact that [because of his dim eyesight], Isaac always touched his son and his clothes with his hands, Rebekah clothed Jacob with them lest he recognize him by his clothes. You see that this is precisely what Isaac did: “And he smelled the odor of his garments” because he had put them among calamus and cinnamon, even as it is written, Myrrh and aloes, and cassia are all thy garments. The spices grew in the Land of Israel, and it is for this reason that Isaac said, The odor of my son is as the odor of a field. Because he was a man of the field his garments had the odor of the field or that of the blossoms of the trees, just as our Rabbis explained it: As the odor of a field of apples.
And as for the question raised above concerning the quality of Isaac's lack of vision, it is a question raised by the ignorant, for if it was brought about especially by G-d, it was in order that Isaac bless Jacob, this being the purport of the verse, And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, he called Esau. And in line with the natural meaning of Scripture, this was but a manifestation of old age, the explanation of the verse being as follows: “And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim in his old age, he called Esau.” Now of Jacob himself it is said later on, “Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see.” Of Achiyah the Shilonite it is also written, “Now Achiyah could not see; for his eyes were set by reason of his age,” and concerning Moses our teacher it is related with wonder “that his eye was not dim.”