In this week's parasha, Toldot, we are introduced to two new characters from the line of Abraham and Sarah. We meet Esav and Yaakov, two twins born to Rifka and Yitzchak. While in the womb, they struggled with one another, causing Rifka to ask, "If this is so, why is it that I am?" We learn that Esav, the ruddy, hairy child, becomes " a man who knows trapping, a man of the field." Yaakov, the 2nd born twin, becomes "a wholesome man, abiding in tents."
Esav, as the story tells us, returns from the field one day, exhausted. He smells a delicious pot of lentil stew that Yaakov is boiling, and he says, "Pour into me, now, some of that very red stuff. If you look carefully at the story, it becomes obvious that Esav the hunter has run into a trap and the trap has been set by his "wholesome, tent abiding" brother. He is so tired and hungry that he doesn't even seem to care whether or not the pot has finished cooking or not. He wants his food now! Delayed gratification doesn't appear to be part of his mode of operation.
Of course the story continues and Yaakov who has become the hunter, pulls his prey into the trap even further, demanding that Esav sell his birthright to him. Esav, responds by agreeing, for after all he feels that he is going to die anyway, so what use is the birthright?
Was Esav crazy? Who would sell their birthright for a pot of beans? Who would be willing to turn away from a path that could connect them to the service of G-d just for a pot of beans? (Maintaining his birthright would have made him the next in line to lead the family "business" dedicated to the practice of ethical monotheism).
Maybe Esav was no more crazy than many of us. After all, it's easy to turn away from the hard work of connecting to G-d to engage in activities that have ends that are easily attainable. For many, it is easier to see the benefits of engaging in secular activities than demanding religious activities. For example, one might ask why we should engage in Torah study if it requires wrestling and grappling with ideas that can take hours, years, or even a lifetime to try to understand. Wouldn't it just be easier to not engage in such an activity and "veg" out in front of the TV letting our minds be filled with easily attainable images? What are we willing to give away in order to attain the instant gratification that we so much desire?
Think about the opportunities we have in life to achieve more in the spiritual realm, that we are willing to give up. We establish relationships with one another, whether it be through marriage or parenting or friendship which require on-going commitment and the ethical treatment of the other. How many people today, either don't recognize the sanctity of such commitments or the concept that these relationships also manage to draw us closer to G-d? There may be hard times to face together, which take fortitude to meet, but they also provide us with an opportunity to achieve a glimpse of the work our souls strive to accomplish.
As we look at the opportunities we either take or pass by, perhaps we need to think about them in another light. Are we squandering opportunities to achieve more? Are we acting like Esav, who is willing to give up his birthright for a pot of beans? Are we more interested in instant gratification than putting out the hard work needed to achieve loftier goals? These are the questions that come to mind when I read this week's parasha.
(Inspired by a podcast by Rabbi Daniel Landes and a sermon by Rabbi Shlomo Freundlich)
No comments:
Post a Comment