“Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing that his father blessed him. Esau said in his heart: The days of mourning for my father will approach, and I will kill my brother Jacob” (Genesis 27:41). “Esau hated [vayistom]” – Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Yosei said: A senator19Senator is an acronym for soneh, nokem, noter, which the midrash will go on to explain. – he became toward him a hater [soneh], an avenger [nokem], and a bearer of a grudge [noter]; to this day they are called the senators of Rome.

“Esau said in his heart” – the wicked are subject to the heart. “The scoundrel says in his heart” (Psalms 14:1); “Yerovam said in his heart” (I Kings 12:26); “Haman said in his heart” (Esther 6:6). But the righteous, their heart is subject to them. “Hannah, she was speaking in her heart” (I Samuel 1:13); “David said in his heart” (I Samuel 27:1); “Daniel resolved in his heart” (Daniel 1:8).

They are like their Creator: “The Lord said in his heart” (Genesis 8:21). “The days of mourning for my father will approach” – Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: Esau acted with patience. He said: ‘What, will I cause my father to break down?’ Instead, “the days of mourning for my father will approach, and I will kill” him.

Rabbi Neḥemya said: A Divine Voice said: ‘Many young donkeys have died and their hides have been spread over their mothers.’ The Rabbis say: [Esau said:] ‘If I kill him, there are Shem and Ever who will sit in judgment over me, and say to me: Why did you kill your brother? Instead, I will go and marry into Ishmael’s family, and he will come and dispute with him [Jacob] over the birthright and kill him, and I will stand against him [Ishmael] as a blood redeemer and kill him, and I will be the heir of two families.’

That is what is written: “Because you said: The two nations and the two countries will be mine, and we will inherit it, and the Lord was there” (Ezekiel 35:10). Who is it that said so? Rabbi Yudan said: It was the Holy One blessed be He: “and the Lord was there.” Rabbi Berekhya said: Esau denied and said: ‘I did not say that statement.’

The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Do you not know that I am the prober of hearts? “I, the Lord, probe the heart”’ (Jeremiah 17:10).