How Jacob and Esau Divided the Two Worlds in the Womb

"Sell me, as of this day, your birthright" (Genesis 25:31). They said: when Jacob and Esau were still in their mother's womb, Jacob said to Esau, "My brother, two worlds lie before us, this world and the world to come. This world has in it eating and drinking, buying and selling, marrying a wife and bearing sons and daughters; but the world to come has none of these qualities. If you wish, take this world for yourself, and I will take the world to come." As it says, "Sell me, as of this day [ka-yom] your birthright" — like that very day when they were in their mother's belly. Immediately Esau denied the resurrection of the dead, as it says, "Behold, I am going to die." At that moment Esau took his portion, this world, and Jacob took his portion, the world to come. And when Jacob came from the house of Laban and Esau saw that he had sons and daughters, menservants and maidservants, Jacob said to him, "My brother, did you not say that you would take the world to come and I would take this world? From where do you have all this wealth in which you rejoice?" Esau reflected to himself: if this world, which is not even his portion, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him his reward in it — then the world to come, which is his portion, how much more so! Immediately Esau said, "If you wish, come and let us form a partnership: you take half of this world and half of the world to come," and so on. Jacob said to him, "My children are tender and cannot withstand suffering," as it says, "they would be driven hard for a single day" (Genesis 33:13).