That feeling is at the heart of our story today, a story about brothers, blessings, and a whole lot of bad blood. We're diving into Bereshit Rabbah, specifically section 67, a Midrash on the Book of Genesis, to explore the festering hatred between Esau and Jacob.

It all stems from that infamous scene: Jacob, aided by his mother Rebecca, deceives his blind father Isaac and steals the blessing meant for his older brother, Esau. Genesis 27:41 tells us, "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."

But the Midrash, Bereshit Rabbah, doesn't just leave it there. It digs deeper into the motivations, the simmering anger, and the potential consequences. Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Yosei offers a fascinating interpretation of the word "hated" (vayistom). He says it's an acronym, a hidden message revealing that Esau became a soneh (hater), a nokem (avenger), and a noter (bearer of a grudge). And, surprisingly, Rabbi Elazar connects this to the senators of Rome, suggesting a lineage of animosity. To this day they are called the senators of Rome.

The text then contrasts the thoughts of the wicked with those of the righteous. "Esau said in his heart…" The Midrash points out that the wicked are "subject to the heart," meaning their emotions control them. Just like in Psalms 14:1, "The scoundrel says in his heart." Or how Yerovam (I Kings 12:26) and Haman (Esther 6:6) plotted in their hearts.

But the righteous? Ah, that's different! "Their heart is subject to them." They control their emotions. Think of Hannah (I Samuel 1:13), David (I Samuel 27:1), or Daniel (Daniel 1:8). They master their emotions. They are like their Creator who said in his heart (Genesis 8:21). This isn’t just about Esau and Jacob anymore; it’s a lesson in emotional intelligence, thousands of years old.

So, what was Esau’s plan? He wasn’t going to act rashly. As Rabbi Yehuda points out, Esau was patient. He thought, "What, will I cause my father to break down?" Instead, he would wait until "the days of mourning for my father will approach, and I will kill him." Rabbi Nehemya adds a cryptic comment about young donkeys and their hides, a saying which means "Many have tried this before you, and failed."

Then comes a truly twisted bit of scheming. The Rabbis suggest Esau considered a more complicated, Machiavellian plot. He wouldn't kill Jacob directly. Instead, he would marry into Ishmael's family, let them fight Jacob over the birthright, and then, as a "blood redeemer," kill Ishmael himself, inheriting from both families! "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).

Rabbi Yudan identifies the speaker in Ezekiel as God, while Rabbi Berekhya suggests Esau later denied ever having such thoughts. But God, the "prober of hearts" (Jeremiah 17:10), knows the truth.

What are we left with? A story of jealousy, hatred, and intricate plotting. But also, a story about controlling our emotions, about the difference between being ruled by our hearts and ruling them. And a reminder that even the most carefully laid plans can be exposed by a higher power.

It makes you wonder, doesn't it? How often do we let resentment fester in our own hearts? How often do we scheme and plot, instead of confronting our feelings directly? Perhaps the story of Esau and Jacob isn’t just an ancient tale, but a mirror reflecting our own struggles with anger, envy, and the constant battle to master our own hearts.