Our story comes from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis. And the verse in question is Genesis 36:6: "Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the members of his household, and his livestock, and all his animals, and all his possessions that he acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to a land, due to his brother Jacob."
Now, what does that really mean? Why did Esau pack up and leave?
The Rabbis, masters of interpreting every nuance of scripture, see a deeper meaning here. They use the verse from Ecclesiastes 10:2, "The heart of the wise inclines to his right, and the heart of a fool inclines to his left," to unpack it. The Midrash (rabbinic commentary) draws a parallel between this verse and the actions of Jacob and Esau.
"The heart of the wise inclines to his right" – this, the Midrash says, is Jacob. Why? Because in Genesis 31:17, we see Jacob first lifting his children, then his wives. He prioritized his offspring, his future.
"The heart of a fool inclines to his left" – and you guessed it, this is Esau. Because Genesis 36:6 tells us "Esau took his wives" before his sons. The order matters! According to this interpretation, Esau was prioritizing immediate gratification over long-term legacy.
But that’s not all. The Bereshit Rabbah dives deeper into the reason Esau left the land. "And went to a land, due to his brother Jacob" – why?
Rabbi Eliezer offers one explanation: a promissory note. Remember the brit bein habetarim, the "covenant between the pieces" (Genesis 15:13), where God tells Abraham that his descendants will be strangers in a land not their own, and will be enslaved and oppressed? Esau, understanding this, didn't want any part of it! He was willing to give up his claim to the Land of Israel to avoid suffering.
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi gives us a different, more human, reason: shame. Esau was ashamed because he sold his birthright to Jacob. He couldn't face his brother, couldn't face the consequences of his impulsive decision.
Isn't it fascinating how these interpretations reveal the complexities of human nature? Esau's choice, whether driven by fear of suffering or by shame, highlights the weight of our decisions. It makes you wonder, doesn't it? How often do we make choices based on short-term comfort, only to regret them later? And what price are we willing to pay to avoid hardship or embarrassment? These ancient stories, like the one of Esau, continue to resonate because they hold a mirror up to ourselves, forcing us to confront our own choices and motivations.