We know the story of their fraught relationship, the birthright, the blessing... but what about the inheritance?
It's a question that takes us deep into the heart of sibling rivalry, ambition, and the enduring pull of the Promised Land.
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating collection of stories and interpretations from the early Middle Ages, gives us a glimpse into one version of that post-Isaac drama. In chapter 38, we find Esau making a proposition to Jacob. He says, in effect: "Let's split everything our father left behind. But since I’m the elder, I get to choose my portion first."
Pretty straightforward. But Jacob, according to this account, sees right through Esau. He understands that Esau's greed is insatiable. Like it says in Ecclesiastes (4:8), Esau's "eyes are not satisfied with riches."
So, what does Jacob do? He comes up with a counter-offer. A pretty audacious one, if you ask me. He divides the inheritance into two parts: one part is all the material wealth, the gold and silver, the livestock... everything tangible. The other part? The Land of Israel itself, and the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron. This cave, Me’arat HaMachpelah in Hebrew, is considered the burial place of the patriarchs and matriarchs – a place of immense spiritual significance.
Think about the stakes here. Jacob isn’t just talking about real estate. He’s talking about destiny, about connection to the divine promise made to Abraham.
Esau’s reaction is telling. He doesn't immediately jump at the offer. Instead, he goes to consult with Ishmael in the wilderness, as Genesis (28:9) tells us. Why Ishmael? Perhaps Esau seeks counsel from someone he perceives as sharing a similar fate – someone who also feels overlooked in the ancestral narrative.
Ishmael’s advice is blunt: "The Amorite and the Canaanite are in the land. Jacob trusts in God that he will inherit the land, therefore take all that thy father has left, and Jacob will have nothing." In other words, Ishmael is saying: grab the sure thing. The land is a gamble, a matter of faith. The wealth is tangible, immediate power.
What’s fascinating about this passage in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer is what it reveals about the contrasting worldviews of Jacob and Esau. One values material wealth and immediate gratification, while the other prioritizes spiritual inheritance and a connection to the divine promise, even if it means facing uncertainty and challenges. It’s a story of choosing between the here and now, and the promise of something greater to come.
Which choice would you have made?