Jacob: "Because our grandfather passed away; they shall be a sign of my
grief and mourning, that he may love me in the days to come."
Esau: "Thou fool! Dost thou really think it possible that man should
come to life again after he has been dead and has mouldered in the
grave?"[42] He continued to taunt Jacob. "Why dost thou give thyself so
much trouble?" he said. "Lift up thine eyes, and thou wilt see that all
men eat whatever comes to hand—fish, creeping and crawling creatures,
swine's flesh, and all sorts of things like these, and thou vexest
thyself about a dish of lentils."
Jacob: "If we act like other men, what shall we do on the day of the
Lord, the day on which the pious will receive their reward, when a
herald will proclaim: Where is He that weigheth the deeds of men, where
is He that counteth?"
Esau: "Is there a future world? Or will the dead be called back to
life? If it were so, why hath not Adam returned? Hast thou heard that
Noah, through whom the world was raised anew, hath reappeared? Yea,
Abraham, the friend of God, more beloved of Him than any man, hath he
come to life again?"
Jacob: "If thou art of opinion that there is no future world, and that
the dead do not rise to new life, then why dost thou want thy
birthright? Sell it to me, now, while it is yet possible to do so. Once
the Torah is revealed, it cannot be done. Verily, there is a future
world, in which the righteous receive their reward. I tell thee this,
lest thou say later I deceived thee."[43]
Jacob was little concerned about the double share of the inheritance
that went with the birthright. What he thought of was the priestly
service, which was the prerogative of the first-born in ancient times,
and Jacob was loth to have his impious brother Esau play the priest, he
who despised all Divine service.[44]
The scorn manifested by Esau for the resurrection of the dead he felt
also for the promise of God to give the Holy Land to the seed of
Abraham. He did not believe in it, and therefore he was willing to cede
his birthright and the blessing attached thereto in exchange for a mess
of pottage.[45] In addition, Jacob paid him in coin,[46] and, besides,
he gave him what was more than money, the wonderful sword of
Methuselah, which Isaac had inherited from Abraham and bestowed upon
Jacob.[47]
Esau made game of Jacob. He invited his associates to feast at his
brother's table, saying, "Know ye what I did to this Jacob? I ate his
lentils, drank his wine, amused myself at his expense, and sold my
birthright to him." All that Jacob replied was, "Eat and may it do thee
good!" But the Lord said, "Thou despisest the birthright, therefore I
shall make thee despised in all generations." And by way of punishment
for denying God and the resurrection of the dead, the descendants of
Esau were cut off from the world.[48]
As naught was holy to Esau, Jacob made him swear, concerning the
birthright, by the life of their father, for he knew Esau's love for
Isaac, that it was strong.[49] Nor did he fail to have a document made
out, duly signed by witnesses, setting forth that Esau had sold him the
birthright together with his claim upon a place in the Cave of
Machpelah.[50]
Though no blame can attach to Jacob for all this, yet he secured the
birthright from him by cunning, and therefore the descendants of Jacob
had to serve the descendants of Esau.[51]