Esau said to Jacob, “Pour me some of that red stuff for I am exhausted.”
Genesis 25:30-32
Jacob said, “Sell your birthright to me.”
Esau said, “I am going to die, so of what use to me is a birthright?”
Why would Esau offer up his birthright, something worth an insurmountable amount monetarily and spiritually, for a meagre bowl of food?
According to Esau, he did so since he would eventually die anyway.
It’s the type of rationale we’ve probably all used at some point, tugging between considering our future and immediate gratification. But we can only make healthy decisions when we are minutely aware that our choices directly impact our lives.
Gimme, Gimme, Gimme
We can take Esau’s statement, “I’m going to die anyway” beyond the surface. With these few words, he reveals his philosophy of life. Esau figures that the world begins when he’s born and ends when he dies, so why worry about things like a spiritual birthright?
Instead, he’d rather eat his stew and be happy right now.
He even goes so far as to mock Jacob, saying that Esau lapped up a bowl of delicious food in return for some “abstract future reward.”
Jacob looks to the future. Esau is driven by the here and now. He wants physical comfort and pleasure because he reckons the pleasures of the body are the be-all and end-all of life.
Planting The “Now” To Sow Later
Human beings are made up of two parts – the spiritual (soul) and the physical (body). Both need to be equally nurtured and nourished, but this can only be achieved through extraordinarily different means.
While the body, as in Esau’s case, seeks immediate gratification (sleep, food, money), the soul, in Jacob’s case, seeks eternal and longer-lasting pleasures (good deeds, love, meaning, a connection to G-d).
We need to let nature take care of the “now” so that we can sow a meaningful future.
The two go hand-in-hand.
Who is a wise person? He who sees the future”
The Talmud
The ability to anticipate long-term consequences is what separates the mature from the juvenile. Think about it, a child won’t expect that eating a few slabs of chocolate now will lead to feeling ill later on. A partner might not realise that constant distraction can lead to permanent separation from their family.
But there is always a tomorrow. It’s how we behave today that determines those tomorrows.
Harvesting Food For The Soul
We’re all fighting Esau’s battle one way or another. That back and forth between the body and the soul.
We’re constantly nudged to buy into certain types of lifestyles; tempted with takeout; lured with liquor; tantalised by tech. Everything is a quick click or voice command away.
Instantaneity is the norm – and so is our loss of perspective.
How do we get out of that ego-driven, instant gratification rut? We have to be proactive. We must seek out spiritual activities. Even something as simple as saying a blessing before you eat turns a physical act into something far more soulful. We’re no longer simply satisfying a physical hunger but reflecting on a deeper aspect of nourishing our bodies with energy to fulfil a higher purpose.
By moderating our physical needs, we can enjoy the autonomy to pursue our souls’ needs. After all, life is only as good as the soul you nurture.
Nourishing Nachas and Growth
Think about a funeral eulogy. Do you hear about the type of cars the person owned, or how many restaurants they frequented? No. At that moment of truth, what’s important is the person’s integrity and values and how they nourished nachas amongst those they encountered.
The Divine set up a system that requires growth. And we can only grow when we turn our back on temptation and do the right thing.
Then, those nachas soar to an exponential level over the instantaneous pleasures you pass up.
The more you do this, the more satisfied you will be – right now, and in the future.
Shabbat Shalom.
Nachas & Drash 