Esau's Birthright

Today, we tell the history of the family of Isaac, the son of Abraham. Did you enjoy your trip to Israel? What were some of the high points?

< = = = Ein Gedi and Masada were awesome. I liked celebrating Shabatt in Israel. The buffet breakfast at the hotels, I liked everything. We hired an armored bus and went to Rachel's tomb, Hebron, and the cave of the patriarch's that you have been telling me about. And we went to Ramat David, where my cousin flies an F16 and he let me climb into the cockpit, it was all great.

And Yad Vashem?

< = = = I wasn't prepared for that level of intensity. At one point I had to walk out, sit down, gather my thoughts, but then I went back in. I started thinking about destiny. It is amazing that I was ever born, so much has been thrown against my opportunity to exist. 

"Indeed", Mr. Comfort said quietly. Let's go back to one of the milestones that makes it possible, getting the birthright into the correct hands.

29 One day, while Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the field and was famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am famished.” (That is why he was also called Edom.)

31 “First sell me your birthright,” Jacob replied.

32 “Look,” said Esau, “I am about to die, so what good is a birthright to me?”

33 “Swear to me first,” Jacob said.

So Esau swore to Jacob and sold him the birthright. 34 Then Jacob gave some bread and lentil stew to Esau, who ate and drank and then got up and went away. Thus Esau despised his birthright. Genesis 25: 29 - 33 BSB

A number of commentators describe Jacob as a trickster and there is evidence to support that. But this is a plain and simple business transaction, albeit one of eternal significance. There is a midrash that asserts Jacob got this transaction signed by witnesses and explicitly included a spot in the burial cave of Machpelah. The word for despised, וַיִּ֣בֶז, is only used twice in the scriptures. So it was a very strong feeling and not commonly felt. I think you could be on to something with the topic of "My destiny, it is amazing I was ever born" for your D'var Torah. You could use examples from the Torah, as well as history and then move on to now that I am here, what am I called to do. If that resonates with you, then please start an outline. If not, we can keep searching for a topic.