Jacob Buys the Birthright for Soup
by
Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld
I’m studying the story of Jacob and Esau and I am so bothered by the simple storyline. Imagine the scenario. Two brothers, one is sitting at home studying and the other returns from an exhausting day at work. He asks his brother for something to eat. Does the brother help him, as any good brother should? No, he takes advantage of Esau’s weakness and only agrees to give him food if he parts with his most precious asset – his birthright. How can Jacob act so unethically?