"Black Friday": Reflections on Parshat Toldot

“Chinese Singles’ Day,” “Black Friday,” “Cyber Monday.”
Run to purchase! Buy now! Get a bonus! Pay tomorrow—in a month—in a year…

Split it into five, ten, or thirty payments. Take a supersized portion, with all the extras and an upgraded dessert. Go on vacation, pamper yourself, and surround yourself with every luxury. Go for the jackpot, seize the moment, and squeeze it to the last drop…

After all, life is so hard—what’s left for you? Wake up in the morning, go to work, return home exhausted, get the kids, eat, go to sleep, and repeat. So if you’re going to enjoy life, make it B-I-G!

“And Esau said, ‘Behold, I am going to die, so what use is this birthright to me?’” (Genesis 25:32)

Living in the Extreme

Even Esau is weary and exhausted from the daily chase after his “prey,” searching for something to satisfy his hunger—something to gulp down. Since he does not believe in the survival of the soul or even in its existence, and since, in his view, he is anyway “going to die,” he advocates a life of pure hedonism: the constant pursuit of thrills, fulfilling desires as quickly, intensely, and extremely as possible.

Abysses of Boredom and Emptiness

The truth is that the birthright, with all its obligations, simply bores him. He is far more drawn to a steaming pot of lentil stew that can be poured straight into the stomach—without even chewing—and that offers immediate satisfaction. The problem is that the relentless pursuit of physical desires and instant gratification provides only temporary pleasure. Over time, it dulls the senses and breeds indifference, requiring ever-greater thrills. Without them, a person falls into abysses of boredom and emptiness.

Inside Each of Us Lives a Small “Esau”

Inside each of us lives a small “Esau” who persuades us to “eat and drink” without restraint, “for tomorrow we may die.” The problem is that surrendering to his agenda pulls us into an addictive spiral of external stimulation and distances us from true pleasure and fulfillment—those reserved for people who properly nourish their souls.

There’s Something So Attractive About This “Esau-ness”

So what do we do? There is something deeply attractive about this “Esau-ness”—something powerful, exciting, and sensual. So immediate. Just respond to all this dazzling abundance that’s readily available, feel the pleasure instantly… How can one resist it? And who even thinks about the next moment, or the price we will pay for immediate satisfaction, when the alternative demands far greater effort?

Boundaries – The Real Extreme

Indeed, spiritual pleasure requires effort. Unlike physical pleasure, which encourages unrestrained surrender without limits, spiritual pleasure demands abstention. It requires boundaries and self-control. It defines what is good and what must be avoided—and therefore appears far less attractive.

Taking the Entire Pot

Esau lives entirely in the moment, a life fueled by adrenaline and explosive action. He swallows it all in one intense gulp. But the one who ultimately “takes the entire pot,” winning both spiritually and materially, is his twin—Jacob. The quieter one, less charismatic, who follows the laws of the Torah, limits himself, distances himself from what is forbidden, and enjoys this world with balance and moderation.

Sources: Maharal — “And this is what Esau meant when he said, ‘Behold, I am going to die’: he immediately denied the resurrection of the dead, asserting that this world—the physical world—is primary and that there is no resurrection at all. Therefore, ‘what use is this birthright to me,’ meaning the holiness that is separate from the physical, since a person has nothing beyond this physical world.”

Yemima Bismut