Eisav Is Still Postponing His Bris “VaYeitzi HaRishon Admoni; The first one (Esav) emerged red.” Daas Zekanim MiBaalai HaTosfos says that when Esav was 8 days old, Yitzchok was afraid to give him a Bris Milah since he was red. He was worried that he was not healthy enough to handle the circumcision. A few years passed and Yitzchok realized that this was his natural color. He still did not circumcise him at that point saying, “Let me wait until he is 13 years old, this way he will have a Bris Milah at the same age as Yishmael.” Once Esav reached 13 he did not allow his father to circumcise him.
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Eisav and Lavan – Who Was the Big Lamdan? The pasuk says that Yaakov gave Eisav “Lechem U’Nizid Adoshim; Bread and lentil stew.” Eisav only asked for the lentils, why did Yaakov give him bread? Rav Chaim Kanievsky answers that since there is a machlokes in the Gemara what bracha to make on beans that were cooked for a long time (either Shehakol or Ha’adama) the best way to avoid any problems is to wash on bread. Therefore, Yaakov gave Eisav the bread so he would wash and not worry about which bracha to make. Rav Elya Man then asked Rav Chaim about a comment he made about the Meshech Chochma that points out from the language in the pasuk in Chayei Sara (23:53-54) that Lavan and his mother did not partake in Rivka’s Seudas Eirusin since they were aveilim. To that Rav Chaim responded that Rav Meir Simcha (The Meshech Chochma) turned them into bigger “Lamdanim” than they were. So why did Rav Chaim make Eisav into such a big Lamdan? Rav Chaim answered that Eisav probably learned with his father, Yitzchok, and, therefore, was a big lamdan but who would Lavan have learned with? Rav Chaim was then asked how he could say that Eisav was so concerned about Brachos after coming in from Shefichas Domim, Giluy Aroyos, Kofer Ba’Ikar, and more? Rav Chaim answered that this is not a contradiction. There are many people like that today. (Derech Sicha)
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Beans for The Bechor? When Eisav asked Yaakov to feed him the beans, Yaakov then asked Eisav to sell him the Bechor. What suddenly happened that Yaakov felt this was the opportune moment to extract the Bechor from Eisav? Rav Eliezer HaGadol Ashkenazi in his classic sefer Maasei Hashem explains as follows: Eisav was asking Yaakov to serve him. Sheim told Rivkah that the older son would serve the younger son. “If so,” said Yaakov to Eisav, “you should sell me the Bechor, and then as the older one, I will be your servant.” More than this, the reason the older would serve the younger one is because the younger one will get all the Brachos of a good life in Olam HaZeh. The Bechor would suffer in this world but reap the benefits of the next world. So, Yaakov was in essence offering his subservience to Eisav in Olam HaZeh in exchange for the Bechor’s inheritance of Olam HaBah. To this Eisav answered, “Hinei Anochi Holeich Lamus; When I leave this world I am going to die,” since he did not believe in Olam Haba. “V’Lama Zeh Li Bechora.” Eisav was more than happy to part with something he did not believe in to gain his ultimate material desires.
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Did Yaakov and Eisav Die On The Same Day? Rivka told Yaakov to run away from Eisav because “Lama Eshkol Gam Shnaichem Yom Echad; Why should I lose two children in one day?” Rashi explains that if Eisav kills Yaakov his children will kill Eisav right away. This Rashi says that nevuah that came out of Rivka’s mouth since they both died in one day. The Gemara in Sotah 13 says that although they did not die the same day, Eisav was killed by Chushim ben Dan, the day Yaakov was buried. “However,” asks Rav Shimshon Pincus, “since the fact remains that they did not die on the same day, so what kind of nevuah was this?G He answers that the gemara says in Taanis 5 that “Yaakov Avinu Lo Meis; Yaakov Avinu never died,” (the meaning of this is not within the scope of this article). Therefore, the day of Yaakov’s death was not the day he was taken from us. Although (whatever it means) he was still alive when they placed him the Meoras HaMachpela, it was the day he was taken away from us. Therefore, it turns out that indeed Yaakov and Eisav were taken the same day.

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