Toldot

Shabbat Shalom! This week's torah portion is Toldot. We read the story of Jacob and Esau and their complicated relationship. These two are twins, born to Rebecca and Isaac. Even before birth they never got along and when they were finally born, Jacob was holding onto Esau's heel (as if he wanted to stop his brother from being born first!). In the picture above, Esau is very hungry after a big hunt and ends up selling his Birthright to his brother for a bowl of soup. A bowl of soup? That's it?! I remember in Hebrew School when we learned what a birthright is and it still doesn't make sense to me that something intrinsic to an older sibling can just be given away. According to the dictionary a birthright is "a particular right of possession or privilege one has from birth, especially as an eldest child." I'm an older sibling and I guess my privilege is that I get to do things before my sister and that I get to sit shotgun. However, in Biblical times birthright was SUPER important because it was responsibility handed down usually from father to son. In modern times, I think we can give a little birthright to everyone since we are all born the same. Older siblings: let your younger siblings do something that you've never tried or let them sit shotgun once in a while. Otherwise, you could have a bitter relationship like Jacob and Esau.