Берешит 25:32 Комментарий: Tze'enah Ure'enah, Rashi, Chizkuni & Da'at Zekenim

“Esau said, I am at the point of death, so what use is my birthright to me?” [25:32]. Jacob said: sell it to me, as clear and certain is the day, so certainly sell me your birthright. Jacob said: it is not just that the evildoer Esau should bring the offerings, because the offering of sacrifices was done by the firstborn. Esau said to Jacob: a person can be killed through the offering of sacrifices, like when he goes bareheaded or when he is drunk and brings his offerings, he is worthy of the death penalty. Therefore, Esau said: I do not want the birthright.²⁷Rashi, Genesis, 25:32.

Bahya writes. Esau said: what will the birthright do for me? The custom was in ancient times that after the father’s death, the firstborn had great honor from the other children and sat in his father’s place. Esau said: what good is the honor if I have to wait for the honor to come only after my father’s death. Who knows who will die first, particularly since I go every day to hunt wild animals that might kill me first?²⁸Bahya, Genesis, 25:31.

“There was a famine in the land … the Lord had appeared to him and said, do not go down to Egypt” [26:1–2]. There was a famine in the land and Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, in Gerar. The Holy One appeared to Isaac and said to him, do not go to Egypt. You are not like your father who went to Egypt out of hunger, but you were a sacrifice on the altar. Therefore, you should not go to Egypt, which is outside the land of Israel.²⁹Rashi, Genesis, 26:2.

הנה אנכי הולך למות BEHOLD I AM IN PERIL TO DIE — The birthright is something unstable, for not always will the sacrificial duties be performed by the first-born, for the tribe of Levi will assume this. Further Esau said: What is the nature of this Service? Jacob replied, “Many prohibitions and punishments and many acts involving even the punishment of death are associated with it — just as we read in the Mishna, (Sanhedrin 22b): The following priests are liable to death: those who carry out their duties after having drunk too much wine and those who officiate long-haired. He said: If I am going to die through it, why should I desire it.