Parashat Toledot- The Sin of Denial
**This week’s (Nov. 4th – Nov. 10th) schedule, for Rabbi Mansour, Cong. Bet Yaakob…
9:00 PM Monday, Nov. 5th Mens Class- Ein Yaakob
12:45 PM Tuesday, Nov. 6th Ladies Class at Lawrence Ave Synagogue in Deal
1:15 PM Wed, Nov. 7th Ladies Class- Mesilat Yesharim
1:15 PM Thursday, Nov. 8th Ladies Class at Har HaLebanon
7:45 PM Thurs, Nov. 8th Men & Ladies- Parasha Insight at Har Lebanon
8:15 AM Friday, Nov. 9th Mens Class- Parasha
4:00 PM Friday, Nov. 9th Mens Class- Mishna Berura
4:25 PM Friday, Nov. 9th Minha
4:26 PM Friday, Nov. 9th Candle Lighting
5:35 PM Friday, Nov. 9th 30 Minute Class on Sefer Hinuch follows Arbit
7:00 AM Shabbat, Nov. 10th Shaharit followed by Seuda and Class
4:00 PM Shabbat, Nov. 10th Minha followed by Seudat Shelishi, Derasha, & Arbit
5:30 PM Shabbat Ends Havdallah
5:45 PM Shabbat, Nov. 10th Daf Yomi
5:45 PM Shabbat, Nov. 10th Class on Shoftim with Rabbi Escava
6:45 PM Saturday, Nov. 10th Mens & Ladies- Class on Tehillim at Har Lebanon
Parashat Toledot- The Sin of Denial
We read in Parashat Toledot that Yaakov Avinu purchased the Bechora, the privileges of the birthright, from his older brother Esav. The Torah tells that Esav returned from the field weary and hungry, and found Yaakov preparing a bowl of soup. Yaakov agreed to give his brother a portion on condition that he relinquishes the birthright, and Esav consented. The Torah concludes this narrative by informing us that "Esav scorned the birthright" (25:34).
At first glance, it appears that the Torah provided this information in order to explain Esav's willingness to relinquish something as valuable as the birthright, which, at that time, included the privileges of the Kehuna (priesthood). Esav agreed to exchange this special privilege for a bowl of lentil soup because he "scorned the birthright," he did not perceive at something of any importance or value.
Some Rabbis, however, explain this verse differently. After all, the Torah informs us of Esav's derisive attitude towards the birthright only at the very end of the narrative, after the story is told. It thus seems that Esav scorned the Bechora only after the fact, once he had already exchanged it for soup. At the time of the sale, Esav highly regarded and treasured the birthright, recognizing it as a special privilege. Still, in his fatigue and hunger, he rashly agreed to renounce the birthright in exchange for food. It was only later, upon looking back and reflecting upon this incident and his rash decision, that Esav came to the conclusion that the birthright is actually something of little value and significance.
How are we to explain this change in Esav's perspective, and what practical lesson does this convey?
When a person makes a mistake, when he acts foolishly or imprudently, he will generally look back and regret his decision. In the case of a sin, he will also experience guilt and shame. How should one handle his feelings of remorse? One way is to honestly acknowledge that he has failed and commit himself never to repeat this mistake in the future; in short, he should perform Teshuva (repentance). Unfortunately, however, many people are incapable or unwilling to make such a confession, to admit to failure, and therefore react in a different manner: they rationalize their conduct. Instead of acknowledging their mistake, they find a way of justifying what they did in order to relieve themselves of their burden of conscience and feel an artificial sense of self-confidence and self-esteem.
This is precisely how Esav handled his foolish, rash decision. Rather than admit to having made a bad sale, he convinced himself that the birthright was in any event worthless, and thus he had nothing to lose by relinquishing it, even in exchange for a simple bowl of soup.
Many centuries later, before the destruction of the First Temple, God warns Bene Yisrael through the prophet Yirmiyahu (2:35), "Behold, I shall bring you to judgment for your having said, 'I did not sin'!" God does not threaten to punish the people for sinning; everybody sins at some point, and the process of Teshuva is designed to help us recover from our mistakes and thereby escape punishment. But the people in Yirmiyahu's time were guilt of not only sin, but also of denying their having sinned. Rather than confess and repent, they added insult to injury by avowing, "I did not sin!" The sin of denial is deemed more grievous than the sin itself. Sins can be forgiven, but provided that a person is willing to lower his head and admit his wrongdoing. Rationalizing and justifying wrongdoing precludes any possibility of Teshuva and self-improvement, and it is therefore considered the most severe sin of all.
