Esav: Immortality & Depression

Rabbi Israel Chait

Student’s notes from a conversation

Jacob was cooking a stew, Esav came in from the field and he was exhausted. And Esav said to Jacob, “Pour into my mouth that red, red stuff, for I am exhausted”, which is why he was named Edom (“red”). Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” And Esav said, “I am going to die, so of what use is my birthright to me?” But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Jacob then gave Esav bread and lentil stew; he ate and drank, and he rose and went away. And Esav degraded the birthright. (Gen. 25:29-34)

Dani Roth: Of what significance is Esav being named Edom? 

Rabbi Chait: This is a very good question. Rashi states, “On that day, Abraham had died in order that he might not see his grandson Esav falling into degenerate ways.”  Rashi adds that Esav’s exhaustion was due to murdering others that day.  

When Esav saw his grandfather Abraham die, it destroyed his own immortality fantasy, explaining why Esav told Jacob, “I am going to die, of what use then is my birthright to me?” Esav did not stray from Abraham’s ways until Abraham died (Rashi). 

Esav’s exhaustion was in fact depression. Abandoning Abraham’s ways, Esav chased the lusts, taaveh. But it offered him little satisfaction, leading him to depression. He was so depressed, he could not say “give me lentils”—he couldn’t accurately describe the food, and he couldn’t feed himself, but he spoke like a child, “Pour the red stuff into my mouth.” 

Here, Torah teaches a yesode, a fundamental: the life of lusts leads to depression. The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer said, “Every pleasure is followed  by another pleasure, or depression.” He meant this point: physical pleasures do not satisfy man but momentarily, which drive man to seek yet another pleasure, or realize the failure of such pursuits, leading to depression. Man’s pleasure is derived only from pursuing God’s wisdom.

So vital to our lives is this lesson, that Torah stops mid-story and names Esav “Edom” to epitomize what Esav was (naming a person defines him); he followed lusts exclusively.  Torah teaches both, what is beneficial, and what is destructive, and by naming him Edom, Torah shines a light on the great depression Esav experienced pursuing his instincts: his inability to call the food “lentils” or feed himself, highlights the inescapable depression of the instinctual life. 

While Abraham was alive, Esav retained his immortality fantasy as he imagined that to be the greatest good afforded to him through Abraham’s philosophy. But once Abraham—Esav’s impressive authority figure—died, Esav’s immortality fantasy was shattered and he veered off to a life of satisfying his instincts. The birthright then meant nothing to him, to the point, that Esav degraded the birthright. 

Without immortality, Abraham’s philosophy meant nothing to the instinctual man.