Sometimes a stew is more than just a stew.

“Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.” Freud’s line reminds us not to overread everything. However, Jewish tradition also teaches us to look below the surface. This week’s parsha, Toldot, gives us a brief image that is anything but incidental. It is all about Esau’s bowl of lentil stew.

On the plain level, it’s the catalyst. According to the text, Esau is famished, Jacob offers stew, and Esau sells his birthright for a meal. But the sages read more into the stew and see much symbolism. Its red color links to Esau’s name, Edom. It's simple, immediate nourishment contrasts sharply with what he is giving up for it. He is forfeiting the long-term value of the birthright for immediate satisfaction. The scene exposes Esau’s character and what he will trade for a moment’s relief. It reveals his priorities and how easily vulnerability can be exploited.

For the rabbis, the stew has to mean more than just stew. There are lessons to be learned even in the mundane. The message for us is to sometimes look more deeply into the symbolism of the items and images in our lives. Often, a little dish, a small charm, a tiny knick-knack carries meaning far beyond its meager intrinsic value.

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Bradley Tecktiel