Aggada -- Translations into English; Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends; Midrash -- Translations into English
The funeral of Isaac was not disturbed by any unseemly act, for Esau
was sure of his heritage in accordance with the last wishes expressed
by his father. But when the time came to divide Isaac's possessions
between the two brothers, Esau said to Jacob, "Divide the property of
our father into two portions, but I as the elder claim the right of
choosing the portion I desire." What did Jacob do? He knew well that
"the eye of the wicked never beholds treasures enough to satisfy it,"
so he divided their common heritage in the following way: all the
material possessions of his father formed one portion, and the other
consisted of Isaac's claim upon the Holy Land, together with the Cave
of Machpelah, the tomb of Abraham and Isaac. Esau chose the money and
the other things belonging to Isaac for his inheritance, and to Jacob
were left the Cave and the title to the Holy Land. An agreement to this
effect was drawn up in writing in due form, and on the strength of the
document Jacob insisted upon Esau's leaving Palestine. Esau acquiesced,
and he and his wives and his sons and daughters journeyed to Mount
Seir, where they took up their abode.[316]
Though Esau gave way before Jacob for the nonce, he returned to the
land to make war upon his brother. Leah had just died, and Jacob and
the sons borne by Leah were mourning for her, and the rest of his sons,
borne unto him by his other wives, were trying to comfort them, when
Esau came upon them with a powerful host of four thousand men, well
equipped for war, clad in armor of iron and brass, all furnished with
bucklers, bows, and swords. They surrounded the citadel wherein Jacob
and his sons dwelt at that time with their servants and children and
households, for they had all assembled to console Jacob for the death
of Leah, and they sat there unconcerned, none entertained a suspicion
that an assault upon them was meditated by any man. And the great army
had already encircled their castle, and still none within suspected any
harm, neither Jacob and his children nor the two hundred servants. Now
when Jacob saw that Esau presumed to make war upon them, and sought to
slay them in the citadel, and was shooting darts at them, he ascended
the wall of the citadel and spake words of peace and friendship and
brotherly love to Esau. He said: "Is this the consolation which thou
hast come to bring me, to comfort me for my wife, who hath been taken
by death? Is this in accordance with the oath thou didst swear twice
unto thy father and thy mother before they died? Thou hast violated thy
oath, and in the hour when thou didst swear unto thy father, thou wast
judged." But Esau made reply: "Neither the children of men nor the
beasts of the field swear an oath to keep it unto all eternity, but on
every day they devise evil against one another, when it is directed
against an enemy, or when they seek to slay an adversary. If the boar
will change his skin and make his bristles as soft as wool, or if he
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