We live in an age of instant gratification. We expect immediate results. If it takes too long to heat something up, we can just microwave it. If our internet is not super high speed, it is too slow. Why spend time cooking when we can buy ready made food? Why bother researching anything when we can just Google it? And of course, now we have ChatGPT. But is this good for us?

In the beginning of this week’s Parsha, Toldos, Eisav comes in from the field and is tired and starving. Yaakov is cooking a pot of lentil soup and Eisav wants some – now. Yaakov says, I will give you some if you agree to sell me the birthright. Eisav agrees saying, what do I need it for, I am going to die anyway? Rabbi Avishai David explains that Eisav is only interested in the here and now. He has no patience and wants immediate results. He doesn’t think about the future or the implication of his actions. He is hungry now and wants to eat now. Yaakov on the other hand, has patience. He understands that most things do not happen instantly and take time to develop. He understands that the actions of today have great ramifications for the future. Decisions cannot be made based on how I feel this minute but based on what the future results of today’s actions will be. He recognizes the value of the birthright even if it will not be immediately relevant. A developer I was close to once told me how his company bought a lot of land outside of the city with the vision that in 40 years, the city would grow and the land would become very valuable. He was right and they made a fortune.

Eisav does not believe in the world to come. Therefore, he is only interested in the immediate results. Yaakov understands that what we do in this world will have both immediate and eternal ramifications. And it takes time.

They say anything worth having is worth waiting for. Unfortunately, we have been influenced by the Eisav mentality and have difficulty putting in the time and effort to achieve great results. As a result many times we lose heart and give up. If we are able to develop more patience, we will be able to accomplish more in the long term and we will have greater pleasure in the moment and in the future.

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi Shaps and the JET Team