The rabbinic tradition portrays Yaakov and Esav as two sharply contrasting personality types. Even their manner of speaking is interpreted as a window into their inner character. The very choice of words each uses becomes significant. Esav’s words, when he returns famished from a long day of hunting and finds Yaakov cooking a pot of lentil stew, are particularly telling:

“Give me some (haliteini na) of that red stuff to gulp down, for I am famished.” (Genesis 25:30)

The English translation does not fully convey the nuance of Esav’s expression. The verb “haliteini” is the causative form of the root ל–ע–ט (lamed–ayin–tet), a term commonly used in reference to feeding animals and carrying connotations of crude, unrestrained gluttony. As we will see, this unusual verb plays a crucial role in the continuation of our discussion.

We now turn to a Mishnah dealing largely with agricultural law:

“A vineyard in its fourth year (whose fruit must be eaten in Jerusalem or redeemed) is marked with clods of earth; orlah (the forbidden fruit of the first three years) is marked with........

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