77. Come and behold, Rabbi Shimon was sitting with the other friends, when his son, Rabbi Elazar, appeared. The friend said to Rabbi Shimon, We have an important question to ask you concerning Jacob and Esau. Why was Jacob unwilling to give Esau a pottage of lentils unless he sold him his birthright? In addition, Esau said to Isaac, his father, "For he has supplanted me these two times" (Beresheet 27:36). HOW CAN JACOB DECEIVE ESAU?
78. He responded, Now you deserve a whipping, because you believed Esau and lied about Ya'akov's words. The scripture bears witness that "Jacob was a plain man" (Beresheet 25:27), WHICH MEANS THAT HE CAN NOT CHEAT. Also, it is written, "You will show truth to Jacob" (Michah 7:20). This was the situation concerning Jacob and Esau. Even before, Esau detested his birthright, and he asked Jacob to take the birthright without payment! Thus, it is as written, "And he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way, thus Esau despised the birthright" (Beresheet 25:34).
79. Of the verse, "And Jacob cooked a pottage, and Esau came from the field, and he was faint," Rabbi Elazar explained that, "And Jacob cooked," refers to the mourning for Abraham, WHO HAD DIED ON THAT DAY. AND JACOB COOKED ROUND LENTILS, WHICH HAVE NO MOUTH. THIS ALLUDES TO THE MOURNERS, WHO ARE WITHOUT A MOUTH. HE ASKS, But should not it have been written, 'And Isaac cooked a pottage,' SINCE HE, AND NOT JACOB, WAS THE MOURNER? HE ANSWERS, "Jacob cooked a pottage," because Jacob knew the origin of Esau and the side he cleaved to. Therefore, he cooked red dishes, namely, red lentils, for this dish breaks the power and might of the red blood, and can break the power and might of Esau, who is the secret of the red blood, as it is written, "And the first came out red" (Beresheet 25:25).
80. For that dish, by selling Jacob his birthright, Esau became a slave. Instantly, Jacob knew that for the one goat that the children of Yisrael sacrificed on Yom Kippur to his level - NAMELY, "TO AZAZEL INTO THE WILDERNESS," (VAYIKRA 16:10) THE SECRET OF THE SAMAEL, THE MINISTER OF ESAU - he becomes a slave to his descendants and will not accuse them. And because of the level of wisdom of Esau, Jacob dealt wisely with Esau everywhere, so that Esau was unable to rule and was submissive. Jacob was not defiled by him, but ruled over him.
82. Rabbi Yehuda said that this should have been true of Laban as well, because he was also a sorcerer, as it is written, "I have learned by signs that Hashem has blessed me for your sake" (Beresheet 30:27). THEREFORE JACOB WAS DECEITFUL TOWARD HIM. And although Jacob was a plain and whole man, he was merciful with whomever he had to be merciful. He was strict in judgment and deceitful when necessary. For he consisted of two parts, CHESED AND JUDGMENT, FOR JACOB IS THE SECRET OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN, WHICH COMPRISES THE TWO COLUMNS, CHESED AND GVURAH. It is written of him, "With the merciful you will show yourself merciful; ...and with the perverse you will show yourself subtle" (Tehilim 18:26), which means that with the merciful HE DEALT on the side of Chesed, and with the perverse on the side of Strict Judgment, all as it ought to be.