Success Needs Planning

Yitzhak wanted to bless Esav but he was blind. Rivka knew that Esav did not deserve the blessing so she had Yaakov dress up as Esav. Rivka knew the true nature of her sons. Yitzhak was blinded by his narrative.

Envy Destroys, Building Helps Everyone - Abraham dug wells so that all who needed water could have it. The Philistines destroyed the wells out of jealousy. Yitzhak dug the wells again. Abraham & Yitzhak were builders for all.

Just as Jacob was willing to forgo instant pleasure for the future & Isaac dug the wells for all, we honor our Veterans for their service to our country.

Esau was a hunter. He would go out and try to find prey, if he didn't find it he went hungry. Jacob was a shepherd He would have to plan. He was into delayed gratification. That is one of the prime reasons we follow Jacob and not Esau.

Esau was a hunter therefore he did not plan beyond the hunt. Jacob was a man who did plan for the future. This is the reason that Esau was willing to sell his birthright for a pot of lentils. He was hungry now.

Rebecca gives birth to twins. They quickly develop into twodistinct people. Jacob is a man of learning, who believes in delayed satisfaction while Esau lives for the moment.

In this week's parsha we have the deaths of both Sarah and Abraham. But we also have Isaac and Rebecca taking the mantle of leadership. That is the way that Abraham and Sarah's legacy will continue.

Abraham buys the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron. He could have taken if for free since he was promised the land of Israel by God, but he wanted that there would be no question of ownership of the land.

While the Parsha is called The Life of Sarah, it discusses her death. That is because if we follow in her footsteps and practice what she stood for then she is not dead but alive through our actions.

The most important thing that we learn from this week's Parsha is that God hates evil. He destroys Sodom and Gomorrah because of the evil they do. But Lot is blinded by his wealth and refuses to leave. He is forced out. And then has a sad end,