What Do We Have?

In another peculiar dialogue between Eisav and Yaakov Avinu we find a hidden message of how to view our lives. When they reconnect after so many years, Eisav offers Yaakov to take whatever he wants from his possessions because, as he says, "I have a lot" (33:9). Yaakov responds by saying no thank you, "I have everything" (33:11). 

It is fairly clear that Yaakov does not actually mean he has everything. Instead, he means to say that he has everything he needs. Whatever Eisav wants to give him is unnecessary. Yaakov, the "ish tam", man of completeness, is once again showing that he needs no more than what he already has. As Pirkei Avos explains, "Who is rich? He who is happy with his portion" (4:1).

Perhaps we can glean an even more fundamental message from this contrast, other than how to view our possessions. The perspective Eisav had was only in proportion to those around him. "A lot" is only based on the fact that others have less. Yaakov focused on what he himself needed, in which case he had everything. The significance of our gains do not depend on anyone other than ourselves. What we do is not judged based on how we rank amongst others, it's how we rank against our own potential. 

Have a great Shabbos.