"How could they be do that?!"
Sometimes we watch in disbelief how someone can - in a moment - make a catastrophic mistake that sends their family-life or credibility and stature down in the dumps. All it takes is one single extreme misstep. To the observer, the temptation or challenge may seem easy to overcome, so why do some struggle and fail so miserably.
One tool to avoid many moral failings can be unlocked in the story of this week's Torah portion - Toldot. Esau, the firstborn son of Isaac and Rebecca sold off the firstborn-rights to his younger brother, Jacob, for a whopping price of a... bowl of lentil soup! It didn't take long for Esau to deeply regret his blunder, but it was too late and it leads to a drama which lasts his entire life.
Could Esau really not stand the temptation of a bowl of soup?! Was he that weak or such a fool?
The key lies in two words in the Torah's narrative: "Vehu Ayef" - Esau was tired. We believe that all people have integrity and wouldn't act foolishly and destroy their life's work in a moment. However, people are overcome by a moment of weakness, of clouded judgment. It may be physically drained or emotional and spiritual fatigue.
Avoiding a mistake doesn't begin in the moment of truth. The key lies in keeping ourselves out of a state of fatigue.
It means tending to our body - eating, sleeping and exercising well.
But it also means keeping our spirit strong and fresh. The battle to maintain our integrity is constant, we are always on. We can't afford to follow Esau's foolish path - we must maintain our spiritual edge. Study Torah and connect in prayer. Often!