In Parshat Vayigash, Breisheet 46:5-6 we read: “Yaakov rose up from Beer Sheva. B’nai Yisrael transported their father Yaakov, their children and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. They took the livestock and their possessions that they had acquired in the Land of Cnaan and they came to Egypt, Yaakov and all of his descendents with him.”

Why does sentence 6 only mention the possessions that they acquired in the Land of Cnaan? What happened to the possessions that they acquired in Padan Aram (when he worked for Lavan)?

According to Rashi, whatever Yaakov acquired in Padan Aram he gave entirely to Esav for his share in Maarat HaMachpela (The burial cave in Chevron). He said, “Possessions acquired outside of the Land of Israel have no value for me.”

Yaakov took all of the gold and silver that he had brought from Lavan’s house and made a piled heap (kri) for Esav, and he said to him, “Take this for your share of Maarat HaMachpela.”

This is what Yaakov meant by (Breisheet 50:5) “Behold I am dying. The grave that I acquired (kariti) for myself in the Land of Cnaan, there you shall bury me.”

The Gemara in Sotah 13a explains that even though Yaakov did buy the rights from Esav to be buried in the cave, when B’nai Yisrael came to bury Yaakov, Esav wasn’t willing to give up his place.

Esav’s first argument was that Yaakov used up his own space (which Yaakov acquired when he bought the birthright) by burying Leah there. Esav argued that the last space should belong to him (Esav) since he was still the son of Yitzchak and Rivka.

B’nai Yisrael told Esav that he did in fact sell his portion of the cave to Yaakov and Yaakov even mentioned that he acquired it (Breisheet 50:5) when he was on his deathbed.

Esav then asked for a letter of proof that Yaakov did buy the extra burial plot.

B’nai Yisrael explained that the letter was still in Egypt and they were willing to send Naftali all the way back to Egypt to get the letter.

In the mean time, Chushim, the son of Dan who was hard of hearing, couldn’t understand exactly what was happening. He asked what was going on and was told that Esav was holding up Yaakov’s burial. At that point, Chushim took his staff, smashed Esav in the head and killed him.

The Midrash in Sefer HaYashar (1552, Naples) Chapter 57 explains that Esav’s sons fought with B’nai Yisrael while Esav was still lying dead and not buried. B’nai Yisrael won the war and Eliphaz, Esav’s son took Esav’s body to be buried on Mt. Seir. However, Esav’s head remained in Chevron and was buried there.

Esav was more interested in materialism than spirituality while Yaakov was focused on spirituality and willing to give up his material wealth. In both the sale of the birthright which Yaakov bought with a bowl of lentil soup and the sale of the burial plot in the cave which Yaakov bought with gold and silver, Yaakov planned ahead while Esav could only think “in the moment” of what material wealth he could gain. It was only later that Esav realized that he shortchanged himself spiritually but by then it was too late.