One of the highlights of parashat Toledot is Jacob’s theft of Esau’s blessings and birthright. Most traditional interpreters justify Jacob’s deeds as being necessary. Such readings of Jacob’s deception has led us to laugh at or ignore Esau’s emotional distress when discovering that his blessings were seized from him (Genesis 27:34).

One Midrash, however, takes Esau’s cries seriously, arguing that Jacob’s descendents were punished for causing Esau to cry out. Such retribution comes in the form of Haman, who in the rabbinic imagination is a descendent of Esau. The Midrash makes this argument by noticing the linguistic parallels between Esau’s cries and those of Mordechai after discovering Ahasuerus’ decree regarding the Jews: “Jacob caused Esau to cry out, as it is written, ‘and he cried with a great and bitter cry.’ When was he repaid for it? At Shushan the capital, as it is written, ‘and he cried with a great and bitter cry’ (Esther 4:1).”

The implications of the midrash are clear. No matter how warranted Jacob’s actions were, he must still be punished for causing emotional pain to someone else. Even when we have no choice but to cause others physical or emotional pain, we ignore their suffering at our own risk.