In this compelling class with Rabbi Shafier, explore a startling midrashic insight: how Esav—a wicked man who rejected spirituality—excelled in honoring his parents to a degree that humbled the great Tanna Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel. By unpacking how a man devoid of faith could still hold such profound, unbridled gratitude for his father, Rabbi Shafier reframes our understanding of parental sacrifice, free will, and daily appreciation. Ultimately, this class offers a fresh perspective. Rabbi Shafier shows how moving past routine gratitude and unlocking real appreciation can transform your relationship with both your family and G-d.

If you don’t appreciate it, you may as well not have it. Isn’t that a disturbing thought?

Of course, appreciation is at the core of kibud av v’eim, a mitzvah that Eisav HaRasha excelled in. Think about it. By the age of fifteen, Eisav had already killed a man, lived with a married woman, renounced mitzvos, techias hameisim and olam haba. Devoid of morality, it seems puzzling that he was so careful to honor his father, Yitzchak Avinu.

In this week’s Shmuz, Rabbi Shafier takes a deeper look as to why kibud av was so instinctual to even a lowlife like Eisav.

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By the age of fifteen, Eisav had already killed a man, lived with a married woman, denied the Torah and renounced mitzvos, techias hameisim and olam haba. Devoid of morality, it seems puzzling that he was so careful to honor his father Yitzchak. In this captivating Shmuz, Rabbi Shafier tackles the subject of appreciation. Tune in to discover why kibud av was so instinctive to Eisav, how we can get better at it in our own lives and why hakaras hatov is our ticket to a meaningful life.