The Sages relate that while Esau and Jacob were still in their mother’s womb, they made an agreement: Esau would receive this world and Jacob would receive Esau’s portion in the World to Come, as well as his own. Ultimately, Esau recognized his error.

The Sages said: When Jacob and Esau were in their mother’s womb, Jacob said to Esau: Esau my brother, we are two sons to our father, and there are two worlds before us – this world and the World to Come. This world has eating and drinking, commerce, marriage, and fathering children. But the World to Come does not have any of these elements. Do you want to take this world and I will take the World to Come? Immediately, Esau repudiated the concept of the revival of the dead, saying: People who have spirits and souls die. How do you know that those who died will once again live? At that moment, Esau took this world as his portion and Jacob took the World to Come as his portion. When Jacob returned from Laban’s house and Esau saw that Jacob had children, slaves, and maidservants, Esau said to Jacob: My brother, didn’t you say that you would take the World to Come? From where do you have all this? You benefit from this world like I do. Jacob said to him: It is the property that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave me for my use in this world, as it is stated [that Jacob responded to Esau: These are] “the children with whom God has graced your servant” (Genesis 33:5). At that moment, Esau reckoned, saying: In this world, which is not Jacob’s portion, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him his reward thus. In the World to Come, which is his portion – all the more so that he will receive great reward. (Eliyahu Zuta [Ish Shalom] 19)