Genesis 25:28
And Isaac loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob. It was not that Isaac hated Jacob or that Rebekah hated Esau, but that they each favored one over the other. To a certain extent, when there is more than one of anything, whether they are children, wives, toys, or tools, one will always be loved more than the others. There is not necessarily anything wrong with that. Isaac apparently approved of Esau's skill in hunting, his manliness if you will, while Rebekah approved of Jacob's more broad-based focus. Of itself, this is not a terrible thing, but taken too far it can cause neglect and jealousy, as in the case of Jacob's relationship with Rachel and Leah. Perhaps Jacob learned this behavior from his parents.
On a related note... I’ve heard it said that there are two kinds of people in the world: those who learn from others’ mistakes and those who have to learn from their own. Esau represents a third type: those who don’t learn from anyone’s mistakes and blame others when things go badly.
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