An allusion to the story of Dama ben Nesinah may be found in the Torah (Bereshis 25,29-34) which relates that Esav returned home from the field to find Yaacov preparing lentil soup. (Rashi explains that the lentil soup was for his father, Yitzchak, who was mourning for the death of his father, Avrohom). Esav, exhausted and ravenous, demanded that Yaacov give him some of "that red stuff" ("Adom"). Esav's reference to the soup as "Adom" was one of the things which earned him the epithet, "Edom" ("red"). Yaacov offered Esav the soup in return for Esav's birthright. Esav said he had no need for the birthright and sold it to Yaacov. The verse relates that Yaacov then gave ("Nasan") to Esav bread and lentils, and Esav disgraced his birthright.
Esav was called Edom ("red") because his desire for the red lentils was so strong that he relinquished his birthright in exchange for the soup. Perhaps this is the Torah's allusion to Dama ben Nesinah. "Adom" (Alef-Dalet-Mem) is spelled with the same letters as the word "Dama" (Dalet-Mem-Alef). The red lentils ("Adom") which were given over ("Nesinah") is an allusion to "Dama ben Nesinah." (Alternatively, Esav ("Edom") who gave away ("Nesinah") his birthright for a dish of lentils alludes to "Dama ben Nesinah.")
What logical relationship is there between the story of Esav and the story of Dama ben Nesinah? The Chachamim (Yerushalmi) state that Esav excelled in his performance of the Mitzvah of honoring his parents. Raban Shimon ben Gamliel declared that in all of his years of serving his father, he did not do for his father even a fraction of what Esav did for his father. Naturally, Dama -- who was a general in the Roman army and thus a descendant of Esav, also excelled in the Mitzvah of honoring his father.
Why does the Torah allude to Dama's noble conduct in this particular incident in Esav's life? Esav acted reprehensively by displaying such a cavalier attitude toward the birthright, the rights which included the privilege to participate in the Avodah in the Beis ha'Mikdash. Esav's conduct also resulted in a positive outcome: Yaacov, who obviously was more fit to serve, received the right to perform the Avodah in the Beis ha'Mikdash. In the merit of this positive outcome of his act.
Esav was blessed with the righteous Dama among his offspring. Although Dama lived generations later, Esav through his descendant Dama was given the opportunity to rectify his sin of spurning the Avodah of HaShem. One attains atonement for his sin, and the sin is considered rectified, when the penitent sinner later faces and overcomes the same temptations which he faced when he first sinned. Perhaps such repentance is effective even in a multigenerational context. The descendant of a sinner can attain atonement for the sin of his forebear to a certain degree by not succumbing to the temptations which his forebear faced.
When the representatives sought to purchase the stone needed to perform the Avodah, it was Dama ben Nesinah who provided what was missing. Esav, the "grandfather," had shown his contempt for the Avodah when he exchanged the birthright for a bowl of soup. Dama rectified that sin when he showed respect for the needs of the Beis ha'Mikdash. While Esav was willing to "sell" the rights to perform the Avodah in order to satisfy his thirst for physical pleasure, Dama declined the huge financial gain which he was offered for the stone. Just as Esav received something red (lentils) in return for his sale, Dama was granted the red heifer as a reward for his sale.
