VaYishlach
Reb Shlomo Minyan HarNof
(R. Raphael, email: [email protected])
Receiving From Hashem
Esav spoke with pride, "I own a great deal," much more than what I need. Yaakov replied, "I have everything (exactly what is necessary)" (Rashi on Bereshit 33:11).
In order to understand what Yaakov said we need to look into the way that a tzaddik receives. When Hashem gives good to the tzaddik He does so in a hidden way as the pasuk says, "How great is Your good that You hide for those that fear You" (Tehillim 31:20). Because for the tzaddik, the one who fears Hashem, it is necessary to receive in a hidden way so he'll have just what he needs. As it says, "There is nothing lacking to those that fear you" (from the blessing after bread) - nothing of excess.
This is what it means that "Hashem raises them, the low ones." A person who wants to remain humble before Hashem is lifted by Him in a way that he will be able to remain humble. This humility gives the tzaddik the vessel so that he should continue to receive. Because Hashem gives good to all that need. And if a person gets prideful,then he's saying that he lacks nothing and therefore he stops receiving gifts of Heaven. But the tzaddik doesn't grasp what is given with pride. He keeps looking to Hashem and this enables him to receive constantly because he is a vessel that is ever open for blessing from Hashem. As it says "water goes down to the lowest point."
We can understand from this why it is necessary that the tzaddik not request good from Hashem based on his merit. If his taking would be in accordance with his deeds, that would mean that the power of his deeds reaches only so far. He would be equating his act with the reward he receives. We can rise much higher than this if our doing is only for the glory of Hashem and this itself is the greatest glory we can give to Hashem in this world.
Thus, because Yaakov asked only for what he needed, he did not present his prayer based on merit. Because Hashem gives to the tzaddik out of kindness and not because of the merit of his actions. The good that a tzaddik receives is truly not because of him since his wealth, whether spiritual or physical comes only from Hashem's kindness. Therefore the one who asks to receive from Hashem's kindness remains very humble in his own eyes. But the rasha gets according to the little bit of merit that there is in his deeds, and this was why Esav was prideful. He felt that he was holding onto something he had received according to his desserts.
This difference between Yaakov and Esav is an internal relationship within each of us. Thus, Rachel was told about the twins she would bear, "The great one will serve the small" (Bereshit 25:23). Esav, who looks at himself with pride, thinks about his own merit. And this is contrasted with Yaakov who goes in the opposite way, "What does Hashem ask but to fear Him." All that Hashem asks is for us to acknowledge that what we get comes from Him. And this is what Hashem's greatest servants, Moshe and Aharon, said of themselves, "What (mah) are we?" Through giving all that he has and all that he is, a person can receive without billowing with pride. He can accept Hashem's kindness, "How (mah) great is your good" (Tehillim 31:20). He remains in the aspect of mah, only looking to Hashem, even after he receives good. And this the kindness that is referred to in the pasuk, "Hashem hides the good for those that fear Him" (Sefat Emet 142).
Sending Angels
When Yaakov was about to enter the land he made a double reference in his prayer for deliverance, "Save me from the hand of my brother, the hand of Esav for I am afraid he will strike me, mother and children" (Bereishit 32:11). Yaakov needs protection from attack on two flanks, right and left. This is why he sends two camps of angels. But why can't he just send human messengers?
The short answer is that Esav is too far gone. He is steeped in evil. To send someone to reason with him would be a futile delusion. Only an angel, a messenger of Divine Will, can protect a person in such a case. The Shem MiShemuel explains:
When Yaakov approached the land he sent messengers to tell Esav, "I have oxen and mules" or, literally, "an ox and a mule." These animals represent the two moshicim, Moshiach ben Yosef and Moshiach ben David. Each one has a different strength in holiness. Yosef, the ox, can overturn the power of negativity that is Esav. The other Moshiach, ben David, rides a mule, and stands for the power to raise up the seductions of Yishmael who is called Am Chamor, Mule Nation. Chamor is the symbol of "chumriut," physicality and Yishmael has to do with taking the light of spirituality and sinking it into worldly lust, stealing from the longing for Gd by directing it into worldly appetites where it doesn't belong. Thus the midrash says when Gd offered the Torah to Yishmael he refused it because of the prohibition of stealing.
Esav weds himself to the power of Yishmael. "Esav married Machalat, daughter of Yishmael, son of Avraham" (Bereishit 28:9)). Yishmael is a branch of falseness, a seduction of the heart, fallen love. While Yishmael is a branch, Esav is the root, the blinding of the mind getting caught up in external forces to the point where the person sees bad as good and good as bad. Esav is called the ox of fallenness, the aspect of dishonesty, because he has perverted himself to the point where he no longer recognizes his creator. As the pasuk says, "The ox knows his owner" (Yashayahu 1). Esav's pride leaves no room for this recognition.
Yosef repairs the klipah of Esav. He represents the strength to hold fast to truth. For this reason, Yosef is the nemesis of Esav. He comes from Rachel and it is eventually the children of Rachel (Mordechai from Benyamin) who bring about the downfall of Esav (Haman).
Now, the whole power of evil comes from the perversion of holiness. Without the holiness that is at the essential root of everything, evil would have no existence whatsoever. And this is why Yaakov had to send angels to Esav and not flesh and blood messengers. Because Esav has lost the ability to choose the good. He no longer has two paths set before him for him. He can no longer do what it says in Tehillim 34:9, "Taste and see that Hashem is good." Esav is willfully bad. Transgressing every instinct of decency, he is addicted to the external powers of corruption. He is a vehicle for the forces of uncleanliness with no desire any more to taste goodness. Such a one as this has no ability to understand, so what point would there be in engaging him as a normal human being.
Now it's known that everything that exists in the world has a spiritual root above and this is manifest in the world of angels by a minister that guards it from above like Michae-l the minister of water and Gabrie-l minister of fire. And when this minster is directly present to its worldly manifestation then that thing automatically turns towards the good - at least temporarily.
Thus in Bavel when Nebuchednezer threw Daniel's three companions into the oven, the minster of fire stepped forward in the Heavenly court and said, "I am the one to protect them since I can cool the fire from within as well as suppress it from without." Because angels are messengers of the one Gd whose reality is the source of everything. The fire in the oven would be going against Hashem's will to burn at such a time - therefore the very angel of fire is the appropriate force to stop it. Normally the fire wouldn't experience any contradictory will because the oneness is usually hidden to permit the creation to continue. But when that will is revealed then the fire cannot burn against the will of Hashem. This is true as well of a wicked person. When he looks in the face of an angel even when the angel is enclothed in physical manifestation or even a great and holy man, then he has no choice but to act for the good.
So now that Yaakov was about to confront the double evil of Esav he turned to Hashem to save him with two camps. One was parallel to his love for Hashem, the other to his truthfulness. And these are his two names. Yaakov, which is from the word "ekev," heel, which indicates surrendering to Hashem even in the face of the desires of the heart. And Yisrael, which contains the words "yashar," honest, together with Gd's name, "E-l." That Yisrael's power comes from his honesty with Hashem is the opposite of the falseness of Esav. Once he has fulfilled the power of Yaakov, transforming desire to surrender, he can push off the power of the external forces and reach wisdom, which is the realization of the name Yisrael.
Anger Opposes Wisdom Anger causes a person to be distant from truth. His prayer is lacking and he is unable to complete things - the potential is there but he isn't able to bring it into the world (Lekutei Eitzot of Rebbe Nachman).
The characteristic of patience seems to summarize the way of Yaakov Avinu. He weathered Lavan's abuse for 20 years. When he returned to confront Esav he told him, "I lived for all these years with the most powerful magician of all, Lavan. In spite of his cunning ways, I kept the whole Torah and now I have managed to escape. This is proof enough that you cannot harm me." Yaakov was able to accomplish what he did with Lavan because he had the ability to suffer without succumbing to the baseness of his adversary. Yaakov used his time with Lavan to build himself in holiness, sustaining himself even while he was in a place of tumah. Thus, because Yaakov was a master of patience, he was also a master of wisdom.
After his tutelage with Lavan, Yaakov comes back to confront Esav. As he nears the Holy Land, Yaakov sends out messengers to present Esav welcoming news - he is arriving with many gifts. When the messengers return with word that Esav is indeed still Esav and that he is en route with 400 men, Yaakov is struck with fear. He divides his camp into two. This is not a preparation to fight. Rather, Yaakov hopes that at least one camp will be spared. He then begins to pray to Hashem, mentioning the promises made to himself and to Avraham, as well, that their descendants would become a great nation. Even with his three types of preparation, the night before Yaakov will meet Esav is stark. "Yaakov remained alone�" We shouldn't belittle the fear that Yaakov felt at this time in spite of his character or even the visionary promises he had received from Hashem. The Midrash says,
Rav Judan said, "Gd told Yaakov, 'Return to the land of your fathers,' yet Yaakov was greatly afraid. From this we learn that the righteous have no assurance in this world."
Rav Huna said in Rav Acha's name, "'And behold, I am with you,' yet Yaakov said, 'If Gd will be with me.' From this we learn that the righteous have no assurance in this world.
Likewise with Moshe, 'Certainly I will be with you and no evil will harm you,' yet at the lodging place Hashem sought to kill him. The righteous have no assurance in this world" (Midrash Rabbah 76:2).
An encounter with Esav cuts to the quick of Yaakov. In spite of being accompanied by family and surrounded by wealth, the negative spiritual power of Esav strikes Yaakov in his essence. It leaves him utterly alone. It is only there that confrontation with Esav - or more precisely, a confrontation with his own soul - is possible. Only in this moment before their meeting does Yaakov once again touch what remains of his unfinished past, going all the way back to his shared beginning with Esav. At the same time, in the same movement, Yaakov relates to Esav in closeness and antagonism: they hold each other in a kind of embrace while they struggle for ascendancy. Yaakov does not attempt to kill Esav. Instead, Yaakov and Esav are twisted together, pitting strength against strength. It is with patience and endurance that Yaakov triumphs. He manages to hold his foe in check, to embrace him and disarm him at the same time. This continues until sunrise, until the time of redemption. By wrestling in the dust, meeting Esav's power while standing in lowliness before Hashem, Yaakov is able to rise above his fear. Thus, at the end of the night he is brought to a new closeness with Hashem, and Yaakov calls the place Penei E-l, "I have seen Gd face to face." Rather than react to the fear by hiding from it, Yaakov uses it to search himself before Hashem, to try himself below so that there will be no judgment above. In the end of this struggle, the power of Esav is broken, emptied into Yaakov as an affirmation of the original blessing form Yitzchak.
As Rebbe Nachman writes, "When a person is attacked and pursued it is all in order that he can come closer to Hashem. Our trials and suffering make us seek out Hashem and there is no other advice possible" (Lekutei Eitzot).
The Midrash says Yaakov's fear and distress in meeting Esav is to be understood as follows: "Fearful lest he be killed, distressed lest he kill" (Bereishit 32:8) Because killing is not a fulfillment for Yaakov. Yaakov's strength is to wrestle. To be patient in the worst circumstances, wresting meaning from the encounter. This is the painful process of growth, of ripening, of gathering reward to be carried into the future. Its expression in middot is in holding back from emotional outbursts that rob us of our daat (connectedness). By doing this we are able to squeeze the sparks of holiness that are hidden in our strongest desires and fears. In its most extreme form - killing - we acknowledge defeat - nothing can be raised up. But in grappling with hardship, there is inner change. Fear is replaced by knowledge. Self-estrangement is transformed to familiarity. Kill or be killed - both mark the failure of a process of wrestling to make the world holy.
When the Midrash tells us that Yaakov was promised protection from Hashem and yet he feared, we can see in this the opening of an opportunity rather than a disappointment of Yaakov's faith. We don't need to explain away Yaakov's fear. Only someone on his exalted level could ever be expected to cope with confronting an enemy like Esav. Yaakov's strength is not his outward power but his strength of inwardness. The fear itself can be transformed into a vehicle for serving Hashem. Had Yaakov hidden in the promises that had already been made, he would not have been a man of truth. Yaakov judged himself. He was honest with Hashem and through this reached the greatest level of closeness.
Mitzvot
According to Sefer HaChinuch there is one mitzvah in parashat Vayishlach, the prohibition of eating the gid hanasheh or sciatic nerve. (see Bereshit 32:32.) This hints to us that just as Esav wanted to uproot our father Yaakov, causing him great trials but in the morning he was healed, so too the times of Moshiach there will be healing from our suffering and redemption (Sefer HaChinuch).
At A Glance