Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week.
Then the
messengers returned to Jacob, saying:
"We
came to your brother Esau and moreover he goes forth to meet you and four
hundred men are with him. (Bereishit 32:7)
It appears to me in this matter
that Esau did not receive the messengers
properly and paid them no heed. Perhaps they did not even come before him for
he did not at all give permission for them to come before him and speak to him
for otherwise, Scripture would have related that Esau questioned them
concerning his brother's welfare and about his circumstances and those of his
household and children. [Scripture further would have told how Esau requested]
that they convey greetings to Jacob and tell him that he is proceeding towards
him to see him, and they would have told it thus to Jacob. Scripture, however,
does not narrate that the messengers transmitted a word in Esau's name. Instead,
he [Esau] kept his wrath in his heart, and he came with his army for the
purpose of doing Jacob evil. Now the messengers had investigated the matter in
the camp, and they knew that he was going to meet Jacob. This is the meaning of
the word vegam ("and moreover") [in the verse, and moreover
he goes forth to meet you], for they said, "We came to your brother
Esau, but he did not answer us a word, and he sent you no greeting, and
moreover, he goes to meet you with might and an army." This was what
added fear to his fear, as Scripture says, And Jacob was greatly afraid, and
was distressed. And so our Rabbis said that the messengers recognized
hatred in him [Esau]. Thus they said: "We came to your brother Esau.
You behave towards him like a brother, but he behaves towards you like Esau the
villain" (Bereishit Rabbah 75; 7). However, in the
end, when Esau saw the great honor Jacob bestowed upon him and how he
prostrated himself before him, bowing to the ground seven times from the
distance until he approached him, his mercy was aroused, and he thought that
Jacob was recognizing his birthright and his pre-eminence, as I have explained.
And with this he was comforted, for the hearts belong to God, Who turns them
wither He will.
(RaMBaN Bereishit 32: 8, Chavel translation)
We came to your
brother Esau - and you found favor in his eyes, as you had spoken. And out of joy at
your arrival and his love for you, and moreover he goes forth to meet you and four hundred men are with him, in your honor. That is the essence of the plain meaning of the verse. And so,
too, Even now he is setting out to meet you, and he will be happy to see you
(Shemot 4: 1).
(RaShBaM
32:7)
The Angels and Our Father Jacob
Yossi Morgenstern
Jacob's
connection with angels stands out both in parashat Vayetze as well as in our
own parasha; it begs for explanation. In the previous parasha these were angels
of God - malakhei Elohim (Bereishit 28:12; 31:2) while in this week's parasha they are human
messengers. The repetition of the term in adjacent contexts has moved me to
think about the meaning of its use in connection with Jacob.
And
he dreamed, and behold! A ladder set up on the ground and its top reached to heaven; and behold, angels of God
were ascending and descending upon it. (Bereishit 28:12)
RaMBaM
did not compose a running commentary on Scripture but he did interpret many of
its verses in his philosophical magnum opus, the Guide for the Perplexed.
Here is what it has to say about Jacob's dream from our parasha:
Although
the two roots naẓab and yaẓab are distinct, yet their meaning is, as you know, identical in all their
various forms... In other instances it denotes continuance and permanence...Whenever
this term is applied to God it must be understood in the latter sense, as, And,
behold, the Lord stood (niẓẓab) upon it (Bereishit 28:13), i.e., appeared as eternal and everlasting
"upon it," namely, upon the ladder, the upper end of which reached to
heaven, while the lower end touched the earth. This ladder all who wish to do
so may climb up, and they must ultimately attain to knowledge of Him who is
above the summit of the ladder, because He remains upon it permanently. It must
be well understood that the term "upon it" is employed by me in
harmony with this metaphor. "Angels of God" (28:12) who were going up represent the prophets...
How suggestive, too, is the expression "ascending and descending on
it"! The ascent is mentioned before the descent, inasmuch as the
"ascending" and arriving at a certain height of the ladder precedes
the "descending," i.e., the application of the knowledge acquired in
the ascent for the training and instruction of mankind. This application is
termed "descent," in accordance with our explanation of the term yarad
(chapter 10). (Guide
for the Perplexed I:15 Friedländer translation)
According to RaMBaM the dream instructs Jacob regarding
the correct way to rule in the world. The yoke of leadership rests upon the
prophets, but before they can go down to the people to teach them they must
first ascend to discover the truth. By coming to know the truth they become
worthy of leading the people.
RaMBaM's interpretation is reminiscent of the parable
for the cave found in Plato's Republic, which describes how the ideal
philosopher-king rules the city. The role of the prophet in Judaism parallels
that of the philosopher for the Greeks. It does not appear merely coincidental
that RaMBaM mentions Plato just two chapters after offering his political
interpretation of Jacob's dream. He writes:
This
principle was not peculiar to our Sages: ancient philosophers and scholars of
other nations were likewise wont to treat of the principia rerum
obscurely, and to use figurative language in discussing such subjects. Thus
Plato and his predecessors called Substance the female, and Form the male. (Guide for the Perplexed I:17 Friedländer
translation)
There is no space here to expand upon the
significance of form and matter for Plato, but the very fact that RaMBaM cites
him in such close proximity to the discussion of Jacob's dream may point to a
reasonable possibility that RaMBaM was thinking of Plato's cave when he
composed his interpretation of Jacob's dream.
Plato's parable of the cave is one of the best known
metaphors produced by that celebrated philosopher. The parable, which appears
in the Republic, tells of a group of prisoners who have been jailed in a
dark cave since their infancy. They are bound by chains so that their heads
remain fixed and facing in the same direction. Behind the prisoners stands a
wall, behind which burns a constant fire that illuminates the cave-wall which
fills the prisoners' field of vision. Creatures bearing statues take their
places between the fire and the wall. The statues are carried high above the
height of the wall, and, being illuminated from behind by the fire, they cast
shadows upon the cave-wall which the prisoners are watching. The prisoners
believe that those shadows constitute real life. One of the prisoners manages
to free himself of his bonds. Something pulls him up a steep dirt path and out
of the cave. He can look around and he sees that creatures are not shadows. He
sees nature, the birds, and the night's heavenly bodies. He can also see his
own shadow.
The prisoner decides to return to the cave in order
to tell the other prisoners about the wonders of the world around them and to
free them. However, when he returns to the cave the other prisoners scoff at
him and claim he is sick. He tries to explain to them about the outside world,
but they scornfully discount his words. If he would execute his plan of freeing
them, the prisoners would have murdered him.
For RaMBaM, ascent of the ladder towards God parallels
the prisoner's escape from the cave in order to see the true light. The
prisoner's return to the cave in order to teach what he has learned to those
left there is parallel to the prophets' decent down the ladder in order to
teach the people. The scorn suffered by the prisoner upon his return to the
cave is remarkably reminiscent of the people's scorn towards the prophets
Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Amos.
RaMBaM differs from Plato in that he views the need
to return to the cave/to descend to the people as a religious obligation. The prophet/teacher's
obligation to go down to the people (a kind of imitatio dei) is alluded
to directly or metaphorically in several biblical passages. I will only mention
two of these.
First example: Esther hides in the king's palace
(who represents the King of Kings) and it is only thanks to Mordechai's
encouragement that she risks her life and goes forth to save the people:
And
Mordecai ordered to reply to Esther, "Do not imagine to yourself that you
will escape in the king's house from among all the Jews. For
if you remain silent at this time, relief and rescue will arise for the Jews
from elsewhere, and you and your father's household will perish; and who knows
whether at a time like this you will attain the kingdom?" (Esther 4:13-14)
Esther returns to her people (she assembles the
Jews) but she does understand the dangers involved: And whatever I have lost
I have lost (4:16). Despite the dangers, she returns to the cave.
There is another episode which may even more
powerfully symbolize the difficulty of performing the religious obligation to
return to the cave. I refer to the story of the righteous of
And
the Lord said, "If I find in
In his commentary on the verse, Ibn Ezra explains
the significance of the phrase, within the city:
The
meaning of within the city is that they fear God publicly, as in the
verse, Stroll in the streets of
There were righteous people in the city - in the
houses of study - but they were not to be found in the streets of the city
performing acts of kindness and spreading God's Torah. They decided not to
return to the cave. RaDaK comments on the verse cited by Ibn Ezra:
Stroll - search and inquire after... there were
pious people and servants of God in
Abraham2 and Moses offer further examples
of the sage who leads as a prophet-messenger.
Finally, let us recall Jacob. Jacob was an
innocent man, dwelling in tents (Bereishit
25:27). However, he left the tent. According to the midrash, he studied in the
house of study belonging to Shem and Ever - but he left the house of study. The
angels who descended the ladder met him and accompanied him as he returned to
the
True, we are neither prophets nor the teachers of
our generation, but in addition to the ambition to learn more and grow closer
to God in one's own chosen path, each individual must, in his own world, descend
the ladder and return to the cave. One should not abandon hope of improving the
world, if only just a little bit, despite the fear of failure. Perhaps, thanks
to one's efforts, the world really will be a slightly better place.
While the heart says, "I am dirt and dust,"
one should also draw near to the people with a call of "The world was
created for my sake!"
1.
See Nehama Leibowitz's Iyyunim BeSefer Bereishit, pp. 131-132.
2.
See Mishneh Torah Hilkhot Avoda
Zara 1. I would like to thank Prof. Hannah Kasher who read this article and
made interesting and important comments.
Yossi Morgenstern is a computer programmer.
Jacob became exceedingly afraid and was distressed - There are
no Victors in War, Only Victims and Pain.
Jacob became exceedingly afraid and was distressed - R. Yehuda son of R. Ilai said: This was neither fear nor distress, but he became exceedingly afraid - lest he kill; and was distressed - should he be killed. He said: if he overcomes me, he will kill me, and if I win, I will kill him. This is the meaning of the double phrase: exceedingly afraid - lest he kill, distressed - should he be killed.
(Bereishit Rabbah 66)
Jacob's attitude to his brother Esau weighs heavily upon his
conscience. His gloom is so deep that he cannot lift his face to look his
brother in the eye, certainly he cannot raise his hand against him, even in
order to save his life and those of his household. Jacob feels the need to
receive Esau's forgiveness. His behavior in his meeting with Esau does not
indicate a flaw in his personality; on the contrary, we have before us the
beginning of Jacob's reformation; he moves from that which was signified in his
life by the derogatory name Jacob towards that which will be symbolized
in the future by the noble name Israel. It is not by accident that the parasha
of his name change and the parasha of his reconciliation with Esau are
juxtaposed.
(Y. Leibowitz: Sheva
Shanim shel Sihot al Parashat HaShavua, p. 135)
So that the socket of his hip was strained
as he wrestled with him - A time of war and a time of peace.
As he wrestled with him - seems to be redundant. This is the basis
of the Sages' exposition in Hullin (91a).
According to the plain reading, the meaning is "as Jacob wrestled
with him," for until now, the angel fought with Jacob, and now he wished
to break off contact, but Jacob took the offensive and resumed the struggle
with the angel; therefore, he was punished and his hip was displaced. This was
because Jacob's attribute was profuse love of peace, as we had noted above.
Therefore, he, too, should have rested - as did the angel who ceased to fight.
Jacob, however, betrayed his own attribute, and therefore, he was punished in
his hip, which controls walking and which signifies man's customary
behavior. We have a major generalization - when a person is used to exhibiting
a fine attribute, it takes on the status of a vow; should he later be
unfaithful to this attribute, he is punished. Furthermore, it may be said that
this comes to teach a lesson for all generations - the behavior of the fathers
is a sign unto the sons - as will be later explained.
(Ha'Amek Davar,
Bereishit 32:26)
...and it comes to teach us how one should behave with his adversaries,
not challenging them too much, and when the fright has passed, it is best to
let the pursuer go on his way.
(Ha'Amek Davar,
Bereishit 32:32)
And he kissed him or And he bit him? Can Esau's
Kiss be Trusted?
And
Esau ran to meet him... and kissed him:
Do not read "and he kissed him" [vayishakehu] but "and he
bit him" [vayinshakhehu].
(Pirkei Derabbi Eliezer 36)
And
kissed him - the word has dots above
it. Should one suppose that this was a kiss of love? R. Shimon ben Elazar said:
But were not all Esau's acts of hate at the beginning? - Except for this one,
which was an act of love.
(Avot DeRabbi Natan 2)
The
word and they wept is a sure sign that we have before us pure
human emotion. A person may indeed kiss without his heart being in it, but
we can rest on the assumption that the tears which burst forth at such moments
come from the depths of the heart; this kiss and these tears show us that Esau
too was a descendant of Abraham our father, and not just a savage hunter, for
how else could he have attained the rank of a ruler in the development of
mankind? The sword alone, mere physical force, do not make a person fit for
such status.
(From the commentary of R. Samson Raphael Hirsch on the
Torah)
And
they wept - Both of them wept. This
teaches us that, at that moment, love for Esau stirred in Jacob too. And so it
is down the generations: when the descendants of Esau are inspired by a pure
spirit to recognize the descendants of
(From R. Naftali Zvi Yehuda
The sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam, and
the sister of Lotan was Timna.
(Bereishit 36:22)
and Lotan's sister was
Timna - Who was she?
Timna was the daughter of kings, as it is written; the aluf [chief] of
Lotan, the aluf of Timna (Bereishit 36), and every
aluf was an uncrowned king.
She asked to convert.
She went to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but they would not accept her.
[So] she went and became a concubine to Esau's son, Elifaz.
She said: "It is better for me to be a maidservant to this people
than to be a matron of another nation."
Amalek, which caused trouble to
What was the reason? Because they should not have rebuffed her.
(Sanhedrin 99b)
To all our supporters and friends,
Oz veShalom/Netivot Shalom has now been granted
tax-deductible status in
We are in need of $15,000 in order to continue the
publication and distribution of Shabbat Shalom without interruption, and in
order to fulfill our obligations to the foundation which supports us.
All contributions, not matter how large or small, will
be warmly accepted. For details, contact
0523-920206 or by email at: ozshalom@netvision.net.il
Many thanks
Shabbat Shalom is
available on our website: www.netivot-shalom.org.il
If you wish to
subscribe to the email English editions of Shabbat Shalom, to print copies of
it for distribution in your synagogue, to inquire regarding the dedication of
an edition in someone’s honor or memory, to find out how to make tax-exempt
donations, or to suggest additional helpful ideas, please call +972-52-3920206
or at ozshalom@netvision.net.il
If you enjoy Shabbat Shalom, please consider contributing towards its publication and distribution.
Issues may be dedicated in honor of an event, person, simcha, etc. Requests must be made 3-4 weeks in advance to appear in the Hebrew, 10 days in advance to appear in the English email.
In
US and British tax-exempt contributions to Oz VeShalom may be made through:
New
New
Please note that the NIF is no longer accepting donations under $100
PEF will also channel donations and provide a tax-exemption. Donations
should be sent to P.E.F. Israel Endowment Funds, Inc.,
All contributions to either the NIF or PEF should be marked as donor-advised to Oz ve'Shalom, the Shabbat Shalom project.
Oz Veshalom-Netivot Shalom is a movement dedicated to the advancement of
a civil society in
Oz Veshalom-Netivot Shalom shares a deep attachment to the
5,000
copies of a 4-page peace oriented commentary on the weekly Torah reading are
written and published by Oz VeShalom/Netivot Shalom and they are distributed to
over 350 synagogues in