chok. Initially, he sent his son Elifaz to kill
He
Encounters With Eisav
Yaakov Avinu Thwarts His Brother’s Attempts to Kill Him
By Rav Moshe Shternbuch
The following was
written by Rabbi Daniel
Yaakov Travis based on a
drasha given on leil Shab-
bos by Rav Moshe Shtern-
buch, Rosh Av Beis Din of
the Eidah Hachareidis of
Yerushalayim.
This article is in mem-
ory of Rav Moshe Yehudah Shneider zt”l, Rav
Shternbuch’s rosh yeshiva in London, who was
niftar on the 25th of Kislev 5715.
•••••
IN THE FACE OF ANGELS
“Yaakov sent malachim” (Bereishis 32:4).
Rashi comments: “Actual angels.”
Rashi’s words are difficult to understand.
Surely, regular, flesh-and-blood messengers
could have fulfilled the straightforward mis-
sion of asking Eisav if he still harbored ill-will
towards Yaakov. So why did Yaakov send real
malachim to meet with his brother?
Furthermore, why was Yaakov so worried
that his brother would kill him? Eisav had al-
ready stated that he would not harm Yaakov
until his father Yitzchok died. What caused
Yaakov to fear that he had changed his mind?
In order to understand why Yaakov sent
angels, we first must understand the nature of
these malachim: Every time a person performs
a mitzvah, he creates an angel. If the mitzvah
is properly fulfilled with positive intention, the
angels created are very powerful. If the mitz-
vos are half-hearted and half-baked, then weak
malachim are created.
Eisav grew up in the house of Yitzchok
Page 68
money, he said a “yehi ratzon” beforehand.
Avinu. There he learned enough to tell the dif-
ference between a formidable angel and a fee-
ble one. He could identify malachim born out of
mitzvos performed by a tzaddik, as opposed to
those created by someone who had fallen from
his exalted level.
Yaakov foresaw that his brother planned to
kill him, and so he sent ahead the malachim
created through the mitzvos he had performed
since leaving Lavan’s home. When Eisav saw
that Yaakov’s angels were as powerful as ever,
he would realize that Yaakov was still righ-
teous. This would cause Eisav to rethink his
plan to kill his brother.
KIBBUD AV
Eisav had a motive for his plot to kill his
brother at that particular time. The Baalei To-
safos on the Torah explain that as long as one
fulfills the mitzvah of kibbud av, he is a recipi-
ent of zechus avos, the merit of his ancestors.
When a person strays from this mitzvah, he
loses his connection to the past, and no longer
can reap the benefits of zechus avos.
Yaakov Avinu had just spent 20 years away
from home in the house of Lavan. Throughout
those years, he had not been able to perform
the mitzvah of kibbud av. Eisav assumed that
Yaakov had therefore lost his protective zechus
avos, and that the perfect opportunity to kill
him had arrived.
In actuality, Yaakov did not lose any of his
merit during his two-decade sojourn with his
uncle. Rivkah Imeinu had instructed him not to
leave Lavan’s home until he had a wife. Until
he finished working for Lavan, he was merely
fulfilling his mother’s request - and performing
the mitzvah of kibbud eim.
Eisav tried every possible ploy to get rid of
his brother without upsetting his father, Yitz-
YATED NE’EMAN
him, in order to underhandedly clear himself of
blame for the murder. Yaakov outsmarted him
by giving Elifaz all of his money, so that he
could tell his father that since a poor person is
considered dead, it was as if he had killed him.
The Almighty appeared to Yaakov Avinu and
told him that he had no reason to fear his broth-
er’s evil plans. Just the opposite. He should be
wary of his brother if he tries to befriend him.
The message was that the damage that can re-
sult from being on friendly terms with Eisav
and his descendants is much more dangerous
than any physical harm they can ever do to the
Jewish people.
FISCAL POLICY
Yaakov instructed the angels to tell Esav,
“I lived (garti) with Lavan” (Bereshis 32,5).
Rashi explains that even though Yaakov spent
20 years with the evil Lavan, he did not learn
from his crooked ways. He was still righteous
and keeping the 613 mitzvos fully.
Yaakov Avinu wanted his brother to know
that he was willing to lose money or any other
possession. But there was one thing that he was
not willing to compromise on: Torah and mitz-
vos. Only matters of spiritual growth were of
genuine value to him.
When Eisav saw the Yaakov’s mighty mal-
achim, he realized that his brother was as much
a tzaddik as ever. Eisav was stunned when he
saw the massive wealth that his brother had ac-
cumulated. How could he reconcile this with
his claim that he was not interested in this word
and that he only had his sights on the next?
Yaakov Avinu replied to his brother that all
of the wealth that he had gathered was “be-
queathed from Elokim.” Rav Eliyahu Lopian
explained that, in essence, Yaakov was saying
that all of his riches were not meant to be en-
joyed. He would only use his worldly posses-
sions for serving the Almighty. In and of them-
selves, he considered them worthless.
Every time Yaakov Avinu used some of his
would not use it to freely enjoy the pleasures
of this world. Therefore, claimed Yaakov, even
though it may seem like he was wealthy, in real-
ity he had acquired nothing in this world.
After his encounter with Eisav, the Torah
writes that Yaakov built homes for his family
and sukkos for his animals. When it came to
naming the place, Yaakov called it “Sukkos,”
after the structures he built for his livestock.
Why was this name appropriate?
In choosing the name “Sukkos,” Yaakov
Avinu eloquently expressed his view of this
world. A sukkah symbolizes that this world is
fleeting, and only the next world has any real
permanence. This was the message that Yaakov
wanted to convey to his family and descendents
at that moment.
In today’s society, where Eisav’s material-
istic philosophies have gained the upper hand,
Yaakov Avinu’s message is more important than
ever. If we view this world as a mere corridor
that we must pass through on our way to the
next world, then we will have a fulfilling life
in this world and inherit incalculable reward
in Olam Habah. However, if we follow in the
ways of Esiav and focus on enjoying the world-
ly possessions and pleasures of this world, we
may arrive in the next world empty-handed.
•••••
Rav Shternbuch’s shiurim on the parsha are
being prepared to be published by Feldheim
Publishers as a sefer. For information about
dedication opportunities, ideas for the title of
the sefer, or shailos for the rov, contact dytra-
vis@actcom.com.
•••••
Rabbi Travis is a rosh kollel of Kollel Toras
Chaim in Yerushalayim, and is the author of
Shaylos U’Teshuvos Toras Chaim and “Pray-
ing With Joy - A Daily Tefilla Companion,”
a practical daily guide to improving one’s
prayers, available from Feldheim Publishers.
For more information about his work, contact
dytravis@actcom.com.
24 Kislev 5770 • December 11 2009