Rav Sternbuch: Encounters With Eisav

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 Shabbos by Rav Moshe Shternbuch, Rosh Av Beis Din of the Eidah Hachareidis of Yerushalayim. This article is in memory 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 mission 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 already 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 mitzvos are half-hearted and half-baked, then weak malachim are created. Eisav grew up in the house of Yitzchok

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Avinu. There he learned enough to tell the difference between a formidable angel and a feeble 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 righteous. 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 Tosafos on the Torah explain that as long as one fulfills the mitzvah of kibbud av, he is a recipient 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-

chok. Initially, he sent his son Elifaz to kill 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 brother’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 result 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 mitzvos. Only matters of spiritual growth were of genuine value to him. When Eisav saw the Yaakov’s mighty malachim, 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 accumulated. 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 “bequeathed from Elokim.” Rav Eliyahu Lopian explained that, in essence, Yaakov was saying that all of his riches were not meant to be enjoyed. He would only use his worldly possessions for serving the Almighty. In and of themselves, he considered them worthless. Every time Yaakov Avinu used some of his

YATED NE’EMAN

money, he said a “yehi ratzon” beforehand. He 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 reality 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 materialistic 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 worldly 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 [email protected]. ••••• Rabbi Travis is a rosh kollel of Kollel Toras Chaim in Yerushalayim, and is the author of Shaylos U’Teshuvos Toras Chaim and “Praying 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 [email protected].

24 Kislev 5770 • December 11 2009