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This Week's Parshah VaYishlach

Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother Esau in order to appease Esau's anger and prevent him from killing Jacob or others. Jacob feared Esau would be overly harsh based on a prophecy that the elder would serve the younger. The mention of the Edomite chieftain Magdiel relates to this, as Jacob foresaw Rome's future power through Magdiel and sought to influence the Edomite kings to not accompany Esau in attacking Jacob. Sending messengers, including possibly angels, showed Jacob's spiritual level and was an attempt to have advocates prevent Esau from being persuaded to kill Jacob.

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108 views1 page

This Week's Parshah VaYishlach

Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother Esau in order to appease Esau's anger and prevent him from killing Jacob or others. Jacob feared Esau would be overly harsh based on a prophecy that the elder would serve the younger. The mention of the Edomite chieftain Magdiel relates to this, as Jacob foresaw Rome's future power through Magdiel and sought to influence the Edomite kings to not accompany Esau in attacking Jacob. Sending messengers, including possibly angels, showed Jacob's spiritual level and was an attempt to have advocates prevent Esau from being persuaded to kill Jacob.

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YochananMauritzHummasti
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Parshah Vayishlach

Shabbat, 16 Kislev, 5776


28 November, 2015

Genesis Chapter 32
4 "Jacob sent angels ahead of him to his brother Esau, to the land of Seir, the field of Edom."

Genesis Chapter 36
31 "And these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children
of Israel:"
(Rashi - And these are the kings, etc.: They were eight, and, corresponding to them, Jacob set up [eight
kings] and nullified the kingdom of Esau during their time. They are the following (kings): Saul, Ishbosheth, David, Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, and Jehoshaphat. During the days of his
(Jehoshaphats) son Joram, however, it is written: In his days, Edom revolted from under the power of
Judah, and they appointed a king over themselves (II Kings 8:20), [whereas] during Sauls days it is
written: There was no king in Edom; a governor was king (I Kings 22:48). [from Gen. Rabbah 83:2])
43 "Chief Magdiel, Chief Iram. These are the chieftains of Edom according to their dwelling places in
the land of their possession. That is Esau, progenitor of the Edomites."
How can we relate the first passuk to the last passuk of our Parshah to glean a kernal or measure of
truth therefrom?
Why did Jacob send messengers ahead of his camp?
Because of the Chieftain of Edom/Esau, Magdiel. Magdiel: This is Rome. [From Pirkei dRabbi
Eliezer, ch. 38]
Jacob foresaw (through fear he prophesied) that Rome would become powerful like a god - Magdiel,
steeped in avodah zarah (the meaning of Magdi-el) (as his mother, Rivkah knew from Divine
Inspiration Genesis 25.23 - when she was told twins were in her womb and that the elder would serve
the younger) come to enslave and destroy and he sought to dissuade the Edomite Kings who might
have accompanied Esau.
He feared Esau would be overly harsh with his children so he sought to appease Esau's anger lest he
slay others and the blessing be removed from him and his children.
(Rashi: Jacob becamefrightened, anddistressed: He was frightened lest he be killed (Gen. Rabbah
75:2, Tanchuma, Vayishlach 4), and he was distressed that he might kill others.) In parshah Tolodot
we read why Rivkah sent him away, lest she be deprived of both Jacob and Esau in one day. Genesis
27.45 (Rashi: of both of you: If he rises up against you and you kill him, his sons will rise up and kill
you. And the Divine Spirit poured itself upon her and she prophesied that they would die on the same
day, as is delineated in the chapter entitled
( Sotah 13a).) This accords with what is
stated in Berakhot 4a: (This conforms to the following saying of R. Jacob b. Iddi. For R. Jacob b. Iddi
pointed to a contradiction. One verse reads: And behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee
whithersoever thou goest,23 and the other verse reads: Then Jacob was greatly afraid!24 [The answer
is that] he thought that some sin might cause [God's promise not to be fulfilled]. )
Why did he need messengers? If they were angels it shows Jacob's degree of spirituality. He could
summon Angels to do his bidding. He needed advocates lest the King's of Esau/Edom dissuade Esau
from NOT killing Jacob!

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