Vayishlach - וַיִּשְׁלַח - Genesis B'reisheet Making Torah Personal ~ Hishtadlut

We must remember that Jacob is also a symbol of his descendants. All the experiences of the patriarchs are viewed as forerunners of the experiences of the Jewish people as a whole. Nachmanides has demonstrated this in great detail. Bereshit Rabbah 75,3, describing the gifts Jacob sent to Esau, quotes Proverbs 26, 17: "He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own is like someone who takes a dog by his ears." G–d is quoted as saying to Jacob: "Esau was pursuing his own personal designs and you had to send him gifts describing yourself as his servant!" During the second Temple the rulers of the Jewish people voluntarily entered into a political alliance with Rome, only to eventually be devoured by the Romans. This alliance was the beginning of the decline of Jewish independence. All the struggles between Jacob and Esau mirror what was going to happen later on a national scale. Bereshit Rabbah goes on to comment on 32, 9: "If Esau comes to the one camp and smites it, then the remaining camp will escape." It is our experience in exile that when Jews are persecuted in the South, that they find relief in another part of the globe. The "thigh joint" of Jacob that the angel "touched," is also understood as referring to Jacob's descendants.

(4) Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom,(5) and instructed them as follows, “Thus shall you say, ‘To my lord Esau, thus says your servant Jacob:'”I stayed with Laban and remained until now;(6) I have acquired cattle, asses, sheep, and male and female slaves; and I send this message to my lord in the hope of gaining your favor.’”

(7) The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau; he himself is coming to meet you, and his men number four hundred.”(8) Jacob was greatly frightened;in his anxiety, he divided the people with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps,(9) thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, the other camp may yet escape.”(10) Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham’s [house] and God of my father Isaac’s [house], O יהוה, who said to me, ‘Return to your native land and I will deal bountifully with you’!(11)I am unworthy of all the kindness that You have so steadfastly shown Your servant: with my staff alone I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.

(12) Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; else, I fear, he may come and strike me down, mothers and children alike.(13) Yet You have said, ‘I will deal bountifully with you and make your offspring as the sands of the sea, which are too numerous to count.’”(14) After spending the night there, he selected from what was at hand these presents for his brother Esau:(15) 200 she-goats and 20 he-goats; 200 ewes and 20 rams;(16) 30 milch camels with their colts; 40 cows and 10 bulls; 20 she-asses and 10 he-asses.

(17) These he put in the charge of his servants, drove by drove, and he told his servants, “Go on ahead, and keep a distance between droves.”(18) He instructed the one in front as follows, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks you, ‘Who’s your master? Where are you going? And whose [animals] are these ahead of you?’(19) you shall answer, ‘Your servant Jacob’s; they are a gift sent to my lord Esau; and [Jacob] himself is right behind us.’”(20) He gave similar instructions to the second one, and the third, and all the others who followed the droves, namely, “Thus and so shall you say to Esau when you reach him.(21) And you shall add, ‘And your servant Jacob himself is right behind us.’” For he reasoned, “If I propitiate him with presents in advance, and then face him, perhaps he will show me favor.”(22) And so the gift went on ahead, while he remained in camp that night.(23) That same night he arose, and taking his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven sons, he crossed the ford of the Jabbok.(24) After taking them across the stream, he sent across all his possessions.(25) Jacob was left alone. And a man [divine agent] wrestled with him until the break of dawn.

(26) When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he wrenched Jacob’s hip at its socket, so that the socket of his hip was strained as he wrestled with him.(27) Then he said, “Let me go, for dawn is breaking.” But he answered, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.”(28) Said the other, “What is your name?” He replied, “Jacob.”(29)Said he, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with beings divine and human, and have prevailed.”(30) Jacob asked, “Pray tell me your name.” But he said, “You must not ask my name!” And he took leave of him there.(31) So Jacob named the place Peniel, [face of God] “I have seen a divine being face to face, yet my life has been preserved.”

(32) The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping on his hip.(33) That is why the children of Israel to this day do not eat the thigh muscle that is on the socket of the hip, since Jacob’s hip socket was wrenched at the thigh muscle.

(1) Looking up, Jacob saw Esau coming, with four hundred men. He divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maids,(2) putting the maids and their children first, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last.(3) He himself went on ahead and bowed low to the ground seven times until he was near his brother.(4) Esau ran to greet him. He embraced him and, falling on his neck, he kissed him; and they wept.(5) Looking about, he saw the women and the children. “Who,” he asked, “are these with you?” He answered, “The children with whom God has favored your servant.”(6) Then the maids, with their children, came forward and bowed low;(7) next Leah, with her children, came forward and bowed low; and last, Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed low.(8) And he asked, “What do you mean by all this company which I have met?” He answered, “To gain my lord’s favor.”(9) Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; let what you have remain yours.”(10) But Jacob said, “No, I pray you; if you would do me this favor, accept from me this gift; for to see your face is like seeing the face of God, and you have received me favorably.(11) Please accept my present which has been brought to you, for God has favored me and I have plenty.” And when he urged him, he accepted.(12) And [Esau] said, “Let us start on our journey, and I will proceed at your pace.”(13) But he said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds, which are nursing, are a care to me; if they are driven hard a single day, all the flocks will die.(14) Let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I travel slowly, at the pace of the cattle before me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”(15) Then Esau said, “Let me assign to you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “Oh no, my lord is too kind to me!”(16) So Esau started back that day on his way to Seir.