Jacov’s Fear
After twenty years of hiding from Esau, Jacov returns to Beersheba.
He chooses to prepare himself in three ways;
With gifts, through prayer and should the two not work, by force – milchamah.
Upon hearing that Esau might meet him with a force of 400 men, Jacov appears frightened. He shows it. He starts calling Esau –adoni- my lord. Some of our Sages clearly voiced disapproval of Jacov showing that kind of appeasement towards Esau.
Both Rabbi Huna in Bereshit Rabba and later Rabbi Judah ben Simon are stunned by Jacov positioning himself towards Esau as –quote- “thy servant Jacov”. In the words of HaShem: “Thou didst humble thyself and called Esau ‘my lord’ eight times. By thy life. I shall raise up from his children eight kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel”.
So much for diplomacy first. For Jacov did have the right intentions. After all he didn’t know what to expect of Esau. It’s as if he was punished for trying diplomacy first. Ramban even sees a parallel between Jacov’s behaviour and that of the Hashmoneans seeking the good offices of the Romans. By this they actually hastened the downfall of Israel.
An opposite point is made by Rabbi Judah HaNasi. Close friend of the Roman Emperor Antoninus. Rabbi Judah HaNasi was a master in diplomacy in order to keep good relations with the Romans and to safeguard the interests of the Jewish People.
The Midrash has this quote:
Writing an epistle to his majesty the Emperor Antoninus. He started to write: …from Judah HaNasi (the prince)…and then corrected himself to write: …from thy servant Judah HaNasi….thinking –what am I better than my forefather? Did not Jacov say thus: “thus said thy servant Jacov?”
And it worked judging by Esau’s reaction. Is this parashat the first lesson in diplomacy? Are we taught to humble ourselves towards others beyond HaShem?
Jacov showed fear. Ramban points again at the Hasmoneans:
“For we ourselves initiated our fall at the hands of Edom, since the kings in the Second Temple allied themselves with the Romans…”
I just finished a Dutch book written by a fellow Dutch Jew by the name Leon de Winter, The Right Of Return. In it, he describes Israel in 2024 shrunken to nothing more than Tel Aviv and surroundings. Eilat has fallen, Jerusalem has fallen. And Tel Aviv will undoubtedly also fall. Clearly this fictional story of a future Israel falling and falling more and more because of appeasement and weakness written in 2008, has a direct line to today’s parashat and the reaction of Sages and Rabbi’s alike warning of the consequences.
And yet, there’s another reason Jacov may have chosen to be so humble. Maybe it was because HaShem did promise to look out over him. Maybe Jacov wanted to show HaShem he could forgo his own pride by showing humbleness first.
Moshe Rabbenu knows better than anyone the responsibility of HaShem’s good graces. At the same time Moshe Rabbenu still had to make his own choices that could loose him the right of HaShem’s favour. And he did make a mistake and lost his favour, standing just a few meters away across the Jordan from HaEretz.
The same goes for Jacov. He still had to choose his own way, and approach.
Our sages phrase it this way:
The genuinely upright man understands that the promise granted him by divine grace is only conditional, depending on him not becoming “soiled by sin”…
Not often enough does one hear of a wealthy man bestowing his children of their trust funds upon certain conditions. Just to make sure they develop a character of good standing first.
Back to Jacov’s Fear.
Why should he? He had HaShem’s blessing. He had HaShem’s support.
Abravanel says it this way:
Jacov’s fear was not due to the weakness of his faith. Indeed he genuinely trusted in God. But his fear was like that of the real hero who going to battle is afraid of death and senses the danger but out of noble motives scorns life and choses a brave death…
Since it is forbidden for men to rely on a miracle, Jacov takes precautions.
The gift, the prayer and lastly the battle.
Jacov doesn’t have to go any further than the gift. Esau comes running towards him, embraces him, falls on his neck and kisses him and both weep.
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