zohar 3:55b-3
2-3:Genesis 32
וְיַעֲקֹ֖ב הָלַ֣ךְ לְדַרְכּ֑וֹ וַיִּפְגְּעוּ־ב֖וֹ מַלְאֲכֵ֥י אֱלֹהִֽים׃
Jacob went on his way, and angels of God encountered him.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יַעֲקֹב֙ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר רָאָ֔ם מַחֲנֵ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים זֶ֑ה וַיִּקְרָ֛א שֵֽׁם־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא מַֽחֲנָֽיִם׃ (פ)
When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s camp.” So he named that place Mahanaim.
, פָּתַח רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְאָמַר, (בראשית ל״ב:ב׳-ג׳) וְיַעֲקֹב הָלַךְ לְדַרְכּוֹ וַיִּפְגְּעוּ בוֹ מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִים. וְיַעֲקֹב הָלַךְ לְדַרְכּוֹ, דְּהֲוָה אָזִיל לָקֳבֵל אֲבוּהִי.
RASHI
ויפגעו בו מלאכי אלהים AND THE ANGELS OF GOD MET HIM — The angels who minister in the Land of Israel came to meet him in order to escort him into the Holy Land (see Genesis Rabbah 74:17).
RAMBAN
Rashi says, these are the angels who minister in the Land of Israel came to meet him. מחנים, the two camps that were outside the land came with him until then, and from Eretz Yisroel they came to meet him. I am astounded at this. Indeed, Yaakov had not even gotten to the land, he was from from it, and he sent angels to Esau from far away, as it says in (Gen. 32:23) it says that he crossed the ford of Yabbuk, which was the stream of Yabbuk , which is on the border of the sons of Ammon. (Deut. 3:16), which is south east of Eretz Yisroel. And he hadn't crossed the border of the sons of Ammon or Moab, and after that is the land of Edom. The first instance of his entrance into Shechem was when it says in (Gen. 33:18), that Jacob came whole (or safely) to Shechem that is in Eretz Canaan. But this was shown to Yaakov when he came to the border of his enemy to announce to them that he had many with him, so they would be content. They called the place Machanayim because this was the path in Shemos or Machanayim their camps or the supreme camp, we learn because the camps in the land are like the camps of the angels. they are all Gds camps. We should bless them and give praise to them an bless his name forever, even if this Parsha was eliminated.
2ב
but, this parsha is written to announce that Hashem saved his servant and redeemed him with a strong arm, and he sent an angel to save him. and we learn more that he was not confident in his deeds, and he made an effort to save all that he could. and here is another hint for generations to come, that all that happened to our fathers with Esau his brother, will happen with us every time with the sons of Esau. and its important for us to follow in the path of the righteous, who invite us for three things that he takes upon himself. Prayer for the generations, and saving us in times of war, and to escape and survive. and already our teachers hinted at this from this Parsha when it reminds us in Gen 32:9 and Gen. 33:15
(Rabeinu Bachya - (student of the Ramban
Rabbeinu Bahya, Bereshit 27:3:2רבנו בחיי, בראשית כ״ז:ג׳:ב׳
ובמדרש שא נא כליך זה מלכות בבל שנאמר (דניאל א׳:ב׳) ואת הכלים הביא בבלה, תליך זה מדי שנאמר (אסתר ז׳:י׳) ויתלו את המן, וקשתך זה יון שנאמר (זכריה ט׳:י״ג) כי דרכתי לי יהודה קשת וגו', וצא השדה זה אדום שנאמר (בראשית ל״ב:ד׳) ארצה שעיר שדה אדום.
According To Bereshit Rabbah 65,13 the words שא נא כליך are a reference to the Kingdom of Babylon as we read in Daniel 1,2 ואת הכלים הביא בבלה, “and the vessels (Temple utensils) he (Nebuchadnezzar) brought to Babylon.” The word תליך, “your quiver,” refers to the Medes as we read in Esther 7,10 ויתלו את המן, “they hung Haman.” The word וקשתך, “and your bow,” is a reference to the Greek Empire as we read in Zechariah 9,13: כי דרכתי לי יהודה קשת, “for I have drawn Yehudah taut as a bow, etc.;” finally, the words וצא השדה are a reference to the Roman Empire as we read in Genesis 32,2: ארצה שעיר שדה אדום, “to the land of Seir, which will become the field of Edom, Rome.”
Rabbeinu Bahya, Bereshit 32:4:8רבנו בחיי, בראשית ל״ב:ד׳:ח׳
וישלח יעקב מלאכים לפניו אל עשו אחיו ארצה שעיר שדה אדום. מלת מלאכים כוללת השלוחים בבני אדם ומלאכי השרת השלוחים מאת הקב"ה. ומפני שיעקב הוצרך ללכת לפדן ארם מפני פחד עשו אחיו ע"כ בקש עתה בשובו אל ארצו להניח חמת אחיו ולדרוש שלומו ושלח אליו שלוחיו, עבדיו ואנשי ביתו, ושלח עמהם מן המלאכים שפגעו בו כענין שכתוב בפרשה של מעלה (בראשית ל״ב:ב׳) ויפגעו בו מלאכי אלהים. וזה כדרך שעשה אברהם זקנו שהתפלל לשם יתעלה שישלח המלאך עם העבד, הוא שאמר (בראשית כ״ד:ז׳) ישלח מלאכו לפניך. וכבר ביארתי בפרשת ויהיו חיי שרה כי המלאך הקדימו לעבד על עין המים. וזהו שאמר בכאן וישלח יעקב מלאכים לפניו, כי המלאכים שפגעו בו בדרך ובאו לשמרו הלכו עם שלוחיו וקדמו לפניו אל עשו אחיו שלא יוכל להזיקו, שהרי מלת המלאכים סובלת שני חלקים מן השלוחים, גשמיים ושכליים. ומה שיחזק זה קצת הוא אומרו וישובו המלאכים, ואם לא היו מלאכים רק בני אדם היה ראוי לומר ויבואו המלאכים אל עשו ויגידו לו כך וכך וישובו אל יעקב לאמר הגדנו לו הדברים האלה, אבל זה יורה כי היו מלאכי השרת וע"כ אמר וישובו, שעד שלא הלכו שבו. ואח"כ אמר באנו אל אחיך אל עשו, אלו בני אדם וע"כ אמר באנו.
וישלח יעקב מלאכים לפניו אל עשו אחיו ארצה שעיר שדה אדום “Yaakov sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau to the Mountain of Se-ir the land of Edom.” The word מלאכים includes both messengers dispatched by human beings and messengers dispatched by G’d. Seeing that at the time Yaakov had been forced to flee to Padan Aram due to his fear of his brother Esau, he now made an attempt to assuage Esau’s hurt feelings and to ask his goodwill by sending messengers, i.e. servants, members of his household. These messengers were accompanied by the messengers (angels) who had met him at Machanayim as we had read in the previous paragraph. In this matter he acted just as had his grandfather Avraham when he had sent Eliezer on an errand to secure a wife for Yitzchak when he had prayed to G’d and had assured Eliezer that a celestial messenger would assist him in his quest (compare Genesis 24,7 “He will send His angel ahead of you.”) I already explained in that connection that the angel preceded Eliezer at the well. Something similar happened here in that the angels G’d had sent to meet Yaakov and who went with the messengers whom Yaakov sent out with the gifts preceded the gifts and thus prevented Esau his brother from harming Yaakov. All of this is based on the fact that the word מלאכים can have either of the two meanings we mentioned earlier. If we need to look for proof that celestial messengers were involved here also, all we need to look at are the words: וישובו המלאכים אל יעקב לאמור, “the messengers returned to Yaakov saying, etc.” If these returning messengers had been human beings, the Torah should have reported: “the angels came to Esau and told him such and such; subsequently they returned to Yaakov reporting that they had carried out their instructions.” The Torah does not mention any of this. This proves that the messengers in question were celestial creatures and the words (verse 7) in which the Torah reports a reply by the messengers telling him that Esau approaches with 400 armed men indicate that they answered Yaakov (וישובו) without having bothered to first go there. They had been there and they knew that Esau approached with hostile intentions.
When the Torah continues in that same verse with the words באנו אל אחיך, “we have come to your brother,” this refers to human messengers; this is why the Torah had to report things in a sequential manner, i.e. that the messengers returned and told Yaakov they had completed their mission.
Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 33:2:2
אור החיים על דברים ל״ג:ב׳:ב׳
אכן יתבאר הענין בהעיר אומרם ז''ל למה לא זכו האבות ובפרט יעקב שהיתה מטתו שלימה לתת להם ה' תורתו, ואמרו (בראשית רבה ע ט עד יד) שהטעם הוא לפי שאין שכינה שורה על פחות מס' ריבוא, ונתינת התורה צריכה היתה השראת שכינה, כמו שכן מצינו (שמות י''ט כ') וירד ה' על הר סיני.
We may best understand this when considering why the Torah had not been given to Jacob who, after all, had raised twelve sons all of whom were loyal to the Abrahamitic tradition. Midrash Hagadol on Genesis 32,2 says that the Shechinah does not come to rest on an assembly of fewer than 600,000 (Jews or angels). Giving the Torah to the Jewish people required the presence of 600,000 as the Torah reports that G'd descended on Mount Sinai for the occasion (Exodus 19,20).
Sifsei Chachomim
17th Century Poland
Two camps—from outside Eretz Yisrael... Question: Rashi explained on, “Ascending and descending” (v. 28:12), that the two [groups of angels] were not together. Rather, one ascended and only then the other descended. [Why were both groups together here?] The answer is: Rashi explains at the beginning of Parshas Vayishlach that Yaakov sent actual angels [to Eisov]. Accordingly, it means as follows: Here too, the angels of outside Eretz Yisrael wanted to ascend before the angels of Eretz Yisrael would descend. But Yaakov forced them to stay because he wanted to send them to Eisov. If so, this implies that [the messengers sent by Yaakov] were actual angels.