Sources on Yaakov's relationship with Esav, as demonstrated by psukim 32:4-14
(ה) וַיְצַ֤ו אֹתָם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֣ה תֹאמְר֔וּן לַֽאדֹנִ֖י לְעֵשָׂ֑ו כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ עַבְדְּךָ֣ יַעֲקֹ֔ב עִם־לָבָ֣ן גַּ֔רְתִּי וָאֵחַ֖ר עַד־עָֽתָּה׃ (ו) וַֽיְהִי־לִי֙ שׁ֣וֹר וַחֲמ֔וֹר צֹ֖אן וְעֶ֣בֶד וְשִׁפְחָ֑ה וָֽאֶשְׁלְחָה֙ לְהַגִּ֣יד לַֽאדֹנִ֔י לִמְצֹא־חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֶֽיךָ׃
(ה) גרתי לֹא נַעֲשֵׂיתִי שַׂר (prince) וְחָשׁוּב - אֶלָּא גֵר. אֵינְךָ כְּדַאי (it isn't worthwhile to you) לִשְׂנוֹא אוֹתִי עַל בִּרְכַּת אָבִיךָ שֶׁבֵּרְכַנִּי "הֱוֵה גְבִיר לְאַחֶיךָ" (27:29), שֶׁהֲרֵי לֹא נִתְקַיְּמָה (it hasn't been fulfilled) בִי!
דָּ"אַ (another explanation): "גַּרְתִּי" בְּגֵימַטְרִיָּא תרי"ג (613), כְּלוֹמַר, עִם לָבָן גַּרְתִּי וְתַרְיַ"ג מִצְוֹת שָׁמַרְתִּי וְלֹא לָמַדְתִּי מִמַּעֲשָׂיו הָרָעִים:
This episode is recorded in order to tell us that the Holy One, blessed be He, saved His servant and delivered him from the hand of one who was stronger than him; He sent an angel who saved him. It also teaches us that [Yaakov] did not rely on his righteousness, and made efforts to save himself as far as he was able to. There is also another lesson for future generations that is alluded to here: that all that happened to [Yaakov] our patriarch with Esav, his brother, will happen to us continually with Esav’s descendants, and it is proper that we follow the example of this righteous man and prepare ourselves in the three areas in which he prepared himself – prayer, gifts, and deliverance in war, to flee and be saved. And Chazal noted this allusion in the text, as I shall explain. (Ramban, Bereishit 32:4).
Among Chazal there are those who express criticism of Yaakov, but there are also opinions that learn practical guidance from his behavior. The criticism is aimed mainly at the original initiative – sending to Esav to tell him that Yaakov is returning. The midrash portrays Esav as “walking on his way”; he was already settling in Mount Se’ir. Why, then, did Yaakov need to call him back to Cana’an, as it were? The situation is described as follows:
“Like one who takes a passing dog by the ears is one who meddles with a strife not his own” (Mishlei 26:17) – one who pulls the ears of a passing dog should not be surprised if it bites him.
On the other hand, R. Yehuda ha-Nasi would read the account of Yaakov’s preparations for the meeting with Esav when he himself was to meet the Roman Emperor (see Bereishit Rabba 75:5; Tanchuma, Vayishlach 5). In other words, he viewed Yaakov’s behavior as a guide for all generations in dealing with gentiles, taking care to maintain the honor of the rulers and calling them “my master.”
Ramban (32:4) views Yaakov’s actions as the root of the sin of Yehuda Maccabee, who sought aid from Rome in the war against Antiochus and the Seleucid kings, explaining his request as the background to the fall into Roman hands:
According to my view, this also hints that we ourselves initiated our own fall into the hands of Edom, for the kings of the Second Temple Period entered into a covenant with the Romans. (Ramban, 32:4)
Sources on Yaakov's relationship with HaShem, as demonstrated by psukim 32:4-14
(י) ואלהי אבי יצחק ...אֶלָּא כַּךְ אָמַר יַעֲקֹב לִפְנֵי הַקָּבָּ"ה: שְׁתֵּי הַבְטָחוֹת הִבְטַחְתַּנִי, אַחַת בְּצֵאתִי מִבֵּית אָבִי מִבְּאֵר שֶׁבַע, שֶׁאָמַרְתָּ לִי, "אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אָבִיךָ וֵאלֹהֵי יִצְחָק", וְשָׁם אָמַרְתָּ לִי "וּשְׁמַרְתִּיךָ בְּכָל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵך" (see 28:15 below), וּבְבֵית לָבָן אָמַרְתָּ לִי (בראשית ל"א below) "שׁוּב אֶל אֶרֶץ אֲבוֹתֶיךָ וּלְמוֹלַדְתְּךָ וְאֶהְיֶה עִמְָךְ", וְשָׁם נִגְלֵיתָ אֵלַי בְּשֵׁם הַמְיוּחָד לְבַדּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיֹאמֵר ה' אֶל יַעֲקֹב שׁוּב אֶל אֶרֶץ אֲבוֹתֶיךָ וְגוֹ' בִּשְׁתֵּי הַבְטָחוֹת אֵלּוּ אֲנִי בָא לְפָנֶיךָ:
(א) קטנתי מכל החסדים נִתְמַעֲטוּ זְכֻיּוֹתַי עַל יְדֵי הַחֲסָדִים וְהָאֱמֶת שֶׁעָשִׂיתָ עִמִּי, לְכַךְ אֲנִי יָרֵא, שֶׁמָּא מִשֶּׁהִבְטַחְתַּנִי נִתְקַלְקַלְתִּי בְחֵטְא וְיִגְרוֹם לִי לְהִמָּסֵר בְּיַד עֵשָׂו (שבת ל"ב):
(10) ואלהי אבי יצחק AND GOD OF MY FATHER ISAAC — But in another place (Genesis 31:42) he said, “And the Dread of Isaac”! Then also why did he again mention the Proper Name of God (first invoking him as God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and then continuing “O Lord, who saidst unto me”)? It should have been written “O God of Abraham and God of Isaac (omitting ‘O Lord’) who saidst unto me, “Return unto thy country” etc. But the explanation is as follows: Jacob said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “You made me two promises. One was when I left my father’s house at Beersheba when You said to me (Genesis 28:3) “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham thy father and the God of Isaac”, and on that occasion you promised me (Genesis 28:15) “and I will keep thee whithersoever thou goest”. Then again in Laban’s house You said to me (Genesis 31:3) “Return unto the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred and I will be with thee”. There You revealed Yourself to me by Your Proper Name alone, as it is said (Genesis 31:3) “And the Lord said unto Jacob “Return unto the land of thy fathers etc.” Relying upon these two promises I now come before You invoking you as “the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac” and also simply as “the Lord” under which names You made me these two promises respectively.
(1) קטנתי מכל החסדים I AM TOO UNWORTHY OF ALL THE MERCIES (This may be rendered “I am small — unworthy — because of all the kindnesses) — My merits are diminished in consequence of all the kindness and truth which You have already shown me. For this reason I am afraid: perhaps, since You made these promises to me, I have become depraved (נתקלקלתי) by sin (another version of Rashi has נתלכלכתי, I have become defiled by sin) and this may cause me to be delivered unto Esau’s power (Shabbat 32a).
Context for Rashi's first comments above:
The two verses below are the original promises that HaShem made to Yaakov, earlier in his life. Does Yaakov quote them in our parsha word-for-word? Why might this be significant? What is his purpose for referencing them here? What argument is he making to HaShem? What is he afraid of?
(15) Remember, I am with you: I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
According to the Da'at Zkenim below, what is Yaakov really afraid of? What does this have to do with the promises that HaShem made him?
