Parshas Vayishlach
Angels and Agents
In this weeks parsha, our father Yaakov, fresh from his successful escape
from Lavan, prepares to encounter his brother and sworn enemy, Eisav. He
sends malachim to deal with Eisav before he will actually meet with him
face to face. The word malachim signifies two different meanings. One is
that it means agents, messengers, human beings who were sent on a
particular mission to do Yaakovs bidding. The other meaning is that the
world malachim signifies angels, supernatural messengers of God who were
sent to Yaakov to help him in his fateful encounter with his brother.
Rashi cites both possible interpretations in his commentary. When Rashi
does so, he is teaching us that both interpretations are correct at
differing levels of understanding the verse involved. The message here is
that the encounter with Eisav, in order to be successful from Yaakovs
vantage point and situation, has to have both human and supernatural help.
Eisav is a formidable foe, physically, militarily, culturally and
intellectually speaking. He cannot be ignored nor wished away. He has
accompanied us from the time of Yaakov till this very day. At times he
threatens our very existence and at times he appears to have a more
benevolent attitude towards us. Yet at all times he is there, hovering
over and around us, and he has never relinquished any of his demands upon
us to either convert, assimilate or just plain disappear. While it is
Yishmael that currently occupies the bulk of our attention, it would be
foolish of us to ignore the continuing presence of Eisav in our world and
affairs.
Yaakovs strategy is to employ both possibilities of malachim in his
defense. He prepares himself for soothing Eisav by gifts and wealth,
pointing out to Eisav that it is beneficial to him to have Yaakov around
and being productive He also strengthens himself spiritually in prayer and
in appeal to God to deliver him from Eisav. And finally as a last resort
he is prepared to fight Eisav with his own weapons, the sword and war. Two
of these strategies gifts to Eisav and war against Eisav require human
endeavor, talent and sacrifice. They represent the interpretation of
malachim as being human agents and messengers. The third strategy, prayer
and reliance upon heavenly intervention to thwart Eisavs evil designs,
follows the idea that Yaakovs malachim were heavenly, supernatural
creatures. In the long history of our encounter with Eisav we have always
relied upon both interpretations of malachim. Neither interpretation by
itself will suffice to defeat Eisav. Without human endeavor and sacrifice,
heavenly aid is often denied or diminished. According to the labor is the
reward. But it is foolish to believe that a small and beleaguered people
alone can weather all storms and defeat Eisavs intentions. Without the
Lords help, in vain do we attempt to build our national home. Thus the
double meaning of malachim in this weeks parsha has great relevance to our
situation and ourselves.
Shabat shalom.
Rabbi Berel Wein
Text Copyright © 2005 by Rabbi Berel Wein and Torah.org
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