וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֙ לְעַבְדְּךָ֣ לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב מִנְחָ֥ה הִוא֙ שְׁלוּחָ֔ה לַֽאדֹנִ֖י לְעֵשָׂ֑ו וְהִנֵּ֥ה גַם־ה֖וּא אַחֲרֵֽינוּ׃
sasabihin mo: ‘Sa iyong lingkod na si Jacob; ito ay handog na ipinadala sa aking panginoong si Esau; at narito, siya rin ay kasunod namin.’”
Kohelet Rabbah
“Wisdom is better than instruments of battle, and one sinner destroys much good” (Ecclesiastes 9:18).
“Wisdom is better than instruments of battle” – this is the wisdom of Jacob; “than instruments of battle” – of Esau the wicked. Rabbi Levi said: He armed them111Jacob armed his sons and the other members of his camp. with weapons on the inside and dressed them in white garments on the outside, and he prepared himself for three matters: for prayer, for a gift, and for war. For prayer, from where is it derived? As it is stated: “Please rescue me from the hand of my brother” (Genesis 32:12). For a gift, from where is it derived? As it is stated: “You shall say: From your servant Jacob, it is a gift sent” (Genesis 32:19). For war, from where is it derived? As it is stated: “He placed the maidservants [and their children first, and Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last.] He passed before them and prostrated himself earthward” (Genesis 33:2–3). He said: It is preferable that he harm me and not my children.112Thus, Jacob was prepared for the fact that Esau might act violently upon their encounter. “Esau returned on that day on his way to Se’ir” (Genesis 33:16). Why to Se’ir? Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani, Rabbi Elazar said: It was due to a promissory note.113The descendants of Isaac were to receiv the Land of Israel and were to be enslaved in Egypt. Esau preferred to forgo the Land of Israel and forgo the enslavement in Egypt. The midrash refers to the coming enslavement as though it were a debt set forth in a promissory note. Rabbi Shmuel said: It was due to shame.114He was ashamed for having sold his birthright. “And one sinner destroys much good” – this is Esau who lost all the goodness and the gifts of the World to Come.
“Wisdom is better than instruments of battle” – this is the wisdom of Jacob; “than instruments of battle” – of Esau the wicked. Rabbi Levi said: He armed them111Jacob armed his sons and the other members of his camp. with weapons on the inside and dressed them in white garments on the outside, and he prepared himself for three matters: for prayer, for a gift, and for war. For prayer, from where is it derived? As it is stated: “Please rescue me from the hand of my brother” (Genesis 32:12). For a gift, from where is it derived? As it is stated: “You shall say: From your servant Jacob, it is a gift sent” (Genesis 32:19). For war, from where is it derived? As it is stated: “He placed the maidservants [and their children first, and Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last.] He passed before them and prostrated himself earthward” (Genesis 33:2–3). He said: It is preferable that he harm me and not my children.112Thus, Jacob was prepared for the fact that Esau might act violently upon their encounter. “Esau returned on that day on his way to Se’ir” (Genesis 33:16). Why to Se’ir? Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani, Rabbi Elazar said: It was due to a promissory note.113The descendants of Isaac were to receiv the Land of Israel and were to be enslaved in Egypt. Esau preferred to forgo the Land of Israel and forgo the enslavement in Egypt. The midrash refers to the coming enslavement as though it were a debt set forth in a promissory note. Rabbi Shmuel said: It was due to shame.114He was ashamed for having sold his birthright. “And one sinner destroys much good” – this is Esau who lost all the goodness and the gifts of the World to Come.
Bereshit Rabbah
“And he placed them in the hands of his slaves, each flock separately, and he told them: Go before me, and leave space between the flocks” (Genesis 32:17).
“He commanded the first, saying: When Esau my brother meets you, and asks you, saying: To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and whose are these before you” (Genesis 32:18).
“You shall say: They are from your servant, Jacob; it is a gift sent to my lord, to Esau and, behold, he too, is behind us” (Genesis 32:19).
“He commanded also the second, and also the third, and also all that followed the droves, saying: In this manner shall you speak to Esau, when you find him” (Genesis 32:20).
“He commanded the first, saying: When Esau my brother meets you…You shall say: They are from your servant, Jacob; it is a gift sent to my lord, to Esau” – Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] and Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Yehuda were walking along the way. They saw a gentile coming toward them. They said: ‘He will ask us three things: What are you? What is your trade? Where are you going?’ What are you? Jews. What is your trade? Merchants. Where are you going? To purchase wheat from the storehouses of Yavne. Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] stood opposite the gentile to see what he would ask, and Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Yehuda waited for him. He said: ‘If he says something, I [worry I] will say something else.’23If the gentile asks Rabbi Yehuda a question and then asks me the same question, if I don’t hear Rabbi Yehuda’s answer and I give a different answer, we may appear suspicious. He said to him: ‘From where do you know this?’ He said to him: ‘From Jacob our patriarch.’24Jacob prepared his messengers for all contingencies. “And, behold, he too, is behind us.” “He commanded the first…also the second” – Rabbi Pinḥas and Rabbi Ḥilkiya in the name of Rabbi Simon: “When you find him” in his greatness.25But if he is no longer in his greatness, approach him differently.
“You shall say: Moreover, here is your servant Jacob, behind us. For he said: I will appease him with the gift that goes before me, and thereafter I will see his face; perhaps he will favor me” (Genesis 32:21).
“You shall say: Moreover, here is your servant Jacob, behind us” – that is what is written: “The earth is given into the hand of the wicked one; he covers the faces of its judges…” (Job 9:24).26This verse is quoted in response to the fact that the righteous Jacob calls himself the slave of the wicked Esau.
“He placed them in the charge of the servants, each drove by itself” – why did he not introduce them intermingled? It was in order to astonish him with his gift.27So he would see the variety and the number of each of the species. Why did he not introduce them all at once? It was in order to satiate the eyes of the wicked one. He came to end it, but he said: ‘Receive’; He came to end it, but he said: ‘Receive.’28Each time Esau thought that the gift was complete, Jacob’s servant would say: There is more for you to receive.
“The gift went before him and he stayed that night in the camp” (Genesis 32:22).
“The gift went before him [al panav]” – he, too, was distressed.29The word panav is found in the context of distress. See I Samuel 1:18.
“He commanded the first, saying: When Esau my brother meets you, and asks you, saying: To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and whose are these before you” (Genesis 32:18).
“You shall say: They are from your servant, Jacob; it is a gift sent to my lord, to Esau and, behold, he too, is behind us” (Genesis 32:19).
“He commanded also the second, and also the third, and also all that followed the droves, saying: In this manner shall you speak to Esau, when you find him” (Genesis 32:20).
“He commanded the first, saying: When Esau my brother meets you…You shall say: They are from your servant, Jacob; it is a gift sent to my lord, to Esau” – Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] and Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Yehuda were walking along the way. They saw a gentile coming toward them. They said: ‘He will ask us three things: What are you? What is your trade? Where are you going?’ What are you? Jews. What is your trade? Merchants. Where are you going? To purchase wheat from the storehouses of Yavne. Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] stood opposite the gentile to see what he would ask, and Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Yehuda waited for him. He said: ‘If he says something, I [worry I] will say something else.’23If the gentile asks Rabbi Yehuda a question and then asks me the same question, if I don’t hear Rabbi Yehuda’s answer and I give a different answer, we may appear suspicious. He said to him: ‘From where do you know this?’ He said to him: ‘From Jacob our patriarch.’24Jacob prepared his messengers for all contingencies. “And, behold, he too, is behind us.” “He commanded the first…also the second” – Rabbi Pinḥas and Rabbi Ḥilkiya in the name of Rabbi Simon: “When you find him” in his greatness.25But if he is no longer in his greatness, approach him differently.
“You shall say: Moreover, here is your servant Jacob, behind us. For he said: I will appease him with the gift that goes before me, and thereafter I will see his face; perhaps he will favor me” (Genesis 32:21).
“You shall say: Moreover, here is your servant Jacob, behind us” – that is what is written: “The earth is given into the hand of the wicked one; he covers the faces of its judges…” (Job 9:24).26This verse is quoted in response to the fact that the righteous Jacob calls himself the slave of the wicked Esau.
“He placed them in the charge of the servants, each drove by itself” – why did he not introduce them intermingled? It was in order to astonish him with his gift.27So he would see the variety and the number of each of the species. Why did he not introduce them all at once? It was in order to satiate the eyes of the wicked one. He came to end it, but he said: ‘Receive’; He came to end it, but he said: ‘Receive.’28Each time Esau thought that the gift was complete, Jacob’s servant would say: There is more for you to receive.
“The gift went before him and he stayed that night in the camp” (Genesis 32:22).
“The gift went before him [al panav]” – he, too, was distressed.29The word panav is found in the context of distress. See I Samuel 1:18.