וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֔ב אֶל־רִבְקָ֖ה אִמּ֑וֹ הֵ֣ן עֵשָׂ֤ו אָחִי֙ אִ֣ישׁ שָׂעִ֔ר וְאָנֹכִ֖י אִ֥ישׁ חָלָֽק׃
האָט יעקב געזאָגט צו זײַן מוטער רבקהן: זע, מײַן ברודער עֵשָׂו איז אַ מענטש אַ האָריקער, און איך בין אַ מענטש אַ גלאַטער.
Kli Yakar
“And He said: The Lord came from Sinai, and rose [literally, shined] from Seir unto them, etc.” It should have said “came to Sinai,” and Rashi explained that He went out to meet them like a groom, etc. But it’s still difficult why [it says] came from Sinai and not from His dwelling place in heaven. Also, an explanation is needed for why the text mentions “shining” in Seir and “appearing” in Paran. It’s also difficult according to our Sages who said (Sifrei 2:2) that the Holy One, blessed be He, approached the children of Esau and Ishmael to accept the Torah, and they did not accept it — why does it mention Seir and Mount Paran and not call them by their names, Esau and Ishmael? Also, the word unto them [lamo] needs explanation, because some say the word “lamo” refers to Israel, since the nations did not want to accept the Torah and Israel accepted it, therefore Israel received additional “shining” and “appearing” — but the language of the verse doesn’t imply this.
It seems that all these names refer to specific nations, as Seir is associated with Esau, the hairy [sair] man (Genesis 27:11), and Mount Paran is associated with Ishmael, about whom it is said (Genesis 16:12) he will be a wild man, and “pere” is derived from the word “Paran.” Therefore, God did not shine His Divine Presence upon those two nations themselves, because the Holy One, blessed be He, knew that they would ultimately not accept the Torah. He only came to them so they would not have an excuse to say, “If He had given it to us, we would have accepted it.” Therefore, God did not reveal His Presence to these nations because they were not worthy of it, and instead He appeared to them from those places associated with those nations. This explains the precise language and rose from Seir unto them. However, we still need to understand why the text uses “shining” in one place and “appearing” in another, and why it mentions unto them [lamo] with the shining but doesn’t mention “unto them” with the appearing.
It seems that all these names refer to specific nations, as Seir is associated with Esau, the hairy [sair] man (Genesis 27:11), and Mount Paran is associated with Ishmael, about whom it is said (Genesis 16:12) he will be a wild man, and “pere” is derived from the word “Paran.” Therefore, God did not shine His Divine Presence upon those two nations themselves, because the Holy One, blessed be He, knew that they would ultimately not accept the Torah. He only came to them so they would not have an excuse to say, “If He had given it to us, we would have accepted it.” Therefore, God did not reveal His Presence to these nations because they were not worthy of it, and instead He appeared to them from those places associated with those nations. This explains the precise language and rose from Seir unto them. However, we still need to understand why the text uses “shining” in one place and “appearing” in another, and why it mentions unto them [lamo] with the shining but doesn’t mention “unto them” with the appearing.
Bartenura
המחליק בצלים – there are those who interpret the language [in Biblical terms] (Genesis 27:11): “[Jacob answered his mother Rebekah, ‘But my brother Esau is a hairy man] and I am smooth-skinned,’” for when they were detached/plucked, the place remained smooth/empty. And there are those who interpret it as when he levels [a field by taking out crops], when he takes part of the moist/fresh onions to sell them in the market place and another part he leaves the dry ones for the granary for storage.
Rabbeinu Bahya
צוטריטלעך נאָר פֿאַר פּרעמיום־מיטגלידערRashi
The bare, divided mountain. A smooth mountain.5It was so called because there were no trees on it. It was divided between Yaakov and Eisov. The part belonging to Yaakov was bare and smooth as Yaakov himself. See Bereishis 27:11. This was a bare (smooth) mountain to Baal-gad, which was on the eastern border. During his lifetime, Yehoshua, was unable to conquer the entire eastern border to the north.
Rashi
the hairy pate The pate of Esau, who is a “hairy man,” and who always goes with his guilt.