Vayishlach - "And I Shall Walk Against You" (Sefer Ovadia)

1. a. Yaakov and Esav – Encounters

 

While our parasha continues the story of Yaakov's life, the Haftora constitutes an entirely independent unit; not a continuation or a chapter, but a whole entity.  At least, that's how it looks if we consider the Haftora alone.  But it is clear that this prophecy was selected as the Haftora for Parashat Vayishlakh because it represents the conclusion of the encounter between Yaakov and Esav as narrated in the parasha.

 

Since his flight to Charan, Yaacov knew that the day would come when he would meet up with Esav once again, and he feared this meeting.  As the meeting approaches he becomes more and more fearful, and it seems that the many years that have passed since his flight have only intensified his anxiety.  He does everything in his power to soften Esav's heart and  appease him: he sends gifts, pours out his heart in prayer, and prepares himself for the eventuality of war.  But Esav surprises him, and the encounter between them is like the meeting of two loving brothers: "And he fell upon his neck and kissed him, and they wept" (33:5).  The conflict which seemed so threatening beforehand never takes place.  And in the spirit of this atmosphere of appeasement, Esav suggests: "Let us journey and go and I shall walk before you" (33:12).  But Yaakov expresses his reservation: "Let my master pass before his servant, and I shall lead on slowly... until I shall come to my master to Se'ir" (33:14).

 

In the Midrash, Rabbi Abahu comments as follows: "I have reviewed all of the Torah and have not found (written) that Yaakov ever went to Esav at Har Se'ir.  Could the honest Yaakov have been lying when he said this? (No, rather) he indeed meant that he would come to him – in the Messianic Age,   as it is written, "and the saviors shall ascend Har Tzion to judge the mountain of Esav" (Bereishit Rabba, 78).  This teaches us that the true picture is not as it appears from the parasha, but rather as presented in the Haftora.

 

Thus Ovadia's prophecy complements the parasha, as it provides the missing information.  At the same time, although his prophecy looks like a complete unit, it is not independent of the entire background preceding it, and it must be understood against the backdrop of the early encounters between Yaakov and Esav.

 

1. b. Fraternal Covenant?

 

The prophet sharply rebukes Edom-Esav: "For your violence against your brother Yaakov, shame will cover you... On the day that you stood in opposition, on the day that strangers took his substance captive... You should not have looked on the day of your brother, on the day of his misfortune; you should not have rejoiced over the children of Yehuda on the day of their destruction..." (10-12).

 

The crux of the rebuke is based on the fact that Esav is Yaakov's brother, and a brother is expected to act differently from the way in which a stranger behaves.  If the relationship between these brothers was hostile from beginning to end then there would be no room for disappointment.  But in light of the encounter narrated in our parasha – "And he fell upon his neck and kissed him" – it seems that it could be possible for them to live in harmony. It therefore comes as a bitter disappointment when Esav joins forces with the foreign armies that come to destroy Jerusalem.

 

1. c. And the Elder Shall Serve

 

When Rivka inquires of God, she is answered, "Two nations are in your womb... and one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger" (Bereishit 25:23). Thus Rivka was informed that the struggle involves more than simple hostility and fighting between two boys; it was to be a continuous battle over the birthright and the blessing.  As Rashi explains, "They would not be equal in greatness; when one rose, the other would fall, as it is written (Yehezkel 26:2), 'I shall be filled with her that is laid waste' – Tzor is filled with the destruction of Jerusalem (i.e., Tzor is satiated at Jerusalem's expense).  One will always be subject to the other.  The same prediction arises from Yitzhak's blessing to Yaakov, "Be a lord over your brothers and let your mother's sons bow down to you" (Bereishit 27:29), while to Esav he says, "And you shall serve your brother, and it shall be that when you have the upper hand, you shall break his yoke from upon your neck"(ibid 40).

 

This vision is familiar to us from the earliest of times.  We find a similar utterance emanating from Noach: "Cursed be Kena'an; a servant of servants he shall be to his brothers!" (ibid 9:25) But there is a big difference.  In Noah's case the curse of servitude is invoked as a punishment for the disgraceful behavior of Cham and Cana'an, while Yitzhak describes this one-up-one-down relationship in the context of a blessing.  Moreover, in the case of Yitzhak's sons it was divinely preordained that one nation would be stronger than the other and that the elder would serve the younger.  Yitzhak is simply concurring with God's own prediction.  In the case of Noach, however, he seems to introduce the issue of servitude on his own initiative.

 

The more significant difference, though, lies in the fact that the servitude to which Noah sentences Kena'an is for all eternity, while for the sons of Yitzhak it is co-dependent: one will always be a lord with the other serving him; one will always be successful while the other wallows.  The battle is an ongoing one. Servitude here is a possibility, not an absolute permanent label.  There are those who serve – but not servants.

 

1. d. Ovadia

 

But what, in truth, is the meaning of Yaakov having servants – does Yaakov really wish to rule over others? Yaakov is in essence a sort of bridge, referring and directing the servants to the true Master, the King of the Universe.  As Ovadia declares at the climax of his prophecy, "And the saviors shall ascend Mount Tzion to judge the mountain of Esav, and the Kingdom shall be God's" (1:21).

 

Indeed, Edom has the possibility of choosing pure divine service, thereby divesting himself of the yoke of flesh and blood.  Ovadia himself serves as proof of this – according to tradition he himself was an Edomite who converted to Judaism (according to the opinion of Rabbi Meir in Sanhedrin 39b).

 

1. e. Two Nations Together

 

Although the prophecy here declares, "There shall be no remnant of the hose of Esav" (1:18), Rabbi (Avoda Zarah 10b) interprets this as follows: "(This applies to) those who act like Esav." This teaching, which Rebbe uttered in the presence of Antoninus, implies that an Edomite may still be redeemed from the fate of Esav.  If he abandons the tradition of evil then he no longer belongs to Esav's descendants.  The close relations between Rebbi and Antoninus prove that not only is the hostility between Israel and Edom not a necessity – they are even able to recapture their brotherly relationship.

 

In fact, this possibility is hinted at in God's words to Rivka: "And God said to her, Two nations are in your womb' – Rav Yehuda commented on this, in the name of Rav: 'Do not read 'nations' (goyim) but rather 'lords' (gayim) – referring to Antoninus and Rabi..." (Avoda Zarah 11).

 

Thus there are various possible scenarios:

 

1. 1. Hostility - culminating with "and the saviors shall ascend... to judge the mountain of Esav"; 
2. 2. Conversion and absorption – following the example of Ovadia who converted and joined the House of Israel; 
3. 3. Change and brotherly love – with Esau's abandonment of his evil deeds, following the example of Antoninus, representing a nation living peacefully with another nation – that of Yaakov.

 

(Translated by Kaeren Fish)