Hidden Prayer: Yaakov's Message Spoken on Two Levels
Rashi says Yaakov sent real angels to Esav. Why trouble angels when men could carry the message? Why call Esav “my lord” in his own house, and how could boasting of 613 mitzvos, or of Yosef and Moshiach, “find favor” in Esav’s eyes?
Name a tzaddik: tap for who he wasTitle a sefer
Bereishis 32:4–6
וַיִּשְׁלַח יַעֲקֹב מַלְאָכִים לְפָנָיו אֶל־עֵשָׂו אָחִיו אַרְצָה שֵׂעִיר שְׂדֵה אֱדוֹם וַיְצַו אֹתָם לֵאמֹר כֹּה תֹאמְרוּן לַאדֹנִי לְעֵשָׂו כֹּה אָמַר עַבְדְּךָ יַעֲקֹב עִם־לָבָן גַּרְתִּי וָאֵחַר עַד־עָתָּה וַיְהִי־לִי שׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר צֹאן וְעֶבֶד וְשִׁפְחָה וָאֶשְׁלְחָה לְהַגִּיד לַאדֹנִי לִמְצֹא־חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ
And Yaakov sent messengers before him to Esav his brother, to the land of Se'ir, the field of Edom. And he commanded them, saying, “Thus shall you say to my lord, to Esav: Thus says your servant Yaakov: I have sojourned with Lavan, and I have stayed until now. And I have ox and donkey, flock, and manservant and maidservant; and I have sent to tell my lord, to find favor in your eyes.”
12Or we may read Yaakov's message to Esav as words spoken on two levels at once. “And Yaakov sent … malachim”: explains that they were malachim mamash, actual angels.1 “… to Esav … And he commanded them, saying, ‘Thus shall you say to my lord, to Esav: Thus says your servant Yaakov: I have sojourned with Lavan.’” On garti, “I have sojourned,” Rashi explains: “I did not become a prince or a man of importance.” He also gives another explanation: garti (גרתי) adds up to 613, “I kept the 613 mitzvos.”2 “And I have ox and donkey”: Rashi explains, “My father told me, ‘of the dew of the heavens and of the fat of the earth,’ and this is neither from the heavens nor from the earth.”3 And the Midrash Tanchuma says: “‘Ox’ is Yosef, as it says, ‘His firstborn ox, majesty is his’; ‘donkey’ is Moshiach ben Dovid, as it says, ‘poor, riding upon the donkey.’”4 The verse ends: “And I have sent to tell my lord, to find favor in your eyes.”
אוֹ יֹאמַר "וַיִּשְׁלַח כּוּ' מַלְאָכִים" פירש"י ז"ל מַלְאָכִים מַמָּשׁ, "אֶל עֵשָׂו כּוּ' וַיְצַו אוֹתָם לֵאמֹר כֹּה תֹאמְרוּן לַאדוֹנִי לְעֵשָׂו כֹּה אָמַר עַבְדְּךָ יַעֲקֹב עִם לָבָן גַּרְתִּי" פֵּירֵשׁ רש"י ז"ל לֹא נַעֲשֵׂיתִי שַׂר וְחָשׁוּב, דָּבָר אַחֵר גַּרְתִּי תרי"ג מִצְוֹת שָׁמַרְתִּי, "וַיְהִי לִי שׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר", פירש"י ז"ל אַבָּא אָמַר לִי מִטַּל הַשָּׁמַיִם וּמִשְׁמַנֵּי אֶרֶץ וְזוֹ אֵינוֹ לֹא מִשָּׁמַיִם וְלֹא מִן אֶרֶץ, וּבְתַנְחוּמָא אִיתָא שׁוֹר זֶה יוֹסֵף שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּכוֹר שׁוֹרוֹ הָדָר לוֹ חֲמוֹר זֶה מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר עָנִי רוֹכֵב עַל הַחֲמוֹר, "וָאֶשְׁלְחָה לְהַגִּיד לַאדוֹנִי לִמְצוֹא חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ".
- Rashi on Bereishis 32:4. ↩
- Rashi on Bereishis 32:5: “garti has the numerical value of 613.” Its letters: ג 3, ר 200, ת 400, י 10. ↩
- Rashi on Bereishis 32:6; the blessing is Bereishis 27:28. ↩
- Midrash Tanchuma (Buber), Vayishlach 5, where the words are “‘donkey’ is King Moshiach”; Devarim 33:17; Zechariah 9:9. ↩
Sources here
In shortYaakov sent real angels to Esav with a message that Rashi and the Midrash read two ways: humble words, or a claim of 613 mitzvos and great merits.
13aThe wording raises many questions. First: says these were real angels. Why did Yaakov in fact send angels to Esav? Men would have been enough as messengers: he could have put his words in their mouths, telling them what to say to Esav, without troubling angels. Second: “Thus shall you say to my lord, to Esav.” What the angels were to say to Esav is fine: let them say, “Thus says your servant …” But why did Yaakov himself, speaking with the angels in his own house, call Esav “my lord”? Third: in “to Esav” (le'Esav, לעשו), the lamed, “to,” makes no sense. He should have said, “Thus shall you say: ‘my lord Esav.’”
הַדִּקְדּוּקִים הֵמָּה רַבִּים. א. שפירש"י ז"ל "מַלְאָכִים מַמָּשׁ", יֵשׁ לְהָבִין לָמָּה בֶּאֱמֶת שָׁלַח יַעֲקֹב מַלְאָכִים מַמָּשׁ אֶל עֵשָׂו, וְהָיָה דַּי לוֹ בִּשְׁלִיחוּת אֲנָשִׁים וּלְשׁוּם דְּבָרָיו בְּפִיהֶם אֵיךְ יֹאמְרוּ לְעֵשָׂיו וְלֹא הָיָה לוֹ לְהַטְרִיחַ מַלְאָכִים. ב. "כֹּה תֹאמְרוּן לַאדוֹנִי לְעֵשָׂו", לָמָּה לוֹ לְיַעֲקֹב לֵאמֹר בְּבֵיתוֹ בְּדַבְּרוֹ עִם הַמַּלְאָכִים "לַאדוֹנִי", בִּשְׁלָמָא מַה שֶׁהֵם יֹאמְרוּ לְעֵשָׂו נִיחָא שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ כֹּה אָמַר עַבְדְּךָ כּוּ', אֲבָל מַה שֶּׁדִּבֵּר עִם הַמַּלְאָכִים בְּבֵיתוֹ לָמָּה לוֹ לְהַזְכִּיר לְקָרְאוֹ אֲדוֹנִי. ג. "לְעֵשָׂו" הלמ"ד אֵין לוֹ שַׁחַר, כָּךְ הָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר כֹּה כּוּ' "אֲדוֹנִי עֵשָׂו".
In shortWhy send real angels when men would do, why call Esav “my lord” to the angels at home, and why the extra lamed in “to Esav”?
13bFourth: on “I have sojourned with Lavan,” 's other explanation is “I kept the 613 mitzvos.” Then what does Yaakov mean by “to find favor in your eyes”? Would this win him favor in Esav's eyes? On the contrary, it would anger Esav, for Yaakov is boasting that he kept the 613 mitzvos, so that Esav will understand that he is not afraid of him. With Rashi's first explanation, “I did not become a prince or a man of importance,” all is well: these are words of submission, and through them Yaakov would find favor in Esav's eyes. But with the other explanation, “to find favor in your eyes” does not fit. Nor does it fit the Midrash that explains “‘Ox’ is Yosef …,” for these words, too, warn Esav that Yaakov has no fear of him at all, since the merit of the tzaddikim will stand by him.
ד. "עִם לָבָן גַּרְתִּי" פֵּירֵשׁ רש"י דָּבָר אַחֵר תרי"ג מִצְוֹת שָׁמַרְתִּי, וא"כ מַה זֶּה שֶׁאָמַר "לִמְצוֹא חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ", וְכִי בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה יִשָּׂא חֵן בְּעֵינָיו, אַדְּרַבָּה יַכְעִיסוֹ בְּדָבָר זֶה שֶׁהוּא מִתְפָּאֵר בְּעַצְמוֹ שֶׁשָּׁמַר תרי"ג מִצְווֹת, וְהוּא כְּדֵי שֶׁיָּבִין עֵשָׂו שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְפַחֵד מִמֶּנּוּ, בִּשְׁלָמָא לְפֵירוּשׁ רִאשׁוֹן שפירש"י ז"ל "לֹא נַעֲשֵׂיתִי שַׂר וְחָשׁוּב", הֵם דִּבְרֵי הַכְנָעָה עי"ז יִמְצָא חֵן בְּעֵינָיו, אֲבָל לְפִי דָּבָר אַחֵר אֵינוֹ עוֹלֶה כַּהוֹגֶן "לִמְצוֹא חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ". וְגַם לְפִי הַמִּדְרָשׁ שֶׁפֵּירֵשׁ "שׁוֹר זֶה יוֹסֵף כּוּ'" ג"כ אֵינוֹ עוֹלֶה כַּהוֹגֶן "לִמְצוֹא חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ", שֶׁדְּבָרִים אֵלֶּה הֵם ג"כ אַזְהָרָה שֶׁאֵין לוֹ פַּחַד כְּלָל, שֶׁזְּכוּת הַצַּדִּיקִים יַעֲמוֹד לוֹ.
In shortIf Yaakov boasted of 613 mitzvos, or of the merit of Yosef and Moshiach, he was warning Esav that he had no fear; how would that “find favor in your eyes”?
14To understand it, we begin with the way a tzaddik speaks. When he talks with people, he weighs his words with care, so that they carry two meanings. First, the plain sense, for the man he is speaking with. Second, the real content he intends by those very words: that they be prayer and supplication before the Omnipresent, blessed be He. He hides his prayer inside his talk with a person, instead of saying outright the prayer he needs, because of the accuser. The accuser will not understand that he is weaving a prayer into his words, and so will not accuse him, for he does not know that this man is praying.
אַךְ הָעִנְיָן הוּא, דְּהִנֵּה דֶּרֶךְ הַצַּדִּיק בְּדַבְּרוֹ עִם אֲנָשִׁים, אֲזַי הוּא מְדַקְדֵּק בִּדְבָרָיו לְהַשְׂכִּיל שֶׁיִּהְיוּ דְּבָרָיו נִשְׁמָעִים בְּמַשְׁמָעוּתֵיהֶם אֶחָד דְּבָרִים כִּפְשׁוּטָן לָאִישׁ הַמְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ, שֵׁנִית הוּא עִיקַּר תּוֹכֶן דָּבָר שֶׁמְּכַוֵּוין בְּאוֹתָן הַדִּיבּוּרִים שֶׁיִּהְיוּ תְּפִילָּה וְתַחֲנוּנִים לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם ב"ה וב"ש. וְהַכַּוָּונָה בָּזֶה שֶׁמַּסְתִּיר דְּבָרָיו שֶׁל הַתְּפִילָּה בְּהַדִּיבּוּרִים שֶׁמְּדַבֵּר עִם הָאָדָם, וְאֵינוֹ מִתְפַּלֵּל תְּפִילָּתוֹ הַצּוֹרֶךְ לוֹ בְּפֵירוּשׁ, הוּא לְמַעַן הַמְקַטְרֵג שֶׁלֹּא יָבִין כַּוָּונָתוֹ בִּדְבָרָיו שֶׁמַּכְנִיס בָּהֶם תְּפִילָּה וְלֹא יְקַטְרֵג עָלָיו, כִּי אֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁזֶּה הוּא מִתְפַּלֵּל.
In shortA tzaddik's words to people carry a hidden prayer beneath their plain sense, so that the accuser, not knowing he is praying, cannot accuse him.
15With this, everything falls into place. Yaakov sent real angels and not human messengers because he meant the angels to speak to Esav words that would appease him (ritzui), and that would also be words of favor (ratzon), in prayer and supplication before the Omnipresent, so that the angels would be advocates for him before Hashem, blessed be He. That is why it suited Yaakov best to send real angels: who can be an advocate before Hashem like an angel of Hashem of Hosts? Indeed, the Midrash says that these angels were Michael, Gavriel and Refael, who always plead for Israel. This is what Yaakov meant when he told the angels, “Thus shall you say”: in this way, and with this intention, you shall say every word you speak. “To my lord” means that their intention should be toward the Lord of all, the Creator, may His Name be exalted forever. And the plain words, “to Esav,” with their own lamed, are to be words of appeasement to Esav. This answers our first three questions.
וְעַל פִּי הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה יַעֲלֶה הַכֹּל עַל נָכוֹן. זֶה שֶׁשָּׁלַח מַלְאָכִים מַמָּשׁ וְלֹא אֲנָשִׁים שְׁלוּחִים, כִּי כַּוָּונָתוֹ שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב הָיָה שֶׁהַמַּלְאָכִים יְדַבְּרוּ אֶל עֵשָׂו דְּבָרִים כָּאֵלֶּה שֶׁיִּהְיוּ דִּבְרֵי רִיצּוּי אֶל עֵשָׂו וְגַם שֶׁיִּהְיוּ דִּבְרֵי רָצוֹן בִּתְפִילָּה וּבְתַחֲנוּנִים לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם לִהְיוֹתָם מְלִיצֵי יוֹשֶׁר לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם ב"ה עֲבוּרוֹ, וְלָכֵן הָיָה נוֹחַ לוֹ וְטוֹב לְיַעֲקֹב לִשְׁלוֹחַ מַלְאָכִים מַמָּשׁ, כִּי מִי הוּא הָאִישׁ שֶׁיּוּכַל לִהְיוֹת מֵלִיץ יוֹשֶׁר לִפְנֵי ה' כְּמַלְאַךְ ה' צְבָאוֹת, וְכִדְאִיתָא בֶּאֱמֶת בַּמִּדְרָשׁ שֶׁהַמַּלְאָכִים הָאֵלֶּה הָיוּ מִיכָאֵל גַּבְרִיאֵל רְפָאֵל שֶׁהֵם מְלִיצֵי יוֹשֶׁר תָּמִיד עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר יַעֲקֹב אֶל הַמַּלְאָכִים "כֹּה תֹאמְרוּן" ר"ל בְּאוֹפֶן זֶה וּבְכַוָּונָה זֹאת תֹּאמְרוּן כָּל דִּבְרֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר תְּדַבְּרוּן, דְּהַיְינוּ "לַאדוֹנִי" ר"ל שֶׁיִּהְיֶה כַּוָּונָתָם לַאֲדוֹן הַכֹּל הוּא הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְעַלֶּה זִכְרוֹ לָעַד, וְגַם דְּבָרִים כִּפְשׁוּטָן "לְעֵשָׂו" שֶׁיִּהְיֶה דִּבְרֵי רִיצּוּי לְעֵשָׂו.
In shortYaakov sent angels so that their words to Esav would also plead for him before Hashem: “to my lord” is to the Lord of all, “to Esav” the plain appeasement.
16That is why Yaakov told them to say, “Thus says your servant … I have sojourned with Lavan”: the word garti, “I have sojourned,” can be heard two ways. It is words of advocacy before Hashem, blessed be He, that Yaakov kept the 613 mitzvos and that this merit would stand by him to save him from Esav. And in its plain sense it is words of appeasement and submission to Esav: “I did not become a prince or a man of importance.” This is the meaning of 's “another explanation … 613 …”: davar acher means “another explanation,” but here it is read as “another thing,” which the angels were to put into their words and intend. When you say to Esav, “I have sojourned with Lavan,” he will understand it in its plain sense, as we said; but you are to intend “another thing” as well, pleading for me that I kept the 613 mitzvos.
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ "כֹּה אָמַר עַבְדְּךָ כּוּ' עִם לָבָן גַּרְתִּי", שֶׁמִּלַּת "גַּרְתִּי" מִשְׁתַּמֵּעַ לִתְרֵי אַפֵּי. דְּהַיְינוּ שֶׁהוּא דִּבְרֵי מְלִיצָה לְפָנָיו ית"ש שֶׁשָּׁמַר תרי"ג מִצְווֹת וּזְכוּת זֶה יַעֲמוֹד לוֹ שֶׁיִּנָּצֵל מֵעֵשָׂו, וְגַם דְּבָרִים כִּפְשׁוּטָן דִּבְרֵי רִיצּוּי וְהַכְנָעָה לְעֵשָׂו שֶׁלֹּא נַעֲשֵׂיתִי שַׂר וְחָשׁוּב. וְזֶהוּ "דָּבָר אַחֵר כּוּ' תרי"ג כּוּ'", ר"ל שֶׁתַּכְנִיסוּ וּתְכַוְּונוּ בְּדִבְרֵיכֶם שֶׁתֹּאמְרוּ לְעֵשָׂו "עִם לָבָן גַּרְתִּי", שֶׁהוּא יָבִין כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ כנ"ל, וְאַתֶּם תְּכַוְּונוּ עוֹד "דָּבָר אַחֵר", דְּהַיְינוּ לְהַמְלִיץ עֲבוּרִי שתרי"ג מִצְוֹת שָׁמַרְתִּי.
In shortGarti speaks two ways: to Esav, “I did not become a prince”; before Hashem, through the angels' intent, “I kept the 613 mitzvos.”
17So too “And I have ox and donkey” carries the same intention. Esav would hear it in its plain sense, that my father's blessings were not fulfilled in me; but you are to intend to bring before Hashem, blessed be His Name, the merit of the great tzaddikim, Yosef and Moshiach ben Dovid. “And I have sent to tell my lord, to find favor in your eyes”: Yaakov, too, was praying to Hashem now, as he spoke with the angels. He said: the main intent of “I have sent” is “to tell my lord,” my Creator and my Maker: to bring my merit and the merit of the tzaddikim before You, “to find favor in Your eyes.” This answers the fourth question. May He Who remembers the kindness of the Avos5 bring our remembrance before Him for compassion and favor. Amen.
וְכֵן "וַיְהִי לִי שׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר" ג"כ עַל הַכַּוָּונָה שֶׁלְּעֵשָׂו יִהְיֶה מִשְׁתְּמַע כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ שֶׁלֹּא נִתְקַיֵּים בִּי בִּרְכוֹת אָבִי, אֲבָל אַתֶּם תְּכַוְּונוּ לְהַזְכִּיר לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ שְׁמוֹ זְכוּת הַצַּדִּיקִים הַגְּדוֹלִים יוֹסֵף וּמָשִׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד, "וָאֶשְׁלְחָה לְהַגִּיד לַאדוֹנִי לִמְצוֹא חֵן" ר"ל וְיַעֲקֹב הָיָה ג"כ מִתְפַּלֵּל לְפָנָיו עַתָּה בְּדַבְּרוֹ עִם הַמַּלְאָכִים, וְאָמַר זֶה שֶׁ"אֶשְׁלְחָה" הוּא הָעִיקָּר כַּוָּונָתִי "לְהַגִּיד לַאדוֹנִי" בּוֹרְאִי וְיוֹצְרִי, לְהַזְכִּיר לְפָנֶיךָ זְכוּתִי וּזְכוּת הַצַּדִּיקִים "לִמְצוֹא חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ". וְהַזּוֹכֵר חַסְדֵי אָבוֹת יַעֲלֶה זִכְרוֹנֵינוּ לְפָנָיו לְרַחֲמִים וּלְרָצוֹן אָמֵן.
- The words are from the first blessing of the Amidah. ↩
In short“Ox and donkey” told Esav of unfulfilled blessings while recalling Yosef and Moshiach before Hashem, Whose favor Yaakov sought; may He remember the Avos' kindness for us.
R’ Elimelech raises four questions on Yaakov’s message: why real angels, why “my lord” spoken at home, why the lamed in “to Esav,” and how a boast of 613 mitzvos could win Esav’s favor. His answer is the way a tzaddik speaks: his words to people carry their plain sense and, hidden within, a prayer the accuser cannot recognize. Yaakov sent angels because only an angel can advocate before Hashem; their words would appease Esav and plead for Yaakov at once. “To my lord” was meant for the Lord of all, “to Esav” for the plain appeasement. Garti told Esav “I did not become a prince,” while the angels intended “another thing,” the 613 mitzvos; “ox and donkey” recalled before Hashem the merit of Yosef and Moshiach. And Yaakov himself, speaking with the angels, was praying to find favor in Hashem’s eyes.
Takeaway
A tzaddik's plain words to people can carry a prayer within them, as Yaakov's humble message to Esav pleaded before Hashem at the same time. When we must speak with those who stand against us, we too can let our words turn inward to Hashem, remembering the merit of the tzaddikim and seeking favor in His eyes.
Learn this in the merit of Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk. His yahrzeit and life ›
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English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.