A Quarrel Not His Own: Merit for His Children

1The Midrash Rabbah (Bereishis Rabbah 75:2) on “Yaakov sent messengers before him to Esav his brother” [Bereishis 32:4] opens: R' H.¹ began with the verse “Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passerby who meddles in a quarrel not his own” [Mishlei 26:17]. See the Midrash there in full: Esav was going on his way, and Yaakov provoked him by sending to him. Yet the Zohar praises Yaakov's wisdom in this very matter. In its holy words: “He used more wisdom and shrewdness in this than in anything else he did toward Esav. For had Esav understood this wisdom, he would have killed himself rather than let it come to this. But he did everything with wisdom, and about him Chanah said, ‘Hashem, His adversaries shall be shattered … and He will give strength to His king’ [Shmuel I 2:10]” (Zohar, Vayishlach).

2aWith Hashem's help we can reconcile the two views. It is known, and the Zohar says so in these words: “Come and see: Yaakov's prayer protected him from Esav, because he wanted to lay up his merit for his children after him, and not to spend it now against Esav” (Zohar, Vayishlach). All his anxious efforts and all his prayers were meant only to leave us merit and survival in our exile. The Midrash says the same: “‘If Esav comes to the one camp and strikes it’ [Bereishis 32:9]: these are our brethren in the South. ‘Then the remaining camp will survive’: these are our brethren in the Diaspora” (Bereishis Rabbah 76:3). “Our brethren in the South” are the wise men of the generation, as in “One who wishes to become wise should face south” (Bava Basra 25b). “The one camp” follows Chazal's teaching (Shabbos 31b): “‘Behold [hen], the fear of Hashem is wisdom’ [Iyov 28:28], and in Greek hen means ‘one.’” Fear of Heaven is called “one.” So if, Heaven forbid, sin should cause all the God-fearing and the great tzaddikim to be taken, then “the remaining camp,” those left over, the lesser ones of the generation, will at least have a remnant and survival in this exile.

2bIt is true that, according to the Midrash, bowing down and subjugating himself to Esav was counted against Yaakov Avinu as a slight blemish. But for the later generations it was a great benefit, the reason we exist to this day, for it gave us a remnant. This is what the Midrash means with the verse “Like one who seizes a dog by the ears … who meddles in a quarrel not his own.” “Not his own” means not for his own sake, but only for the sake of his children.

3This may also be the meaning of the Midrash further on (cf. Bereishis Rabbah 78:8)²: “‘And he himself passed on before them’ [Bereishis 33:3]. He said: Better that Esav strike at me and not at them.” This is the merciful father, like the eagle, the most merciful of birds. As Rashi explains on “I carried you on eagles' wings” [Shemos 19:4], the eagle carries its young on its wings, saying, Better that the arrow strike me and not my children. So too, “Better that he strike at me”: let it be counted against me as a blemish, as long as he does not strike at them, the children, Heaven forbid, and they survive as a remnant. (From the author's handwritten manuscript.)