11.19.2013

PARSHAT VAYISHLACH; ESAU AND 400 MEN


In last week's parsha we read;

Jacob raised his eyes and saw--behold, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men-- so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two handmaids.  He put the handmaids and their children first, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. Then he himself went on ahead of them and bowed earthward seven times until he reached his brother.  Esau ran toward him, embraced him, fell upon his neck, and kissed him; then they wept.

According to our sages;

In their new found brotherly love, Esav insisted on escorting Jacob, and offered to slow down as much as necessary to keep pace with the slow-moving flocks and family.  Jacob, however, wanted to end the reunion as quickly as possible: whether or not Esav's kisses were sincere, the momentary friendship could not be expected to last indefinitely.

We are told, it is an immutable rule that Esav hates Yaakov.

In the future Esau will wrap himself in a tallis, sit down next to Yakov and say to him, "You are my brother"....Yakov will say to him, "My brother, you will not be like me. "I will lead you to death, I will be the pestilence that leads you to Sheol (Hoshea 13,14). Had I upheld degrees that you promulgated against me, I would have been guilty at the eyes of Heaven. Had I violated them, you would have killed me? (Yalkut Shimoni, Yirmiahu 333)



In February, 2006, Pastor John Hagee, Founder and National Chairman of Christians United for Israel, decided the time had come to create a national grassroots movement focused on the support of Israel. He called upon Christian leaders from across America to join him in launching this new initiative. Over 400 Christian leaders each representing a denomination, mega-church, media ministry, publishing company, or Christian university answered the call and Christians United for Israel was born.

In 2013,The pro-Israel Christian group Christians United for Israel (CUFI) brought more than 400 Christian leaders  to Washington, DC, to lobby against President Barack Obama’s nomination of Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense, the Weekly Standard reported. 

"That was Esau's intention when he told Yakov, "Let us travel together and I will go before you (Genesis 33,12). He wanted them to join together in both this world and the world to come, to meet each other halfway, with each modifying his conduct until they were alike (Yalkut Shimoni, Genesis 133). Indeed, Esau will even adopt certain tenets of Judaism-such as monotheism, the Divinity of the Torah, and reward and punishment-but only if Israel will give up some of its heritage. Similarly, according to Tanna D'Bei Eliahu Zuta(19), Esau proposed. "Give up some of the mitzvos that divide us. You will thereby enjoy this world and still have half the world to come. Isn't that enough? (Bais Halevy, Vayishlach).

I loved you, says HASHEM; but you say, 'How have you loved us?' Was not Esau the brother of Jacob--the word of HASHEM--yet I loved Jacob. But I hated Esau; I made his mountains a desolation and [gave] his heritage to the desert serpents.  Though Edom will say, 'We have become destitute, but we will return and rebuild the ruins,' thus says HASHEM, Master of Legions: They may build, but I will tear down! They will be called the boundary of wickedness' and 'the people whom HASHEM has condemned forever.' 
Malachi 1:3-5