Click Here to Sponsor Daily Halacha
"Delivered to Over 6000 Registered Recipients Each Day"

Download print

Parashat Vayishlah: What Was Esav’s Angel Afraid Of?

We read in Parashat Vayishlah the famous story of Yaakob’s wrestle with a mysterious person who attacked him in the middle of the night as he made his way back to Eretz Yisrael. This assailant turned out to be Esav’s heavenly angel. Our Rabbis teach that this angel came to defeat not just Yaakob, but his progeny, as well. This was, if you will, the first attempt at a "final solution," to annihilate the Jewish people. Yaakob, as we know, survived the attack, though he was badly injured, symbolizing the fact that the Jewish people, his descendants, would be "injured" over the course of their history, but they would survive every attack made upon them.

The question arises, why did specifically Yaakob Abinu come under attack? If the evil angels in the heavens wanted to prevent Beneh Yisrael from coming into existence, why didn’t they start their assault right at the beginning, with Abraham Abinu? And if, for whatever reason, they did not attack Abraham, why did they not launch an assault on Yishak? What was so special about Yaakob Abinu that Esav’s angel found so threatening, thus prompting a violent assault?

Each of the three patriarchs excelled specifically in a distinct area of religious life, and bequeathed to us that particular quality. Abraham Abinu implanted within us the quality of Hesed, kindness and generosity, the desire to help others in need. Satan and his minions did not feel threatened by Abraham because kindness alone cannot ensure the perpetuity and eternity of the nation. There are, thank G-d, many non-Jews and many non-observant Jews who also excel in this quality, who are kind, sensitive and caring. As much as we pride ourselves – rightfully so – on our nation’s excellence in this area, we must acknowledge that other people share this quality of Hesed. And thus it alone cannot guarantee our continued existence as a nation. Hence, Satan did not feel threatened by Abraham Abinu.

Yishak Abinu, our second patriarch, embodied the area of Aboda (sacrifice), as he was placed upon the altar, prepared to sacrifice himself for G-d. In the absence of the Bet Ha’mikdash, sacrifices are replaced by prayer; this is how Aboda is expressed in our times. Prayer, too, cannot guarantee the success or continuity of a nation. All streams of all faiths build and attend houses of worship. As important and vital as Tefila is in Jewish life, it cannot guarantee our future, and thus Satan was not frightened or intimidated by Yishak.

The patriarch who did frighten the evil angels was Yaakob Abinu, who embodied the value of Torah study. Intensive, rigorous engagement in sacred texts is something unique to the Jewish people, and it is what has ensured our survival for millennia. This is what frightened Esav’s angel. When he saw Yaakob Abinu’s commitment to Torah, a commitment that would be passed down to his descendants, he realized he had to act immediately. If the Jewish people would retain that commitment – which, of course, we have – they would exist forever. It was thus specifically Yaakob Abinu who came under assault.

The Torah tells that although Yaakob triumphed over the angel, he sustained a serious injury in his thigh. The Zohar comments that the blow to Yaakob’s thigh symbolizes the blow that was dealt to the supporters of Torah. The thigh is what supports the upper part of the body, and Yaakob’s injury thus represents the damage caused to the support of Torah. Indeed, it is far more difficult to raise money for a yeshiva than for Hesed organizations and for synagogues. Many people, Baruch Hashem, eagerly and generously respond to calls for funding to assist the needy or to build or expand synagogues. When it comes to supporting Yeshivot, however, people are often reluctant. This phenomenon is the result of the blow dealt to Yaakob’s thigh, which impaired the base of support for his descendants’ Torah study.

When we are approached with a request to support a Torah institution, the Satan works overtime to discourage us, planting in our minds all kinds of reasons and excuses for refusing. Satan knows that Torah learning is the Jewish people’s greatest weapon against him, and he will therefore do anything he can to interfere with our support of learning. But if we overcome this challenge and offer our generous support to Yeshivot, then we defeat Satan, and help guarantee the continued existence and growth of the Jewish nation, that despite the injury to the "thigh," we will continue to live and thrive for all eternity.


Related Parasha
Parashat Vayishlah- The Dangers of the Gentle Touch - 2022 Year
Parashat Vayishlah- The Power of Our Tears - 2021 Year
Parashat Vayishlah: The Foundations of Jewish Kingship - 2020 Year
Parashat Vayishlah: The Deeper Significance of the Story of Shechem - 2019 Year
Parashat Vayishlah- The Bite and the Kiss - 2018 Year
Parashat Vayishlah- Every Penny Has a Purpose - 2017 Year
Parashat VaYishlah: “Son of Your Maidservant” - 2016 Year
Parashat VaYishlah: We are the Answer to Yaakob’s Prayer - 2015 Year
Parashat Vayishlah: Dalet and Resh - 2014 Year
Parashat VaYishlah: Yaakov Abinu and the Power of Torah - 2013 Year
Parashat Vayishlach- Jewish Photosynthesis - 2011 Year
Shabbat Morning Class - Parasha Vayishlach - 2011 Year
Parashat Vayishlah- A Lesson in Showing Gratitude - 2010 Year
Shabbat Morning Class - Parasha Vayishlach - 2010 Year
Shabbat Morning Class - Parasha Vayishlach - 2009 Year
Sefer/Parasha:
Parashat Vaera: Maintaining Idealism
Parashat Shemot: Don’t Give Up Before You Start
Parashat Vayehi: The Fall of the Hashmonaim
Parashat Vayigash: The Master of Self-Control
Parashat Miketz- The Source of Yosef’s Strength
Parashat Vayesheb: Keep Your Shoes On
Parashat Vayishlah: What Was Esav’s Angel Afraid Of?
Parashat Vayeseh: Like the Dirt of the Earth
Parashat Toledot: In Praise of Ribka
Parashat Vayera: Breaking Our Nature
Parashat Lec Lecha: Learning About Marriage From Abraham Abinu
Parashat Noah: Finding Grace in God’s Eyes
Parashat Bereshit: There is No World Without Torah
Succot: Commemorating the Clouds of Glory
The Special Protection of Succot
1002 Parashot found