Vayishlach: Chapter 10

"Let my Lord, I pray you, pass over before his servant"

Synopsis

Rabbi Elazar explains the title quotation as Jacob's wish to save his blessings for future generations in their struggle against the nations of the world. Jacob rejected partnership with Esau and accepted subjugation, we are told, knowing that in the World to Come, he would rule over the "mount of Esau."

Relevance

Our tendency is to sacrifice tomorrow's rewards for immediate ego gratification. This tendency derives from our Evil Inclination, which seeks to influence us in all our endeavors. When we succumb to urges from this dark side, our Evil Inclination creates a partnership with us, tainting and defiling all our efforts. Impatience is a powerful form of reactive, self-indulgent behavior and usually underlies our decisions to accept this partnership. Patience is divine and it is nurtured in us as we read this section.

Blessing Jacob Prayer

127. "Let my lord, I pray you, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on slowly" (Beresheet 33:14). According to Rabbi Elazar, this agrees with what we have already said. Jacob did not wish to avail himself at this time of the first blessings his father bestowed on him. Not one had yet been fulfilled, because he was reserving them to the end of days, when his descendants would need TO UTILIZE THEM in the fight against the other nations of the world.

127. יַעֲבָר נָא אֲדֹנִי לִפְנֵי עַבְדּוֹ וַאֲנִי אֶתְנַהֲלָה לְאִטִּי וגו.' אֲמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, הַיְינוּ דְקָאַמְרִינָן בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, דְּיַעֲקֹב לָא בָּעָא הַשְׁתָּא, אִינוּן בִּרְכָאן קַדְמָאי דְּבָרְכֵיהּ אֲבוֹי, וַעֲדַיִין לָא אִתְקַיְימוּ בֵּיהּ אֲפִילּוּ חַד מִנַּיְיהוּ, בְּגִין דְּסָלֵיק לוֹן לְסוֹף יוֹמַיָא, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּאִצְטְרִיכוּ לִבְנוֹי, לְגַבֵּי כָּל עַמִּין דְּעַלְמָא.

Esau Head Jacob Prayer World to Come, The

128. Thus, when Esau said, "Let us take our journey, and let us go" (Beresheet 33:12), "Let us divide the world between us and rule over it together," JACOB replies, "Let my lord, I pray you, pass over before his servant," MEANING, let Esau be the first to exercise his dominion over the world. "Let my lord ...pass" IS AN INDICATION OF PRIORITY, as in, "and their king passes on before them, and Hashem at the head of them" (Michah 2:13). JACOB SAID TO HIM: You can be the first to rule over the world, "and I will lead on slowly," and raise myself for the World to Come and for the end of days, the days that pass slowly.

128. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דַּאֲמַר עֵשָׂו, נִסְעָה וְנֵלֵכָה, וְנִפְלוֹג הַאי עַלְמָא כַּחֲדָא, וְנִשְׁלוֹט כַּחֲדָא. מַה אֲמַר, יַעֲבָר נָא אֲדֹנִי לִפְנֵי עַבְדּוֹ, יַקְדִּים עֵשָׂו שָׁלְטָנֵיהּ הַשְׁתָּא בְּהַאי עַלְמָא. יַעֲבָר נָא, כד"א וַיַּעֲבוֹר מַלְכָּם לִפְנֵיהֶם וַה' בְּרֹאשָׁם, אַקְדֵּים אַנְתְּ שׁוּלְטָנוּתָךְ בְּקַדְמֵיתָא בְּהַאי עַלְמָא, וַאֲנִי אֶתְנַהֲלָה לְאִטִּי, אֲנָא אֲסַלֵּק גַּרְמִי, לְהַהוּא עַלְמָא דְאָתֵי, וּלְסוֹף יוֹמַיָא, לְאִינוּן יוֹמַיָא דְאָזְלִין לְאַט.

Cherubim (Cherubs) Faith Jacob Mirror Nukva Point Zeir Anpin

129. "According to the pace of the cattle (also: 'work')." HE ASKS, What is meant by the work? HE ANSWERS, It is the dim mirror, THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN, through which all work in the world is done. " ...That goes before me ..." REFERS TO THE NUKVA, always means before Hashem, ZEIR ANPIN; "according to the pace of the children" alludes to the secret of the Cherubs, to point at the secret of the faith, THE NUKVA, to whom Jacob cleaved.

129. לְרֶגֶל הַמְלָאכָה, מַאן מְלָאכָה. דָּא אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא דְלָא נָהֲרָא, דְּבָהּ אִתְעֲבֵיד עֲבִידְתָּא דְעָלְמָא. אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי, דָּא הִיא מִן קֳדָם ה,' בְּכָל אֲתַר. וּלְרֶגֶל הַיְלָדִים, דָא הוּא רָזָא דִכְרוּבִים, לְאַחֲזָאָה רָזָא דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא, דְּאִיהוּ אִתְדַּבַּק בְּהוֹ.

Esau Exile Jacob Kingdom Mountains Obadiah Suffering Zion

130. "Until I come to my lord, to Seir ..." JACOB SAID TO HIM: I shall suffer your exile and subjugation until my time to rule over the mount of Esau is come. As it is written, "And liberators shall ascend upon Mount Zion to judge the mountain of Esau; and the kingdom shall be Hashem's" (Ovadyah 1:21).

130. עַד אֲשֶׁר אָבֹא אֶל אֲדֹנִי שֵׂעִירָה, אֲנָא אֶסְבּוֹל גָּלוּתָא דִילָךְ, עַד דְּיֵיתֵי וְיִמְטֵי זִמְנָא דִילִי, לְשַׁלְטָאָה עַל הַר עֵשָׂו, כד"א וְעָלוּ מוֹשִׁיעִים בְּהַר צִיּוֹן לִשְׁפֹּט אֶת הַר עֵשָׂו, וּכְדֵין וְהָיְתָה לַה' הַמְלוּכָה.

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