The articles in this column are transcriptions and adaptations of shiurim by Rav Joseph Ber Soloveitchik, zt”l. The Rav’s unique perspective on Chumash permeated many of the shiurim and lectures he presented at various venues over a 40-plus-year period. His words add an important perspective that makes the Chumash in particular, and our tradition in general, vibrant and relevant to our generation.
This week’s d’var Torah is dedicated in memory of Joel Adler, z”l, longtime gabbai of Cong. Ohr Torah, who was niftar Shabbos Parshas Toldos.
There are two different Haftoros associated with Vayishlach. The first is Chazon Ovadiah (Book of Ovadiah), the second is V’Ami Teluim (Hoshea 12:7). The content of Chazon Ovadiah matches closely the content of Vayishlach as both discuss the battle between Jacob and Esau, past, present and future. In fact, Vayishlach is thought of as the Parsha of Esau, therefore it is readily understood why we would read Chazon Ovadiah, as Ovadiah was a convert, a descendant of Esau. Indeed, this is the Haftorah most congregations read for Parhsas Vayishlach.
The choice of V’Ami Teluim requires further explanation. The prophet refers to the in-utero battle between Jacob and Esau, the battle between Jacob and the angel, how the angel pleaded with Jacob to let him go to sing early morning praise to Hashem and Jacob’s refusal unless he blessed him. The verses in Hoshea support the statement of Chazal that the angel did not want to bless Jacob and change his name at that point, however Jacob insisted. The angel, despite his initial refusal to do so, revealed to Jacob that Hashem would change his name later at Beth El.
Why select V’Ami Teluim, with a more limited connection to Vayishlach, over Chazon Ovadiah, with its more obvious connection to the battle between Jacob and Esau?
The verses in Vayishlach that tell the story of the battle between Jacob and the mysterious stranger, the Ish (Vayayavek Ish Imo), characterizes the essence of the continuing battle between the Jewish People and the nations of the world. (Midrash Rabbah relates that before Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi would travel to Rome to visit Antonius, he would study Parshas Vayishlach beforehand. Once it happened that he did not study Parshas Vayishlach prior to his trip and that mission was unsuccessful.) Even though the story of Jacob and Esau is initiated in Parshas Toldos, the climax of the description of their embattled relationship is related in Parshas Vayishlach, particularly in the story of the encounter between Jacob and the Ish, the battle that Hoshea describes in V’Ami Teluim.
But the question remains: what is contained in these few Psukim that would give it precedence as Haftoras Vayishlach over the entire book of Ovadiah that deals at length with the battle between Jacob and Esau?
Jacob knew that his true implacable foe was Esau. He knew that Esau had 2 complaints against him: the first was that Jacob took or stole Esau’s birthright. The second was that Jacob appropriated the blessings their father intended for him. In the Parsha’s opening entreaty to Esau, Jacob attempted to convince Esau that there was no cause to hate him, as their father’s blessings were not fulfilled. As Rashi comments, Jacob specified to Esau that the wealth he acquired while he was away was not of the sort that their father blessed him. For he had acquired cattle and not the blessings of the heaven and earth as Isaac promised him. The blessings he, Esau, longed for were unfulfilled, as Jacob did not benefit from the blessings, and consequentially Esau had lost nothing by not receiving them. As to your other complaint regarding the birthright, note that the Kehuna, priesthood and service of Gd, that is associated with the birthright, implies personal sacrifice inconsistent with the blessing of Gevir Lachecha, to be master over all my brothers which was included in Isaac’s blessings. Therefore you have nothing to fear from me having taken the blessings and hence no reason to resent me. Jacob knew his enemy, Esau, well, and recognized that perhaps he could be bought off. He therefore sent the present of cattle to bribe him. He knew that the way to potentially mollify Esau was to insist that he accept his gift, which he finally did.
