-Genesis 32:5 

When I first read the opening lines of this week’s sedra I was immediately impressed by Jacob’s show of humility, referring to Esau as “my lord” and himself as “your servant.” I interpreted this language as a sign that the tricking, conniving Jacob had grown up and learned to feel sorry for stealing his brother’s birthright and blessing. Here he was, a man of great wealth, abasing himself before Esau, at last showing the humility long absent from his character. 

When I read these opening lines again, I began to disagree with my initial reaction. Jacob does not mention the events between himself and his brother and never shows any regret over his actions. Additionally, Jacob waits until his impending return to apologize seeming to suggest that Jacob’s “humility” is actually self-seeking obsequiousness, designed to appease Esau who desired Jacob’s death on their departure.  

I found this second interpretation, however seemingly obvious, unsatisfactory. In hope of inspiration I decided to turn to the rabbis. Interestingly, as in my second interpretation, the rabbis generally condemn Jacob for sending the messenger to Esau; However, the reasoning behind their condemnation is rather different than my own. Genesis Rabbah 72, 5 reads: 

He that passeth by and meddleth with strife not his own is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.” Said the Holy One Blessed Be He: He (Esau) was going his own way, yet you dispatch a delegation to him saying: “Thus saith thy servant Jacob. 

The author of this midrash is shocked by Jacob’s humility before Esau, but primarily condemns him because he is stirring up his own trouble by contacting Esau at all. This midrash thus implies that Jacob only encountered Esau at all because he sought contact.  

If we reexamine this text using the rabbinic assumption that Jacob reached out to Esau voluntarily, we can again begin to build an argument for seeing Jacob in a positive light in this instance. We can find further evidence of this assumption by examining the usage of the word fear in the beginning of this sedra. We assumed in our second interpretation that Jacob needed to curry favour with Esau before his return for fear that his brother may once again desire his murder. However, the assumption that Jacob sought Esau out of fear is based on later psukim stating that Jacob was fearful after his messengers returned with news that Esau has 400 men. We have no evidence he was fearful before, suggesting Jacob was internally motivated in sending a messenger. Secondly, this episode of Jacob seeking out his kinsman occurs immediately upon his departure from Laban, his uncle. This juxtaposition, suggests that Jacob was motivated by a desire for family connections.  

When we combine the rabbinic assumption that Jacob need not have contacted Esau, the evidence that Jacob’s initial message was not motivated by fear, and finally, the connection between Jacob leaving Laban and contacting Esau, we begin to reveal the image of a man looking to reconcile and connect with his family in Canaan. In this passage, Jacob shows himself as a man committed and willing to reach out to his family, and if unable to apologize at least able to seek reconciliation.

By Jackie Gerber

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