The time came for Yaakov to leave the pure, pristine environs of his “tents” and work in the “dusty,” undignified world of Lavan and Esav.  We should never feel that we would be better off, that we would be purer and holier, if we never needed to struggle, if we never had to confront saro shel Esav. The “dirt” produced over the course of our struggles is itself pure and holy. 

Parashat Vayishlach tells the story of the abduction and rape of Yaakov's daughter, Dina, at the hands of Shekhem, the prince of the city bearing his name. The Torah describes Dina's brothers' response to the news as follows: "The men were distressed and very angry, because he had committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Yaakov's daughter – and this is not to be done" (34:7).

In one the most famous passages in his commentary to Chumash, Rashi, in the beginning of Parashat Vayishlach, presents a novel interpretation to Yaakov's message to Esav. According to the plain meaning of the verse, Yaakov simply informs Esav, "I have lived with Lavan and have stayed until now" (32:5).

What exactly is the difference between a mizbei'ach and a matzeiva, and why did the status of matzeivot change so drastically? We look at the opinions of Rambam and Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch.

Yaakov's confrontation with Esav in Parashat Vayishlach is often viewed as symbolic not only of Am Yisrael's encounter with its enemies (as discussed yesterday), but also, in a more homiletical sense, of a Jew's struggle against his internal foe - his yetzer ha-ra, or evil inclination, in whatever form it assumes. "Darshanim" have drawn insights from this parasha as to the methods by which one can and should deal and, hopefully, overcome man's tendency to sin.

Parashat Vayishlach tells the tragic story of the death of Rachel as she delivers her second child, Binyamin (35:16-19). The Chumash then tells that Yaakov buried Rachel along the side of the road in Bet Lechem and erected there a monument to her memory. The verse concludes, "This is the monument of Rachel's burial site to this day." As we know, a time-honored tradition identifies Kever Rachel (Rachel's Tomb) with the shrine situated in modern-day Bet Lechem (Bethlehem), several miles south of Jerusalem. Many academic scholars, however, have questioned the authenticity of this tradition.

Parashat Vayishlach concludes with a presentation of Esav's lineage. This section begins by listing his wives, which include two Hittite women, Ada and Ahalivama (36:2). Rashi identifies Ahalivama as Yehudit, whom we met earlier, in Parashat Toledot, as one of Esav's Hittite wives (26:34). Rashi explains the discrepancy in her name by claiming that her real name was Ahalivama. Esav changed her name to Yehudit in order to mislead his parents into thinking that she rejected idolatry. Apparently, "Yehudit," which of course means "Jew," symbolizes the rejection of paganism.

As we've mentioned on several occasions throughout our S.A.L.T. series, Chazal identify the mysterious man/being who attacked Yaakov in the middle of the night as "Saro shel Esav," Esav's heavenly angel. One source, however, appears at first glance to indicate otherwise. Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer 36 writes that when the angel changed Yaakov's name to Yisrael (32:29), he responded to Yaakov's request that the angel reveal his name (despite the fact that the Torah records this request as occurring only after the name change).

At the dramatic, conciliatory meeting between Yaakov and Esav in Parashat Vayishlach, Yaakov implores Esav to accept the gift he had prepared for him. Responding to Esav's initial refusal, Yaakov employs a peculiar expression, one which the commentators debate how to understand: "Please, no; if you would do me this favor, accept from me this gift, for I have seen your face like having seen the face of God, and you have received me favorably" (33:10). We present here several of the interpretations offered by the commentators.

"בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא נְאֻם ה' צְבָאוֹת אֶקָּחֲךָ זְרֻבָּבֶל בֶּן שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל עַבְדִּי נְאֻם ה' וְשַׂמְתִּיךָ כַּחוֹתָם כִּי בְךָ בָחַרְתִּי נְאֻם ה' צְבָאוֹת" (חגי ב', כג)

ביום ההוא - אקחך להעלותך במעלה יותר ממה שהיית עד היום ההוא, ותרגם יונתן: 'אקרבינך'.

ושמתיך כחותם - הטבעת שחותמים בה הכתבים נקרא חותם וכן אמר "שימני כחותם" (שיר השירים ח', ו). והטבעת ההיא לא תסור מיד האדם לא ביום ולא בלילה, רצה לומר שתהיה השגחת האל תמידה עליו.