Several weeks ago in Parashat Toldot I mentioned the idea that who your friends are has a significant impact on who you are. With the return of sibling rivalry between Yaakov and Esav in this week's parasha, we see a similar theme...
Vayishlach begins with Yaakov sending angels to Esav in an attempt to make ammends with him. The angels return with frightening news - Esav is on his way to kill Yaakov!! After enacting some clever military strategies, Yaakov makes a plea to Hashem: "Rescue me, please, from the hand of my brother - from the hand of Esav."
This pasuk seems a bit redundant. Why did Yaakov feel the need to specify that Esav was his brother? Surely Hashem knew their relationship! Why couldn't Yaakov simply ask Hashem to either "save me from my brother" or "save me from Esav" - why the repetition?! The answer is that Yaakov was requesting two different types of savior.
Yaakov's latter request to be saved from Esav was exactly what one would interpret it to be - a savior from physical attack. Yaakov was asking Hashem to physically protect him so that Esav could not harm him. However, Yaakov's initial request to be saved from the hands of his brother was an entirely different type of harm - one that is much more dangerous!
Yaakov feared that, rather than Esav harming him, he might play the role of "brother" to him. He feared that Esav might come into his home and influence his family. From this Yaakov wanted even more protection than from death!
Yaakov was on his way to meet Esav and plead for forgiveness. He knew that this encounter would end in one of two ways. Either Esav would refuse and kill him - hence the second request or Esav would accept his apology now want to dwell with him. Though Esav was his brother, Yaakov understood the dangers of having him around his family and the negative impacts Esav could potentially have on them.
Chas v'Shalom, I'm not suggesting that one ignore their family - I'm not even limiting this concept to family!! The message in this parasha, however, is a very powerful one. We see from Yaakov's plea that even more dangerous than somebody wanting to harm us physically is their wanting to harm us spiritually.
It is imperative in life that one realize the impact we can have on others and, more importantly, the impact others can have one us...
Shabbat Shalom!
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