At the beginning of Parashat Vayishlach, Yaakov Avinu sends messengers to see what Esav was planning and what his intentions were. Some say that the people that Yaackov Avinu sent were human, while others suggest that Yaackov Avinu sent Melachim as he worried Esav may hurt the potential human messengers. The messengers came back with worrying news, they reported to Yaackov Avinu that Esav is coming with 400 soldiers looking for war. However, the Rashbam thinks that their report was the complete opposite. He says that the messengers came back to Yaackov Avinu saying that Esav seeks peace and is bringing 400 men to show his respect to Yaakov. Despite this, Yaackov Avinu prepared himself and his family in three ways:
He prayed to HaShem,
He sent a gift to Esav in hopes to appease him,
He prepared for the possibility of a war with Esav.
In the end Esav comes to Yaackov Avinu in peace, and they reconcile with one another.
Later, Yaakov arrives in Shechem, where Dinah is abducted. Shimon and Levi avenge their sister by killing the people of Shechem, but Yaakov rebukes them for their violent actions. This criticism appears in this Parasha and later in Parashat Vayechi, before Yaakov Avinu’s death.
In addition, later in this week’s Parasha we depict an incident where Reuven acted inappropriately with Bilhah. After this incident, the Passuk says something quite puzzling, The children of Yaakov were twelve. Why emphasize this?
Until now, what we’ve seen with the rest of our Avot is that they had 2 types of children, upstanding children and unruly children. Avraham Avinu had Yitzchak Avinu and Yishmael, Yitzchak Avinu had Yaackov Avinu and Esav. One son is excluded from the family legacy, while the other carries it forward. The Torah does not expound upon the unruly child as it would be unfitting.
However, here with Yaakov's twelve sons, despite Shimon and Levi’s violent actions and Reuven’s misconduct, all of them remain part of the family and are included in the legacy.
This Passuk may be coming to teach us that as soon as we started to function as one nation we are required to accept one another despite our differences and imperfections.
Ariel Rachman
