2020/5781

In Parashat VaYishlach, there is a major encounter between Yaakov Avinu and Eisav. Eisav has just made peace with Yaakov, and Yaakov wants to ensure their peace by insisting that Eisav accept his present.  Yaakov tells Eisav, “Al Na Im Na Matzati Chein BeEinecha VeLakachta Minchati MiYadi Ki Al Kein Ra’iti Panecha Kirot Penei Elohim VaTirtzeini,” “No, I pray you; if you would do me this favor, accept from me this gift; for to see your face is like seeing the face of God, and you have received me favorably” (BeReishit 33:10). Ya'akov very much wants Eisav to take his present, but why? 

Rashi explains that Yaakov Avinu wants Eisav to accept his gift because it shows that Eisav has pardoned Yaakov’s offense. In a variation on Rashi, Radatz (ibid s.v. KiRe’ot Penei Elokim) says that Yaakov is saying, “accept my offering like God accepts our offerings,” which would concretize Yaakov and Eisav’s connection and Eisav’s forgiving Yaakov. Eisav’s acceptance of the gifts will show that he retains no hard feelings toward Yaakov. This is reminiscent of Avraham Avinu's encounter with Efron, where Avraham demands that Efron allow him to pay full price for Mearat HaMachpeilah. 

Rav Saadya Gaon says that Avraham wanted to ensure that they both fully agreed on the transaction and that there would be no “fine print”. This is why Avraham was so careful in his purchase: he wanted to make sure that he was getting exactly what he wanted. Since Avraham paid full price, Efron couldn’t say that Avraham didn’t fully purchase Mearat HaMachpeilah. So too, Yaakov made sure that Eisav was fully committed to his forgiveness and that he was not hiding anything. Yaakov giving Eisav the gift is comparable to Avraham Avinu paying full price. The seller cannot retract the purchase since the buyer paid full price and both sides were in full agreement.   

Rav Avraham ben Rambam (ibid. s.v. Ki Elokim), however, says something completely different. He believes that accepting his gift is a form of Teshuvah for Eisav. If Eisav accepts his gift, it shows that he is no longer a man of hatred but a man of mercy. This is showing a transition point of Eisav. He is no longer the evil person he once was but did Teshuvah. This is very similar to when Yitzchak and Yishmael went to bury Avraham. According to Rashi, the fact that Yitzchak’s name was the first shows that Yishmael did Teshuvah, as Yishmael finally acknowledges Yiztchak as Avraham’s primary son. If Yishmael did Teshuvah then Eisav can also do Teshuvah. 

There are two major lessons to be learned from this encounter. We see that the buyer and seller must mutually agree to the transaction and the buyer must pay in full for what he is purchasing. Avraham Avinu made sure to pay full price because he knew that Mearat HaMachpeilah was very special because it had a cave inside of a cave, but Efron may not have known of the special character of Mearat HaMachpeilah. In addition, we see that anyone can do Teshuvah no matter how sordid their past. They just need to show that they are sincere and have changed their ways.