For an explanation of the methodology of this series, see the introduction.

"The angels returned to Yaakov, saying, "We came to your brother, to Esau, and he is also coming toward you, and four hundred men are with him." " (Gen. 22:7)

Peshat (basic meaning):

...he still behaves towards you like the wicked Esau.

Rashi: "We came to your brother, to Esau"
Concerning whom you said, "He is my brother," but he still behaves towards you like the wicked Esau. He still has hatred.

Remez (hinted meaning):

There is no Baal HaTurim, but see Maggid Mesharim below, who presents hints to the 400 men.

Derash (interpretive meaning):

Targum Yonatan: And four hundred men, warlike leaders with him.

Ramban: "And the messengers/angels returned to Yaakov"
These messengers had fulfilled their mission, but the Torah did not relate this, for it would serve no purpose. The meaning of the expression, "And he is also coming toward you" is that: even as you go to meet him, so he goes to meet you and you will quickly encounter one another.

Ohr HaChayim: "we have come to your brother, to Esau"
meaning he has presented himself as your brother but he is still Esau. "he is also coming to meet you" as a brother but since he has also taken "four hundred men with him" this is proof of his evil intentions.

Maggid Mesharim: "And the angels returned"
They said "we came to your brother, to Esau" but Esau does not wish to bend himself, rather he wishes to receive like you — as your equal — "and also he is coming toward you." That is, not only is he helping and supporting those who are pursuing the pleasures and lusts of this world, but he is also acting against those who wish to come close to you to fear you and to serve you. He acts against them to try to turn them away from the good path, "with 400 men." The number 400 refers to the evil eye—ayin hara--which numerically equals 400.

Sod (esoteric, mystical meaning):

Zohar Vayishlach 167:
"And the angels returned to Yaakov, saying: 'We came to your brother Esau, and he is also coming to meet you, and four hundred men with him.'" After saying, "We came to your brother," do we not know they referred to Esau? He had no other brothers. "We came to your brother": he did not repent and walk the path of righteousness, as may be thought, but remained the evil Esau as before. "...and he is also coming to meet you..." does not mean, as you may say, by himself, but rather he has "four hundred men with him."
You may wonder why Yaakov was fearful...
Why was all this specified? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, always longs for the prayers of the righteous and adorns Himself with them. As we have already said, the angel in charge of the prayers of the children of Israel… receives all their prayers and weaves them into a crown for the Life of the Worlds. The Holy One, blessed be He, desires the prayers of the righteous all the more; they become a crown with which to adorn the Holy One, blessed be He. You may wonder why Yaakov was fearful, since camps of holy angels accompanied him. He was fearful because the righteous do not rely on their merit, but on their prayers and supplications before their Master.

BeRahamim LeHayyim:
It is taught that the mystical interpretation of Psalm 20 may be used for protection. Of particular import is the final verse, said many times a day: "Save, LORD; let the King answer us in the day that we call." Note that the initial letters of the last three Hebrew words — "Ya’aneinu bayom koreinu/Answer us in the day we call! — are Yud-Beit-Kuf. These letters hint to the Zohar's notation that G‑d desires the prayers of the righteous. For they are also three letters of the name Yaakov.

They also refer to the river Yaakov crossed to confront his Dark Side, the river Yabok. And to be complete we must note that the word "to wrestle"—ya’evek"--also has these same 3 letters. So Yaakov cried for G‑d to "answer him on the day he called," the day being the one on which he crossed the Yabok river and wrestled with the angel.

So we should not be surprised to learn that the gematria of these 3 letters Yud (10), Beit (2) and Kof (100) total 112, which stands for either the total of three holy Names of Ek-yeh (21), Havaya (26) and Ado-nay (65), related to Binah, Tiferet, and Malkut, or the total of Havaya (26) and Elokim (86), related here to Tiferet and Malkut. Here the name Havaya helps to sweeten any judgments present in the Names Ek-yeh Elokim and Adnut. In fact this Psalm 20 used for times of need has the Yud-Beit-Kof combination 5 times embedded in its verses! The power of the righteous calling to G‑d for help on the day of need simply cannot be overstated.
The power of the righteous calling to G‑d for help...cannot be overstated.
The prophet Isaiah tells us that "all of your people are righteous" and guess what folks, that means YOU, and YOU, and YOU! The promise means in the words of the above Zohar that The Holy One, blessed be He, desires the prayers of the righteous all the more; they become a crown with which to adorn the Holy One, blessed be He.

It is the New Year of Chassidut on 19 Kislev this week. We are also told that we have until the 8th Night of Hanukah to stem any evil decree sealed on Hashanah Raba. To thrown ourselves in joy into Hanukah, to gaze at the candles nightly and to open our hearts in joy to G‑d, and to call on Him as you would a close friend, these must all be for the good.


Copyright 2003 by KabbalaOnline.org, a project of Ascent of Safed (//ascentofsafed.com). All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this work or portions thereof, in any form, unless with permission, in writing, from Kabbala Online.