Express vs. Local

"Let my master please go on…while I move on at my own slow pace…until I reach my master at Se'ir… " (Gen. 33:13-14)

Jacob did not go to Seir. So when will he go? In the days of the Messiah, as it is said: (Obadiah 1:21) "And saviors shall ascend Mt. Zion to judge the mountain of Esau." (Rashi, ibid.)

The Talmud (Sanhedrin 98a) speaks of two ways in which the messianic age can commence: (a) "in its time" and (b) in a described by the words "I will hasten it." The advantage of the latter is obvious, since it shortens the length of the exile. However, there is also an advantage to the redemption coming "in its time." If the messianic age begins prematurely, those aspects of the world that have not been elevated and refined will be unable to assimilate the Divine revelation that will occur in the messianic age. These unrefined elements will be overwhelmed by Divinity and expire in ecstatic yearning.1

Jacob thus felt that although he himself was at a level where he could experience the messianic age, the world at large was not ready. Those who had not attained his level were still like "frail children" or "nursing lambs" in their spiritual development. Therefore, he said:

"If they are driven hard for even one day, all the flocks will die": If the messianic age -— when Jacob and Esau will finally unite -— is rushed to occur now, the "flocks will die," they will be overwhelmed by the Divine revelation and expire. Jacob therefore advised...

"Let my master please go on…while I move on at my own slow pace, at the pace of the herds that are ahead of me, and at the pace of the children — until I reach my master at Se'ir": This slow pace alludes to the long and arduous exiles of his descendants, during which they would illuminate the crass world with the light of the Torah. Only after the lowly elements of creation were elevated over the course of history would the messianic age commence.

The above can be compared to the two ways transportation services are generally offered: express and local. The express train reaches the destination faster, but leaves many along the way behind. The local service takes a lot longer, but it enables passengers from various stations—and those who cannot handle high speeds—to join the ride.

Jacob's allusion to Esau's transformation in the messianic age—"until I reach my master at Se'ir"—teaches us how to neutralize the potential hostility of the "Esau's" we encounter during our exile:

If we fall prey to the external trappings of exile and feel subservient to the rulership of "Esau," our attitude becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy—"Esau" imagines that he truly rules over us and might behave accordingly.

To neutralize Esau's power, we must see past the facade of exile to its inner purpose, which is to enable us to condition the world for the messianic age, at which time Esau will be subdued and transformed. By viewing our exilic adventure as a long path towards Se'ir and focusing on the end game—a time when Esau is indeed harmless—Esau becomes harmless even during the exile.

Adapted from Likutei Sichot, vol. 2, pp. 445-446; vol. 20, p. 164
© 2001 Chabad of California/www.LAchumash.org