Fear and Battle
Yaakov wanted to make peace with his brother. He went out of the way to greet him before coming home to his father. When he realized that Eisav was coming with 400 soldiers, Yaakov was very afraid: afraid of killing, afraid of being killed.
See Chumash Levin-Epstein in the name of Abarvanel:
A soldier must be afraid of being killed or unnecessarily harming others. Nonetheless, he strengthens himself, faithfully does his work, realizing that he may have to give his life.
In Tractate Rosh Hashanah, 16, Rebbe Yitzchak says: “Any year which doesn’t begin with ‘truah’ (the sound of the shofar), will end with evil.”
If there is no shofar on Rosh Hashanah, there may be trouble during the year. The Behag says this is not referring to Rosh Hashanah coming out on Shabbos [*1] (in which case the Rabbis don’t allow the shofar), but that some kind of mishap occurred, which prevented the shofar from being sounded.
The Taz (Orach Chaim 585:7) found this problematic. One is exempt if the circumstances are beyond his control. Why should they be punished if they were unable to have the shofar?
Rather (writes the Taz), we must say that in preventing the mitzva of shofar, Hashem is giving them a message. There was some special reason that Hashem allowed this to happen (that they missed the shofar). The difference is that they must reflect and find something that needs correction. In that case, their worry and concern will prevent the evil from occurring.
This is the same idea that we find regarding disturbing dreams. If a person is shaken up by a dream, his concern and his teshuva can prevent the disturbing event from happening.
The Taz goes on to say an explanation of a verse which he himself heard in a dream. “With trumpets and the sound of the shofar, make the ‘truah’ before the King, Hashem.” (Tehillim 98:6.) It concerns the Gemara that we’ve been discussing. Make sure that the ‘truah’ of the shofar is heard on Rosh Hashana BEFORE Hashem makes ‘truah’ — troubles for you. That is, we should shake ourselves up and repent before Hashem brings troubles upon us (may Hashem save us).
Returning to Yaakov Avinu, we should avoid being fearful, but when we are afraid, we must realize that our fear comes from Hashem, who wants us to daven, repent and improve our ways.
Waking Up the Sleeping Bandit
Chazal say about Yaakov, “He got involved with an argument that really wasn’t his.” They compare Yaakov to one who wakes up sleeping bandits, making trouble for himself. The simple meaning is that Yaakov could have avoided the confrontation with Eisav altogether.
However — the Ohel Moshe asks — how do these descriptions apply to Yaakov Avinu? The controversy with Eisav was a long-running feud, and was still as strong as ever. The danger that Eisav would kill Yaakov was still very great. What is the complaint that Yaakov came to make peace with Eisav?
However, Rav Chaim Shmulevitz explained that as long as the danger is not immediate, it’s as if there is no argument. It’s as if the bandits are sleeping, and you’ve come to wake them! More than this — even if the enemy is planning to come, even if he’s on the way — he should still be considered a sleeping bandit, since, after his first step, it’s not certain that he’ll take another. [*2]
Yaakov, who sent messengers ahead to question Eisav, woke up the sleeping bandit. Eisav would have gone on his way but Yaakov grabbed his attention.
In a footnote, the Ohel Moshe explains that Yaakov could simply have davened that Hashem remove the danger — but there was no need to go to greet Eisav.
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1. This is unlike the Orech Laneir’s well-known explanation. The Behag, quoted in Tosafos, preceded the Orech Laneir by hundreds of years.
2. Chazal say that even if a sharp sword is on one’s neck, he shoudn’t give up hope. The Ohel Moshe tells the story of a man deathly ill. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach repeated that even if the sword is on one’s neck, we mustn’t give up hope. The students replied, this case is akin to the sword already piercing the neck… Rav Shlomo Zalman answered that the source of this saying comes from Chizkiyahu Hamelech, who was on his deathbed. Yeshaya Hanavi told him, “You’re going to die!” Even so — in such an unimaginably tragic state — Chizkiyahu would not accept his impending death. The king related this tradition, “Even if a sharp sword is on one’s neck, don’t give up hope!” We would actually compare this to the sword having already pierced the neck! Even so, Chizkiyahu Hamelech did not accept his fate.