Vayishlach: dealing 

Jews see themselves as a nation that confronts a hostile world. Today's parsha is an important element of  our foundational story.  The interconnections  among  the perception of a shared threat,  national unification, and territorial claims are the core of this week's parsha. 

The observations  of the rishonim, the medieval commentators, on the first sentence of the parsha indicate an important variation in approach. 

וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח יַעֲקֹ֤ב מַלְאָכִים֙ לְפָנָ֔יו אֶל־עֵשָׂ֖ו אָחִ֑יו אַ֥רְצָה שֵׂעִ֖יר שְׂדֵ֥ה אֱדֽוֹם׃ 

Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom,

The Hebrew word מַלְאָכִים֙ , malachim, fundamentally means messengers. However, it commonly means the special, Divine messengers: angels.  Rashi, famously, quotes the midrash Rabbah and says: 

וישלח יעקב מלאכים. מַלְאָכִים מַמָּשׁ

actually angels 

 The Ramban's comment on this verse includes: 

וֹ. וְיֵשׁ בָּהּ עוֹד רֶמֶז לְדוֹרוֹת, כִּי כָּל אֲשֶׁר אֵרַע לְאָבִינוּ עִם עֵשָׂו אָחִיו יֶאֱרַע לָנוּ תָּמִיד עִם בְּנֵי עֵשָׂו, וְרָאוּי לָנוּ לֶאֱחֹז בְּדַרְכּוֹ שֶׁל צַדִּיק, שֶׁנַּזְמִין עַצְמֵנוּ לִשְׁלֹשֶׁת הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁהִזְמִין הוּא אֶת עַצְמוֹ, לִתְפִלָּה וּלְדוֹרוֹן וּלְהַצָּלָה בְּדֶרֶךְ מִלְחָמָה לִבְרֹחַ וּלְהִנָּצֵל.

There is yet in this section a hint for future generations, for everything that happened to our father with his brother Esau will constantly occur to us with Esau’s children, and it is proper for us to adhere to the way of the righteous by preparing ourselves in the three things for which he prepared himself: for prayer, for giving him a present, and for rescue by methods of warfare, to flee and to be saved.

The perpetual nature of this mostly antagonistic interaction which the Ramban implies is hinted at by the ending of the parsha. The 43 verses that constitute chapter 36 involve the descent of Esau and the kings of Edom: rival nations. It is a reminder that this battle does not end until the Messiah ends it. 

Rashi casts the parsha into the  realm of angels. Outcomes are determined by Divine decision and carried out by beings that are beyond common human understanding.  The drama that unfolds involves forces that are not in our usual experience, with powers that we cannot fathom. 

There is textual basis for the assertion מַלְאָכִים מַמָּשׁ, that Jacob's  messengers are actually angels.  Two verses earlier, the very end of Vayetzeh, we are told that Yaakov is met by מַלְאֲכֵ֥י אֱ, messengers of Gd, angels. On this basis later commentators, like the Bartenura adduce that Jacob's messengers were, indeed, angels. 

Regardless of the (controversial) textual evidence, we are confronted with understanding this narrative as either a model for the efficacy of human ingenuity in the face of overwhelming threat, or another example of Divine rescue... or, perhaps, both. 

Shimshon Rafael Hirsch  (Who lived in Germany 1808-1888, and wrote in German) agreed with the Ramban, that the parsha was the model for interactions between the descendants of Jacob and Esau. To Rabbi Hirsch, the narrative  demonstrates the contrasting worldviews . 

Yaakov has nowhere to go.  He had left the land to which his grandfather, Abraham, had migrated, the land that his father, Isaac, never left He ran away  under the threat of violence from his brother, Esau. Jacob's claim to Canaan came, in part, from his devious acquisition of the blessing of Isaac. That scheme had ignited the wrath of brother Esau, a skilled killer of animals, and put Jacob's life in danger. He was forced to go into exile. 

Living in another people's land worked out well enough...for a while. The welcome ended when Jacob's success irked the host family, the sons  of Lavan. Jacob saw that a continued stay in Haran would come to a bad end. The stories of Jews in Germany and the Russian empire in the first half of the 20th century  are evoked. Jacob taught his descendants the advantage of leaving before the situation deteriorates further. 

When Haran became dangerous, Jacob had to choose his next home. That drove him  to stake the claim that devolved from his purchase of the birthright from his brother Esau.  He set out to return to the Promised Land, but he knew that meant  a confrontation  with Esau. 

The last Jacob  had heard ( 20 years ago), Esau was  planning on killing him. Jacob's (possibly angelic)  scouts now report that Esau has an  army of 400 at his side.  Jacob worried harder.  Things looked very bad. Jacob had to rescue his family

The likely outcome of a battle with Esau and his army was decimation. Jacob divided the family into two groups He hoped that a portion of the family will be saved.  Perhaps the escapees will rescue those attacked - or at least try.

Jacob sends a "tribute" to Esau.   It is a gift, a bribe, a tax to the prevailing authority.  It is a demonstration that there is more to gain from letting his people live and taxing their wealth, than there is from wiping them out.  The fortunate result of the gift is Esau's realization that his needs are met; he does not need to take Jacob's wealth, he does not need to take his life, he does not need this land.  The tribute is so enormous that Esau adjusts his perspective. 

Ultimately, Jacob says to Esau: קַח־נָ֤א אֶת־בִּרְכָתִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֻבָ֣את לָ֔ךְ

Please accept my present  ( bracha/blessing) which has been brought to you,

Jacob says:  "Please, take my blessing."  Is this THE blessing that Isaac had bestowed, intended for Esau but conveyed to Jacob? Was  Jacob now giving that blessing to Esau?   This is an exercise in subtlety. 

Ultimately, Esau just left. 

וַיִּקַּ֣ח עֵשָׂ֡ו אֶת־נָ֠שָׁ֠יו וְאֶת־בָּנָ֣יו וְאֶת־בְּנֹתָיו֮ וְאֶת־כׇּל־נַפְשׁ֣וֹת בֵּיתוֹ֒ וְאֶת־מִקְנֵ֣הוּ וְאֶת־כׇּל־בְּהֶמְתּ֗וֹ וְאֵת֙ כׇּל־קִנְיָנ֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָכַ֖שׁ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ אֶל־אֶ֔רֶץ מִפְּנֵ֖י יַעֲקֹ֥ב אָחִֽיו׃ 

Esau took his wives, his sons and daughters, and all the members of his household, his cattle and all his livestock, and all the property that he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to another land because of his brother Jacob

The relationship between threat and a unified  national identity is evident in modern Jewish history.  Herzl's dream of a Jewish homeland is born out of the persecution of Jews in lands  that suddenly become not their home in times of trouble. We have seen what happened in  Germany, Poland, Iraq, Syria, etc. The vision of the Ramban, the ongoing struggle, seems to continue into the present.  The land of Israel unifies ( to a degree) the various camps  that constitute the Jews.

 May all people find their haven.