Some Brother
במדבר כא ,כב: אֶעְבְּרָּ ה
ָּ
ךֶצְרַאְב לֹא נִטֶּה בְּש ָּדֶה וּבְכֶרֶ ם לֹא נִש ְתֶּה מֵּי בְאֵּר
ְ
ךֶרֶדְּב
ְ
ךֶלֶּמַה
ְ
ךֵּלֵּנ עַד אֲש ֶר־נַעֲבֹר
ָּ
ךֶלֻבְ
ּ
ג :
"And Moshe sent messengers ... to the King of Edom ... So says your brother Yisrael. Please let us pass through land ... ." He said, "Let us pass through ..." and he said "Please".
But when he sent messengers to Sichon (20, 17), he said "Let me pass through ..." and he failed to say please. Baal HaTurim explains that Moshe did not say "Please" when he sent to Sichon, because the message was no more than the fulfillment of the Mitzvah to open with words of peace, rather than as a result of an intrinsic desire to make peace with him. Whereas with regard to Eisav, he was talking to Yisrael's brother (indeed, his opening words were "So says your brother Yisrael"), and his desire for peace was a genuine one.
Sichon felt Moshe's lack of warmth, explains the Baal haTurim, because, unlike Eisav, who sent Moshe a reply (however curt it may have been), Sichon just gathered his army, marched out to fight, without uttering a word!
And finally, when he spoke to Eisav, Moshe said "Let us pass through your land" because he was referring to a statement made by Eisav when he met Yaakov upon his return from Lavan "Let us travel together" (an offer that Yaakov declined at the time, because of the spiritual danger to his family that would have resulted from such close contact with that rasha). Nevertheless, Moshe was trying to evoke that spirit of unity once again. But alas, to no avail! For what was Edom's response? ...
